20/01/2026 – De Ark, Antwerp
CIOs today are being judged less as technology leaders and more as portfolio managers. Every euro is under scrutiny. Boards and CFOs demand lower run costs, higher efficiency, and clear ROI from every digital initiative. Yet, they also expect CIOs to place bets on disruptive technologies that will keep the enterprise competitive in five years. This constant tension is redefining the role.
In this session, we go beyond FinOps and cost reporting to tackle the strategic financial dilemmas CIOs face:
- Budget pressure and trade-offs: how to manage cuts without derailing transformation, and when to push back.
- ROI discipline under the microscope: proving value on cloud spend, AI pilots, cybersecurity, and digital platforms when finance challenges every line item.
- Efficiency as a board demand: making automation, FinOps, and vendor management part of a credible cost-optimisation story.
- The innovation paradox: balancing “must-have” efficiency with the riskier long-term bets that secure competitiveness.
- Speaking finance at the board table: reframing IT spend as a set of strategic investments, with clear risk/return logic.
The discussion will highlight the real-world dilemmas behind the numbers: when to cut, when to double down, how to say no, and how to defend innovation in a climate of budget scrutiny. CIOs will leave with ideas on how to play the role of investor-in-chief, ensuring technology budgets are not just tolerated, but trusted as engines of efficiency and growth.