Meet the 2026 ORBIE Winners!
The ORBIE Award recognizes CIOs who have shown excellence in technology leadership in North Texas. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients!
2026 Awards Season
ORBIE nominees & finalists are honored at a series of executive events, beginning with the Nominee Event and ending with the DallasCIO ORBIE Awards.
2026 Keynote
Diane Schwarz, Group CIO, Smurfit Westrock
Partnership
DallasCIO ORBIE Awards Partners are more than supporters—they’re trusted collaborators, invited by local CIOs to join in recognizing North Texas’s top technology leaders through exclusive, year-round events.
2026 DallasCIO ORBIE Awards Agenda
| 8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Pre-Event Networking |
| 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | VIP Reception |
| 9:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. | DallasCIO ORBIE Awards |
Leadership Award Recipient
Diane Schwarz, Group CIO, Smurfit Westrock
Diane Schwarz is the Group Chief Information Officer of Smurfit Westrock, a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging. Diane leads the strategic and operational aspects of information technology with a diverse team of more than 1,500 professionals, enabling and advancing the Smurfit Westrock business.
She has extensive experience as a Chief Information Officer, building and leading top-tier IT at Johnson Controls, Hunt Consolidated, and Textron. Diane’s responsibilities have included digital transformations, cybersecurity, data analytics, infrastructure and cloud operations, ERP applications, and IT supplier management.
Diane holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She serves on the board of Transparent Energy and on T200, a non-profit dedicated to advancing women leaders in technology.