Benedetto Conversano Keynote Speaker

Group CIO, Diageo (2020–Aug 2025)
European CIO of the Year finalist (2018)
London Tech Week main-stage speaker on Agentic AI

Benedetto Conversano's Biography

Benedetto Conversano is a global technology and digital transformation leader known for helping organisations translate innovation into real operational performance. With more than 30 years in enterprise technology, he brings a rare mix of board-level perspective and hands-on experience delivering change at scale across consumer goods and retail.

Benedetto served as Group Chief Information Officer at Diageo (2020–August 2025), leading the creation of a unified Digital & Technology function and accelerating the adoption of data, analytics, cybersecurity and AI across a global business. He shares practical lessons on how to align experimentation with strategy, build governance that enables speed, and scale AI in ways that strengthen decision-making and execution.

Earlier, he was SVP, Chief Digital & Information Technology Officer at Avon (2018–2020), appointed to deliver a step-change in digital strategy and technology delivery. He also led transformation as Group CIO at Jerónimo Martins (2015–2018), launching the company’s first online business, and as IKEA’s Chief Enterprise Architect (2010–2015), implementing its first e-commerce platform. Benedetto holds a Master’s in Electronic Engineering and Microelectronics and speaks five languages, giving his work a distinctly international outlook.

A sought-after voice on the future of digital work, Benedetto has featured at London Tech Week (June 2025) and contributed to INSEAD’s thought leadership on scaling AI adoption. In December 2025, he joined INSEAD’s Tech Talk X to unpack what it takes to move from AI pilots to enterprise performance gains.

Scaling AI: from pilots to enterprise value

Agentic AI and the next evolution of digital work

AI governance, risk and responsible adoption

Digital transformation that sticks: operating models and culture

Cyber resilience and trust in a connected enterprise

He has led Diageo’s digital and technology agenda as Chief Information Officer since May 2020, keeping AI at the top of the enterprise priority list.
He translates agentic AI and modern workforce automation into concrete choices on use cases, workflow design and value, shaped by his main-stage work at London Tech Week 2025.
He helps executives move from AI pilots to measurable performance gains by reshaping how decisions are made and how people and machines collaborate.
He brings hard-won transformation experience from Avon (2018–2020), where he was appointed to step-change digital strategy and technology delivery at global scale.
His briefings help leaders align experimentation with strategy, tighten governance and build the cultural mindset needed to realise AI’s full value.