The final day of the World CIO 200 Grand Finale 2026 brought three days of global technology leadership, thought-provoking conversations, recognition and meaningful connections to a spectacular close in Colombo.
Held at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, the Grand Finale marked the culmination of the World CIO 200’s year-long global journey, bringing together CIOs, technology leaders, government representatives, policymakers, innovators and industry experts from across more than 60 countries. The programme has been positioned by the organisers around the pillars of Knowledge, Human, Health and Community, with a focus on innovation, collaboration and digital transformation.
The final day opened with networking and continued with a series of keynote sessions, partner perspectives and high-level panel discussions covering some of the most pressing questions facing technology leaders and organisations today.
The morning programme began with the Day 3 Opening Keynote by Hon. Eng. Eranga Weeraratne, Deputy Minister of Digital Economy, setting the tone for a day focused on technology, transformation and the future of digital economies.
The programme then featured a Partner Keynote by Mr. Eddie Marsden-Jones, Head of Business Development and Growth, Frontwalker (Pvt) Ltd, followed by a cybersecurity-focused keynote by Mr. Anil Bhandari, Founder and Chief Mentor, ARCON, titled “Security ‘Back to Basics’ in the Mythos World.”
The Grand Finale then turned its focus to the future of financial services with the “BFSI Without Borders: Who Owns the Future of Money – Banks, Big Tech or AI?” panel.
Moderated by Mr. Ali El Kontar, Founder and CEO, Zero&One, the discussion brought together:
- Mr. Obed Agyarko Frimpong, Chief Information Security Officer, First National Bank Ghana Ltd
- Mr. Patrick Pitchappa, Chief Information Security Officer, EQUITI
- Mr. Khurram Abid, Head of Technology Operations – Mashreq Group, Mashreq Bank
- Mr. K V Kuganathan, Group CIO, JXG Group – Janashakthi Group of Companies
The conversation examined the changing relationship between financial institutions, technology companies and artificial intelligence, adding another important perspective to the Grand Finale’s wider discussions around digital transformation.
The human dimension of leadership then came into focus with a thought leadership keynote by Mimi Nicklin, Bestselling Author and Global Empathy Advocate, Empathy Everywhere, on “The Power of the Empathy Algorithm.” The session brought attention to empathy, human connection and leadership in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Healthcare took centre stage next with “Healthcare Without Borders: Can Technology Make Healthcare Predictive, Personal & Universal?”
Moderated by Mr. Ken Fishkin, President of ISC2 New Jersey Chapter and Associate Director of Information Security at Lowenstein Sandler, the panel featured:
- Mr. Hamdan Alshammari, Digital Enablement Director, Seha Virtual Hospital
- Mr. Shaukat Ali Khan, Group Chief Digital & Information Officer, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Transport for Greater Manchester, and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
- Mr. Sheridan Laroza, Executive Director IT, Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Mr. Amr Metwally, Assistant Executive Director, Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center
- Mr. Nagaraj Swargam, CIO, Indian Immunologicals Limited, Hyderabad, India
The discussion explored how technology can contribute to more predictive, personalised and accessible healthcare while connecting digital innovation with real-world healthcare needs.
Adding another dimension to the technology conversation, Dr. Shankar Sivaprakasam, Founder and CEO, Eartheye Space, delivered a thought leadership keynote bringing perspectives from space, technology and innovation.
The programme continued with the Women in Technology panel, “Breaking the Algorithm – Who Gets to Design the Future?”, moderated by Ms. Mahesha Amarasuriya, Country Manager for Sri Lanka, Mastercard.
The panel brought together:
- Ms. Maurine Awuor Onyango, Chief Officer ICT and Public Service Transformation, County Government of Siaya
- Ms. Arlene Romasanta, Independent Senior IT Technical Consultant and President, Global CIO Forum Philippines
- Ms. Chiranthi Balapatabendi, Director – Industry Development, ICTA
- Ms. Stephanie Liew, Independent Director, Top Glove Corporation Berhad; Vice President for Digital Liveable Cities Wisdom Council, ASEAN CXO Association
- Ms. Aveena Mothilall, Director Data & Analytics, Twinings Ovaltine
The conversation examined representation, opportunity, leadership and the voices shaping the development and use of technology.
A powerful cybersecurity and national security discussion followed with the “Defending the Digital Nation: Cyber Resilience, Critical Infrastructure & National Security in the Intelligent Age” power panel.
Moderated by Dr. S. M. Mohamed Ismail, Former Vice Chancellor, South Eastern University of Sri Lanka, the panel featured Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development; Mr. Suranjith Wevita, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority; and Mr. Sudattha Silva, Additional Director General, Sri Lanka Customs.
The discussion brought together perspectives from government and public institutions around cyber resilience, critical infrastructure and national security in an increasingly connected digital environment.
Following the morning and early afternoon sessions, delegates continued their conversations over networking lunch and the exhibition experience before taking part in a more interactive programme featuring the Kahoot Challenge led by Mr. Chander Raina, President, Global CIO Forum Qatar, and a Cyber Drill with Dr. Erdal Ozkaya, Chief Information Security Officer, Morgan State University.
The final afternoon continued the focus on women in technology with “From Seat at the Table to Power at the Table,”moderated by Ms. Sindhu V Kashyap, Editor, Global Enterprise Connect.
The panel featured:
- Ms. Yessie Dianty Yosetya, Director & Chief Information Technology Officer, PT XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera Tbk
- Ms. Firihan A. Al Balushi, AI Transformation Head, Sohar International Bank
- Ms. Alexandra Butler, Director, Digital Data and Technology, Sport England
- Prof. Mona Nasr, Information Systems, Faculty of Computers and Artificial Intelligence, Capital University
- Ms. Juliana Chua, Group Sr. Director & Head, EssilorLuxottica
The conversation added further perspectives on leadership, influence, representation and the role of women in shaping technology and organisational transformation.
As the conference programme moved towards its conclusion, Mr. Uday Shankar Kizhepat, Vice President & General Manager – Middle East, WSO2, delivered a thought leadership keynote before the spotlight turned to a significant milestone in professional development – the CIO Leadership Class of 2025–2026 Official Graduation Ceremony under the Global CIO Forum Academic Council Executive Program.
The graduation brought together graduates and dignitaries to celebrate an important milestone in their leadership and learning journey, recognising the value of continuous development for technology leaders operating in a rapidly evolving environment.
The official summit programme then concluded with the Summit Closing Ceremony and Dignitary Group Photograph, bringing together summit dignitaries, ministerial leads and international delegates for a final moment on the main stage.
The evening transformed the final day into a celebration of the people and milestones that defined the World CIO 200 journey.
The Gala Dinner opened with guests seated for a special evening that brought together technology leaders and delegates from across the global community.
The evening featured “Finale Glimpses and Memories,” followed by the GCF Journey 2025–2026, presented by Ms. Anushree Dixit, Chief Strategy Officer, Global Enterprise Connect, taking delegates through the journey that led to the Grand Finale in Colombo.
The programme continued with Awards & Felicitation, recognising achievements and contributions across the World CIO 200 community, followed by a closing note from Ms. Richa S, Chief Commercial Officer, Global Enterprise Connect.
The Gala Dinner also recognised the achievements of the World CIO 200 country chapters and celebrated the Gold Standard of GCF countries – Indonesia, the United Kingdom and South Africa – honouring their contributions to the World CIO 200 roadshow journey.
The celebration then continued with dinner, entertainment and a clubbing night, bringing an energetic close to three days of leadership, learning, recognition and global connections.
From keynote stages and high-level discussions to networking conversations, interactive experiences, graduation and the final gala celebration, the third day captured the full spirit of the World CIO 200 Grand Finale.
The three-day gathering in Colombo served as the culmination of a year-long journey spanning more than 60 countries and brought the global technology community together around conversations on digital transformation, cybersecurity, AI, cloud, healthcare, financial services, leadership, innovation and the future of digital economies.
Three days. 60+ countries. Hundreds of technology leaders. One global stage.
As the World CIO 200 Grand Finale 2026 comes to a close, the conversations, relationships and ideas developed in Colombo mark the beginning of the next chapter in the global CIO community’s journey.
The Grand Finale ends. The connections continue.
