Johan Cruijff Arena

Join us as we hear from Edwin van der Sar as he reflects on a career defined by resilience, leadership, and performing under pressure - both on the pitch and in the boardroom. From elite sport to executive leadership, this fireside chat explores what it takes to build high-performing teams, navigate setbacks, and lead with composure when it matters most.

Awards celebrate the moment, but what matters is what comes after. We’ll catch up with past winners to hear what they’ve been up to since, what has changed, what hasn’t, and what they’re tackling next.

Europe's continent-wide push for AI-, cloud- and network-soveriegnty makes strategic sense as the bloc re-positions itself between evolving super-powers, increasingly uncomfortable in an uncertain future. Yet Europe does not yet have the investment or business dynamism of the US, nor the centrality of public sector decision-making that has powered China's dominance in supply chains and trade. This leaves much responsibility at the doors of Europe's business leaders and C-suite. What is the path forward?

AI makes organisational knowledge easier to access. But what gets lost when finding information replaces a conversation with the person who created it?

This panel explores whether AI can preserve the context, debate and judgement behind decisions, and how leaders can ensure easier access to knowledge leads to better understanding.

Be a part of engaging, honest, and thought-provoking conversations with your peers, exploring the ideas and challenges shaping today’s HotTopics communities

TOPIC AND DISCUSSION

Where is your north star?

What should define the next chapter of your leadership career? Explore influence, purpose, skills and succession as the expectations of technology leaders evolve.

Resilience is a leadership decision

How do you keep the organisation moving when threats collide? Examine decision rights, cross-functional accountability and the trade-offs between efficiency, resilience and growth.

Modernise for the hybrid multi-cloud reality

Choose the right home for applications and workloads while managing legacy constraints, cost and continuity. Show the business outcome of an infrastructure or operating-model change.

Make AI pay off with agents built for scale

Move beyond pilots with clear ownership, governed workflows and measurable results. Bring a customer story (where possible) showing where agents add value and where people retain control.

The future workplace people really need

How do we improve productivity without sacrificing wellbeing, belonging or trust? Examine hybrid work, AI adoption, employee voice and the experience of work.

Secure AI before it scales

Control human, machine and agent access; protect sensitive data; make accountability visible. Show how practical controls enable AI adoption across the enterprise.

Doing more with less

How do you protect delivery when budgets, capacity and expectations pull in different directions? Discuss what to stop, where to invest and how to avoid exhausting the team.

From projects to products: A new operating model

Organise persistent, cross-functional teams around products and measurable outcomes. Explore funding, ownership and ways of working that sustain value beyond a one-off technology delivery.

Sustainable AI and IT

Measure technology’s footprint and use the evidence in AI, cloud, infrastructure and supplier decisions. Show the trade-offs between performance, cost, energy use and environmental impact.

People-first AI adoption

Build AI fluency and redesign work so teams can use AI effectively while retaining human judgement and expertise. Show how adoption, skills and job design translate into better work.

Be a part of engaging, honest, and thought-provoking conversations with your peers, exploring the ideas and challenges shaping today’s HotTopics communities.

TOPIC AND DISCUSSION

Where is your north star?

What should define the next chapter of your leadership career? Explore influence, purpose, skills and succession as the expectations of technology leaders evolve.

Resilience is a leadership decision

How do you keep the organisation moving when threats collide? Examine decision rights, cross-functional accountability and the trade-offs between efficiency, resilience and growth.

Modernise for the hybrid multi-cloud reality

Choose the right home for applications and workloads while managing legacy constraints, cost and continuity. Show the business outcome of an infrastructure or operating-model change.

Make AI pay off with agents built for scale

Move beyond pilots with clear ownership, governed workflows and measurable results. Bring a customer story (where possible) showing where agents add value and where people retain control.

The future workplace people really need

How do we improve productivity without sacrificing wellbeing, belonging or trust? Examine hybrid work, AI adoption, employee voice and the experience of work.

Secure AI before it scales

Control human, machine and agent access; protect sensitive data; make accountability visible. Show how practical controls enable AI adoption across the enterprise.

Doing more with less

How do you protect delivery when budgets, capacity and expectations pull in different directions? Discuss what to stop, where to invest and how to avoid exhausting the team.

From projects to products: A new operating model

Organise persistent, cross-functional teams around products and measurable outcomes. Explore funding, ownership and ways of working that sustain value beyond a one-off technology delivery.

Sustainable AI and IT

Measure technology’s footprint and use the evidence in AI, cloud, infrastructure and supplier decisions. Show the trade-offs between performance, cost, energy use and environmental impact.

People-first AI adoption

Build AI fluency and redesign work so teams can use AI effectively while retaining human judgement and expertise. Show how adoption, skills and job design translate into better work.

As AI accelerates product development, governance frameworks are struggling to keep pace - and the EU Cyber Resilience Act is about to expose exactly where they fall short. With new obligations forcing organisations to take responsibility for security across the entire lifecycle, leaders are being pushed to reconcile speed, scale, and accountability in ways they haven’t before. This session invites an honest conversation about the cracks already showing: unclear ownership, reactive security, and whether “secure by design” is a reality - or just something we say to stay compliant. So the real question is: are we building responsibly - or just hoping regulation doesn’t catch up too quickly?

Marcia Goddard works at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and elite performance, helping organisations build cultures where people perform at their very best. Drawing on her experience in Formula 1 and elite sport, Maria challenges conventional thinking about resilience, decision-making and what truly separates exceptional talent from sustained success. In this session, she'll explore what business leaders can learn from the psychology of world champions—and how to thrive when the margins between good and great are razor thin.

Built by leaders, for leaders, the HotTopics Global C-suite Awards are shaped by those who understand what leadership really takes. This year, we’re proud to bring that vision to Europe for the very first time . Join us to celebrate the winners across our global CIO, CISO, CDO and CMO categories, who have bee recognised by a global network of 20,000+ executives.