On February 26th, Karachi played host to the DXO Direction Summit, part of the ongoing DXO Directions 2025 series, celebrating 16 years of CIO Pakistan/CXO Media brands. The main theme of the series and summit was “DX Meets The AI Pivot”. This particular evening marked a significant milestone in the technology and business landscape of Pakistan, as it witnessed the launch of DXO Magazine, the world’s first publication dedicated entirely to the C-Suite as Digital Transformation Officers (DXOs) or Enterprise Digital Leaders as well as its sister site, www.c-suite.exchange.
The evening’s proceedings were led by Aqsa Tariq, Editor-in-Chief of SPIN Media, who highlighted the need for a more focused approach to sharing insights from the Pakistan digital economy, particularly regarding technology transformation in large-scale businesses. Managing Director of Rasala Publications Group and media owner of the SPIN brands, Salaina Haroon had this to say:
“Seventeen years after launching CIO Pakistan and other CXO media brands from the IDG stable, we studied the market scape during Covid and post-Covid and decided that we needed to pivot and bring a more focused approach to sharing insights from the Pakistan digital economy, specially as regards technology transformation in happening in large scale businesses. Specially, with the advent of AI, organisations need to discuss how artificial intelligence is going to impact their plans for digital transformation and how this can actually make the whole process less cumbersome”.
The DXO Directions Summit was part of the DXO Direction Series, which featured prominent CIOs, CTOs, CDOs, and other senior IT Heads. Speakers and participants from esteemed institutions, including Meezan Bank, HBL, Bank Alfalah, Faysal Bank, UBL, PSO, CDC Pakistan, TPL, EFU, Pakistan Stock Exchange, Jubilee General Insurance, Dubai Islamic Bank, Soneri Bank, K-Electric, Ebrahim Group of Companies, House of Habib, Pakistan Stock Exchange, Pakistan Cables, Lucky Motors Corp., The Indus Hospital, GFG, EBM, National Foods, Al Baraka Bank, Hilal Foods, and others, shared their insights and experiences in driving digital transformation within their organizations. The speakers provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation, and shared best practices for implementing successful digital transformation strategies.
The event also honored exceptional leaders in the technology industry with Editorial Cover Golds. These prestigious editorial laurels deep-dived into stories of individuals who have made significant contributions to their organizations and the industry as a whole. The recipients of the Editorial Cover Golds were: Asif Peer, CEO of Systems Private Limited; Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram, CEO of Sehat Kahani; Azhar Nawaz, CIO of Engro Corporation; and Jawad Khalid Mirza, CISO of Askari Bank. These will be released as special pullouts as part of the first digital/print edition of DXO Magazine.
Commtel, one of the prime partners, expressed their support for the initiative. Asher Faisel Khan, CEO of Commtel, stated,
“We’ve had a working relationship with the CXO Media brands for the last seventeen years, and supporting DXO was only a natural transition to the work that we are already doing in the marketplace. It aligns very well with our own brand presence and integrity. Commtel looks forward to working with DXO magazine and SPIN Media on many more such initiatives.”
The success of the event was also attributed to other prime partners and patrons, including InfoTech Pvt. Ltd., C-Square, ITCN Asia, and Salesforce. These organizations have been instrumental in supporting the DXO Directions Series, as well as the DXO magazine and website launch, and its mission to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking among enterprise digital peers.
Ahsan Mashkoor, CEO C-Square and Chairman wAI Industries, one of the Patrons for the Directions Series said,
“CXO Media has played a pivotal role in driving meaningful conversations, and we are proud to support an initiative that empowers these leaders with the insights and resources they need. The launch event provided an opportunity for enterprise digital leaders to share best practices and explore cross-industry collaborations, which aligns perfectly with our commitment to enabling businesses to thrive in the digital age. We are excited to be a part of this journey and look forward to contributing to the growth and success of enterprise digital leadership in Pakistan.”
With the launch of DXO Magazine and its sister site, www.c-suite.exchange, SPIN Media/IDG Wakhan aims to build on the success of CIO Pakistan magazine and CXO Media brands, which have been hosting similar events for the past two decades. These new publishing and insights platforms promise to deliver world class content and community building, expert analysis, and thought leadership to enterprise digital leaders in Pakistan and beyond. For more information on the series, log onto: https://www.cxomasters.academy/directions.
