AI has moved beyond pilots, proofs of concept, and experimentation. Today, executive teams are being asked tougher questions:

• How do we create measurable business value from AI?
• How do we build the right data foundations?
• How do we govern increasingly autonomous systems?
• And perhaps most importantly, how do we prepare our people and organizations for a future that is already arriving faster than expected?

These are the conversations that will bring data, analytics, AI, and business leaders together at the CDO Magazine Chicago CDO AI in the Enterprise Forum on June 22, 2026, at The Westin Chicago River North.

The forum comes at a pivotal moment. Organizations across industries are investing heavily in AI, but many are still working through fundamental questions around strategy, architecture, governance, talent, risk, and business impact. Success depends not only on technology decisions, but on leadership decisions.

Participating leaders from organizations including NielsenIQ, AIT Worldwide Logistics, BMO, AbbVie, JPMorganChase, Medline, Morningstar, Ecolab, Profisee, Peloton, Informatica from Salesforce, the University of Chicago, and Intelligent Generation will share lessons, strategies, and experiences from the front lines of enterprise AI adoption.

For Patrick Chew, Vice President of AI & Data Science at AIT Worldwide Logistics, the challenge extends far beyond implementing new technologies.

“AI isn’t coming; it’s here, and it’s rewriting what ‘competitive,’ ‘efficient,’ and ‘effective’ even mean. The comfortable patterns we’ve leaned on for years are already shifting beneath our feet.”

Chew notes the Forum as “your invitation to think differently,” not just about AI, but about “yourself, your team, and the organization you’re helping to build, rewire, or re-pivot.”

He believes the leaders who succeed in the AI era will be those who strengthen distinctly human capabilities rather than surrender them.

“Whether you’re re-wiring your skillset, pivoting your team, or reimagining your organization, this is where it starts, for those with curious minds willing to question the traditional, augment the possible, and lead the shift toward a truly skills-powered future,” Chew adds.

That leadership mindset is echoed by Ivana Donevska, US Data, Analytics and AI Risk Head at BMO, who sees the forum as an opportunity for leaders to move beyond AI hype and focus on meaningful enterprise transformation.

“The Chicago CDO Forum isn’t just about understanding the technology of tomorrow; it’s about equipping senior leaders to architect it today. For executives, this forum is a masterclass in strategic foresight: a unique space to decode AI’s true organizational impact, transform inspired ideas into high-ROI investments, and lead their industries into the next era of information intelligence.”

Across the day, attendees will explore some of the most pressing topics facing enterprise leaders today:

• Data & AI Strategy, Value & Business Impact
• Data Architecture, Enablement & Foundations
• Generative AI: Opportunities, Impact & the Future
• Responsible AI, Ethics, Regulation & Governance
• Leadership, Talent & Organizational Transformation

More than a technology event, the Chicago CDO AI in the Enterprise Forum is designed as a gathering of leaders navigating the same questions, opportunities, and challenges that are reshaping modern organizations.

As AI continues to transform industries, the conversations happening in Chicago will focus on what matters most: how leaders can build organizations that are ready not just for the next wave of technology, but for the future of work, decision-making, and competitive advantage itself.

Date: June 22, 2026

Venue: The Westin Chicago River North