4-5 august 2026
CIO Innovation summit themes
Scaling deep tech & enterprise leadership
Harnessing emerging technologies and leadership capability to drive change
sovereign ai & digital trust
Building secure, ethical, and compliant digital ecosystems that earn trust
global-first, Responsible-always
Building globally competitive, ethically grounded enterprises
create intelligence: The human edge of enterprise innovation
Blending creativity, design and culture to fuel competitive differentiation
innovation for people, planet, & purpose
Driving transformation and innovation that delivers commercial performance and meaningful impact
Speakers
The CIO Innovation Summit brings together globally renowned tech leaders and visionaries. Gain insights from the best minds shaping the future of technology, all in one place. Network with industry peers and share ideas, but also learn from international expertise directly applicable to the New Zealand market. It’s your chance to bridge the gap and propel your tech strategy forward.
Watch this space for new announcements.
SASH MUKHERJEE
VP, Industry Insights,
Ecosystm
Amit gupta
Group CEO and Founder, Ecosystm
zeina jalil
Deputy Chief Executive – Strategy and Executive Operations
Hato Hone St John
agenda
CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES
8:30am
Registration & coffee
9:00am
mihi whakatau
9:10am
opening remarks
ZEINA JALIL
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE - STRATEGY AND EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS
HATO HONE ST JOHN
9:25am
KEYNOTE - THE STRATEGIC CIO: GLOBAL TRENDS, LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES, MEASURABLE IMPACT
Learn from leading global organisations through real-world case studies and data-driven insights on AI adoption, cloud sovereignty, and innovation strategies. Discover how these experiences can be applied locally, leveraging New Zealand’s unique value systems, regulatory environment, and competitive advantages, with practical takeaways designed to drive real impact.
AMIT GUPTA
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
9:55am
VISION FOR INNOVATION IN NEW ZEALAND
This session explores how technology and innovation are reshaping economies, industries, and competitive advantage. Drawing on insights from high growth companies, global markets, and emerging innovation ecosystems, the session highlights what CIOs should be paying attention to now, from shifts in digital capability and AI adoption to the evolving role of technology leadership in driving organisational success. The session offers a forward-looking perspective on where technology is heading in 2027 and what it means for CIOs shaping strategy today.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
10:10am
Q&A
10:30am
MORNING BREAK
11:00am
SESSION TO BE CONFIRMED
INNOVATION FOR PEOPLE, PLANET & PURPOSE
11:30am
PANEL - REDEFINING INNOVATION IN THE CIO AGENDA: PEOPLE, PLANET, AND PURPOSE AT THE CORE
Innovation is about impact, not just speed or efficiency. Leaders are driving initiatives that benefit people, advance purpose-led outcomes, and protect the planet, while balancing productivity, resilience, and organisational capacity. This panel explores how New Zealand tech leaders are embedding these values into digital strategies.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
12:10Pm
THE ROI OF IMPACT: PROVING THAT TECHNOLOGY DRIVES BUSINESS VALUE
How do leaders turn technology into tangible results, linking innovation directly to business outcomes that matter? This session looks beyond the hype to show what works and why it makes a difference.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
12:20PM
LUNCH BREAK
1:45Pm
CIO INNOVATION SHOWCASE
In this series of quick-fire presentations, hear from leading New Zealand organisations as they share how they’re deploying and managing innovative technologies to meet stakeholder and customer needs; and for business success.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
SCALING DEEP TECH & ENTERPRISE LEADERSHIP
2:30Pm
PANEL - SCALING WHAT WORKS: TURNING DEEP TECH INTO ENTERPRISE ADVANTAGE
New Zealand organisations experiment freely, but the real challenge lies in deciding what to scale, what to retire, and how to industrialise deep tech, while navigating legacy systems, regulatory limits, and finite budgets. This panel explores how enterprise leaders are turning isolated wins into sustained, organisation-wide impact.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
3:10Pm
FUTURE-READY TECH TEAMS: STAYING AHEAD OF INNOVATION PRESSURES
How do leaders build tech teams that not only keep up with rapid innovation? This session looks at the structures, skills, and ways of working that enable teams to deliver results in a fast-moving, high-pressure environment.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
3:20PM
AFTERNOON BREAK
3:50Pm
HALOITSM PRESENTATION
TBC
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
4:20Pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE - STOP REPEATING MISTAKES: PRIORITISE, DELIVER, SCALE
Learn how to prioritise what truly matters – modernising infrastructure, enabling AI, upgrading enterprise applications, and delivering integrated platforms – while managing cost, risk, and team capacity. Practical strategies for turning innovation into measurable business impact, highlighting the pitfalls to avoid.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
5:00Pm
SUMMARY REMARKS
zeina jalil
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE - STRATEGY AND EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS
HATO HONE ST JOHN
5:10PM
networking function
7:00PM
New Zealand CIO Innovation Awards gala dinner
9:00am
WELCOME BACK FROM THE MC
ZEINA JALIL
DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE - STRATEGY AND EXECUTIVE OPERATIONS
HATO HONE ST JOHN
9:10am
KEYNOTE - RESPONSIBLY ACCELERATING INNOVATION
What does it take to push innovation forward without compromising responsibility? This session shares lessons from the global stage, highlighting both wins and missteps, and explores how organisations can prepare teams to act confidently and responsibly in complex, international markets.
TBC
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
9:40am
PANEL - GLOBAL-FIRST, RESPONSIBLE-ALWAYS: ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Technology is accelerating change at an unprecedented pace, and New Zealand organisations face a dual mandate: competing on a global stage while remaining grounded in local values, regulatory expectations, and market realities. This panel brings together global and local perspectives to explore how enterprises can operate seamlessly across borders while maintaining strong governance, resilience, and cultural alignment.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
10:20am
SESSION TO BE CONFIRMED
10:30am
MORNING BREAK
11:20am
EMERGING LEADERS FORUM
SOVEREIGN AI & DIGITAL TRUST
11:20am
WHAT DOES SOVEREIGN AND ETHICAL AI LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE
How do leaders implement AI that is both responsible and impactful? This session examines the trade-offs between sovereignty, ethics, trust, and compliance, showing what it takes to get it right.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
11:30AM
PANEL - Data as the backbone of sovereign ai and digital trust
Data is the key to smarter decisions, faster innovation, and maintaining trust – and requires infrastructure, governance, skills, and technology decisions. This panel explores how organisations can finally talk of data as a strategic asset: secure, accessible, and aligned with local values, while enabling business ownership and tech stewardship to work hand in hand.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
12:10pM
protecting value, resilience, and trust in a hyperconnected enterprise
How can organisations treat cyber risk as a strategic advantage rather than just a technical challenge? This session explores turning security into a driver of business resilience and trust.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
12:40PM
LUNCH BREAK
creative intelligence: the human edge of enterprise innovation
1:40Pm
Storytelling for Technology Adoption – Communicating change effectively to employees and stakeholders
New Zealand organisations experiment freely, but the real challenge lies in deciding what to scale, what to retire, and how to industrialise deep tech, while navigating legacy systems, regulatory limits, and finite budgets. This panel explores how enterprise leaders are turning isolated wins into sustained, organisation-wide impact.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
1:50Pm
Panel - Building a Collaborative Culture Through Technology
Whether we intend it or not, Agentic AI will be adopted, often embedded directly into enterprise platforms. Technology and business leaders must ensure it delivers real value without compromising human judgement. This panel explores how technology, HR, workforce strategy, and leadership can align to embed human-AI collaboration and transform a culture of innovation into a competitive advantage.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
2:30Pm
Creative Intelligence: Where Human Imagination Meets Technology
The session explores how technology and imagination intersect to reshape storytelling, revealing new ways narratives are conceived, experienced, and felt. It highlights the evolving role of human creativity in a world where AI expands the possibilities of narrative impact.
tbc
CEO & FOUNDER
ECOSYSTM GROUP
3:30Pm
end of summit
Venue and Travel
Hosted at the new New Zealand International Convention Centre in the heart of Auckland City.
NZICC
101 Hobson Street
Auckland, 1010
4 AUGUST 2026
The CIO Awards provide a formal, prestigious platform for acknowledging the greatness within your organisation. It celebrates the foresight, commitment, and hard work of individuals and teams, honouring those who are truly driving the future of ICT and business in New Zealand.
4 AUGUST 2026
The New Zealand Innovation, Capital and Policy Dialogue sets the stage for the New Zealand CIO Summit, bringing together top executives, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers at the intersection of technology, capital, and policy to shape New Zealand’s innovation future.
Sponsors
Headline Sponsor
Haloitsm
Gold Sponsors
Zoho
Adaptiv
Silver Sponsor
HPE Networking
Nitro Software
Executive Board Room Sponsor
Zoho
Adaptiv