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.
Discover it on December 4th.
ICT / Digital Project of the Year
Do you have an innovative and successful ICT project? Did you manage to pull off an ambitious digital transformation inside the company or within your department? Do you feel your digital project truly excels and/or accelerates the business goals? Then you might have a chance to win one of our prestigious ICT / Digital Project of the Year awards.
CIO of the Year : The nominees
The 3 nominees are determined by the editorial staff of Data News. The voting list is published on September 22nd 2025. Voting ends November 2nd at midnight. The final winner will be chosen by the professional jury. Public voting will count for 40% of the final result.
Steven Depuydt
CIO
Cebeo
Since October 2017, Steven Depuydt has been the Chief Information Officer at Cebeo. Cebeo is the Belgian market leader in B2B distribution of electrical materials, solutions, and services. With a turnover of nearly €750 million in 2024, a network of 54 branches, a semi-automated distribution center, and more than 1 000 professionals, Cebeo serves installers and companies across sectors.
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Inge Opreel
CIO
Farys
Inge Opreel is a seasoned technology leader who has been a driving force within Farys for over 25 years. Serving as Chief Information Officer, she has been instrumental in shaping the technological trajectory of the inter-municipal partnership, which provides essential services in drinking water, wastewater infrastructure, and sports facilities. Inge is recognised for her ability to act as a translator and orchestrator, adeptly applying a diverse skill set to meet the unique needs of the organisation and its stakeholders.
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Bahadir Samli
CIO
ING
Bahadir Samli is a technology executive with over three decades of experience in banking and financial services. Currently serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at ING Belgium since April 2021, Bahadir is a member of the ING Belgium executive committee and is internationally recognised for his strategic vision, technical and business acumen, and inclusive leadership style.
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About
CIO of the Year
Who will be the next ‘CIO of the Year’?
Who will be the successor to Antonietta Mastroianni, Chief Digital & IT Officer Proximus, as ‘CIO of the Year’? Who do you think deserves the title CIO of the Year 2025? The 3 nominees are determined by the editorial staff of Data News. The voting list is published on September 22nd 2025. The voting is open until November 2nd at midnight.
The names, included on the list, are our current top 3 of the CIO’s active in our country or Belgians working abroad. They have proven that the job of CIO is one of the most exciting, challenging and important functions in the business world today. Thanks to their visionary approach, they have been successful at using ICT tools for the benefit of operational management. These CIO’s have, in the course of their careers, demonstrated strategic vision, leadership, personality and the capacity to contribute to an organization’s business strategy.
The winner of the award ‘CIO of the Year 2025’ will be chosen by a professional jury of specialists and by the readers of Data News (online voting).
ICT / Digital Project of the Year
The ICT / Digital Project of the Year 2025 contest rewards ICT projects and digital projects which have been successfully completed and which are innovative both in the use of technology and in the business approach. The contest is open to both private and public sector and to both large and small or medium sized organizations.
The emphasis is on ‘innovation’; projects that have achieved real added value for a company or organization thanks to clever use of digital technology. Technological innovation is important, but the impact on the business also plays a very important role.
The size of the company or the scope of the project is not important. Clever, innovative, smaller applications have just as much chance of winning as large and expensive projects. You just need to be able to demonstrate that the innovative ICT Project has given the business a real boost or added value!
Are you an ICT manager or project manager and did you successfully complete an innovative digital project over the last year (or part of a project running over several years)? Then make sure to take part in the ‘ICT/Digital Project of the Year 2025’ contest!
Please fully complete the registration form as this information will be used by the jury to make a preliminary selection of all applications. Also of note: the deadline for submitting your file is the September 28th. A professional and academic jury will decide upon the final winners.
Programme
The full programme will be available soon!
| 16h30 |
Welcome and reception
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| 18h00 |
Break-out by Accenture
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Break-out by Proximus Nxt
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| 18h45 |
Award Ceremony
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| 19h45 |
Seated dinner followed by a walking dessert buffet
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| 23h00 |
Closing
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Speakers
Want to get inspired?
Join us on December 4th at 16h30 at A Room with a Zoo, Antwerp.
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 ARI - AI Center for the Common Good van VUB & ULB
Co-Founder & former President IIBA Brussels Chapter
President MIT Club
Professor at UGent, Chairman FBVI-FAIB
Former president of the Advisory Board of CIONET Belgium
Chairman BELCLIV
General Manager Digital Wallonia, Agence du Numérique
Director Beltug
CIO of the Year 2021
CIO of the Year 2020
President Isaca Belgian Chapter
VP Global IT, Lhoist
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
Program Director AMS
Digital Champion Belgium
CIO of the Year 2018, CIO Port of Antwerp
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
2024
Proximus
Editorial
2023
National Bank of Belgium
Editorial
2022
AG Insurance
Editorial
2021
CIO/COO Torfs
Editorial
2020
NMBS – SNCB
Editorial
2019
TUI (Western Region)
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
Invoicing
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invoicing.events@roularta.be
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