What’s Missing From Your AI Blueprint?
A private executive dinner for C-suite leaders
AI is scaling faster than the foundations beneath it. The cracks are starting to show, and the question for every board is what breaks next?
Every board is being asked to move on AI. Few can say with confidence that the foundations underneath will hold: ownership, data, network, cloud and security. The pilots look promising and the licences are bought, but AI quickly exposes unclear accountability, ungoverned data and estates that were never designed for it.
Join us for an invitation-only dinner at Bacchanalia, Mayfair, Thursday 12 November, 6:30pm for an honest, off-the-record conversation with around 15 senior leaders. Held under Chatham House Rule, with no product or solution pitches. Just the real version, for leaders who have already heard the hype.
Speakers
Paul Cawley, Microsoft
Paul Cawley is a recognised voice on AI, cloud transformation and the future of work at Microsoft. He has delivered headline keynote sessions at industry events, including Drive Business Transformation with Copilot at Millgate’s Tech Expo 2024 and The Frontier Firm: A Blueprint for the AI-Powered Organisation at Lima Networks’ Elevate 2026. Working closely with Microsoft’s strategic partner ecosystem, Paul helps organisations unlock value from AI, cloud and emerging technologies.
Matt Brown, Cisco
Matt brings more than 17 years of Cisco experience spanning hands-on network engineering, technical architecture and leadership. He previously helped customers and partners modernise their cloud and data centre infrastructure as a Technical Solutions Architect, before leading Cisco’s Cloud & AI Infrastructure solutions team.
Rich Burke, Managing Director, Cisilion
Former CEO of ARO Technology, with earlier COO and MD roles at Intercity. Rich leads Cisilion’s growth across AI, security, infrastructure and hybrid work.
Carl Lawton, Chief Technology Officer, Cisilion
Carl has over 25 years’ industry experience, including 17 years with some of the UK’s leading IT solutions and services providers. His career includes executive leadership roles , where he led large Solutions & Services functions with responsibility for growth, profitability and operational performance.
Rob Quickenden, Chief AI Officer, Cisilion
Microsoft MVP for Copilot and Surface. Rob has moved from network engineer through solution architecture and pre-sales to leading Cisilion’s AI strategy.
Request Your Place
Evening Overview
What We'll Cover
Part one: the art of the possible. What leading organisations are achieving with AI today, told through real outcomes.
Part two: the foundations. What had to be true underneath before it worked, and what breaks first when it isn’t.
Agenda
6:30pm Arrival and drinks
7:15pm Dinner, with short talks from Cisilion, Microsoft and Cisco between courses
8:20pm Roundtable conversation
10:00pm Close
Why Should You Attend?
This evening is built around the questions you are actually being asked, business outcome first and technology second.
- CEOs and COOs: pilots everywhere, but value you can’t point to. See where AI is creating real value, and who should own it.
- CFOs: the spend is real, the return is still a promise. Hear how peers build an AI case the board will fund, while keeping costs under control.
- CIOs and CTOs: will your estate carry AI at scale? Understand what network, infrastructure and cloud had to look like before production AI worked.
- CISOs: your people are already using AI you never approved. Get practical on shadow AI, agent governance and identity risk.
- CDOs: Copilot will find everything, including what it shouldn’t. Learn how leaders are tackling data quality, classification and oversharing.
Request Your Place
Places are limited to around 15 senior leaders and seated by sector, so every request is reviewed personally. Register your interest and our team will be in touch to confirm your place.