Membership

A seat at the table is earned by the problem you bring.

CIO Cafe is small on purpose. We review every request by hand so that each table of eight is peer-level, conflict-free and focused on a real decision.

On the table

What would make this table worth your 90 minutes?

90 minutes · Chatham House
  1. CIOGlobal insurer
  2. CISORetail group
  3. CIOHealth system
  4. CTOLogistics
  5. CDORegional bank
  6. CIOManufacturer
  7. CIOPublic sector
  8. HostFormer CIO
Every seat is reviewed by hand. Roles shown are illustrative.

01Fit

Who CIO Cafe is for, and who it isn’t.

For you if…

  • You are a sitting CIO, CTO, CDO or CISO, or a VP on the CIO track who owns major technology decisions.
  • You have a live decision and want peers who have already made it.
  • You can say what went wrong as easily as what went right.
  • You can give 90 minutes a month and keep what you hear in confidence.

Not for you if…

  • You sell technology, services or advisory to CIOs, even indirectly.
  • You are looking for leads, speaking slots or a stage.
  • You want recorded content to watch later. Tables are live and never recorded.
  • You can’t commit to the Chatham House Rule.

How it works

From request to your first table in four steps.

A person, not a form robot, reads every request. You’ll know where you stand within two business days.

  1. Tell us the decision you’re facing

    Five short fields. No résumé or deck. The decision matters more than the title.

  2. A 20-minute conversation with a host

    We check fit and conflicts, and we check which table you’d genuinely help, not just which one would help you.

  3. You’re matched to a table of eight

    Matched by role, scale and problem, and screened so you never sit with a direct competitor unless you want to.

  4. Your first week

    You get a welcome call, your table’s pre-read and the house rules, plus the first question for your cohort if you have one.

One or two sentences is plenty. This is only shared with your host.

We use these details only to review your request and match you to a table. We never sell or share them with sponsors. See our privacy summary.

Request a seat

Tell us what’s on your table.

Takes about two minutes. There’s no payment and no commitment at this step.

  • Reply within 2 business days
  • Never shared with sponsors
  • Terms shown before you commit