Roundtable: The CIO in a Data-driven World (Calgary)
On May 28, 2015, The IT Media Group brought together 19 IT executives from a variety of private and public-sector organizations in the Calgary area to discuss “The CIO in a Data-driven World”. Sponsor for this CIO Master Series Roundtable was Hitachi Data Systems Canada, represented at the table by CTO, Paul Lewis.
The brave new world of data-driven decision-making is presenting CIOs with a variety of challenges, many of which are complicated by the economic downturn in Canada. In Alberta, this downturn is especially pronounced due to the sharp decline in oil prices.
These new realities are putting additional pressure on CIOs to find creative ways to harness the power of IT in support of operational and business goals. This private roundtable explored the techniques and strategies CIOs are using to deliver on their mandate in the face of these economic challenges and the need to manage and derive maximum business value from the flood of structured and unstructured data coming into the organization.
Topics discussed included: leveraging the economic downturn; impact or the downturn on rates & services; economic transparency; shadow IT and governance; leadership & communications; data ownership challenges; strategic partnerships; business analysis and BPM; cleansing vs. matching data; cloud vendors and integration.
This highly engaging session brought to light a wide variety of insights, opinions and best practices around data management, shadow IT, vendor relationships and many other issues of high importance to the CIO community.
Session Highlights Videos
Improving Business Decision-making
Business analysts and BPM are among the highest priorities
Impact of the Economic Downturn
There are budget challenges, but also opportunities to play catch-up with training, planning and alignment.
Post session interviews
Darrel Popowich - Ensure the Success of Shadow IT Projects
Leona Lachance - Vendors and IT/LoB Relationships
Paul Lewis - Traditional v Emerging IM models
Paul Lewis - Shadow IT and DM
Michael Loughlean - Shadow IT and Data centric Collaboration
Michael Loughlean - Innovation through shadow IT
About CIO Master Series roundtables
Roundtables produced by The IT Media Group provide the ideal format for frank and open discussion among IT executive peers, allowing them to explore issues in depth, with a judicious amount of expert facilitation. These sessions are designed specifically for small groups of IT leaders, enabling them to take away practicable new approaches, validate their own thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and share their successes and their pain.
IT executives interested receiving notification of upcoming CIO Master Series roundtables, please complete the VIP membership form, including business email address.











Cyber incidents are no longer isolated IT events. They are enterprise-level crises that can halt operations, trigger regulatory scrutiny and erode customer trust overnight. Yet too often, planning for how to respond is treated as a compliance checkbox or delegated piecemeal across functions.
Having an AI advisor that provides recommendations based on your direction can be helpful. But an expert actor that can make decisions and work without oversight is even more powerful.
Artificial Intelligence is no longer a buzzword; it's a daily boardroom reality. CIOs are tasked not only with adopting AI but also with translating their "AI promise" into operational and financial value. However, despite board-level urgency and growing enterprise investments, many AI programs still fail to deliver—not due to lack of ambition, but because of a strategic value gap.
AI is transforming industries at warp speed, with companies across sectors driven by its potential to accelerate revenue growth, boost operational efficiency and customize customer experiences.
Salad.
The Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector is witnessing a rapid AI adoption surge, but this digital acceleration comes with significant challenges. According to the
Why Flexible Infrastructure Consumption is in High Demand and Driving Business Growth
The year is 2035. AI has become as invisible and integral to our lives as Wi-Fi and solar energy. After overcoming energy consumption challenges, chip shortages, and infrastructure limits, technology has evolved into a powerhouse that drives industries while solving sustainability issues.
As AI revolutionizes industries, one major question looms: How can businesses ensure solid returns on their investments without falling into financial traps? Concerns about AI's return on investment (ROI) are valid.
Lessons from CrowdStrike on Safeguarding Your Data with Compliance, Continuity and Disaster Recovery Strategies.