Back to Event

Session

From Strategy to Scale: The CIO’s Playbook for Driving Enterprise Transformation
CIO Roundtable Panel

VIP Theater

Starts: May 6, 2026 1:00 pm
Ends: 2:00 pm
Sponsored by
More info

From Strategy to Scale: The CIO’s Playbook for Driving Enterprise Transformation

Abstract:
As organizations navigate accelerating digital transformation, economic pressure, and rapid advances in AI, the role of the CIO has evolved into a central driver of business strategy and operational execution. Today’s CIOs are not just enabling technology—they are shaping enterprise direction, optimizing investments, and ensuring that innovation delivers measurable outcomes at scale.

This panel brings together leading CIOs to discuss how they are aligning technology strategy with business priorities, modernizing core systems while enabling agility, and leading organizations through complex change. Panelists will share how they are balancing innovation with cost discipline, building high-performing teams, and partnering across the C-suite to turn technology into a competitive advantage.

Designed for senior technology leaders, this session offers practical insights into how CIOs are moving from vision to execution—delivering transformation that is scalable, secure, and aligned to long-term business value.

Key Takeaways:

  • How CIOs are aligning technology strategy with evolving business and revenue priorities
  • Frameworks for prioritizing and scaling digital and AI initiatives across the enterprise
  • Strategies for modernizing legacy systems while maintaining operational stability
  • Approaches to optimizing IT spend while continuing to drive innovation
  • Best practices for building and retaining high-performing technology teams
  • How to strengthen cross-functional alignment across the C-suite and business units
  • Measuring success: linking technology investments to business outcomes and ROI
Host

Antonio Marin

Chief Information Officer - NorthStar Memorial Group

An accomplished IT executive who effectively collaborates with business leaders to drive strategic technology initiatives. Specialties: Team building and development, contract negotiations, international mergers & acquisitions, global IT management, fast growth organization management.

Speakers

Jim Jacobi

Chief Information Officer - Emeritus, Walter P Moore

Jim Jacobi is the Chief Information Officer – Emeritus for Houston-based Walter P Moore, a leading engineering consulting firm with offices nationwide. He also serves as Vice President of Walter P. Moore Technology LLC, the firm’s Technology Consulting Business. With over 45 years of experience in engineering design, project management, and construction, Jim specializes in applying information technology to the engineering field and is a registered professional engineer in four states.

Jayson Laban

Associate VP & CIO, The University of Texas Medical Branch

Visionary IT executive with 24+ years of experience driving digital transformation, enterprise IT strategy, and business innovation in healthcare and academic medical settings. Adept at aligning technology with institutional missions to enhance patient care, research, and education. Proven track record of modernizing IT infrastructures, leveraging AI and cloud solutions, and fostering high-performing teams. Key Achievements: - Led a 145+ FTE IT organization, championing AI-driven platforms and cloud solutions to improve operational efficiency. - Reduced cybersecurity vulnerabilities by 60% and increased Epic EHR security adoption from 71% to 93% in 8 months. - Spearheaded AI adoption with Epic’s Auto-Draft Response & Microsoft DAX Copilot, reducing provider burnout and enhancing patient experience. - Managed a $44M IT budget for a 5-hospital acquisition, ensuring seamless tech integration and enterprise alignment. - Led 30K+ user migration to Microsoft Teams with full VoIP integration, optimizing communication and collaboration. - Shaping AI strategy as a key leader on UTMB’s AI & Digital Transformation Committee. 💡 Passionate about driving innovation, optimizing IT investments, and leading high-impact digital transformation initiatives in healthcare and beyond.

Kandice Bledsaw, PhD, RN

Chief Nursing Information Officer, The University of Texas Medical Branch

Dr. Bledsaw is the Chief Nursing Information Officer (CNIO) for the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and leads nursing and ancillary staff informatics and innovation. Dr. Bledsaw obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Nursing and her doctorate from UTMB Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS). With over two decades of progressive executive experience in clinical and leadership roles in large, complex healthcare systems, information technology, and energy enterprises, Dr. Bledsaw’s expertise has enabled her to consistently deliver strategies that have successfully transformed organizations, care delivery models, and programs across sectors. Her most recent work includes bridging the gap between clinical and IT by creating a clinical informatics program that drives technology adoption and sustainability. She explains that “System configuration is necessary, but unless we drive utilization through clinical change management, our patients are the ones that ultimately pay the price. Investing in a clinical delivery strategy is key.” Her approach underscores the critical importance of integrating technology with clinical practice to achieve optimal patient outcomes and clinician satisfaction.

Rand Sluder

Chief Information Officer, Private Equity

Rand is an information technology executive with many years of experience with public, private, and strategic consulting companies. Rand is an expert at using technology and data to navigate crisis with technology, legal, regulatory, compliance and financial threats and unplanned events. Rand works with start-ups, private equity, troubled companies that require a technology leader with experience in a wide variety of Information Technology challenges. Rand also undertakes project based consulting roles in information technology and data science areas with his private consulting firm. Rand’s most recent experience includes fractional Chief Information Officer / Chief Technology Officer roles for portfolio companies of private equity firms and working in the Chief Data Office of a “Big Four” consulting firm.