October 7

9 AM — 6 PM

Liberty Station
Conference Center

Network, share insights, and learn from your peers while riding the waves of technological innovation on the shores of San Diego!

SIM San Diego’s annual full-day event is building on the success of last year with more innovative and engaging discussions, local industries, personal development, and networking in a casual gathering that is quintessentially San Diego!

This event is open to SIM members, their direct reports, and other senior technology practitioners in the San Diego community.

Sponsorship opportunities for TECHsurf are still available for software vendors and consulting organizations. For more information contact Sponsorships@simsandiego.org

KEYNOTE

PAUL LEONARDI

KEYNOTE

DAN TURCHIN

AGENDA

9:00-9:45am

Coffee & Connection | The Coffee Cart & Isabelle Briens Fresh Pastry Café.

The Coffee Cart

Isabelle Briens Pastry Cafe

Check-in and join us at the SIM San Diego Espresso Bar to meet and network with your peers

9:45-10:00am

Welcome to TECHsurf

Steve Philpott, SIM San Diego President

10:00-11:00am

Keynote | Paul Leonardi | Reimaging Technology Leadership

Paul Leonardi

Paul Leonardi, Ph.D., is a leading expert on how organizations can thrive in a world reshaped by technology. He is the Duca Family Professor of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara, where he studies the impact of digital tools, data, and AI on the way people work, collaborate, and make decisions. As the co-author of The Digital Mindset and author of the forthcoming Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life, Paul blends rigorous research with practical insights to help leaders reimagine their roles in an increasingly tech-driven environment.

11:00-11:20am

Surf Break & Networking

11:20-12:00pm

Town Hall Discussion | Great Rides and Wipe-outs in AI

Stacey Stewart - Dexcom

Emily Deere - ShadowBox

Steve Romeo - Breg

Ted Schraven - Take-Two

Hear stories from those that have taken the AI ride and lived to share their tale, from beginner to expert, from grassroots to well funded. Engage with your peers on agentic AI, modular SaaS, business process automation, and reinventing products and services.

12:00-1:00pm

Lunch | The Crack Shack

The Crack Shack

Network with your peers over lunch from a San Diego favorite

1:00-1:20pm

SIM San Diego Scholarships

Maria Zack, SIM San Diego Academic Chair

We honor the next generation of technology leaders through the 2025 SIM San Diego Scholarship Awards

1:20-1:30pm

Your SIM Membership in 2026

Steve Hoyt, SIM San Diego Programs Chair

Catch up on all that your SIM membership offers and get a preview of what is coming in 2026

1:30-2:00pm

Town Hall Discussion | The Technology Executive Evolution

Mark Hagan - AMN Healthcare

Lewis Choi - Neurocrine

Naresh Lachmandas - Avasant

The technology leadership landscape is changing due to AI maturity, shifts in global job markets, and rising global instability and nationalism. We will discuss these changes and share insights for success

2:00-2:20pm

Surf Break & Networking

2:20-3:20pm

Keynote: Dan Turchin, AI and the Future of Work

Dan Turchin

Work will change more in the next three years than it has in the past 300. PeopleReign CEO and host of AI and the Future of Work Dan Turchin shares insights, tech trends, and predictions from hundreds of conversations with AI experts

3:20-3:50pm

Town Hall Discussion | Conquering the Waves of Technology in a Cost-Conscious Environment

Elizabeth Kite - Modine

Mohamed Abdelhamid - Thermo Fisher

Steve Hoyt - Aspen Neuroscience

Lucilla Rastelli - Former GE Healthcare

In today’s volatile economic landscape, organizations are increasingly focused on cost efficiency while maintaining operational resilience. We will delve into strategies and models for success in managing technology resources and services, unlocking innovative funding models, considering disruptive lower cost service providers, understanding global resourcing strategies, and analyzing their advantages and challenges.