iTnews Executive Retreats: Navigating Leadership in the Age of Data and AI

Following on from the success of the inaugural iTnews Executive Retreat Security Leaders Edition, the retreat returns with a new focus - data and artificial intelligence.

The first retreat brought together senior technology and security leaders for candid, peer-level conversations on resilience, leadership and the realities of operating under pressure.

As Saleshni Sharma, APAC CISO at W.R. Berkley shared, “The small-group offsite format allowed for meaningful connections with leaders across technology, security, risk and privacy. Highly informative sessions and a great opportunity to build relationships that I’m sure will last well beyond the event”. Rebecca Meli, CTO at Australian Progressive Group echoed this sentiment, saying "It was a great balance of meaningful conversations and time to reset. Hearing the real experience of peers is what I value most".

Now, the second event in the series turns to one of the most significant shifts facing organisations today.

AI and data are rapidly reshaping how organisations operate, compete, and make decisions. For senior technology leaders, the challenge is no longer understanding the potential, it’s navigating what comes next.

Investment is increasing, expectations are rising, and the pressure to move from experimentation to real business outcomes is intensifying. At the same time, leaders are being asked to make critical decisions around governance, risk, capability, and long-term strategy, often without clear precedents.

The iTnews Executive Retreat: Data & AI Leaders Edition has been designed to create space for those conversations, to enable practical discussion, peer insight, and shared learning away from day-to-day pressures.

Taking place on 28-29 May 2026 at Château Élan in the Hunter Valley, the Data & AI Leaders Edition will bring together a curated group of senior technology, data and AI leaders for an overnight retreat focused on leadership in a rapidly evolving landscape. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect in a more informal setting, with wine and cheese tasting, nine holes of golf, a HydroDeck spa, and toasted marshmallows by the firepit.

A permanent feature of all iTnews Executive retreats, the format is designed to encourage open, peer-level conversation. With a small group of attendees and a mix of facilitated sessions and informal networking, the retreat creates the conditions for more honest, practical exchanges.

To find out more and register your interest in attending, click here.