Max Chan receives 2026 CIO Leadership Award from MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

Recognition highlights Avnet's transformation through AI, digital innovation, and technology-driven business value

PHOENIX - Max Chan, Chief Information Officer at Avnet, has been named the recipient of the 2026 CIO Leadership Award by the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium. The award recognizes CIOs who leverage technology, digital innovation, and AI to create measurable business value and competitive advantage for their organizations.

For nearly two decades, the annual award has recognized CIOs who lead their organizations to deliver exemplary levels of business value through the innovative use of IT. The panel of judges includes CIOs, renowned industry executives and thought leaders, and MIT Sloan-affiliated professionals.

Max leads Avnet's Global Information Solutions (GIS) organization and is responsible for advancing the company's technology strategy, including enterprise AI, digital platforms and cybersecurity. His organization supports over 14,000 employees worldwide and helps drive growth, operational excellence, and competitive differentiation across the enterprise. In addition, Chan oversees AI, data, cloud, and digital services at Softweb Solutions, Avnet's digital systems integrator.

"I'm truly honored to receive the 2026 CIO Leadership Award from the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium," said Max Chan, CIO at Avnet. "This recognition reflects the incredible teams across Avnet who bring passion, innovation and collaboration to everything they do. Together, we are leveraging AI, data and digital capabilities to create meaningful business value for our customers, partners and employees worldwide. I'm grateful to be part of an organization that empowers people to challenge conventions, embrace transformation, and create meaningful business value. I'm excited for what we will continue to achieve together."

"Max demonstrates the capabilities CIOs need to succeed as they apply business acumen, technical expertise, and strategic vision to balance AI, digital and traditional IT initiatives. He is not just a technology leader, he's a strategic business leader with deep knowledge of what technology can do for his company," said Dr. George Westerman, co-chair of the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Leadership Award Program. "Max's vision to modernize a 100-year-old company, underscored by his commitment and measurable business results, is transforming how his company can compete, both now and in the future."

Looking ahead, Max is focused on advancing Avnet's enterprise intelligence strategy, where AI, data, and digital platforms work together to augment decision-making, improve operational effectiveness, and enhance customer experiences across the enterprise.

The award was presented during the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium Leadership Award Dinner at the 2026 Symposium in Cambridge.

About Avnet

As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet has served customers' evolving needs for more than a century. Through regional and specialized businesses around the world, we support customers and suppliers at every stage of the product lifecycle. We help companies adapt to change and accelerate the design and supply stages of product development. With a unique viewpoint from the center of the technology supply chain, Avnet is a trusted partner that solves complex design and supply chain issues so customers can realize revenue faster. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com.

About the MIT Sloan CIO Symposium

The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is the premier global conference for CIOs and digital business executives. CIOs, CDOs and senior IT executives explore enterprise technology innovations, business practices and receive actionable information that enables them to meet the challenges of today and the future. The Symposium offers a unique learning environment by bringing together the academic thought leadership of MIT with the in-the-trenches experience of leading global CIOs and industry experts. The MIT Sloan CIO Symposium is organized and developed by the MIT Sloan Boston Alumni Association. For more information and to register for this year's Symposium, visit https://mitcio.com/ and engage with the Symposium on LinkedIn.