
Houston CIO Community
Executive Summit
December 2, 2025 | Hyatt Regency Houston West
December 2, 2025
Hyatt Regency Houston West
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Houston's top CIOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CIOs today:
Harnessing Data and Analytics to Drive Strategic Business Outcomes
Leveraging Emerging Technology for Competitive Advantage and Growth
Collaboration across the C-Suite to Enable Technology Innovation and Efficiency
Houston CIO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CIOs, For CIOs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

David Cain
CVR Energy
VP & CIO

Vagesh Dave
McDermott International
Global VP/ CIO

Kara Pelecky
American Bureau of Shipping
SVP, CIO

Michael Thompson
Gulfport Energy Corporation
VP & CIO

John Varkey
Waste Management
SVP, CIO
What to Expect
Agenda
8:00am - 8:30am Registration & Breakfast
8:30am - 9:15am Keynote
Beyond Alignment — CIOs Shaping Enterprise Strategy

Kayoor Gajarawala
Chief Digital & IT Officer
LyondellBasell

Stuart Wagner
CIO
Enterprise Products Partners
Join this candid fireside chat with Kayoor Gajarawala, Chief Digital & IT Officer, LyondellBasell and Stuart Wagner, CIO, Enterprise Products Partners as they share real-world stories of how they’re embedding themselves in the heart of strategy development, influencing business outcomes, and building trust with key stakeholders.
9:15am - 9:40am Networking Break
9:40am - 10:25am Breakout Session
Neutralizing the Risk of Compromised Credentials
Hosted by Island

Matt Pour
VP, Solutions Engineering
Island
Nearly 90% of breaches involve stolen credentials. Data loss from compromised credentials is a growing threat, driving significant financial impact for organizations and consumers. As a business leader, how are you mitigating the risks?
Join this session to learn more about:
- Enhancing credential security across the enterprise
- Governing the usage of risky, malicious extensions
- Reducing or eliminating data loss from compromised credentials
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Executive Boardroom Hosted by Tata Consultancy Services
Hosted by Tata Consultancy Services
Session Details Coming Soon...
9:40am - 10:25am Executive Boardroom
Digital Labyrinth — An Interactive IT Strategy Role-Playing Game
Hosted by Kissflow

Suresh Sambandam
Founder & CEO
Kissflow
CIOs face a maze of decisions around AI, legacy systems, and shadow IT. In this session you’ll navigate real IT challenges related to application development through a role-playing game with collaborative guidance throughout. Work in teams, strategize together, and leave with fresh perspectives for mastering your own digital journey.
Join this session to:
- View IT decision-making challenges through engaging gameplay
- Collaborate on solutions for application development, shadow IT and legacy modernization
- Discover practical approaches for driving digital transformation
10:25am - 11:10am Networking Break
10:35am - 11:00am Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:10am - 11:55am Breakout Session
The AI Imperative — Driving Business Outcomes in a Changing World
Hosted by Google Workspace
The current business landscape is characterized by rapid change and increasing complexity. Organizations must leverage AI not just as a trend, but as a strategic tool to drive measurable outcomes, enhance employee experiences, and unlock new avenues for growth and innovation.
Join this session to discuss:
Implement AI for measurable ROI and operational efficiency
Leverage AI-driven personalization while ensuring security and compliance
Build AI fluency and drive sustainable growth organization-wide
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
Ensuring Business Continuity Through IT Resilience
Hosted by IBM

Danilo Florissi
VP, Development, Automation
IBM

John Varkey
SVP, CIO
Waste Management

Nikki Puma
Vice President, Information Technology
LGI Homes
For CIOs, swift recovery from IT disruptions is vital to protect revenue, reputation and customer trust. As digital environments increase in complexity, IT observability and hybrid cloud architecture strategies can deliver measurable business impact by minimizing downtime and maintaining seamless operations.
Join this session to discuss:
- Increasing observability for real-time situational awareness and faster incident resolution
- Build adaptable hybrid infrastructure to isolate failures and limit financial losses
- Enhancing application reliability through proactive monitoring and automation
11:10am - 11:55am Executive Boardroom
The Future of ERP – Shifting the IT Operating Model
Hosted by Rimini Street

Coy Wright
Vice President, Energy, Utilities, and Mining Industry Solutions
Rimini Street

Aparna Mathur
VP IT
Nabors Industries

David Cain
VP & CIO
CVR Energy
AI, hyperautomation, and unified user experiences are reshaping how we work and compete. Are these transformations valuable, necessary, or feasible? Engage with peers to explore strategies for funding and accelerating prioritized transformations while maximizing returns on existing software investments.
Join this session to discuss:
- Modernizing applications through composable and adaptive ERP strategies
- Building digital agility to adapt to evolving business needs and minimize disruptions
- Enhancing IT systems to improve user experiences and boost operational efficiency
11:55am - 12:30pm Lunch Service
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Houston CIO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Hyatt Regency Houston WestParking & Transportation
Complimentary valet parking provided.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hyatt Regency Houston West at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 800-544-9288 . Please mention G-CISO to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $149 USD (plus tax) is November 10, 2025.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.