Fortune COO Summit 2026 to Address AI's Operational Overhaul
Event summary
- Fortune's third-annual COO Summit will convene June 1–2, 2026, in Scottsdale, Arizona, with 20+ COOs from Fortune 500 companies.
- Sessions will focus on AI's impact on operations, including $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor exposed to AI transformation.
- Key topics include AI-driven revenue strategies, enterprise risk management, and COO succession trends.
- Cognizant, BCG, and Thomson Reuters are corporate partners, hosting roundtables on AI scaling and value creation.
The big picture
The COO role is evolving as AI disrupts traditional workflows, blurring the lines between technology strategy and operational execution. With $4.5 trillion in U.S. labor exposed to AI, this summit highlights the growing importance of COOs in driving revenue, managing risk, and ensuring organizational resilience. The event underscores the strategic shift toward AI-native operations, where human and agentic capital must coexist.
What we're watching
- AI Integration
- How COOs will balance AI adoption with human talent deployment across industries.
- Risk Management
- Whether enterprises can build resilience against multiplying digital and operational threats.
- Succession Trends
- The pace at which COOs transition into CEO roles amid 2026's leadership shifts.
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