CIONET

The last generation of CIOs with a human-only workforce.

Let that sink in for a second.

If you think AI is just about a chatbot summarising your emails, you are missing the tectonic shift happening right under your feet. We are officially entering the Agentic Era, where your next top performer might not even have a heartbeat. In a candid, no-nonsense chat at hashtag#CIOFEST, Daniel Eycken (COO of CIONET) sat down with Allan Cockriel (Group CIO at ASML) to do a hard reality check on where Agentic AI is actually driving value today, and where it’s just noise.

As the tech leader of a company anchoring the global semiconductor supply chain, Allan is putting agents into production.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰:
1. Move over, test bench.
Agents are in production.ASML has been piloting this tech for 18 months. Today, autonomous agents are taking on the monotonous, high-risk tasks, like updating complex technical documentation, reconciling CAD designs, and rewriting manufacturing instructions. The result? Incredible accuracy where human error used to cost serious time.

2. Is the CIO the new HR Leader?
Managing a network of autonomous agents is entirely different from managing people. Allan raised a fascinating concept: the CIO now needs to act like an HR leader for the digital workforce. You need to define who the agent is, what they can access, and how long they can operate.

3. "Extremely interesting. Bit terrifying."
With open-source agent platforms moving at breakneck speed, the temptation to let teams "vibe-code" enterprise tools at scale is real. Allan’s take? You don't need to rebuild your legacy systems from scratch, but if your data, identity tracking, and security architecture aren't rock-solid, a network of autonomous agents will quickly become a corporate nightmare.

4. The Billion-Dollar Company of One
The ultimate game-changer? We are entering an era where an ambitious entrepreneur could arguably scale a billion-dollar company solo, simply because the agentic toolbox is that powerful. The big question for the C-suite: How do you unleash this hyper-innovation without completely obliterating your security posture? As Allan puts it: “Stay curious, but also stay safe.”

#AgenticAI #DigitalLeadership #CIONET #ASML #FutureOfWork #TechStrategy

Will You Lead the Agentic Era or Just Watch it Happen?

Tomorrow, CIOFEST in London officially kicks off, and it is your final chance to join the most pivotal conversation in digital leadership this year. The "Agentic Era" isn't just another buzzword—it’s a fundamental shift in how enterprises operate.

🔗 Last chance to register: https://www.cionet.com/ciofest-uk-com...

To set the stage for tomorrow, we are thrilled to release our interview with Mark Woods, CTO of Splunk. Mark offers a sobering and visionary look at why agentic systems are different from anything we’ve built before. He argues that we are moving away from deterministic systems (where one input equals one predictable output) into a world where capacity planning, connectivity, and "intent" are the new currencies of success.

Watch the full interview to find out:
🚀 How the "plausible lie" risk is a key factor to closely monitor in an agent-to-agent chain
🚀A hot take on teaching machines to "speak machine" rather than "speak human"
🚀 Why the accountability shift is crucial in the Agentic Era
🚀 How the role of the CIO is changing to a "creator of permissive environments".

Ready to lead in the Agentic Era? Mark's insights are just the beginning. We’ll be diving even deeper into these themes tomorrow in London. See you there!

While the energy from CIOFEST on Leadership in Agentic Era is still buzzing in Milan, Warsaw, Antwerp, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Munich, we are keeping the momentum going with a masterclass in pragmatic innovation. We are thrilled to have used the opportunity to interview Paolo Magnani, CIO Europe, Middle East & Africa at DHL Supply Chain.

Paolo’s philosophy is simple yet powerful: "If I can help someone else avoid the mistakes we've made, I'm already succeeding." At DHL, the transition to Agentic AI isn't about chasing "fancy" technology—it's about a dual-track strategy that balances high-speed innovation with industrial-grade safety. In this candid discussion, Paolo breaks down the DHL blueprint for scaling AI - watch the full interview to find out:

🤖 Why DHL keeps deterministic flows in RPA but uses Agentic AI for complex, multi-step orchestrations;
🏗️ Why you don't need a new enterprise, but a "legible" one;
🛡️ Why Paolo uses a "least privilege" scope for AI Agents;
👥 How upskilling programs are preparing teams to work alongside their "digital colleagues".

The CIOFEST conversation continues! Our final stop is London on May 14th—you can still register to be a part of this pivotal discussion.
🔗 https://www.cionet.com/events/ciofest/5

As we catch our breath from an incredible week of CIOFEST 2026 across Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, and Italy, one message is echoing through the halls of digital leadership: The Agentic Era isn’t just coming; it’s already operational.

To help our community navigate this massive shift, we are thrilled to launch an exclusive interview with one of Europe’s most pragmatic tech pioneers: Kurt De Ruwe, CIO at AkzoNobel. Kurt isn't just experimenting with AI; he is scaling it. At AkzoNobel, they have moved far beyond simple chatbots to a "Silicon Workforce" that executed 1.5 million agentic tasks last year alone. From automating complex offboarding processes to providing real-time intelligence for customer service, Kurt’s team is redefining what it means to be an "Agentic Enterprise." Watch the full interview to find out how Agentic AI is reshaping customers, platforms and leadership!

Are you ready to move "Beyond Pilots"? The conversation continues! On April 28th, CIOFEST heads to Barcelona, and on May 14th, we land in London. Join us to hear more from leaders like Kurt as we redefine leadership in the Agentic Era.

🔗 Register for Barcelona & London: https://www.cionet.com/events/ciofest/5

What happens when you take an organization with 600+ siloed projects and 150+ decision-makers and distill it down to a laser-focused, value-driven engine? 🚀

Meet Esmeralda Waterreus, the current CIO at Pharming and former VP & Global Head of the Enterprise Portfolio Group at Philips and a nominee for the European CIO of the Year at #CIONETAwards2026.

Esmeralda stepped into a massive challenge: transforming how a global giant invests in digital. By shifting the accountability from IT back to the business and moving from annual budgets to a quarterly "agile cadence," she didn't just cut noise—she tripled cost savings and drove massive top-line growth.

Hendrik Deckers, Founder of CIONET, sat down with Esmeralda in Amsterdam to uncover the "human side" of high-stakes digital transformation in this latest #LeadershipDeepDive.

💡 What you’ll find in this episode:
- The 96% Success Rate: By discontinuing 75% of existing projects and focusing only on what delivered true patient and consumer value, Esmeralda’s team at Philips boosted on-time delivery from roughly 50% to a staggering 96%. 📈
- Predictive over Reactive: Esmeralda believes the future of AI isn't just in delivery—it’s in prediction. AI will help leaders decide what to build before a project even starts by calculating where the most value lies. 🤖
- The "Umbrella Effect": A leader’s job is to provide trust and protection. Esmeralda uses the "umbrella effect" to shield her teams from corporate noise, allowing them to focus, experiment, and—most importantly—be brave enough to fail. ☂️

🏆 Join the Celebration of Top Digital Leadership!
Want to hear more from the leaders redefining the digital landscape? Don't miss the big reveal of the winners!

📅 When: 25 March 2026
📍 Where: London
Register here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-3

Let’s see who takes home the trophy! 🥂