The Digital Leadership Agenda, CDT’s annual signature conference, is an invitation-only gathering of senior executives. This in-person event brings together experienced executives, board members, technology leaders, and the latest academic thinking with one goal: to help you navigate the road ahead.
Rapid advancements in digital technologies, especially AI, are driving a renewed focus on digital business transformation. Amidst challenging macroeconomic conditions and prominent concerns such as sustainability and geopolitics, what are the most effective digital leadership strategies for companies to drive growth and success in the age of AI?
The Digital Leadership Agenda 2024: Recoding Business in the Age of AI will reveal how top executives are rewriting the rulebook on business competition and inspire you as you chart your own leadership journey in the year ahead.
Torsten Slok
Chief Economist
Apollo Global Management
Stuart McClure
CEO
NumberOne AI
Qwiet AI
Founder
Cylance
Mark Leiter
Chief Digital Strategy Officer
Boeing
James Philbin
VP, Autonomy & AI
Rivian
Marcello Damiani
Senior Partner
Flagship Pioneering
Board Director
Cellarity, BenevolentAI
Former CDO
Moderna
Meghna Sinha
Vice President, AI
Verizon
Matt Katz
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Data Science
Blackstone
Chris Nardecchia
SVP, Chief Digital & Information Officer
Rockwell Automation
Gajen Kandiah
CEO
Hitachi Vantara
President
Hitachi Digital
Daniel Rock
Assistant Professor, Operations, Information, and Decisions (OID)
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Rebecca House
SVP, Chief People & Legal Officer
Rockwell Automation
Imtiaz Shaikh
Deputy Chief HRO
Hitachi, Ltd.
Amar Maletira
CEO
Rackspace Technology
Kiva Allgood
Board Director
Airgain
Former President and CEO
Sarcos Robotics
Pierre Baldi
Distinguished Professor of AI; Director, Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics
UC Irvine
David Danks
National AI Advisory Committee; Professor of Data Science and Philosophy
UCSD
Julie Guggemos
Board Director
Evrnu, Beekman 1802
Former SVP & Chief Design Officer
Target
Christopher Monroe
Co-Founder & Chief Scientist
IonQ
Scott Connolly
Head of Media and Entertainment Innovation
Verizon
Ely Stacy
Technical Solutions Lead
Disguise
Peter High
President
Metis Strategy
Tom Andriola
Vice Chancellor for Information, Technology & Data and Chief Digital Officer
UC Irvine
Vibhanshu Abhishek
Professor of Information Systems
The Paul Merage School of Business, UC Irvine
Ian Williamson
Dean
The Paul Merage School of Business
Vijay Gurbaxani
Founding Director
Center for Digital Transformation
Situated between Los Angeles and San Diego, Irvine is 5 minutes from Orange County Airport. Orange County offers the best hotels, top restaurants, world-class shopping, beaches and much more.
The conference will be held at the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering on the campus of the University of California, Irvine at 100 Academy, Irvine, CA 92617.
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. |
Welcome Reception & Check-In |
5:00 – 5:15 p.m. |
Welcome Remarks |
5:15 – 6:00 p.m. |
Fireside Chat - Looking Forward: The 2024 Global Economic Outlook |
6:00 – 6:15 p.m. |
Benefactor Welcome |
6:15 – 6:45 p.m. |
UC Irvine Performing Arts Showcase |
6:45 – 8:15 p.m. |
Reception & Dinner |
8:00 – 8:30 a.m. |
Recoding Business in the Age of AI: The Leadership Agenda |
8:30 - 8:50 a.m. |
Unleashing Value with AI and Data Science: An Investor Perspective |
8:50 – 9:10 a.m. |
Driving Autonomy at Rivian: Building an AI-Powered Organization |
9:10 – 9:40 a.m. |
Transforming Traditional Industries: Addressing Legacy Challenges |
9:40 – 10:00 a.m. |
Group Discussion: Leveraging AI - Attendee Perspectives |
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. |
BREAK |
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. |
Enabling AI: Modernizing the Tech Stack |
11:00 – 11:20 a.m. |
Frontier Technologies: Keeping an Eye on Quantum Computing |
11:20 – 11:35 a.m. |
Research Spotlight: The Impact of LLMs on the Labor Market |
11:35 – 12:00 p.m. |
Reimagining Work: The Future of Human Capital |
12:00 – 12:20 p.m. |
Group Discussion: Automating or Augmenting Talent? - Attendee Perspectives |
12:20 – 1:00 p.m. |
Lunch: Birds of a Feather Conversations |
1:00 – 1:40 p.m. |
Incubating The Future: Solving Global Challenges With Predictive AI |
1:40 – 2:15 p.m. |
Playing with Fire: Managing the Risks of AI |
2:15 - 2:55 p.m. |
DEEP DIVE - Reorganizing for AI: Instilling a Culture of Innovation DEEP DIVE - The New Core Competence: Building AI Capabilities |
2:55 – 3:15 p.m. |
Frontier Technologies: Keeping an Eye on Extended Reality (xR) |
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. |
Key Audience Takeaways and Next Steps |
4:00-5:00 pm | Welcome Reception & Check-In
5:00-5:15 pm | Welcome Remarks
Featuring: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
5:15-6:00 pm | Fireside Chat: Investing in Turbulent Times
Amidst geopolitical conflict, environmental challenges and difficult economic conditions, business leaders must build robust and resilient organizations that are simultaneously profitable and responsible. Hear an experienced investor’s assessment of the volatile context of business and how to stay focused on long-term fundamentals.
Featuring: Jagdeep Bachher, Chief Investment Officer, University of California
Moderator: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
6:00-6:10 pm | Digital Innovator Award Presentation
Featuring: Mari Kimura, Professor of Music, UC Irvine
8:00-8:05 am | Welcome
Featuring: Ian Williamson, Dean, The UCI Paul Merage School of Business
8:05-8:35 am | Recoding Business: A Leadership Agenda for the Software Economy
With business leaders navigating increasing uncertainty, the digital imperative has taken on even more urgency. This session will illustrate how leaders are capitalizing on the shift to a software economy and recoding key elements of their businesses.
Keynote: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
8:35-9:00 am | Moving at the Speed of Digital: Design Principles of a Software-First Organization
Moderna describes itself as a digital biotech company. Learn how it moves quickly and with agility by operating as a software company, executing a platform strategy, accumulating know-how and competence, and simultaneously allowing it to target new therapeutic areas effectively and profitably.
Featuring: Marcello Damiani, Chief Digital & Operational Excellence Officer, Moderna
Moderator: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
9:00-9:30 am | From Legacy to Edge: Digitizing Traditional Companies
While the opportunities are endless, digitally transforming companies with large legacy investments raises a different level of operational challenges. How do we bring the speed of technology to established companies?
Featuring:
Dawn Behnke, EVP Life Insurance Division, Pacific Life
Frank Cassulo, CDO, Chevron
Chris Nardecchia, CDO, Rockwell Automation
Moderator: Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information, Technology and Data & CDO, UC Irvine
9:30-9:55 am | Group Discussion: Moving at the Speed of Digital
9:55-10:15 am | BREAK
10:15-10:35 am | The National Cyber Agenda: Improving Public-Private Collaboration
Featuring: Chris Inglis, National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the President
10:35-11:05 am | Addressing New Threats: A Comprehensive Approach to Cyber Risk
The cyber landscape has never been more complex and fast-moving. Faced with threats from ransomware to supply chain attacks, businesses must find smart ways to manage risks while still advancing their digital strategies. Hear from two top security leaders tackling this crucial challenge.
Featuring:
Nicole Darden Ford, CISO, Rockwell Automation
Kevin Tierney, Chief Cybersecurity Officer, GM
Moderator: Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information, Technology and Data & CDO, UC Irvine
11:05-11:35 am | Leading in a Digitally Driven World: The Board and CEO Perspective
The current context of business — macroeconomics, geopolitics, cyber risk, ESG and digital transformation — have dramatically reshaped the boardroom agenda. Learn how boards and CEOs think about and address the opportunities and challenges of competing in a software economy.
Featuring:
Diana McKenzie, Board Director, MetLife, Change Healthcare, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Shashank Samant, Chairman, GlobalLogic (Hitachi Group) and Board Director, Office Depot, Rackspace
Moderator: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
11:35-11:55 am | Group Discussion: New Governance Models for the Digital Age
11:55-12:00 pm | Recoding Business: The CDT Agenda 2023
Featuring: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
12:00-1:00 pm | Lunch: Birds of a Feather Conversations
1:00-1:40 pm | Investing in Frontier Technologies: AI, Robotics, Metaverse, Web3
The rapid pace of technological change brings the unique challenge of discovering new technologies, investing in the opportunities they enable, and transforming the business to capture their full benefits. This session will examine how companies invest in and exploit frontier technologies: AI, robotics, metaverse, and Web 3.
Featuring:
Kiva Allgood, President & CEO, SARCOS
Shaun Braun, SVP Digital Transformation, 3M
Meghna Sinha, VP AI, Verizon
Moderator: Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
1:40-1:50 pm | Digital Transformation of Higher Education
This talk will briefly describe how UC Irvine is reinventing itself to become a modern research university suited to the digital economy, sharing examples of transformation in the models of research, teaching, and healthcare delivery, and especially in the development of a future-ready workforce.
Keynote: Tom Andriola, Vice Chancellor for Information, Technology and Data & CDO, UCI Irvine
1:50-2:20 pm | Building A Future-Ready Workforce: Strategies for Recruiting and Upskilling
The scarcity of talent coupled with challenges to employee engagement is intensifying the focus on hiring, workforce development, and strategic partnerships and acquisitions to acquire needed capabilities. This session will feature a lively discussion, contrasting the approaches taken by a leading tech company and a mainstream company, that will yield lessons for all of us.
Featuring:
Eve Nam, Senior Vice President, Talent and People Strategy
Alice White, Director, Recruiting, Google
Ian Williamson, Dean, The UCI Paul Merage School of Business
2:20-2:45 pm | Group Discussion: The Talent Challenge
2:45-3:00 pm | Key Audience Takeaways and Next Steps
Featuring:
Vijay Gurbaxani, Director, Center for Digital Transformation
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