The @aslan Association held the first edition of its awards in Madrid, honoring prominent figures in the industry, but the event was much more than a simple award ceremony. The day, which brought together CEOs, CIOs, and other executives from dozens of companies, became a forum for reflection on the new role of technology in business strategy. Alberto Pascual, president of the association, opened the event with a speech that set the tone: “Strategy without technology is just a dream, but technology without strategy sometimes becomes simply a delusion.”

Technology as the heart of business

Pascual recalled that ASLAN has traditionally been an organization of technologists for technologists, but now it begins a new stage in which it incorporates strategy into the conversation, hand in hand with the CEO. “Technology has gone from having a supporting role to being the heart of the business,” he stated. In an uncertain geopolitical context, where digital sovereignty and cyber resilience are priorities, CEOs and CIOs must work in tandem to exploit opportunities and face challenges.

Roundtable: Strategy and technology in the face of new challenges

The roundtable, moderated by Alberto Pascual, featured José María O’Kean, PhD in Economics; José María de Santiago, professor at business schools; and Manuel Monterrubio, author of Leadership in the AI Era. All three agreed that technology is no longer an operational support but the main strategic factor for organizations.

José María O’Kean highlighted that CIOs increasingly resemble CEOs because technology has become the strategic axis of business. “Companies have abandoned the traditional model of buying, producing, and selling to adopt a structure based on a customer-oriented front office, a back office that manages resources, and a middleware that connects and governs the entire business model,” he explained. This change responds to two major vectors: the emergence of the digital space (E3) and the rise of hyper-individualism, which demands personalized experiences.

For his part, José María de Santiago emphasized that ten years ago business strategy and technology strategy were separate processes, but today they are part of a single strategy. “Elements such as artificial intelligence, data, and software are decisive factors that must be integrated from the outset into business decision-making,” he stated. The role of the CIO is transformed: from being an infrastructure manager to becoming an orchestrator of digital capabilities. “Those technology leaders who do not assume this role run the risk of being left out of business decisions,” he warned.

Manuel Monterrubio presented the CEO-CIO alliance as key to transformation and survival in the digital age. Artificial intelligence, he said, represents a rupture comparable to the great industrial revolutions, and represents a form of “cheap intelligence” that forces CEOs to integrate technology into the core of their strategic decisions. “The CEO must maintain a close and permanent relationship with the CIO,” he argued.

Conclusions from the speakers

Manuel Monterrubio: “Technology is no longer a support area but an essential part of the company’s DNA; the CEO must lead the alliance with the CIO.” José María de Santiago: “It is not about implementing more artificial intelligence, but about generating more value and competitive advantage with it.” José María O’Kean: “Future leaders will have an increasingly technological profile, but they will only succeed if they combine that knowledge with a strategic and business vision.”

Award winners of the first edition

The award winners were: Ana Argelich (MSD), Olga Sánchez (AXA), Chus Barroso (BMI Iberia), Vice Admiral Javier Roca (Cyberspace Command), Rosa María Visiedo (CEU San Pablo University), Alfonso Sánchez (EMT Madrid), Valero Marín (Repsol), Pilar Martínez Consentino (Cosentino), and Marc Armengol (Banco Sabadell).

This event reflects an unstoppable trend: the convergence of business and technology is the only way to compete in an environment where AI and data are the new growth engines. To delve deeper into how artificial intelligence is redefining the rules of the game, we recommend reading our analysis on Anthropic revives Fable 5 and the impact of infrastructure bottlenecks on AI. Additionally, if your company seeks to integrate these capabilities, our advanced solutions on Microsoft Azure can be the first step.

Original source: ComputerWorld. Analysis and adaptation by ForgeNEX.