4 Days Left: Tennessee Technology Leaders to Gather at W Nashville for HMG Strategy's Inaugural C-Level Summit

CIOs, CISOs and CTOs from Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley and Mid-South, and executives in Nashville this week, will convene Friday to explore AI, cybersecurity, digital trust and Iconic Leadership

FAIRFIELD, Conn., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With four days remaining, HMG Strategy is preparing to convene CIOs, CISOs, CTOs and senior technology executives from across Tennessee, the Tennessee Valley and Mid-South at the highly anticipated 1st Annual Tennessee C-Level Technology Leadership Summit on Friday, Nov. 13, at W Nashville.

The inaugural summit brings together technology leaders from healthcare, automotive and advanced manufacturing, government, financial services, logistics, higher education, defense, media and entertainment for a day of discussion on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data, workforce transformation and the expanding leadership role of technology executives.

With many technology leaders in Nashville this week for industry events, the summit also offers executives already in town a chance to extend the trip by one day.

AI's Promise and Its Questions Hit Close to Home

In Nashville, the conversation around AI extends well beyond the enterprise data center. The region's music and entertainment industry, one of its economic signatures, is weighing what AI means for creativity, intellectual property, digital rights and trust. Tennessee became an early voice on the issue with the ELVIS Act, which protects an individual's voice from unauthorized AI simulation.

Those concerns echo questions technology leaders across every industry now face: how to govern AI before it scales, how to protect high-value digital assets, and how to keep human judgment at the center of organizations increasingly shaped by automation.

"Few places illustrate both the promise and the responsibility of AI better than Nashville," said Hunter Muller, Founder and CEO of HMG Strategy. "Whether you lead technology for a hospital system, a manufacturer, a state agency or a music company, the questions are strikingly similar: How do we innovate quickly while protecting identity, data and trust? Those are the conversations we'll have Friday."

Regional Leaders Take the Stage

Speakers include Kristin Darby, CIO, State of Tennessee; Cameron Ahler, VP, IT, AI & Consumer Technology - Americas & EMEA, Bridgestone Americas; Nagi Kudithini, CISO & Technology Operations - Americas, Nissan Motor Corporation; Ido Biger, EVP, Chief Information and Data Officer, Delek US Holdings; Kevin Morrison, VP, Deputy CISO, Unum; Don Baham, CISO and CTO, Rubicon Founders; John Phillips, President, Briggs Home Care & EVP/CIO, Briggs Healthcare; and Mark Blaze, President and CEO, Nashville Technology Council. The full lineup is available on the Tennessee Summit speakers page.

The day opens with Darby's fireside chat, "Leadership in Modern Times: Transforming State Government Through Innovation, Adaptability, and Resilience," on embracing AI while maintaining trust and security.

The executive panel "Iconic Leadership: How to Lead Like a CEO - Designing the Future Workforce" will examine how leaders decide where AI amplifies people and where human judgment must remain central, a question with particular resonance in creative industries.

Other sessions will address building the foundation for agentic work, harnessing trusted data to drive business performance, and security innovation as a strategic differentiator, including how organizations protect valuable digital assets that move among many outside partners.

Attendees will also join an interactive Roundtable Exchange on topics including AI ethics, AI implementation, cybersecurity and lasting transformation. During lunch, Don Schmidt, President of SIM Nashville, will share updates with the local technology community. The complete program is on the Tennessee Summit agenda.

A Distinctly Nashville Setting

The summit takes place at W Nashville, 300 12th Avenue South, in The Gulch. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments are included throughout the day.

Four Days Left: In Nashville This Week? Stay for Friday

The 1st Annual Tennessee C-Level Technology Leadership Summit will be held Friday, Nov. 13, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT. Qualified CIOs, CISOs, CTOs and senior technology executives, from across the region and those already in Nashville this week, are encouraged to reserve a complimentary executive pass.

About HMG Strategy

HMG Strategy is the world's leading digital platform for connecting technology executives to reimagine the enterprise and reshape the business world. HMG Strategy's highly interactive CIO and CISO events bring together distinguished and innovative business technology leaders to discuss the most pressing leadership, innovation, strategy, technology and career challenges and opportunities facing technology executives today.

Media Contact

Peggy Pedwano
Chief Operations Officer
HMG Strategy
203-221-2702
peggyp@hmgstrategy.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28e68698-d82c-4724-8ea7-3135effa119f