Speakers
We have worked diligently to put together a stimulating and focused agenda, bringing together experts, visionaries and professionals from the IT industry. We look forward to sharing this exciting conference with you.

Dr. Rebecca Homkes
London Business School, Strategic Management Centre Lecturer, Director
Bert Bullough
Berkadia SVP, Information Technology Operations
Spencer Levy
CBRE Global Chief Client Officer & Sr Economics Advisor
Robert DeVito
Google Chrome Global Director, Customer & Partner Sales Engineering
David Heafitz
Prudential Financial VP of Global Technology
John Ferguson
OutSystems Senior Director of Solution Architecture
Michael Baldwin
Google Cloud Head of Product, Financial Services
Tom Shane
Google Cloud AI Product ManagerAgenda
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Welcome & Introductions From Reset to Thrive: How to Lead a Growth Journey
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Host
Dr. Rebecca Homkes, Lecturer, Director, London Business School, Strategic Management Centre
Uncertainty challenges leadership teams to adapt, and to navigate their organizations through a journey of surviving (stabilizing the business with a growth mindset) to resetting (updating the existing direction and plans) in order to thrive or dramatically grow and prosper. Dr. Homkes will kick off our discussions by discussing the Survive Reset Thrive journey and how to lead the transition from reset to thrive. She will share stories of successful companies that are building robust organizations for growth and provide insights of how you can do the same! Then she will introduce her B.L.A.S.T framework that describes successful high-growth companies and their teams prepare for a successful growth path. She will challenge us as CIOs to embrace the challenge and build organizations ready to blast off and grow! -
Host
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Opening Keynote A Closer Look at One of 2021s Most Innovative CIOs
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Moderator
Dr. Rebecca Homkes, Lecturer, Director, London Business School, Strategic Management Centre -
Panelist
Bert Bullough, SVP, Information Technology Operations, Berkadia -
Panelist
David Heafitz, VP of Global Technology, Prudential Financial
Globally and across a range of industries, 2020 took existing patterns of activity for CIOs and sped them up radically and unexpectedly. Some organizations were more prepared than others. However, a select few overachieving teams solved these challenges in remarkably creative ways. In this session, we will dig deeper on strategies that allow for companies to not only survive, but thrive. In addition, we will explore companies who ‘broke the mold’ in 2020 and the strategies they plan to adopt as they take on 2021. -
Moderator
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General Session The Way Forward
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Presenter
Spencer Levy, Global Chief Client Officer & Sr Economics Advisor, CBRE
The pandemic has completely disrupted how we live, work and play. Join an expert from CBRE discuss their thoughts on The Way Forward for the economy and commercial real estate, especially as conditions evolve due to a new U.S. administration and the vaccine. -
Presenter
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General Session Have We Digitally Transformed Yet?
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Presenter
John Ferguson, Senior Director of Solution Architecture, OutSystems
In the world of technology, we add buzzwords to our lexicon faster than any other industry and wear them out even more quickly. However, the organizations that learn the kernel of truth inside each of these phrases can chart a path to more engaging customer experiences, increased profitability, and improved risk profiles. Financial service organizations have often led the way with applying technology to their businesses but there are clear winners and losers. Modern software platforms now give us a way to democratize access to the technology and talent needed to compete across the industry. In our talk we will explore what sits at the heart of buzzwords such as Platform, Low-Code, Process Automation and Cloud in order to find a path that leads to the famed land of Digital Transformation. -
Presenter
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General Session Driving Business Transformation in Financial Services Using Google Cloud AI/ML
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Presenter
Michael Baldwin, Head of Product, Financial Services, Google Cloud -
Presenter
Tom Shane, Product Manager, Google Cloud AI
This session covers how Google Cloud partners closely with financial services organizations to drive business transformation. Listen to highlights of customer stories as well as Google Cloud’s differentiated AI products and solutions. -
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General Session Challenge the Rules of Security: Transform the Threat Surface to Proactive Control
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Presenter
Robert DeVito, Global Director, Customer & Partner Sales Engineering, Google Chrome
With the dramatic increase in distributed workforces and the growing adoption of cloud applications, companies face unprecedented levels of IP, data, and identity sprawl beyond the enterprise firewall. Every endpoint is an entry into your business, cybercriminals have more ways to break in than ever before, and human error on the inside is a constant risk. Historically, endpoint security has been a zero-sum game—with the odds inevitably stacked against IT. But rather than protect devices, what if you could just control the security of them?
In this presentation, see how Chrome OS and Chrome Browser are secure by design—embedding security into every workflow to provide proactive protection for users, devices, applications, and data, wherever work happens. This is cloud-first security control in the hands of the modern businesses that will thrive moving forward. -
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Closing Remarks Are you Ready to Grow?
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Host
Dr. Rebecca Homkes, Lecturer, Director, London Business School, Strategic Management Centre
We will pull together key insights and end with a call to action including recapping shared guidance on how CIOs can lead their organizations, accelerate learning and thrive through 2021 and beyond. -
Host
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