There’s never been a more strategic—or more pivotal—moment to be a COO. The challenges facing today’s chief operators are vast: from unpredictable macro-economic shifts, to accelerating digital transformation, geopolitical uncertainty, and intensifying talent pressures. But this era also presents an unprecedented opportunity: the chance for COOs to leverage AI and emerging technologies to reimagine how businesses run.

At the 2026 Fortune COO Summit, Fortune’s editors, fellow COOs, and top speakers from around the world explored the clearest strategies shaping the next generation of operations—including building shock-proof supply chains and designing dynamic workforces that feature human-AI collaboration. We discussed this moment of reinvention: how COOs can turn data into real-time decisions and use AI-fueled breakthroughs to rethink workflows, systems, and operating models for a smarter future. We also examined the promise of agentic AI, and how leaders can harness the technology to go beyond efficiency and transform their business.

More information about the conference and the list of 2026 speakers can be found here.