AITP Chicago upcoming events

AITP Chapter Meeting on Risk (Thu, September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

You're Invited to an Information In-Person Presentation

Topic: Managing Risk in an Uncertain World - It’s the Future of How Businesses Will Be run

Abstract
For corporations, risk management has become a top concern in the face of
increasing demand for greater corporate accountability as well as world events
that have changed the risk landscape and their impact on the business world.
Governance mandates such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, along with the
continuing uncertainty of the business-economic environment, have made it
compulsory for corporations to rethink their approaches to identifying and
managing risk.

Project and program managers everywhere face a daunting mix of challenges,
including ever changing project demands, environments of unprecedented
complexity, tough new oversight requirements, and the constant pressure to do
more with less. The need for risk management for making effective decisions and
communicating the results within organizations has never been more urgent.
This briefing looks at the rapid rise of risk management and aims to expose
project managers to the essentials of effective risk management for 2021 and
beyond. The briefing provides an exclusive glimpse of a company that has been
at the forefront of risk management, and describes how risk management has
made the company one of the best managed in the US.

Learning Objectives:
• Discuss A Top Gun Risk Management Practice Case Study
• Identify What Managers Want to Know About Risk Management
• Describe How Risk Depends on Context & Perspective
• Identify Four Sources of Risks
• Identify Three Categories of Risk Root Cause
• Discuss Risk Management Principles & Industry Standard Process
• Explain How to Prioritize Risks

Click Here to Register

Presenter: Scott Stribrny

Group Atlantic, Inc. has been a trusted partner for over three decades, empowering private, commercial, and governmental organizations to achieve strategic growth and operational excellence. As President and Managing Director, collaborative efforts focus on developing agile strategies, managing risk, and driving transformation tailored to client needs. Recent initiatives emphasize customer experience journey mapping and high-performance team building. With extensive experience as a senior advisor to Fortune 500 executives, contributions include facilitating digital transformation, implementing modern software methodologies, and aligning technology with competitive business strategies. A commitment to change management and tactical training fosters impactful results, enabling organizations to navigate complex challenges and deliver sustainable outcomes.

Identity Virtual Summit (Wed, September 30, 2026)

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Official Cybersecurity Summit - 9-30-26, 10 AM - 3 PM Central Time

Discover New Tools and Solutions to

Protect Your Company from Cyberattacks

Register FREE with code: CSS26-AITP

Click Here to Register

Click Here for More Information

Join the Identity Virtual Summit on September 30, 2026, a focused half-day virtual event from CyberRisk Alliance designed for cybersecurity, IT, and information security practitioners focused on strengthening identity security, scaling access controls, and protecting the modern enterprise.

As identity becomes both a critical enabler and potential weak link in modern security, organizations face growing challenges in maintaining least privilege across hybrid environments and third-party ecosystems. This eSummit explores how security teams can strengthen identity governance, detect compromised credentials and misuse earlier, and adopt adaptive access strategies to reduce identity-related risk.

Through expert keynotes and panel discussions, attendees will gain practical insights into scaling identity governance, automating identity lifecycle management, strengthening identity threat detection and response, and aligning identity security with broader risk and zero-trust strategies. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with industry experts, explore innovative solutions, and earn valuable CPE or CEU credits with full attendance.

As organizations continue to adopt cloud services, third-party platforms, and increasingly complex digital infrastructures, security teams face growing challenges in discovering, assessing, and securing every internet-facing asset. This eSummit explores how organizations can move beyond point-in-time assessments and adopt continuous Attack Surface Management to identify unknown assets, prioritize risk, and proactively address exposure gaps.

Through expert keynotes and panel discussions, attendees will gain practical insights into continuous asset discovery, risk-based prioritization, integrating attack surface management with vulnerability and threat intelligence programs, and strengthening visibility across cloud, third-party, and hybrid environments. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage with industry experts, explore innovative solutions, and earn valuable CPE or CEU credits with full attendance.

AITP Chicago PMO SIG - Tales from the SWAMP: Navigating the Murky Waters of Project Management (Tue, October 06, 2026)

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 23:00:00 GMT

AITP Chicago's PMO SIG invites you to a Virtual meeting and discussion

Date: October 6, 2026 Time: 5]6:00-7:00 PM

Location: Virtual Via Zoom

Topic: Tales from the SWAMP: Navigating the Murky Waters of Project Management

Get ready to experience project management through a unique lens of the mysterious and mystical Louisiana swamps! Just like a daring expedition into the unknown, project management often feels like wading through waist-deep mud, encountering unexpected obstacles at every turn. But fear not! By integrating the timeless structure of the Hero's Journey and the project management knowledge domains, we'll uncover how to emerge victorious from the depths of the swamp, armed with the tools to conquer any project- related challenge that lurks in the shadows. So, grab your virtual mosquito repellent and prepare to go on an unconventional and uproarious expedition! Together, we'll discover that with a dash of humor, a sprinkle of storytelling, and a whole lot of project management prowess, we can emerge from the swamp unscathed and ready to conquer any challenge that slithers our way!

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Understand the parallel between project management and the Hero’s Journey
Understand how practical strategies and empathy can help to navigate project
challenges
Embrace humor and storytelling as powerful communication tools

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Embrace creative thinking to overcome project roadblocks
Build resilient teams that can withstand turbulent waters
How to turn setbacks into stepping stones for project success

Click Here to Register to Receive a Zoom Meeting Link You must register by 2 PM on 10/6 to attend! The meeting link will be sent out the evening of 10/4 to all registrants, with a reminder sent the day of the event. If you have not received the link by the morning of 10/6, check your spam and promotion folders. If it is not there, send an email to paul.dittmann@aitpchicago.com and he will email you the link.

“Implied Permission – When you register for an AITP Chicago Zoom event you are giving us “Implied Permission” to send you emails. This is necessary so that we can use Constant Contact to send all registrants the Zoom link for the virtual meeting. This will also result in you being added to the mailing list for our Weekly Newsletter of upcoming events. Occasionally you will also be sent special event announcements. You will be able to “opt out” of these mailings at any time by clicking on the “unsubscribe” link on the bottom of the page.”

Presenter: Tanya Boyd

Information to Follow

Tanya Boyd is a dynamic project manager and creative strategist with 20+ years of experience across disaster recovery, healthcare, IT, marketing, and government. As Director of Creative Collaboration at Corbeau and Project Success Academy, she blends imagination, strategy, and storytelling to design bold programs and partnerships that drive measurable results. She also manages a team of PMI certification instructor who teach through PMI’s Authorized Training Program.

She also designed a 3-part, 7-hour self-paced course that covers the essentials of effective communication in projects.

A PMP® since 2014 and PMI-ACP® since 2020, Tanya previously served as President of the PMI Baton Rouge Chapter, where she gained a front-row view of the evolving challenges facing project leaders. She is also a co-author of Projectland Goes to the Movies, linking pop culture to modern leadership lessons and a contributor on the PURE Management Alliance team that created a 60-PDU video series.

She is an in-demand keynote speaker and has delivered high-energy sessions and workshops to 40+ PMI chapters, companies, and at PMI Global Summit.

Tanya believes curiosity and communication unlock creative solutions. Off the clock, she’s often kayaking Louisiana’s swamps, camera in hand, chasing the next wild idea while building her nature photography portfolio.

2026 CISO of the Year Award Breakfast (Tue, October 13, 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT

The CISO of the Year Committee and the Chicago Chapters of AITP, ChicagoFirst, InfraGard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiCyS and SIM are excited to welcome you to our 2026 CISO of the Year Award Breakfast!

The purpose of the CISO of the Year program is to recognize the top CISOs in the greater Chicago area and provide a higher level of awareness and recognition to the CISO (or equivalent in authority) position.

Join us for the culmination of the 2026 Awards Program on October 13th. The events are Private, intended to support CISO’s and their direct reports, 2024 CISO Nominees, the Program Judges, our CISO Program Sponsors and delegates from esteemed industry partners-AITP, Chicago FIRST, Infragard, ISSA, ISACA, CSA, PAABC, WiSys and SIM. (Limit of up to 2 Board Members from each Industry Partner per event without special approval).

Click Here for More Information on the Program

Click Here to Visit the New CISO of theYear Website

This is a great opportunity to to recognize the exceptional talent we have in the Chicago Region, to network with security professionals and to meet the candidates and judges for the 2026 CISO of the Year Program - and to congratulate the 2026 CISO of the Year Winners! Great Food and Drink Too!

Click Here to Register

Prior CISO of the Year Award Winners:

2025 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Shefali Mooklencherry, CISO, UIC
2025 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Nitin Raina, CISO, Thoughtworks

2024 - CISO of the Year, ENTERPRISE, Dan Manley, CISO, CME Group
2024 - CISO of the Year, MID-CAP, Angela Williams, CISO, UL

2023 - ENTERPRISE, Darin Hurd, CISO, Guaranteed Rate
2023 - MID-CAP, Neil Witek, CISO, Oak Street Health

2022 - ENTERPRISE, Mahmood Khan, SVP & CISO, CNA Insurance
2022 - MID-CAP, Walter Lefmann, Director of Security, Chicago Trading Corporation

2021 - CISO of the Year, Ricardo LaFosse, CISO, The Kraft Heinz Company

2020 - CISO of the Year, Paige Adams, Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Zurich Insurance Company Ltd

2019 - CISO of the Year, Jill Rhodes, CISO, Option Care Health

2018 - CISO of the Year, Bradley Schaufenbuel, VP & Chief Information Security Officer, Paylocity

2017 - CISO of the Year, Erik Decker, Chief Security & Privacy Officer, University of Chicago Medicine

2016 - CISO of the Year, Todd Fitzgerald, CISO, Grant Thornton International Ltd

2015 - CISO of the Year, Kevin Novak, CISO and Technology Risk Officer for Northern Trust Bank

2014 - CISO of the Year, Arlan McMillan, CISO, Department of Innovation and Technology, City of Chicago

2013 - CISO of the Year, Jason Witty, SVP & CISO, US Bank.

Please Thank Our 2026 Program Sponsors:

CIO 100 Leadership Live Chicago (Tue, October 13, 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:30:00 GMT

AITP is proud to support CIO 100 Leadership Live Chicago, a one-day gathering built for CIOs and senior technology leaders navigating enterprise transformation, AI adoption, innovation and the evolving demands of technology leadership.

This is not another day of high-level theory. Attendees will hear directly from experienced technology executives about the decisions they are making, the challenges they are working through and the lessons they have learned leading transformation inside complex organizations.

The day opens with Real Talk: Stories from the Leadership Live Series, featuring candid insights from technology leaders including Annie Baymiller of Owens Corning, Chris Nardecchia of Rockwell Automation, Sastry Durvasula of TIAA, Bob McCowan, formerly of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Deborah Youmans of MITRE.

Join Chicago’s technology leadership community on October 13.

Click Here to Register Through AITP

Click Here for Full Agenda

Criteria for Admission: In-person events are learning and networking opportunities for IT executives (i.e., C-level, VP and, director) from organizations with 250+ total employees. Attendees must be involved in the purchase, evaluation and recommendation of IT products/services; and/or have IT policy responsibility within their organization. All applications to attend are carefully reviewed. Registrants will be notified promptly should the status of their application change. Analysts, venture capitalists, sales, marketing or consulting staff from non-sponsoring technology or technology-related companies do not qualify to attend. All participants are subject to Foundry approval.

AITP Chicago - Executive Panel on AI ROI (Tue, November 10, 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

AITP Chicago Invites You to an Executive Panel on AI ROI

This is an exclusive event - all 4 panelists are from Teams that were finalists in the 2026 Most Effective Technology Team Awards. Hear from the best.

Topic: AI, Where's the Beef - where AI seems to be generating ROI above expectations and where it is falling short.

Event Host: Alden Hutchison, CYBER | Principal. RSM US LLP

Location: RSM US LLP, 30 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, 33rd Floor

Click Here to Register

Seating will be limited so only register if you will attend

Moderator: Lance Fortnow, Former Professor of Computer Science at IIT

Panelists:

Tom Cesario, Vice President of US Operations & IT, The Radio Flyer Company

KD Mohanty, Sr. Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Sargent & Lundy

Lee Roberson, Director of Technology, DePaul University

Brent Maher, Vice President of information Technology, First Student

Event Agenda: 5:30-8:00 PM

5:30 - 6:00 PM, Registration and Networking

6:00 - 7:00 PM, Panel Discussion "AI, Where's the Beef (ROI)"

7:00 - 8:00 PM, Pizza and Networking

BIOs:

Lance Fortnow is a computer scientist specializing in computational complexity, most recently developing a theory to understand why AI works as well as it does. He was a professor in Computer Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he served as the founding dean of the College of Computing from 2019 to 2025.

Before joining Illinois Tech, he was chair of the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology and previously a professor at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago following a PhD in Applied Mathematics from MIT. He was a

Fulbright Scholar to the Netherlands in 1996-97 and a visiting fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford, in Hilary Term 2026.

Fortnow founded and co-authors the Computational Complexity weblog, the first major theoretical computer science blog, which has run continuously since 2002, and wrote a popular science book, The Golden Ticket: P, NP and the Search for the Impossible.

Tom Cesario joined Radio Flyer in 2008. Home of the iconic Little Red Wagon, Radio Flyer has been creating tricycles and other ride-on toys for generations. As Vice President of U.S. Operations & IT, Tom develops and leads the company’s technology and operations strategy, with responsibility for IT, domestic operations, and customer service. He is also a member of Radio Flyer’s Executive Leadership Team. During his tenure, Tom has led significant business and technology transformations spanning ERP, cloud computing, eCommerce, data and analytics, warehouse technology, and digital customer engagement. More recently, he has focused on advancing the practical application of artificial intelligence across the organization to improve productivity, decision-making, and the customer experience. Tom is particularly interested in moving AI beyond experimentation and embedding it into everyday business processes where it can deliver measurable value.

Brent Maher is Vice President of Information Technology at First Student, where he leads enterprise IT strategy, cybersecurity, and technology operations supporting one of North America’s largest student transportation providers. Maher brings more than two decades of experience in technology leadership, with deep expertise in cybersecurity, infrastructure, and digital transformation. Prior to joining First Student, he spent over 15 years at Johnson Financial Group, where he held multiple executive roles including Chief Technology Officer and Chief Information Security Officer. In those roles, he built and scaled enterprise security programs, modernized IT operations, and led strategic technology initiatives across the organization.