Leading CIOs honored for leadership, innovation, and business impact
The 2026 Ohio CIO ORBIE Awards honored leading chief information officers (CIOs) from Cincinnati Bell, Vantive, Scotts Miracle Gro, CBIZ, Health Carousel, and Home City Ice for their exceptional leadership. Hosted by CentralOhioCIO and NEOhioCIO, two of over 50 Inspire Leadership Network chapters, the prestigious award honors CIOs who drive business transformation and industry impact.
This exclusive event brought together top executives and industry leaders from Central and Northeast Ohio. The morning honored excellence in technology leadership across six award categories at The Renaissance Downtown Columbus.
“More than ever before, winning in business means winning with technology. Today’s CIOs not only have a seat at the table, they have a direct effect on what conversations are possible. It is appropriate we pause and recognize those CIOs who are making the biggest impact. The ORBIE Awards serve that purpose.” said Liam Durbin, CentralOhioCIO Chair.
“The ORBIE Awards recognize CIOs driving meaningful impact through leadership excellence. Finalists and winners highlight the business value of technology initiatives shaping and transforming Ohio’s economy,” said John Fleischer, NEOhioCIO Chair.
Meet the 2026 Ohio CIO ORBIE Award Winners:
Ted Torbeck, President & CEO (ret), Cincinnati Bell, received the Leadership ORBIE.
Annlea Rumfola, EVP & CIO, Vantive, received the Global ORBIE for organizations over $4 billion annual revenue & multi-national operations.
Emily Wahl, VP, Information Technology, Scotts Miracle Gro, received the Large Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $3 billion annual revenue.
John Fleischer, SVP & CIO, CBIZ, received the Enterprise ORBIE for organizations over $1.2 billion annual revenue.
Zack Storer, CTO, Health Carousel, received the Large Corporate ORBIE for organizations over $600 million annual revenue.
Chris Hickok, CIO (fmr), Home City Ice, received the Corporate ORBIE for organizations up to $600 million annual revenue.
