Systems Council Newsletter: Q1 2026 President's Message
This year, I had the distinguished honor of being invited to the IEEE Board of Directors Strategy Retreat, held in Athens, Greece, from January 17–19, 2026. During the retreat, President Mary Ellen Randall shared her vision for the organization, emphasizing her passion for leading IEEE with compassion and purpose. Her remarks underscored the importance of fostering a culture of leadership that prioritizes both technical excellence and heartfelt engagement.
The primary outcome of the Athens retreat was the announcement of the IEEE Impact Challenges. These initiatives, titled Future Tech Explorers and Response Quest, represent a new series of Grand Challenge competitions introduced by President Randall. The goal is to drive high-impact, humanity-focused innovation and align IEEE’s technical expertise with societal needs. The Board leveraged the retreat to bring senior leadership together, reinforce
collaboration across organizational units, and set clear expectations for the rollout of these challenges. I strongly encourage all members to participate in these grand challenges, as they offer a powerful opportunity for IEEE and its partners to inspire the next generation of innovators and address critical issues facing the world today.
The IEEE Systems Council Officers Retreat was convened in Lisbon, Portugal from January 25–26, 2026. This gathering brought together Council leadership for focused strategic planning and collaboration. Over the course of the retreat, officers engaged in in-depth discussions to develop and share their strategic visions for the Council in the upcoming year. The sessions provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on current initiatives, establish new priorities, and explore innovative ideas aimed at enhancing the Council’s impact and service to its community. The retreat successfully fostered alignment across the leadership team and laid the foundation for implementing key initiatives in 2026. Council officers are committed to translating these strategic plans into action as they continue to advance the Council’s mission.
The February 2026 IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB) meetings in Austin focused on strengthening cross-society collaboration and aligning early-year priorities. The IEEE Systems Council also hosted the 2026 Member Society Presidents’ Dinner, providing a forum for society presidents to discuss shared goals and cooperation opportunities. These efforts support the Systems Council’s mission to advance systems engineering and interdisciplinary innovation, with several society presidents expressing interest in joining the council.
Looking ahead, the IEEE Systems Council’s Spring AdCom meetings are scheduled to take place in Halifax, Canada, on April 9–10, 2026, immediately following IEEE SYSCON 2026. This year, the flagship conference in North America has received an enthusiastic response from the community, with over 275 research papers submitted. The conference will feature a wealth of content, including five special sessions, a Women in Systems Engineering Reception, a Young Professionals event, and a dedicated Student Conference. I hope to see everyone in Halifax, Canada, during IEEE SYSCON 2026 and the Spring AdCom Meetings.