EXPERT COLUMN
JESS ABELL CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER,
INTELLIGENT GLOBAL MEDIA
WE WANT YOU – PUTTING END USERS AT THE HEART OF THE TECHNOLOGY STORY
The technology industry is overflowing with stories of innovation, next-generation platforms and transformative breakthroughs. Yet too often, these narratives are framed through layers of technical language and marketing jargon that obscure what truly matters: the real-world impact of technology on the organisations and people using it every day.
ELERA Security Suite. By using AI-powered image recognition and behavioural detection at self-checkout, the retailer improved both security and customer experience. Omar Villamil, IT Manager at Olímpica S. A., highlighted how automation for bulk product recognition made the checkout process faster, more intuitive and more satisfying for customers.
At Intelligent CIO, we believe the most powerful stories are not told by vendors, but by the end-users themselves. CIOs, CISOs, CTOs and IT leaders sit at the intersection of strategy, innovation and execution. Their experiences, navigating complexity, balancing risk, driving change, offer invaluable insight for peers facing similar challenges.
Meanwhile, in Intelligent CIO APAC, we explored how Informatica is supporting Thailand’ s Krungsri Bank on its digital transformation journey. Through an AI-driven data governance framework, the bank has enhanced operational efficiency, strengthened regulatory compliance and improved customer engagement.
Throughout 2025, our global editions have highlighted how technology decisions translate into tangible outcomes. In Intelligent CIO Europe, for example, we spoke with Dirk Olufs, CIO at DHL Express, about the growing pressure on IT leaders to embrace sustainable technology. He shared practical approaches to integrating greener solutions without sacrificing performance or scalability, while also highlighting a challenge many CIOs now face.
“ I think most CIOs would agree that the environmental cost of AI solutions will increasingly dominate our strategic thinking,” Olufs explained.“ These solutions bring significant implications – not only financial costs, but substantial energy demands. Excitement about AI often overshadows the reality of the data centres and resources required to support it.”
In Intelligent CIO LATAM, we reported on how Olímpica S. A. became the first retailer in the region to deploy Toshiba’ s full
As Tul Roteseree, Head of Enterprise Data and Analytics Group at Krungsri, noted, robust governance is key to enabling innovation at scale.
These stories capture the‘ why’ behind the technology – the human and business outcomes that matter most.
In 2026, Intelligent CIO is committed to connecting with more end-users than ever before, building a global community where technology leaders can share challenges, lessons and real-world success stories. Through in-depth profiles and case studies, we aim to amplify authentic voices and showcase transformation as it truly happens.
If you’ re shaping technology strategy within your organisation and have a story to tell, we would love to hear from you. Let’ s put the humanity back in technology. p
18 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www. intelligentcio. com