04/12/2025
A Room with a Zoo, Antwerp
ORCHESTRATION
The Art of IT Leadership
Great conductors don’t just lead musicians, they bring harmony to complexity. As a CIO, you orchestrate technology, teams and strategy to deliver business success. Join us at CIO of the Year 2025, where we celebrate IT leaders who master the art of orchestration. Stay tuned for more details.
About
CIO of the Year
Inge Opreel
The CIO of Farys, Inge Opreel, has been named CIO of the Year 2025. The jury highlights her humility, determination, and strong strategic leadership.
In an AI-driven era, a CIO is more than a technology lead — they orchestrate teams, innovation, and long-term strategy. That is why Orchestration is the theme of this 18th edition.
After a public vote and presentations to the professional jury, Opreel prevailed over Steven Depuydt (Cebeo) and Bahadir Samli (ING Belgium). She impressed with her ability to reposition IT within Farys, transforming the ICT department into a true center of value creation. With 25 years in the organization, she aligns technology seamlessly with its mission and future challenges.
ICT / Digital Project of the Year
The goal of the ICT/Digital Project of the Year competition is to reward successful and innovative ICT and digital projects — in both the private and public sector, and across organizations of any size. The focus is firmly on innovation: projects that deliver real added value through smart use of digital technology. Company size or project scope doesn’t matter; what counts is measurable impact on the business.
This year, two projects emerge as winners: MPET’s 5G network and Smart Urban Planning by the City of Ghent.
MPET wins in the category for large projects with its secure private 5G network at the world’s largest container terminal in the Port of Antwerp. Covering 247 hectares and supporting up to 35,000 container moves per day, the solution brings major improvements in safety, efficiency, tracking, and industrial automation.
In the smaller-project category, District09’s Smart Urban Planning platform for the City of Ghent is awarded the prize. By combining key spatial and demographic data into one intelligent tool, it helps local authorities anticipate needs in fast-growing urban environments, improving planning decisions for housing, childcare, green spaces, and more.
Programme
| 16h30 |
Welcome and reception
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| 18h00 | |||
| 18h45 |
Award Ceremony
ICT / Digital Project of the Year (Large & Small) |
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| 19h45 |
Seated dinner followed by a walking dessert buffet
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| 23h00 |
Closing
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Speakers
Venue
A Room with a ZOO
Koningin Astridplein 20
2018 Antwerpen
www.aroomwithazoo.com
Programme
16h30 Welcome reception
18h00 Break-out sessions
18h45 Award ceremony
19h45 Seated dinner + walking dessert buffet & networking
23h00 Closing
Dresscode
Jury
The specialist jury includes representatives from the academic world, the business world and the editorial team.
Editor-in-Chief Data News, President of the Jury
Professor at Solvay Brussels School
Editor at Data News
Managing Director FARI - AI Center for the Common Good van VUB & ULB
Business Analysis Thought Leader
President MIT Club
Dean Antwerp Management School
Professor at UGent, Chairman FBVI-FAIB
Former president of the Advisory Board of CIONET Belgium
Chairman BELCLIV
CEO Beltug
CIO of the Year 2021
Digital & IT Lead Proximus
President Isaca Belgian Chapter
Director Agoria
CIO of the Year 2023, CIO Nationale Bank van België
ICT Woman of the Year 2012
Professor at VUB
President SAI
CIO of the Year 2022, CIO AG Insurance
Co-president Cercle du Numérique, Lecturer at Solvay Brussels School
Digital Champion Belgium
Algemeen Directeur ADM
President CIOforum Belgian Business
Professor & Partner Vlerick Business School
CIO of the Year
The winner in the CIO of the Year category will be decided by the jury, as well as by the readers of Data News (online voting).
ICT / Digital Project of the Year
The professional & academic jury will decide upon the final winners.
Hall of fame
2025
Farys
Editorial
2024
Proximus
Editorial
2023
National Bank of Belgium
Editorial
2022
AG Insurance
Editorial
2021
CIO/COO Torfs
Editorial
2020
NMBS – SNCB
Editorial
Contact
Daisy Juvijns
Project manager
+32 475 89 66 47
daisy.juvijns@roularta.be
Mieke Knabben
Event Manager
+32 473 52 49 71
mieke.knabben@roularta.be
INTERESTED IN BECOMING EVENT PARTNER?
Marijke Druppel
+32 499 94 21 40
marijke.druppel@roularta.be
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