Fujitsu logo with stylized infinity symbol above the brand name

The European tech leader’s breakthrough moment

Seizing the shift: Disruption, technology and leadership

Online discussion:
This event has now expired

After years of diligent digital transformation effort, pivoting plans and switching investments in the face of ever-changing contexts, there has been a shift in the boardroom conversation, and technology is right at the heart of it.

Join Fujitsu and a panel of business and technology leaders from across Europe as we explore disruption, technology and leadership at a critical moment in time. Together, we will discuss the ‘breakthrough moments’ that characterize their transformation and explore how the technology function can act as a creative force for future innovation and growth.  

Fujitsu technology conference stage with multiple screens showing people and a large digital display with the text 'The European tech leader's breakthrough moment, Seizing the shift: Disruption, technology and leadership.'

Meet Our Panelists

A smiling middle-aged woman with blonde hair wearing a blue blazer and a gold necklace, with the Fujitsu logo in the bottom right corner.

Emma Chatwin

VP, Head of European Marketing, Fujitsu Moderator of the panel

  • Emma Chatwin is VP for Marketing for Fujitsu in Europe. In her role Emma is responsible for strategic field-based marketing across eight European markets, blending portfolio strategy with go to market programs and championing the voice of the European CIO both inside and outside Fujitsu. Emma is an award-winning CMO, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a regular speaker at conferences.

A man with short dark hair and glasses, wearing a suit jacket and collared shirt, in front of a plain background with a Mazda logo and the word 'Mazda'

Bert Dillen

CIO, Mazda

  • Bert Dillen is the Chief Information Officer at ‎Mazda Motor Europe, driving IT Strategy and Operations across 22 markets in Europe. With a previous track record including leadership roles at ‎Cummins Inc. and ‎Audi Brussels, he brings deep expertise in supply chain, digital transformation and enterprise architecture. Bert holds an MBA and is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), underlining his dual strength both in business and technical domains. Based in Belgium yet operating across Europe, he is known for aligning digital transformation with operational excellence and cost-efficient engineering. He is an accomplished and frequent keynote speaker and interviewer with extensive international experience.

A smiling man with curly hair wearing a white shirt, with a Daikin logo in the bottom right corner.

Tom Tanghe

General Manager - IT Center EMEA, Daikin

  • Tom Tanghe is the General Manager of the IT Center EMEA at Daikin Europe N.V., based in Belgium. With over 25 years of extensive experience in IT and business leadership, Tom leads the regional Information Technology strategy and operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, overseeing a multinational IT organization of approximately 90 internal resources and supporting a turnover of €5.03 billion. During his two-decade tenure at Daikin, Tom has progressed through key management positions, notably unifying legacy IT teams into one ITC EMEA, establishing a new competence center in Spain, and heading Digital Marketing solutions. Tom is known for his practical, business-focused leadership, promoting IT as a strategic enabler by fostering close collaboration between IT and other departments and balancing long-term strategy with agile responsiveness.

Black and white portrait of a smiling man with short hair, wearing a dark shirt, with a Fortum logo on the lower right side.

Bruno Almeida

VP, IT Operations, Fortum

  • Bruno works as VP, IT Operations at Fortum - a leading energy company developing clean technologies and sustainable solutions - and he regularly advises and helps organisations in areas such as cloud, data and security. Based in Finland, Bruno has a long history using cloud technologies and driving organisations and engineering teams, in different adoption and transformation stages. Throughout his career he worked in a wide range of positions from senior management to deep technical roles. He is passionate about culture and digital transformation and has been involved in several projects from both the human (Leadership, Coaching, Mentoring) and technical (Cloud, DevOps, AI) perspective.

Headshot of a man in a suit against a brick wall backdrop, with a small ING logo in the bottom right corner.

Júnior Mendonça

Global Tech Lead, Digital Workplace & Employee Experience, ING

  • Junior Mendonca is the Global Tech Head of Digital Workplace Technology at ING Bank Group, based in Amsterdam. With over 15 years of international experience in IT leadership, Junior is responsible for delivering digital workplace technology and employee experience services to 60,000 employees across more than 40 countries. He leads a global team of engineers and support agents and drives the implementation of Generative AI to enhance employee productivity. Prior to this role, Junior held senior positions in global IT strategy, cloud infrastructure, and information management, and has been recognized with awards for operational excellence and innovation. He holds a Computer Science degree and Bachelor of Science (Honours).

Four Breakthrough Moments

In our research of ClOs across Europe, we explored the impact of near-constant disruption, emerging technologies and evolving leadership styles - all converging at speed. We identified four breakthroughs that reflect tech leaders' increasing profile within the business, providing inspiration and insights for others on their transformation journey:

Breakthrough 1:
European tech confidence at an all-time high

  • European technology leaders' confidence is at an all-time high. This is the end of IT leadership as we have known it in the past, and the new era of business leadership, powered by technology. The CIO is the go-to expert for some of the hottest topics on the boardroom agenda.

Breakthrough 2:
Transformative intent - with great opportunity comes great responsibility

  • Thanks to success in delivering digital transformation over recent years, the scope of the ClO's role is expanding, with more technology leaders taking responsibility for Operational Technologies (OT) and cybersecurity, as well as IT. This comes with an extended ecosystem to manage, both internally and externally.

Breakthrough 3:
Old tech, new tech... balancing past, present and future technologies

  • While the technology narrative is dominated by Al and other emerging technologies and there is more pressure than ever to accelerate adoption, ClOs still need to manage - and often modernize - legacy technology. Finding the right balance and creating space for innovation is a breakthrough yet to be achieved for most.

Breakthrough 4:
The new dynamics of innovation and partnership - playing to strengths

  • CIOs recognize the value of impartial advice, particularly when it comes to transformation and innovation. Working with partners who can provide technology-agnostic advice combined with hands-on delivery will plug skills gaps and create the impetus for further transformation into new areas.

Cover page of a report titled 'The European tech leader's breakthrough moment,' with a subtitle 'Seizing the shift: Disruption, technology and leadership,' featuring a woman standing on a futuristic, glowing cityscape and a chart analyzing tech investments.

Read the report

If you are a technology leader in Europe today, read Fujitsu’s report; it is the non-negotiable playbook for your continued leadership and the future success of your organization.

Red button with white text saying "Read the report here" and a white arrow pointing right.

Seize your moment now