CIONET

In the highly regulated and rapidly evolving world of banking, how do you maintain a competitive edge while ensuring impenetrable security?

In the latest CIONET Podcast, we are joined by Krzysztof Słotwiński, Chief Security Officer at BNP Paribas Bank Polska and a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee in the Cybersecurity category. With over 20 years of experience across international financial institutions, Krzysztof is a leading voice on the intersection of innovation and resilience.

Key takeaways from this episode:

🔹 Resilience by Design: How BNP Paribas integrates security into the very fabric of its digital transformation projects.

🔹 Navigating Complexity: Strategies for managing cybersecurity, business continuity, and open banking in a multi-market environment.

🔹 The Human Element: Why fostering a security-first culture is as vital as the most advanced technical defences.

🏆 Join us for the CIONET Awards 2026

Krzysztof is a finalist in the prestigious Cybersecurity category. To hear from him and our other visionary nominees—and to find out who will take home the top honours—make sure to join our online celebration.

Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on 12th February. Connect with our global community, engage with the nominees, and be there when the winners are announced!

👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2

#CIONET #CyberSecurity #DigitalLeadership #FinTech #BankingInnovation #CIONETAwards #DigitalTransformation #CSO #TechLeaders

In this compelling episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken, Partner and COO at CIONET is joined by Major General Pierre Ciparisse, Commander of the Belgian Cyber ​​Force and a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee in the Cybersecurity category. From his background in satellite communications to leading the modernization of national defense capabilities, Pierre provides a masterclass in building a culture of "security by design."

Key insights from this interview:

🔹 The New Command: Lessons from standing up a dedicated national Cyber ​​Force.

🔹 Adaptive Security Culture: Why technology alone isn't enough to mitigate modern risk.

🔹 Sovereign Capabilities: Strategies for maintaining control over digital assets and infrastructure in a globalized world.

Join us for the #CIONETAwards2026 Part 2! Major General Pierre Ciparisse is a finalist in the prestigious Cybersecurity category. To hear more about his vision and the groundbreaking work of our other finalists, don't miss the official ceremony.

Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on February 12th. Join our global community to hear from all the nominees and find out who will be crowned the winner!

👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2

#CIONET #CyberSecurity #DigitalLeadership #CyberForce #TechNominee #NationalSecurity #DigitalTransformation #CIONETAwards

How do you protect critical infrastructure that millions of people rely on every day? In this episode, Olga Forné, Global CISO at Abertis - who is a nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cybersecurity category - sits down with Daniel Eycken to discuss her journey transforming cybersecurity from a fragmented, reactive function into a "nervous system" for global business resilience.

Don’t miss the panel where Olga and other CIONET Awards 2026 nominees will share more about their cybersecurity journeys 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

Abertis operates high-capacity roads and mobility services across Europe, the Americas, and India. Managing a complex mix of IT and OT requires more than just technical fixes—it requires a deep understanding of human culture and business risk.

Make sure you watch the full conversation for key insights:

🚀 The Three Pillars: Why Governance, Operational Resilience, and Cultural Change must be sequenced for long-term success.

🚀 Alignment Without Imposition: How to build a global security community across 12 business units without relying on hierarchical authority.

🚀 IT/OT Convergence: Protecting legacy industrial systems while maintaining the continuous flow of traffic and tolling operations.

🚀 Speaking the Language of Risk: Moving executive conversations away from "vulnerabilities" and toward "business continuity."

🚀 Human-Centric Leadership: Olga’s unique approach to preventing burnout and building trust-based teams.

Register for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on February 12th - powered by our partner, Splunk - to find out who wins CIONET Awards in the Cloud&Infrastructure and Cybersecurity categories 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

In our latest podcast, Laura Garrido, CTO at Ferrovial, who is as a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category, sits down with Daniel Eycken to pull back the curtain on Ferrovial’s "Industrialized Digital Foundation"—a massive multi-year transformation that synchronized technology across 15 countries and 25,000 employees.

Register for the Virtual Awards Ceremony on February 12th to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0!

In this episode, Laura shares how her team balanced rigid compliance with the flexibility needed for innovation - from the high-stakes pressure of a NASDAQ listing to achieving a 30% reduction in data center costs.

Highlights of the conversation include:

- Industrialization at Scale: How the "X-rators" and "Infinity" programs unified a fragmented global footprint.

- Empowering Developers: Building a framework that prioritizes autonomy without sacrificing security.

- The AI Foundation: Why meticulous documentation is the secret to moving from human-in-the-loop to autonomous AI agents.

- The "Best Mistake": Why shifting from total centralization to a "service flavor" model was the key to business buy-in.

Don’t miss the panel on February 12th, where Laura will share more about her journey, powered by our trusted partner, Splunk 👉 https://hubs.la/Q03_RQGl0

In the next CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken (COO, CIONET) sits down with Francesco Ciuccarelli (Chief Innovation & Technology Officer at Alpitour World) - who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category.

Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony on February 12, to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Francesco discusses his role at Alpitour World and the company's shift to a cloud-native architecture. He emphasises the importance of innovation and the successful decommissioning of a mainframe. The conversation touches on Alpitour's growth, pandemic challenges, and AI-driven solutions. Francesco shares insights on leadership, motivation, and future technologies like blockchain and quantum computing, stressing the need for business engagement in transformation efforts.

Watch the full interview for a deep dive into key leadership insights!

In the latest CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken (COO, CIONET) sits down with Aleksander Gawroński (Head of IT Infrastructure, mBank) - who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category - to discuss a transformation that turned a 25-year-old legacy landscape into a streamlined, automated, and AI-ready powerhouse. Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony on February 12, to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Aleksander shares the "no exceptions" strategy that allowed mBank to build its own private cloud and adopt a dual-vendor public cloud policy—all while maintaining the strict security standards of a highly regulated financial institution.

Watch the full interview for a deep dive into key leadership Insights:

- Infrastructure as Code (IaC): At mBank, IaC isn't just a tool; it's a discipline. No system enters the cloud without meeting this quality gate.

- The "Build vs. Buy" Culture: With 90% of their software built in-house, mBank chose to build its own Kubernetes-based private cloud to maintain full control and elasticity.

- Operational Resilience: Why a dual-vendor strategy is essential for cost negotiation and mitigating geopolitical risks.

- Leading by Example: Why Aleksander was the first person in the organization to get cloud-certified.

- The "Best Mistake": Lessons learned from underestimating the cultural shift required for such a massive technological leap.

As Aleksander puts it: "Build the foundations right, or your life will be a constant nightmare of running legacy."

Don’t forget to register to CIONET Awards Virtual Ceremony to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken - Partner & COO at CIONET - sits down with Stefan Latuski, the CIO of the German Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) and CEO of its IT-Systemhaus, who is a Nominee for the CIONET Awards 2026 in the Cloud & Infrastructure category! Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

Managing one of Europe’s largest public institutions with over 113,000 employees, Stefan shares the "brave" journey of moving a massive legacy infrastructure into a cutting-edge multi-cloud broker platform. Learn how the agency is tackling a demographic change (losing 35% of its workforce to retirement) by leveraging automation, generative AI, and a groundbreaking cloud strategy that sets a new standard for digital sovereignty in Europe.

In this episode, Stefan explains why delivering a multi-cloud broker platform in under 12 months required more courage than code. By ignoring the "naysayers" and focusing on a clear vision, they built Germany’s first sovereign cloud framework involving seven different providers.

Don’t miss the panel where Stefan will share more about his journey, powered by our trusted partner, Splunk 👉 https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2!

In the latest episode of the CIONET Podcast, Daniel Eycken, Partner and COO of CIONET sat down with Paul Mukherjee, CTO at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). As a CIONET 2026 Award Nominee for Cloud & Infrastructure, Paul shares his transition from the private sector to driving large-scale innovation in the public sector.

Key themes explored in this episode:

🔹 Strategic AI: Moving beyond the hype to implement a real-world, scalable AI strategy.

🔹 Infrastructure Modernisation: Lessons in building agility and resilience through cloud adoption.

🔹 Future-Proof Leadership: Why leading in 2026 requires a focus on both technological courage and organisational culture.

Join us for the CIONET Awards 2026

Want to see the results? Paul is one of the standout nominees being recognised for his impact on the digital landscape.

Register now for the CIONET Awards Part 2 Online Ceremony on February 12th. Join our global community to hear from all the nominees and find out who will be crowned the winner in the Cybersecurity and Cloud & Infrastructure categories!

👉 Register your place here: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-2

#CIONET #DigitalLeadership #CTO #GovTech #CloudStrategy #AI #CIONETAwards #DigitalTransformation #UKTech

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews, Gunter Van Craen, CDIO at Bekaert, the nominee in the Applications & Architecture category during the #CIONETAwards2026 . Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!

A highly accomplished C-level executive, Gunter has built a distinguished international career leading complex, high-stakes digital transformations. With senior leadership roles across Manufacturing & Distribution, Healthcare, Consumer Goods, and Banking, he has repeatedly delivered measurable business value in environments marked by turnarounds, growth acceleration, and greenfield innovation.

During the interview Gunter talks about Bekaert's five-year digital transformation, evolving from basic IT to a modern architecture focused on business outcomes and customer engagement. The company modernises its manufacturing systems across 75 factories, enhancing efficiency and data-driven decision-making. The transformation includes integrating AI, data architecture, and cybersecurity while fostering a culture of collaboration. Key insights emphasise trust, knowledge management, and the changing role of CIOs in navigating new market

In this episode of the CIONET Podcast, Hendrik Deckers interviews, Raul Jimenez, Head of Data, AI & Integration Platforms at Sika, the nominee in the Data & AI category during the #CIONETAwards2026.

Register here to find out who wins this prestigious title: https://www.cionet.com/events/cionet-awards-2026-part-1!

Raul’s CV is seriously impressive, boasting over two decades of international experience. He's been at the helm, steering digital transformation, innovation, and technology strategy across a wide range of industries globally. From being knee-deep in software engineering to project leadership and executive advising, he’s seen the whole picture.

Crucially, he’s recognised for building and successfully scaling complex enterprise platforms. His focus is spot on: embracing federated models, leveraging emerging technologies, and, most importantly, making sure everything is tightly aligned with the business strategy. Raul doesn't just manage technology; he cleverly bridges technical expertise with strategic vision, turning big, innovative ideas into real, lasting organisational impact.

Sika transforms its data and AI governance by centralising initiatives and establishing core platforms for data, AI, and integration. The organisation addresses connectivity issues, builds a data platform, and implements an AI governance framework. It shifts from project-based to product-based management, focusing on foundational data and processes. The future vision includes a cognitive enterprise system that leverages AI across all functions, ensuring competitiveness in the digital landscape.