Experience the difference. Meet your peers, talk with experts, build your network, and turn insights into action.
Candice Kenney
VP, Team Manager
Gartner
Speaker Topics
- Agentic Analytics and AI
- Culture and Influence
- Cost Optimization
- Overall Data and Analytics Strategy
- Roles and Organizational Structure
Speaker Bio
Candice Kenney manages a team of Analysts focused on Data & Analytics. Clients range from Chief Data & Analytics offers to members of their teams. My team covers a wide range of topics including: Data Strategy, Data Governance, Data Quality, Data Literacy, Data Driven Culture in Organizations, Artificial Intelligence, Data Fabric, Data Stewards and much more.
In past roles, I frequently advised CIOs and their teams.
I also advised leaders in Strategic Portfolio Management and Applications/SWEL.
Examples of past project work include:
Helping increase the maturity of PMOs organizations: Resource estimation, Demand management, portfolio reporting, etc.
Helping organizations begin to adopt Agile practices
Areas I enjoyed speaking about most were metrics and portfolio management, project manager skills, and adopting Agile ways of working.
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In past roles, I frequently advised CIOs and their teams.
I also advised leaders in Strategic Portfolio Management and Applications/SWEL.
Examples of past project work include:
Helping increase the maturity of PMOs organizations: Resource estimation, Demand management, portfolio reporting, etc.
Helping organizations begin to adopt Agile practices
Areas I enjoyed speaking about most were metrics and portfolio management, project manager skills, and adopting Agile ways of working.
Sessions
Monday, March 09, 2026 07:45 AM - 08:45 AM EDT
CDAO Circle Networking Breakfast: Welcome and Orientation
Candice Kenney,
VP, Team Manager, Gartner
With so much to see and experience, kick off the CDAO Circle with this engaging session that sets the stage for an exciting day. Discover key highlights, including sessions, peer activities, the Exhibit Showcase and valuable resources, as well as what to expect during breakfast, lunch, leadership exchanges and more. Afterward, grab a coffee and start networking with fellow attendees.
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Monday, March 09, 2026 12:45 PM - 01:45 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Lunch: Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working
Dan Heath,
NYT Bestselling Author
Changing how we work can feel overwhelming. Like trying to budge an enormous boulder. How do you move past “the way you’ve always done things”? Where do you find the time and energy for new efforts when you’re constantly fighting fires? With the right strategy, we can move the boulder. The secret is to find “leverage points”: places where a little bit of effort can yield a disproportionate return. And that search requires us to observe our work with fresh eyes. We’ll explore why getting “buy-in” is the wrong way to think about change. Why considering the “goal of the goal” is a critical discipline. And why the feeling of progress can be your secret weapon in accelerating change. In this talk, drawing from his book RESET, Heath unpacks a simple framework for getting unstuck and making the changes that matter. What if we could unlock forward movement without the need for more resources? The same people, the same assets … but dramatically better results.
Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset. ... Show More Show Less
Yesterday, we were stuck. Today, we reset. ... Show More Show Less
Monday, March 09, 2026 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Leadership Exchange: How Ready Is My Organization for AI Agents?
Deepak Seth,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
Kjell Carlsson,
VP Analyst, Gartner
AI agents can upend traditional AI use cases and unlock transformative potential, but the real danger isn’t overhyping their power — it’s overestimating your organization’s readiness. D&A leaders must see past the hype, sidestep common pitfalls, and build the foundation needed for true AI success.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 07:45 AM - 08:45 AM EDT
CDAO Circle Breakfast: Panel: How Do CDAOs Get Buy-in for Their Investment Requests?
Candice Kenney,
VP, Team Manager, Gartner
Sarah Turkaly,
Director Analyst, Gartner
Andrew White,
Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Join us at breakfast to discuss how CDAOs are getting buy-in for their investment requests. A panel of Gartner experts will share what works, and what doesn't.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
CDAO Circle Leadership Exchange: The Evolving CDAO — Archetypes, AI Ambitions and Growth Paths
JC Martel, PhD,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
Jamie O'Brien,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
As the CDAO role continues to evolve in the AI era, organizations face critical decisions about the direction and impact of their data leadership. This session explores the future of the CDAO through three distinct archetypes: Expert, Collaborator and Pioneer. Attendees will learn how to assess and choose the archetype that best aligns with their organization’s AI ambition and strategic goals. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to define their CDAO journey and position themselves and their organizations for success in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Lunch: Fireside Chat with Oxy's Chief of AI, Patrick Bangert
Patrick Bangert,
VP and Chief of AI, Oxy
Rita Sallam,
Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Join this fireside chat with Oxy’s Chief AI Officer for a discussion on their AI journey—exploring actionable steps, lessons learned from missteps, and practical guidance to help others successfully navigate common challenges and pitfalls in enterprise AI adoption.
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Leadership Exchange: The CDAO’s Blueprint for Leading Enterprisewide Transformation in the Age of AI
Cameron Roche,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
Nate Novosel,
VP Analyst, Gartner
Dalia Naguib,
Sr Principal Analyst, Gartner
Gartner research shows that technical excellence alone rarely shifts mindsets or drives cultural change. If you want your business to truly think differently about data, you need to stop “selling” capabilities and start “marketing” value, using the same tactics as world-class consumer brands. This session unveils a new playbook for D&A leaders to build and execute a marketing plan that transforms culture and boosts adoption, with Gartner insights and real-world examples. Learn why most D&A strategies fail, how to apply proven marketing principles, and spark enthusiasm for data across your organization.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026 07:45 AM - 08:45 AM EDT
CDAO Circle Networking Breakfast: How Do You Plan for Evolving Roles on Your Team?
Candice Kenney,
VP, Team Manager, Gartner
Anwar Mirza,
Sr Director Analyst, Gartner
Join us for a table discussion and networking breakfast focused on the topic: How do you plan for evolving roles on your team?
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Lunch: CDAO Advisory Trends and Community Engagement
Candice Kenney,
VP, Team Manager, Gartner
Juergen Weiss,
Group Vice President, Gartner
Timothy Kropp,
VP, Executive Partner, Gartner
Join us at lunch for a discussion with the leader of Gartner's Data & Analytics Practice, Juergen Weiss and Executive Partner, Timothy Kropp. Tim will share the latest trends from the CDAO Advisory Council and Juergen Weiss will have a discussion around topics of interest to continue to build CDAO community outside of our conferences.
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Wednesday, March 11, 2026 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM EDT
CDAO Circle Roundtable: Agentic in Practice: Lessons in Scoping, Funding & Assessing Impact From Agentic Investments (Multi-group)
Brian Foster,
VP Analyst, Gartner
According to the 2025 Gartner Generative and Agentic AI survey, around 75% of organizations have either deployed or are piloting some form of agentic AI and a similar percentage report the ongoing development of new use case opportunities.
This multi-group discussion session for D&A executive leaders will focus on sharing experiences and addressing the following questions:
-- How are organizations scoping & funding agentic investments? How are these efforts similar or different from other investments?
-- What agentic use cases are getting the most funding right now and what guardrails are they putting in place?
-- How are organizational defining agentic program objectives & outcomes? ... Show More Show Less
This multi-group discussion session for D&A executive leaders will focus on sharing experiences and addressing the following questions:
-- How are organizations scoping & funding agentic investments? How are these efforts similar or different from other investments?
-- What agentic use cases are getting the most funding right now and what guardrails are they putting in place?
-- How are organizational defining agentic program objectives & outcomes? ... Show More Show Less