CDO Vision Dallas–Fort Worth 2026

Registration & Coffee

Welcome & Introductions

Introduction to the CDO Vision Series, its core objectives, and the key themes driving the day's strategic discussions.

The Vision Talk: Agentic AI: From Hype to Value

As Agentic AI matures, enterprise focus is rapidly shifting from PoCs to scalable implementations that drive measurable ROI. This keynote cuts through the hype to give C-suite leaders a clear-eyed view of what Agentic AI is, and isn’t, why so many initiatives fail to cross into production, and what distinguishes organizations already turning early momentum into compounding value. Attendees will leave with a practical vision for where agentic systems fit, what conditions enable success, and how to approach adoption with the right balance of ambition, governance, and business discipline.

Panel Discussion: The Boardroom Conversation - How CXOs Shape AI Strategy

As AI becomes central to business transformation, its direction is increasingly being shaped in the boardroom. No longer just a technology initiative, AI strategy now sits at the intersection of leadership, culture, and enterprise vision. This discussion will explore how CEOs, CDOs, and CIOs can align on defining AI priorities, balancing innovation with governance, and ensuring measurable business outcomes. The panel will also examine how executive collaboration can bridge the gap between experimentation and enterprise-wide adoption—turning AI from a tool into a core driver of competitive advantage.

Networking Break

Keynote: Guardrails at the Glass - Governing AI Where Work Actually Happens

For years, enterprise security has poured its energy into backend controls like DLP, CASB, network inspection, etc., all while sensitive data walks out the front door through the browser, one prompt and one paste at a time. It's time to move the guardrails upstream, to the glass itself, where users and AI actually meet. Join Jason Trunk, VP and Field CTO at Island, for a working session on front-end AI governance: practical approaches, tactical examples, and technology that's ready to deploy today.

Panel Discussion: Transforming Industries with AI: Enterprise Success Stories

As AI adoption expands from experimentation to enterprise-level implementation, understanding sector-spanning success stories becomes essential. This panel will explore how AI drives operational efficiency, smarter decision-making, and personalized experiences at scale. Leaders will discuss methods to align AI initiatives with business goals and address pressing issues around ethics, governance, and workforce adaptation. Panelists will examine methods for turning AI insights into actionable strategies that impact business performance.

Panel Discussion: Agentic AI and the Future of Enterprise Growth

The future of enterprise growth is closely tied to the adoption of agentic AI, which offers capabilities far beyond traditional AI by enabling autonomous execution. This panel will examine how agentic AI enables continuous improvement in business processes, drives competitive differentiation through faster innovation cycles, and supports customer experiences. Leaders will discuss how to build resilient enterprise architectures that fully leverage agentic AI’s potential. They will also explore strategies for aligning AI initiatives with organizational goals, addressing ethical and governance considerations, and preparing the workforce for AI-driven transformation.

Open Roundtable: Building the AI Native Organization

Becoming an AI-native organisation isn't just about adopting new technology; it's a transformation spanning people, data, and strategy. It starts with culture: shifting AI from a specialist tool to an embedded capability that augments every role. Even with the right mindset, AI is only as powerful as the data beneath it. The real value often lies hidden in the connections between data silos, not within them. Organisations that uncover and reason across these relationships unlock insights that flat, siloed data cannot reveal. Get culture and connected data right, and competitive advantage follows.This roundtable explores the journey from AI adoption to AI-native, examining the cultural shifts required, the data architectures that enable it, and how organisations that master both will outpace the competition.

Lunch & Networking