Think Tank
The Future of IT & Cybersecurity

CIO & CISO Think Tank

Date

September 23, 2025

Location

Chicago, IL

Community

CIO / CISO
Your Vision is our mission

Agenda

September 23, 2025
All times Central Time
8:30 AM-9:00 AM
Registration
9:00 AM-9:30 AM
Morning Networking
9:30 AM-9:35 AM
Opening Remarks
9:35 AM-10:00 AM
Keynote
The Dark Side of AI in Corporate Security

AI and especially LLMs have quickly become "must have" tools for many workplaces. Unfortunately, that includes the people attacking your organizations. From the most sophisticated nation state groups down to unsophisticated "script kiddies," we are seeing more threat actors incorporate AI into the attack vectors. This talk will provide an overview of how threat actors are using AI in all sorts of ways and what your organization can do to defend against these attacks.

Together with:

Recorded Future
10:05 AM-10:50 AM
Keynote Panel
Rearchitecting the Enterprise for Agentic AI: Control, Collaboration, and the Next Frontier of Automation

Agentic AI, autonomous systems that perceive, reason, and act with minimal human intervention is poised to redefine how work gets done. As these intelligent agents move beyond experimentation into enterprise-scale deployments, organizations must prepare to fundamentally rearchitect their digital environments.

This panel will explore how leaders can operationalize agentic AI to drive efficiency, creativity, and strategic advantage while preserving oversight, governance, and trust. Discussion topics will include designing workflows around autonomous decision-making, managing human-agent collaboration, and navigating emerging risks such as bias, security, and operational drift. Join us as we unpack what it truly means to lead in an era of intelligent, action-oriented AI and how to ensure these agents serve both your innovation goals and core business values.

10:55 AM-11:30 AM
Fireside Chat
Lessons from AI Adoption

As organizations accelerate their AI strategies, many are turning to intelligent automation and agent-based systems to streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making. But early adoption isn't without its challenges. In this fireside chat, we’ll sit down with a senior technology leader to explore what it really takes to implement these solutions in a complex enterprise environment.

This conversation will cover:

  • Real-world use cases of AI-powered agents and automation in action
  • What worked, what didn’t, and the surprises along the way
  • Key governance, compliance, and security considerations
  • Organizational readiness and change management lessons
  • Advice for peers preparing to scale intelligent automation
Panelists
Margaret Hahn Valorem Reply

Speaker

Margaret Hahn

Associate Partner

Valorem Reply

Associate Partner at Reply, where she leads the U.S. Modern Work team with a focus on Microsoft 365, Copilot, and AI-driven transformation. With nearly 20 years of experience in Change Management, she helps enterprises adopt collaborative technologies and integrate AI into daily workflows—spanning governance, technical readiness, and user enablement. A recognized leader in Copilot for Microsoft 365, Margaret has developed maturity models, led nationwide prompt engineering workshops, and guided enterprises in scaling AI adoption. She is also active in Copilot governance, plugin development, and agent creation through Microsoft Copilot Studio. Based in Chicago, Margaret draws on her background in healthcare and education transformation and holds advanced certifications in Change Management, ITIL, and leadership from Stanford and Northwestern.
Youlin Li McDonalds

Speaker

Youlin Li

Director of AI Hub, Global Tech

McDonalds

Youlin Li is the Director of AI Hub Engineering at McDonald’s Global Technology, where he leads enterprise-wide AI transformation initiatives to accelerate AI adoption responsibly, enabling business process automation, insights, and faster decision-making at scale. Previously, Youlin was CTO at iHealth Labs, where he developed Unified Care, a digital health ecosystem for chronic disease management, and co-founded Xolved Solutions, a healthcare AI startup pioneering Text-to-SQL LLM technology. He also held executive leadership roles at Apollo.io and SmartNews, where he scaled engineering organizations, launched large-scale AI platforms, and drove hypergrowth in user engagement and revenue. Earlier in his career, Youlin led engineering teams at Meta, Google, Microsoft (Bing), and Yahoo, designing core infrastructures for personalization, search, and machine learning that served billions worldwide. He holds dual master's degrees in computer science and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and is an inventor with multiple patents and publications in AI, recommender systems, and digital health.

Together with:

Reply
11:30 AM-11:45 AM
Networking
11:45 AM-12:30 PM
Panel
Bridging Strategy and Systems: Aligning Business Goals with IT Innovation

In a world of rapid digital disruption, the most successful organizations are those where business strategy and IT execution move in lockstep. This panel brings together business and IT leaders to explore how to align long-term growth objectives with the right mix of emerging technologies—from AI and cloud platforms to data-driven decision-making and modern application architectures.

Panelists will discuss how to break down silos between departments, drive innovation through collaborative planning, and build agile digital infrastructures that scale with evolving business needs. Expect insights on joint KPIs, governance frameworks, and the cultural shifts required to turn IT from a support function into a strategic growth enabler.

Panelists
Russ Felker MegaCorp Logistics

Speaker

Russ Felker

CTO

MegaCorp Logistics

Russ Felker is the Chief Technology Officer at MegaCorp Logistics, bringing over 30 years of experience as a CTO, founder, and strategic technology advisor. A versatile leader with a career spanning municipal government, healthcare, and the beauty industry, Russ specializes in leveraging technology to solve complex business problems. His core mission centers on utilizing innovative digital solutions to simultaneously enhance the customer experience and drive significant operational cost savings. Based in the Greater Chicago area, Russ is a passionate advocate for technology-led change and organizational evolution. Throughout his three-decade tenure, he has built a reputation for creating resilient technology frameworks that align with long-term business goals. Whether navigating the high-stakes logistics sector or advising startups, Russ remains dedicated to the transformative power of technology as a tool for both efficiency and human-centric service.
George Wang Peterson Technology Partners

Speaker

George Wang

CMO

Peterson Technology Partners

George Wang is a multi-faceted Chief Marketing Officer at Peterson Technology Partners, recognized as a "Super Connector" in the Chicago tech ecosystem. A 2020 Chicago CIO of the Year nominee, George brings over 30 years of rare, balanced experience across CIO, COO, and CMO roles. From launching Motorola’s first digital cellular handset to architecting the State of Illinois’ 45-year technical modernization, his career is defined by "industry firsts." George has successfully led teams of up to 175, fostering a culture of trust and accountability across seven different verticals, including Healthcare, Finance, and Government. An expert in Agile DevOps, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity risk quantification, he leverages his deep technical roots and Lean Six Sigma expertise to help leaders execute with elite talent. A dedicated mentor and "pay-it-forward" advocate, George excels at bridging the gap between business innovation and technical excellence.
Charles Wiggins AlterEnable

Speaker

Charles Wiggins

Founder & CEO

AlterEnable

As the Founder and CEO of AlterEnable, Charles Wiggins helps organizations modernize at scale without losing control in the process. For over 20 years, he has led complex enterprise technology transformations across global, regulated, and high-stakes environments. His work sits at the intersection of AI, cloud, cybersecurity, data, and operating models, helping organizations grow while maintaining trust, resilience, and governance. Most recently, as CIO at the American Marketing Association, he led a significant digital shift, re-architecting infrastructure and applications while embedding AI to power personalization and predictive analytics. Through his advisory work, Charles partners with CEOs and executive teams to operationalize AI, modernize security foundations, and align technology strategy to business outcomes. A battle-tested operator who leads with clarity, calm, and conviction, he specializes in creating clarity, reducing risk, and unlocking growth through fractional CIO/CTO leadership and real-world mentorship.
Nanji Chandrasekhar Ascend Together
Nanji Chandrasekhar

CIO

Ascend Together

12:35 PM-12:50 PM
Disruptor
Cutting through the noise: first principles on identity security and the path ahead

Identity security has become noisy. Around every corner, there is a new acronym or product category, leaving CISOs struggling to separate signal from marketing. Yet at its core, identity security is simple: protecting valuable assets from misuse. The first principles haven’t changed—authentication (IAM), governance (IGA) and privilege control (PAM). Everything else is a capability to integrate, not a platform to buy.

But knowing the principles is only half the challenge. Every organization is on its own journey. Some are still wrestling with basic hygiene, others are adopting zero trust foundations, and many are learning how to govern a workforce where non-human identities outnumber humans 100 to 1. Developer growth, machine identities, and cloud transformation all shape where you are today—and what your next step should be.

In this session, Shashwat Sehgal will break down the first principles of identity security, outline the phases of the identity security maturity curve, and show how leaders can rationalize their roadmap. The future is API-led, ephemeral and least-privileged by design—but the right next step depends on where you are starting from.

Together with:

P0 Security
12:50 PM-1:45 PM
Lunch & Networking
1:45 PM-2:30 PM
Panel
The Future of Cyber Resilience: Winning in a World of Constant Threats

In an era of escalating cyber threats, evolving attack surfaces, and accelerated digital transformation, traditional security models are no longer enough. This keynote will explore what it means to build cyber resilience in today’s complex environment—where speed, adaptability, and business alignment are paramount. From securing hybrid and multi-cloud environments to integrating AI-driven threat intelligence, we’ll examine how leaders can future-proof their security strategies while enabling innovation. Learn how to shift from reactive defense to proactive resilience, ensuring your organization can not only withstand but thrive amid disruption.

2:35 PM-3:10 PM
Panel
Cybersecurity Leadership in the Era of AI and ML: Navigating Innovation and Responsibility

In the dynamic realm of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), CISOs play a pivotal role in leveraging these advancements for enhanced cybersecurity. Strategic integration of AI and ML is essential for bolstering security measures, optimizing decision-making, and driving innovation. CISOs must adopt a comprehensive approach, considering the entire lifecycle of these technologies to ensure both efficiency and ethical use. Establishing robust governance frameworks becomes paramount, addressing biases, ensuring transparency, and minimizing unintended consequences.

Looking ahead, as AI and ML continue to advance, CISOs face evolving challenges and regulatory considerations. Proactive engagement involves staying informed about changing regulations, particularly in areas such as data privacy and ethical AI practices. CISOs should strive for a tech-enabled understanding of AI and ML systems, encompassing deployment, impact, and security measures. This approach positions organizations to navigate the regulatory landscape effectively, ensuring responsible and competitive integration of AI and ML into cybersecurity strategies.

3:10 PM-3:30 PM
Networking Break
3:30 PM-4:15 PM
Panel
Strategic Shifts: Reimagining Engineering Talent Deployment and Management in the Age of GenAI
Unlock insights into the evolving landscape of talent deployment and retention as board expectations drive CIOs to rethink traditional IT talent models. Explore the impact of GenAI on coding processes and the software engineering lifecycle, and discover strategies for optimizing talent allocation and headcounts. Gain actionable insights into defining new roles, cultivating essential skills, and charting GenAI-centric career paths to align with organizational goals and stay ahead in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
4:15 PM-4:25 PM
Closing Remarks & Raffle Giveaway
4:30 PM-5:30 PM
Cocktail Networking
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Together With

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Heard In The Room