CONFERENCE AGENDA
Vendor Expo,
Breakfast + Networking
7:30 - 8:15am
Regency Ballroom
Welcome +
Opening Remarks
8:15 - 8:30am
Regency Ballroom
Nick Fortine
President & Publisher,Columbus Business First
Mikaela Hunt
2025 Conference EmceeChief Communications Officer,
Ohio Department of Commerce
Meet Mikaela
Morning Keynote
8:30 - 9:15am
Regency Ballroom
The Architect of Agility:
How the Modern CIO Redefines Strategic Leadership
Get ready as Peter High unpacks the dynamic new role of the CIO—blending tech and strategy to lead transformation, spark innovation, and build agile, future-ready organizations.
MEET OUR KEYNOTESMid-Morning Keynote
9:15 - 10:00am
Regency Ballroom
The CIO in Action:
Navigating Transformation from the Trenches to the C-Suite
Michelle Greene shares what it really takes to lead digital transformation—offering candid, practical insights from the front lines of innovation, strategy, and leadership at one of the world’s largest healthcare companies.
MEET OUR KEYNOTESInnovation LIVE!
10:00 - 10:45am
Regency Ballroom
Innovation LIVE Presentations
LEARN MOREMorning Break
10:45 - 11:00am
Session One
Breakouts
11:00 - 11:45am
Delaware & Franklin Ballrooms
CIO as the Business Strategist
CIO as the Talent, Culture & Change Leader
CIO as the Digital Evangelist
Kick off the morning with sessions exploring how CIOs are evolving into bold strategists, culture drivers, and digital champions—leading transformation not just in tech, but across the entire enterprise.
Late Morning Break
11:45 - Noon
Luncheon +
Student Scholarship Presentation
Noon - 1:00pm
Regency Ballroom
Luncheon Break
1:00 - 1:15pm
Session Two
Breakouts
1:15 - 2:00pm
Delaware & Franklin Ballrooms
CIO as the Transformation Leader
CIO as the Innovation Leader
CIO as the Risk Leader
Jump back in and dive into discussions on the critical capabilities shaping the next-gen CIO—from leading organizational change and fostering innovation to navigating complexity and risk with confidence.
Early Afternoon Break
2:00 - 2:15pm
The CIO Under the Microscope:
CEO & Board Perspectives on Strategic Technology Leadership
Step into the boardroom as our expert panel of CEOs, directors and board members share what sets standout CIOs apart—offering real-world insights on leadership, innovation, and the tech strategies that truly move the needle.
Board Member,
Rocky Brands, Peoples Bank, OCLC, & Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Meet Dwight
Late Afternoon Keynote
3:00 - 3:45pm
Regency Ballroom
The New CIO Mandate Is Here -
And It’s a Game Changer
Channie Mize brings the energy and insight to close the day strong—diving deep into how today’s CIOs are rewriting the rules, driving innovation, leading change, and stepping into a front-row role in shaping the future of business.
MEET OUR KEYNOTESConference Recap +
Closing Remarks
3:45 - 4:00pm
Regency Ballroom
Mikaela Hunt
2025 Conference EmceeChief Communications Officer,
Ohio Department of Commerce
Meet Mikaela
Nick Fortine
President & Publisher,Columbus Business First
CIO Tomorrow Networking Reception
4:00 - 5:00pm
Regency Ballroom
+ Conference Pre-Event
Don't miss IT Martini TODAY,
The CIO Tomorrow 2025 Pre-Party
Join us for an evening of connection with a vibrant cross section of the Region's technology movers, shakers and influencers.
August 26, 2025 | 5-8 pm | Ohio Brewing Company
* If you are a registered CIOT attendee, your ticket to IT Martini Today is complementary and you will receive a special link by email from our team to register for this event.
LEARN MORE
Partnership creates Connection
Join today's leading minds in technology at CIO Tomorrow.
Position your company as an innovative, valued partner with the region’s top influential business and tech leaders.
Contact Steve Hewitt,
Vice President of Sales
at Columbus Business First
for detailed sponsorship options.
614.220.5440
shewitt@bizjournals.com
Leaders who are
ahead of the Curve
Connect your team with the industry's top thought-leaders, disruptors, and motivated companies that are driving growth and innovation here in the Ohio Region and beyond.
+ Chief Information Officers
+ Senior Technology Leaders
+ Business Strategists
+ Digital Marketing Experts
+ Technology Practitioners
+ Customer Exp Advocates
+ Future IT Leaders
Subscribe + stay informed about CIO Tomorrow
Sign Up Now2025 Conference Emcee
Mikaela Hunt
Chief Communications Officer,Ohio Department of Commerce
Mikaela Hunt is a seasoned communications leader with a strong foundation in journalism and storytelling. She spent nearly 17 years in TV news—serving as a producer, reporter, and anchor—most recently at NBC4 in Columbus. Today, she is the Chief Communications Officer for the Ohio Department of Commerce, where she leads a team focused on strategic messaging and award-winning brand narratives recognized by PRSA and PR Daily.
Mikaela also co-hosts Cbuzz, a Columbus Chamber podcast highlighting Central Ohio’s top business innovators, and What Matters with Mindy & Mikaela, a Sunday radio show on iHeartRadio’s 610 WTVN.
A 2022 graduate of Leadership Ohio and current board member, Mikaela was also named one of Business First’s “40 Under 40.” She actively engages in community efforts as a member of the Hilliard Environmental Sustainability Commission and collaborates regularly with state IT leaders, including the Commerce CIO.
Mikaela lives in Hilliard with her husband and two sons and brings both heart and strategic insight to every conversation. She looks forward to this annual event as a meaningful way to connect, collaborate, and celebrate progress across Ohio’s public-sector, government and technology landscape.
2025 Executive Committee Chair
Michael Carrel
Senior VP & CTO,Nationwide Financial
Michael is Senior Vice President, Technology with Nationwide in Columbus, Ohio, where he serves as the Chief Technology Officer for Nationwide Financial. In this role, Michael is responsible for all technology solutions supporting our Financial Services businesses.
In his previous role as CTO for Marketing and Enterprise Growth Solutions, Michael led the enterprise technology strategy and all technology solutions for Marketing, Enterprise Customer Data, Enterprise Internet & Mobile, Pet Insurance, Emerging Partnerships, and Innovation.
Michael has been with Nationwide for 30 years serving in a variety of areas including Corporate Disaster Recovery Systems, Corporate Financial Systems, Property & Casualty Agency Solutions, Property & Casualty Claims Solutions, Office of the Enterprise CIO, Corporate Internet Solutions, Nationwide Financial Integrated Application Services, Retirement Plans, and Enterprise Applications.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Bowling Green State University, Summa Cum Laude, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dayton. He also carries a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Michael serves on the Computer Science Advisory Board of Bowling Green State University and is the Board Chair for the United Way of Delaware County. He is an active member in the Technology Executive 50 community for senior technology executives and an Innovation Advisory Council Member for Vation Ventures. In 2025, Michael was named the Ohio ORBIE Awards Large Enterprise CIO of the Year. Michael has also served on the advisory boards for the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, Insured Retirement Institute, and Sungard/Relius.
Michael is an avid runner and lives in Galena, Ohio, with his wife, Tiffany, and their three children, Megan, Joshua and Ethan.
Morning Keynote
Peter High
President,Metis Strategy
Peter founded Metis Strategy in 2001. He is an expert in business and information technology strategy, and he has been a trusted advisor to a wide array of business and tech executives ranging across Fortune 500 companies in various industries. Peter has developed several strategic methodologies that he and his firm have taught clients to use on their own in order to develop and update strategic plans, choose and manage the right portfolio of projects, and to ensure that team performance is on the path to world class levels.
In December of 2009, Wiley Press/Jossey-Bass published Peter’s book World Class IT: Why Businesses Succeed When IT Triumphs, which was named the third best IT-business book of 2009 by CIO Insight, and the number one book to read to “be smarter than your boss,” according to Baseline Magazine, among other accolades. Upon publication in China in late 2010, it climbed into the top-50 business books sold in that market. Peter followed the success of that book in September of 2014, when Wiley Press/Jossey-Bass published Implementing World Class IT Strategy: How IT Can Drive Organizational Innovation, a book that became an Amazon.com bestseller in its categories. In March 2021, he published his third book, Getting to Nimble: How to Transform Your Company into a Digital Leader.
In addition to his books on World Class IT, Peter also writes the Technovation column on Forbes.com, writing about topics at the intersection between IT and business. Since 2008, Peter has moderated a widely listened to podcast entitled Technovation with Peter High, which is available through iTunes on a weekly basis. He is a regular contributor to CIO Insight, and has also written for The Wall Street Journal, CIO Magazine, CIO Digest, Information Week, and On Magazine, and has been featured in many other periodicals.
Peter has been the keynote speaker at a wide array of corporate conferences in the US, Canada, Mexico, China, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Australia, and he has lectured at several universities including Harvard University, Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, the University of Washington’s (Seattle) Foster School of Business, the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business, Purdue University, and the National Defense University.
Peter graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with degrees in economics and history.
Mid-Morning Keynote
Michelle Greene
EVP & Chief Information Officer,Cardinal Health
Michelle Greene is executive vice president, chief information officer, Global Technology and Business Services at Cardinal Health, leading teams to harness technology and innovation to better serve customers and evolve healthcare delivery.
Global Technology and Business Services is the collective name for teams delivering innovative, reliable, and secure technology capabilities that enable Cardinal Health customers to thrive in a dynamic healthcare environment. In her role as CIO, Greene manages the teams charged with those collaborative functions including Digital and Commercial Technologies, Pharmaceutical and Specialty Solutions and Global Medical Products and Distribution segment IT, Global Business Services, and Information Security.
In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities at Cardinal Health, Greene serves on the board for The Cardinal Health Foundation, actively sponsors the company’s STEM Initiative, co-sponsors BOLD, the Black and African American employee resource group, and is an executive advisor for the Black and African American Equity Cabinet.
In the community, Greene serves on numerous boards including Werner Enterprises, Goodwill of Southeastern Wisconsin, Goodwill Manufacturing, Inc., GreenPath Financial Wellness and Detroit Public Television. She is also an active member of The Links Inc., ITSMF (IT Senior Management Forum), Chief and Black Women on Boards.
Greene earned a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University and a master’s degree from Florida State University with a focus on Information Sciences.
Afternoon Expert Keynote Panel
Panelist
Corrine Burger
Former Managing Director & Board Member,JPMorgan Chase
Corrine Burger is a recognized global leader in enterprise risk management serving as the JPMorgan Head of operational risk management until her retirement in early 2025. She was
the lead executive overseeing the Columbus Strategic Hub, which is among the firm’s largest employment centers.
She is an active community leader, serving as a trustee on the boards of Columbus State Community College, the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and as a former member of the executive committee of the Columbus Partnership. Corrine is also a member of the Fisher College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council at The Ohio State University, her alma mater.
Her work as a community leader has earned her many accolades, including:
• Recognition from Columbus Business First as the 2023 large for-profit CEO of the Year
• Recipient of the Excellence in Service Award at the 2023 Fisher College Alumni Awards
• Honored among the 2024 class of Woman of Achievement by the YWCA of Central Ohio
• Inclusion among the Columbus Business First “Power 100” multiple years running
During her more than 30-year career at JPMorgan Chase and its predecessor banks, Corrine has also worked in financial accounting and internal audit. In these roles she was Controller for a number of lines of businesses and has served on multiple merger and acquisition due-diligence teams. She began her career as an audit manager and certified public accountant with Deloitte in Phoenix, AZ and qualifies as an SEC expert.
Corrine and her husband Joe live in Dublin. They have four adult children and a granddaughter and grandson.
Afternoon Expert Keynote Panel
Panelist
Linda Heasley
Experienced CEO, Startup Advisor & Growth StrategistLinda Heasley is an accomplished business leader of, and advisor to, public and private companies. With more than two decades of experience in senior leadership positions, half of which as CEO, she has developed deep expertise in evaluating business opportunities while mitigating risks. Her ability to ignite excitement through an organization while building teams has enabled her to successfully lead several turnaround and transformation efforts. She has operated in a broad range of industries and sizes of companies, with P&L responsibility from $200 million to $1.5 billion.
Ms. Heasley is currently an advisor to several start-ups and early-stage entities, to whom she tenders consumer-related strategies and tactics. She has recently joined the Board of Catbird NYC, a Brooklyn based premium positioned jewelry company.
Linda was President and CEO of Janie and Jack, LLC from November 2021 until May 2023, growing that business from $130 million to $200 million, while improving profitability to 8.5% EBITDA (trending to 12%) and substantially increasing the business valuation. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings Group from 2017 until 2024, and a member of the Board of Directors of J.Jill from March 2017 until December 2019. (For the last nineteen months of that period Linda was also President and CEO of the company).
Previously, Ms. Heasley was CEO of The Honey Baked Ham Company from February 2017 to March 2018 while the family-owned business considered its options, CEO and President of Lane Bryant and the Plus Segment of Ascena Retail Group from February 2013 to February 2017, and CEO and President of The Limited from January 2007 until February 2013. Earlier, Ms. Heasley held senior leadership roles at Bath and Body Works, LBrands, Inc., Timberland LLC, and CVS Health Corporation.
Linda grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from Harvard College, and has an MBA from Anderson School of Management at UCLA. In 2023, she completed the Harvard Business Analytics Program, and currently she is working toward her NACD certification. She is married and resides in Savannah, Georgia and Penobscot Maine.
Afternoon Expert Keynote Panel
Panelist
Dave Kaufman
President,Capital University
Following a year as interim president of Capital University, David L. Kaufman was selected in July 2021 to serve as the University’s 17th president.
Dave started his career as an actuary with Connecticut General and then as a financial analyst with Capital Holding Corporation. He joined Motorists in 1986 and has served in several leadership roles, including appointed actuary, mergers and acquisitions, commercial lines and information technology. Dave joined the Motorists executive leadership team as senior vice president and CIO in 2000. He was elected executive vice president by the Motorists Mutual board of directors in 2010 and then was named executive vice president for all companies in the group in 2011. Dave was elected president and COO in 2012 and became president and CEO for all companies in the group a year later.
Dave earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics, graduating cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1981. He was captain of the varsity basketball team and active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
After graduation, he earned the ACAS designation and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Dave received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation.
As co-chair of the Insurance Industry Resource Council (IIRC) formed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Dave led the development of insurance and risk management programs in 12 universities across Ohio. Encova established a robust internship program and a call center staffed by students at Ohio Dominican University.
After retiring from Encova, Dave was named interim president of Capital University on June 2, 2020. On July 26, 2021, the Board of Trustees announced he would become Capital’s permanent president.
Locally, Dave has served as a board member of the Columbus Partnership, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. He is the founder of Future Possibilities, a nonprofit organization that partners with the Columbus City Schools to provide life skills coaching to youth in under-served communities. His community service includes past or present board positions with the American Association of Insurance Services, American Property Casualty Insurers Association, TrustedChoice.com, NAMIC Property and Casualty Conference Board, Ohio Insurance Institute, Columbus Partnership, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.
Dave and his wife, Nan have with three daughters, two sons-in-law, and one granddaughter. The Kaufmans are active members of All Saints Lutheran Church in Worthington and Dave has served on the board of trustees of All Shepherds Lutheran Church in Lewis Center. He enjoys all sports and actively golfs, skis, and plays platform tennis.
Afternoon Expert Keynote Panel
Panelist
Dwight Smith
Board Member,Rocky Brands, Peoples Bank, OCLC, & Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Dwight Smith has significant experience leading a successful organization as well as serving as a mentor to, and angel investor in, several high potential start-ups. With over forty years of experience in the IT industry, Smith was the Founder, President and CEO of Sophisticated Systems, Inc. in Columbus. Sophisticated Systems provides businesses with a comprehensive set of information technology solutions ranging from technology deployments and assessments to fully outsourced managed services in areas including cloud computing and cyber security. In February 2023 the company sold to IP Pathways headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.
Sophisticated Systems received national recognition in being named as one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the country. Smith is a recipient of the prestigious E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is a Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Laureate.
Smith’s board experience is significant including serving on boards of private equity backed companies, an ESOP organization, and publicly traded firms. Smith currently serves on the board of Peoples Bancorp (PEBO), Rocky Brands (RCKY), and OCLC. In 2022 Smith concluded seventeen years of board service at State Auto Mutual Company as the result of the company being acquired by Liberty Mutual. Prior board service includes serving as Chair of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank as well as the Columbus Foundation, Rev1, The Columbus Regional Airport Authority and Columbus State Community College. Smith is a certified director with the National Association of Corporate Directors. In addition he obtained a CERT Certificate from NACD for their Cyber Risk Oversight Program. Smith serves as a Director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Highlights Foundation.
Smith is a committed philanthropist. He is active in his community and believes that it is an honor to be able to contribute to enhancing the lives of others. He is a guest lecturer at The Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Smith is served as the Commencement Speaker at the Summer 2021 graduation at Franklin University and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree. Smith also received an Honorary Doctorate from Otterbein in 2024.
Mr. Smith resides in Lewis Center, Ohio with his wife Renee.
Afternoon Expert Keynote Panel
Moderator
Angelo Mazzocco
VP of Advisory Services,AVAAP
Angelo Mazzocco is a senior business management executive and leader who has performed in many roles including chief executive officer/president, chief information officer, chief operating officer, chief information security officer, and graduate school educator. He is currently the Vice President of Advisory Services for Avaap.
Angelo gained more than 30 years of experience providing professional services in information systems, business management, consulting, and instruction. Over that time, he served as president and CEO of 3SG Plus, chief information officer of Central Ohio Primary Care, president at Pillar Technology Group (now Accenture), chief information officer at Progressive Medical (now Optum), vice president and chief information officer at Dispatch Printing and Broadcast companies (now Gannett), Senior Manager at Accenture; chief operations officer at NCGroup (now Compucom).
Angelo has worked as an adjunct instructor at Otterbein University (25 years) and the Ohio State University (7 years). He has also served on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit boards. Angelo created the Central Ohio CIO Forum and co-founded CIO Tomorrow, Central Ohio Tech Power Awards, GroundWork group, as well as the IT Leaders’ Innovative Leadership Class for aspiring technology executives. Angelo and his teams have earned numerous local and national awards. Angelo is a member of 7 Boards.
Late Afternoon Keynote
Channie Mize
General Manager,Slalom Inc.
Channie Mize has more than 25 years of management consulting experience and is the leader for Slalom across Ohio. In 2019, Channie opened the Slalom office in Columbus (OH) and has expanded the organization beyond central Ohio with clients also in Cincinnati and Cleveland. The growth of the team during this team has been significant and their work has important impact across the state. With this growth, Slalom is at the forefront of the GenAI revolution and how organizations, experiences and technologies will need to rapidly scale and adopt these critical technologies.
Channie’s broad expertise lies at the intersection of human and technology. With her role spanning clients globally, her work has traditionally focused on taking complex advanced analytics and enabling them to be leveraged for better outcomes at the point of decision. Firmly believing that technology is meant to serve people, she has sought to ensure that work products are intuitive, understandable, and fit seamlessly into the human process and experience.
Prior to joining Slalom, Channie was a Partner at McKinsey & Co. and Global General Manager for Retail and CPG at Periscope by McKinsey, which is an incubated SaaS startup within the Firm specializing in leveraging advanced analytics to holistically address Pricing, Promotions and Assortment Optimization. Periscope by McKinsey grew considerably during her tenure. Channie also holds tenures at Accenture, IBM, and Office Depot.
Channie is a frequent contributor to publications and a speaker at conferences. She led a panel discussion at the World Retail Congress in Dubai in 2016.
Channie graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. When she’s not working, she enjoys taking classes at OrangeTheory and CrossFit. She and her husband are the proud parents of three daughters who currently attend Columbus Academy.