Explore this year’s topics

View topics for CIOs and IT executives and dive into last year’s sessions while we work on the full 2026 agenda.

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Conference Topics at a Glance

The 2026 agenda delivers the latest technology, strategy and leadership insights most critical to CIOs and their teams.

Agentic AI

Agentic AI is redefining automation and digital work with autonomous, learning agents. CIOs must pilot risk-appropriate use cases, build staged autonomy roadmaps, embed governance-by-design and upskill teams to ensure safe, measurable adoption with robust controls, observability and oversight.

AI Technology and Infrastructure

AI technology demands resilient data foundations, composable architectures and security-centric design. CIOs must balance buy/build decisions, invest in talent, and integrate observability and TRiSM to scale AI safely across platforms and domains.

Cybersecurity and Enterprise Resilience

Prepare for the next era of CIO and executive leadership. Harness AI to lead more strategically and manage less. Gain practical insights from case studies, balance change with continuity and secure a lasting seat at the C-suite table by driving rapid, impactful results.

Emerging Technologies

Anticipating disruption means evaluating the impact of emerging technologies on your organization. CIOs must identify adoption timelines, assess business value and integrate technology trend insights into strategic planning to maintain a competitive edge.

Operating Models

IT operating models are the engine of digital transformation. CIOs must align models to enterprise ambition, balance governance with agility and AI, and empower cross-functional teams to ensure IT delivers measurable business outcomes, adapts continuously and drives growth.

Strategic Planning and Execution

Strategic planning and execution means more than setting direction. CIOs must unite IT and business, integrate AI for measurable outcomes, address change fatigue with structured management and orchestrate agile plans, governance and talent to deliver sustained business value.

Look back at 2025 conference sessions

Hundreds of conference sessions were presented each day at the 2025 Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo. While we work to develop this year’s agenda, filter to see sessions that align with your role and interests.

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Monday, October 20, 2025

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM EDT

Roundtable: Leading CIOs Through Uncertainty (Exclusive to Midsize Enterprise Program)

Paul Garner, Sr Executive Partner, Gartner
Andrew Burhans, Sr Executive Partner, Gartner
VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) has significantly impacted business operations, and increased the frequency of changes in strategy and strategic planning. This strains CIOs’ already lean teams. Join this session to share your pain points and discuss tools, methods and actions for resolution with peers. ... Show More Show Less

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

The New Gartner Cybersecurity Benchmark

Paul Proctor, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
Gartner is now benchmarking 25 cybersecurity protection levels that change the way CIOs talk to their executives and boards to guide cybersecurity investment. New benchmark categories include AI, cyber-physical systems and technical debt. New features include cost and incident data. How does your cybersecurity program stack up? Join this session to learn more. ... Show More Show Less

12:05 PM - 12:25 PM EDT

Okta: Securing AI Innovation at Scale

Johnathan Campos, SENIOR PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, Okta
AI agents are transforming businesses by autonomously acting, deciding, and integrating across systems. But with this autonomy comes risk. Data leaks, stale permissions, and compliance blind spots compromise security. In this session, discover how Auth0 for AI Agents delivers fine-grained identity, consent, and access controls so you can innovate with AI securely and at scale. ... Show More Show Less

01:15 PM - 01:35 PM EDT

Axonius: Welcome to the Actionability Era

Teju Shyamsundar, PRODUCT MARKETING, Axonius
IT and Security are moving beyond basic visibility towards proactive operations, smarter automation, and the practical application of AI. But, to act on the data you have, you need truthful context and smart insights into your asset landscape. In this session, we’ll cover how Axonius is evolving to build a unified model for asset intelligence that transforms fragmented data inputs into consistent action outputs - all in the name of actionability. ... Show More Show Less

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM EDT

Cisco: Redefining Operations and Innovation With Agentic AI

Alex Foster, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY, Cisco Systems
AI is fundamentally changing the dynamics of networking. With explosive growth in traffic, new AI agents, and a complex threat landscape, IT teams are struggling to keep up with today’s performance, security, and operational demands. In this session, learn how AI-driven enterprises are modernizing their network architectures for the AI era, and how Cisco empowers enterprises to harness AI responsibly and at scale. ... Show More Show Less

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM EDT

IBM Thought Leadership: Build a Smarter Business with Data, Applications, Agents, and Hybrid Cloud

Ritika Gunnar, GM, IBM Data and AI, IBM Corporation
Enterprises are racing to deliver innovation and value—but face fragmented applications, data silos, and complex environments across multiple clouds. AI agents and automation bridge these gaps—but they only deliver real impact when connected to trusted data, resilient applications, and secure infrastructure. Turn complexity into an advantage with hybrid solutions spanning data, app integration and resilience, agents, and governance and security. ... Show More Show Less

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM EDT

Ivanti: 5 Ways Exposure Management Will Reshape Cybersecurity​

Chris Goettl, Vice President, Product Management, Ivanti
Exposure management is rapidly gaining traction as organizations face evolving risk challenges. This session covers key drivers behind exposure management and its transformative impact on cyber risk strategies. Attendees will learn to shift from patch and vulnerability management to a holistic approach, leveraging AI and automation to boost efficiency, empower IT and security teams, and reduce risk more effectively through smarter practices. ... Show More Show Less

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM EDT

Okta: IAM A Change Agent(cy): How About You?

David Skyberg, DIRECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR PRODUCTS, Okta
Become a change agent by mastering identity. Learn how an AI-powered identity security fabric empowers government CIOs to lead a secure digital transformation. This session will show you how to automate identity processes, embrace a Zero Trust model, and use real-time threat detection to secure your workforce, reduce risk, and optimize costs for a future-ready public sector. ... Show More Show Less

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM EDT

ThreatLocker: Applying Zero Trust Controls at the Endpoint, A Case Study

Gregory August, CIO, EWTN
Danny Jenkins, CEO & CO-FOUNDER, ThreatLocker
Zero Trust isn't a product, it's a security posture that requires planning and strategy. Hear the real-life implications of how moving to a default-deny state of operations can be applied to endpoint security. Learn the challenges and results possible from an IT professional who has been charged with executing on that strategy. ... Show More Show Less

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