Schedule
Mark Walker
@ 9:00 am CST - 10:00 am CST
Pyle Center
https://itlc.it.wisc.edu/2025-keynote-speaker/
In this keynote, life performance coach and former IT service leader Mark Walker explores how a simple pause can transform leadership, teamwork and confidence from the inside out.
Tiffany Thayer
@ 10:15 am CST - 10:45 am CST
Pyle Center
“Efficiency in Every Dollar: Vendor Relationships and Budget Control” dives into the art of making every penny pull its weight. Through steady budget tracking approaches and regular check-ins with your financial services partner, we’ll explore …
Christian Schmieder (him/his), Deanna Schneider
@ 10:15 am CST - 10:45 am CST
Pyle Center
Networking is important – but that doesn’t make it any more comfortable—take it from two introverts! This session explores how embracing discomfort—rather than trying to eliminate it—can help you connect with others in professional settings. …
Hailey Krueger (she/her)
@ 10:15 am CST - 10:45 am CST
Virtual
Mal Dziuk (she/her)
@ 10:15 am CST - 10:45 am CST
Pyle Center
Understanding how UW-Madison IT operates is a feat, but meshing that with UWHealth’s IT and the contrast between the two enterprises is drastic. Jumping into my User Support role, I dove into this divided world …
Sabrina Messer (she/her), Salima Currimbhoy
@ 11:00 am CST - 12:00 pm CST
Pyle Center & Virtual
Leadership isn’t a straight path—it’s a dynamic journey of knowing when to collaborate, when to challenge the status quo, and when to take bold risks. This session explores the delicate balance leaders seek in navigating …
Heather Johnston (she/her)
@ 11:00 am CST - 12:00 pm CST
Virtual
The Data Classification Initiative is aligning UW–Madison with the Universities of Wisconsin’s revised Data Classification Policy (SYS 1031) to simplify how we categorize and protect information. The change is aimed at reducing confusion, strengthening compliance, …
Robert Merrill (he/him)
@ 11:00 am CST - 12:00 pm CST
Pyle Center
At the end of a consulting engagement, a client told Robert, “I did not know that people like you existed, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have known how to find you.” Such is …
Scott Kohl (he/him)
@ 11:00 am CST - 11:45 am CST
Pyle Center & Virtual
Ready to stop seeing institutional change as a glacial process and start Riding the White Lightning? Every university leader could experience the thrill and challenge of true innovation. This session isn’t just theory; it’s your …
Philip John Doll III (he/him)
@ 1:00 pm CST - 1:45 pm CST
Pyle Center
Vanessa Broers
@ 1:00 pm CST - 1:45 pm CST
Pyle Center
You can be brilliant and deeply respected in your role, and still feel invisible. Many IT leaders learn to self-minimize to appear steady, rational, and in control, but in the process, they lose the very thing that …
Mark Walker
@ 1:00 pm CST - 1:45 pm CST
Pyle Center
Mehrnaz Ahmadi Joobaneh
@ 2:00 pm CST - 2:45 pm CST
Virtual
About 20 years ago, I started my career as a bank teller. During that time, I went through a training program on how to deliver exceptional customer support and sales. Those lessons made such an …
Ken Fanta (he/they)
@ 2:00 pm CST - 2:45 pm CST
Pyle Center & Virtual
In today’s fast-paced IT environment, technical skills alone aren’t enough. The most effective leaders prioritize relationships—building trust, empathy, and strategic alignment across the organization. This session explores how relationship-centered leadership drives innovation, resilience, and transformation. …
David Berg and Laurel Belman
@ 2:00 pm CST - 2:45 pm CST
Sabrina Messer (she/her), Ella Tschopik
@ 3:00 pm CST - 3:45 pm CST
Pyle Center
Let’s explore the similarities and differences between coaching, mentoring, and sponsoring as pathways for growth and development. We will explore these different ways of being in community and elevating one another through the lenses of …
Todd Shechter, Kyle Cranmer, Jan Cheetham, Mike Collins, Sarah Stevens, Brian Bockelman
@ 3:00 pm CST - 4:00 pm CST
Pyle Center
“Leading research computing through RISE” brings together five leaders from across UW–Madison to explore how innovative ideas in research computing are born, nurtured, and scaled. This panel will delve into strategies for engaging researchers, implementing …
Michael Toguchi (he/him)
@ 3:00 pm CST - 3:45 pm CST
Virtual
This session reframes data and AI strategy as an institutional leadership challenge—not a technology project. Michael will share lessons from work with higher education, outlining how CIOs can build governance, capability, and trust while accelerating …
CIO Didier Contis
@ 4:00 pm CST - 4:30 pm CST
@ 4:30 pm CST
Memorial Union 800 Langdon St, Madison, WI 53706
Come hang with the organizers and fellow campus leaders at Memorial Union for some laid-back conversation and connection. Grab a drink, swap ideas, and keep the good energy rolling.