Expert Events

From Reactive IT to Zero Touch Operations: Building AI-Native Operating Models

Name: From Reactive IT to Zero Touch Operations: Building AI-Native Operating Models
Start: 2026-05-27T18:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-05-27T21:00:00-04:00
Location: Cathédrale Restaurant

Join Blend and IBM for a private executive dinner exploring the shift from reactive IT to AI-native, zero-touch operations—focusing on automation, resilience, and turning operational insight into measurable business impact.

Cathédrale Restaurant

May 27, 2026

6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

About this event

Enterprise IT operations are at an inflection point. Despite years of investment in observability, automation, and cloud transformation, many organizations still struggle with rising operational costs, fragmented tooling, and limited ability to translate insights into action.

For CIOs and technology leaders, the challenge is becoming more acute. Up to 60–70% of IT spend remains tied to “keeping the lights on,” while automation efforts often remain siloed and fail to deliver enterprise-wide impact. At the same time, AI is advancing rapidly, raising expectations for real-time, intelligent, and self-healing systems that traditional operating models were never designed to support.

Join Blend and IBM for a private executive dinner to explore the next evolution of IT operations: Zero Touch Operations. This discussion will examine how organizations are moving beyond fragmented tools and AI pilots toward integrated, AI-native operating models that enable autonomous decision-making, reduce operational burden, and drive measurable business outcomes. Through a conversational, peer-driven format, leaders will explore how to close the gap between insight and action, align AI initiatives to business value, and rethink operating models to support a future defined by continuous automation, resilience, and intelligent workflows.

Our speakers

Bas Pluim

Americas DevSecOps & IT Automation Practice Leader | IBM Consulting

Bas leads the DevSecOps and IT Automation Practice for the IBM Consulting Americas. He works with clients to drive automation across all facets of application- and platform operations, using DevOps pipelines, Agentic AI, and Robotic Process Automation. With deep experience both in application development and support, Bas understands the challenges different IT teams face, and how technology can be a unifying factor across organizational silos. Originally from the Netherlands, Bas holds a degree in Computer Science from Saxxion Polytechnic, and resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. When Bas is not obsessing over automation, he enjoys woodworking, 3D printing and boardgames, and tries to combine all three hobbies when possible.

Colin Cosell

Head of Community - New York & Boston

Colin Cosell is a professional emcee, announcer, and executive communications expert with more than 25 years of experience across television, radio, film, stage, and corporate events. When he’s not at the lectern or moderating executive panels, Colin serves as the Public Address Announcer for the New York Mets, Army Football, the Premier Lacrosse League, and numerous other professional and collegiate teams. Over the course of his career, Colin has earned three Emmy Awards and has announced to more than 30 million attendees worldwide. His greatest source of pride, however, are his wife, Julia, and their little girl, Eloise.

Kunal Dasgupta

Americas AI-First Leader for Application Operations | IBM Consulting

Kunal is an experienced leader and trusted advisor to C-level executives, with over two decades of experience helping organizations navigate complex business challenges and achieve strategic outcomes. He specializes in designing and delivering tailored, scalable solutions that drive meaningful and optimized results. At IBM, Kunal leads digital transformation initiatives across multi-platform AI and cloud, helping clients modernize operations and accelerate business value. He has driven 10x growth in the ServiceNow portfolio and played a key role in large scale cloud transformation deals, earning IBM’s Gerstner Award for Client Excellence. His experience spans strategy, sales, solutioning, and global delivery across industries and geographies. Kunal holds a Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Madras. Outside of work, he founded a global production company dedicated to promoting the arts.

Robert Garvin

Partner, Platform Engineering Services GTM Leader | IBM Consulting

Coming soon.

Key themes & discussion topics

Breaking the Cycle of “Keeping the Lights On”
How organizations can reduce operational overhead and shift resources from maintenance to innovation.

From Insight to Action in IT Operations
Closing the gap between observability, automation, and real-time decision-making to drive tangible outcomes.

Scaling AI in IT Operations
Moving beyond siloed pilots to embed AI across operating models and enable autonomous, self-healing systems.

Redefining Operating Models for an AI-Native Future
How roles, governance, and workflows must evolve to support continuous automation, resilience, and business alignment.

Event agenda

Cocktails & networking

6:00 – 6:30 PM

Opening remarks & panel discussion

6:30 – 7:15 PM

Dinner & guided discussion

7:15 – 8:45

Event wrap-up & group reflection

8:45 – 9:00PM

Why should you attend?

Gain practical insights on how leading organisations are reducing operational overhead and shifting from reactive IT to AI-driven, autonomous operations.

Learn how to close the gap between insight and action, turning observability and automation into measurable business outcomes.

Hear how peers are successfully scaling AI across IT operations, moving beyond pilots to enterprise-wide impact.

Connect with senior leaders tackling similar challenges and walk away with actionable strategies to modernise your operating model.

Who should attend

This session is designed for CIOs, CTOs, and senior technology leaders responsible for IT operations, infrastructure, cloud, and platform engineering. Attendees typically include leaders driving DevOps, enterprise architecture, and AI initiatives—those focused on modernising operating models, scaling automation, and aligning IT performance with business outcomes.

Venue

Cathédrale Restaurant

112 E 11th St.
New York
NY
NY 10003
United States

Apply to participate