Before there is Brainstorm Tech (the conference) there is Infotech Forty (the forum).

Fortune senior writer Jon Fortt and I are co-chairing an intimate event for a group of high-ranking technology executives whose jobs are becoming increasingly strategic in their corporations. No longer are these chief information officers and chief technology officers the folks who make company computers and software run; they play key roles in making sure their enterprises meet financial and other goals.

Attendees include Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior, SAP tech chief Vishal Sikka, and Albert Cheng, executive vice president, digital media for Disney’s ABC group.

The conversation is sure to be lively as these senior tech execs debate and discuss issues such as cloud computing and the role of social networks in the corporation. (For a sneak preview of the issues around cloud computing that will shape the conversation, check out Fortune’s recent profile of software-as-a-service pioneer Salesforce.com, Fortt’s story on how truck maker Kenworth gets access to supercomputers via the ‘Net, and this piece on why client/server software isn’t going away anytime soon.)