In-Person

Washington, DC CISO Community

Executive Summit

November 12, 2025 | Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf

November 12, 2025
Hilton Washington DC National Mall the Wharf

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Washington, DC's top CISOs 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 CISOs today:

Increasing Reliability and Resilience in an Evolving Business Landscape

Developing a Leadership Vision that Enables Thriving, Innovative Teams

Leveraging Data, AI, and Advanced Analytics to Drive Strategic Growth

Washington, DC CISO Governing Body

The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CISOs, For CISOs®.

What to Expect

Interactive Sessions

Hear from CISO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.

Community Networking

Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Washington, DC CISO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, 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.

Agenda

Breakout Sessions

Reducing Application Delivery Tech Debt from the Inside Out

 With high volumes of sensitive data now flowing through web browsers, three in five organizations say data leakage is likely given current IT and security infrastructures. Stop playing catch-up. Discover new approaches to enterprise operations to reduce risk while simplifying operations.

Join this session to discover:

  • How disparate IT and security solutions create technical debt
  • What challenges impact internal and end user stakeholders
  • How simplifying IT can strengthen security, and boost productivity

Demystifying Agentic AI — Applications and Capabilities of Today and Tomorrow

Agentic AI products are flooding the market, and the pace of AI change continues to accelerate. Join Gartner Analyst Danielle Casey to examine current agentic AI market dynamics and emerging opportunities.

In this session, you will: 

  • Learn about agentic AI offerings and the new capabilities they provide
  • Gain insights into market challenges inhibiting adoption
  • Explore real-world agentic AI case studies and value outcomes


Executive Boardroom Sessions

Not All Security Metrics Are Created Equal

An effective security metrics program enhances decision-making and stakeholder communication, offering early issue detection and aiding resource allocation decisions. However, it is imperative for CISOs to take a closer look at metric selection taking into account emerging threats in the quickly evolving landscape.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Forward-thinking strategies in interrogating your current security metrics program
  • The role of emerging technology when considering essential metrics
  • Tool recommendations for gathering and generating meaningful metrics for your security program

Smart IT Spending – Sustaining Value While Managing Costs

During times of economic uncertainty, organizations often cut costs without fully assessing the potential risks and consequences. As IT and technology departments face increasing budgetary pressures, leaders will need to balance short-term efficiency with long-term growth strategy.

Join this session to discuss:

  • Evaluating cost-saving initiatives while optimizing existing resources
  • Meeting cost targets without compromising progress toward broader business objectives
  • Communicating IT and cybersecurity value to stakeholders

Ready or Not – Enabling AI Through Data Management

Gartner research shows through 2026, 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned after proof of concept due, in part, to poor data quality. Has your organization made the necessary changes to ensure its data is AI-ready for any initiative?

Join your peers to discuss:

  • Effective collaboration between IT, security and data management leaders
  • Essential data management modifications
  • Compelling linkage between AI-ready data and business outcomes

Strategic Cyber Leadership — Turning Insight into Influence

Boards and C-level executives expect CISOs to deliver clarity, alignment and measurable outcomes. It requires translating risk into business outcomes, building trust and inspiring shared accountability. 

In this session, you’ll discuss how to:

  • Define and communicate success in a way that resonates with boards and business leaders
  • Build open, productive relationships by aligning cyber priorities to business outcomes
  • Foster a culture of resilience and shared accountability, where security is seen as a business enabler rather than a barrier

Optimizing IT Operating Models

CIOs are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable value and must proactively evolve their IT operating models to drive enterprise objectives. However, a disconnect between a task-driven culture and an outcomes-oriented mindset can hinder sustained business growth.

Join this session to discuss with your peers:

  • Assessing and realigning your IT operating model to support your organization’s digital vision and strategic goals
  • Shifting from operational efficiency to models that boost business performance and enable enterprise-wide transformation
  • Building stronger partnerships with business stakeholders and fostering collaboration for greater impact


We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

Your Community Sponsors

Global Thought Leader

CIO Thought Leader

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Melissa Tarpley

Community Program Manager

619-300-6401

melissa.tarpley@gartner.com