CFO ANZ Hybrid Series - July Edition 2022

Overview

In this months edition we will be exploring the future of finance and key emerging trends that all CFO's need to know. As we navigate through this new normal what will the future finance function of 2025 and beyond look like and how can we prepare as leaders to set ourselves up for future-proofed success? This edition will feature sessions on how to:

Evolving the role of the finance function to confront future challenges

The challenge and opportunities for the CFO with IT Management

Leading organisations' strategies in cost reductions and spend management

Driving a culture of accountability and the CFOs role in calculating the risks and bolstering their companies’ financial resilience

Leveraging new developments in automation to streamline operational processes

Harnessing the power of your data to provide valuable data insights that drive the business forward

What to expect

• Speakers 20+
• Current proven case studies Finance Transformation
• Developing empathy skillsets and communication skills Leadership and Management
• In-Person Interactions 150+ Attendees
• Spotlight Speakers Growth & Leadership
• Sessions 20+
• 20+ Executive on 2 deep-dive roundtables Sit-Down Executives
• Building an optimisation mindset across the board CFO and The Board

What we will cover

• Spend Optimisation Leading organisations' strategies in cost reductions and spend management
• Culture and Ownership Driving a culture of accountability and the CFOs role in calculating risks and bolstering financial resilience
• Streamlining Processes Leveraging new developments in automation to streamline operational processes
• The Future of the CFO Evolving the role of the finance function to confront future challenges

Agenda

• 8:30 am Driving Change with the CEO(Plenary) The role of the CFO has evolved as technology continues to drive efficiency and insight across every part of the organisation. This has lifted the demands on finance teams to from a reporting and compliance focus to strategic decision making and scenario planning. In this session we will have a look through what are some of the key elements a finance team should be addressing to drive a far productive partnerships across the organisation.
• 8:55 am Evolve: Finding Your Brand True North(Plenary) In an overwhelming world, leaders need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. By Finding Your Brand True North you can have the confidence to naturally attract the right customers to your business and the right people to your team. The brand navigator, Lauren Clemett shares how brands magnetise attention and how you can use the science of neurobranding to lead with purpose, direction and meaning.
• 9:20 am Optimising ROI – The Business Case for Automated Transaction Matching(Plenary) With high volumes of financial transaction data, many organisations spend excessive time creating spreadsheets and manually identifying those transactions for verification while mining for those high-risk items. Regularly, reconciliations are delayed, impacting visibility into the financial performance, and increasing the risk of write-offs. In addition, your highly skilled team is spending all their time trying to find and resolve those exceptions when they should be using that time for higher-value work like data analysis. As the Office of Finance shifts to a strategic asset to the business, your highly talented resources must be focused on working strategically vs. manually matching accounts.
• 9:45 am Morning Tea & Networking Break(Plenary)
• 10:15 am From Flight-deck to Financial Management: A Tale of Two Worlds(Plenary) For many people navigating the last couple of years will be remembered as a challenge. Lessons have emerged from these hardships, it’s almost impossible to imagine any leader or employee who didn’t experience some substantial shift in the way they operate. Here are my insights, learned from personal and professional experience both as an airline pilot and financial manager. Join Nicola in her session as she she shares: Contingency Planning Is Critical You Always Face Risks Assumptions Should Be Challenged Regularly
• 10:40 am Know the Signs: When to Move to a Unified Cloud Solution(Plenary) Moving to a unified cloud business management solution is often viewed as a significant step for growing companies. In fact, many wait too long, due to the short-term impact to the operational budget. However, the medium to long-term benefits usually greatly outweigh the financial risks, especially with the recent shift to hybrid working and local talent shortages. Studies suggest that around 50% of companies will soon be acquiring, upgrading, or updating their business systems to reflect changes in the economic and working landscapes. In this webinar, we'll deep dive into the key signs that you're ready to move to a cloud solution.
• 11:05 am Better Protecting Ourselves in Today’s Cyber Threat Landscape.(Plenary) Finance Functions are vulnerable to continuous security breaches and Cyber attacks. The alarming rate of data breaches have modified the existing role of a CFO to take on this additional responsibility. CFOs are aware of their contribution and are gradually leading the finance teams to be Tech Savvy. In this session Winston, our security specialist will provide an overview of today’s cyber security threat landscape. Learn about the different ways in which criminals are targeting individuals and businesses, and hear practical advice on how you can stay safe. Who and what are the current threats we face? Useful safeguards for business and home Where we can get more information?
• 11:30 am Leadership and Communication Effectiveness for the Modern CFO(Plenary) Behavioural competencies are key to every business partnership role. A "seat at the table" must be earned. A stable and an effective business model requires the head of the finance function to wear multiple hats. A CFO needs to be a visible leader in the business, an excellent communicator, and an influencer. Without the CFO’s leadership, certain key elements of a business transformation lacks value and credibility. Deep dive with Linda Scott as she outlines the need for effective communication to build rapport, relationships and contributions towards key business decisions. How do you build effective leadership behaviours for CFO to create high performance teams? What does a strategic CFO role look like post pandemic? How do you adopt a modernistic mindset and embrace change?
• 11:55 am Lunch & Networking Break(Plenary)
• 0:55 pm Establishing Strategic Partnerships to Confront Future Challenges(Plenary) While the pandemic shook the very fabric of conducting day to day business dealings, yet it provided business leaders with an unique and interesting time to restructure, pivot and form partnerships to ensure that businesses did not cannibalise their growth. Join James Frayne as he shares his remarkable journey of executing a successful IPO in the middle of a pandemic. Incentivising the management and adding extra skills to the board to deliver an incredible equity story Integrating and implementing software solutions to avoid neglecting the back of the house. Preserving cash, retaining talent and forging strategic partnerships.
• 1:20 pm What Certain Aspects of Digitisation Should CFOs and Finance Leaders Prioritise?(Plenary) What certain aspects of digitisation should CFOs and Finance leaders prioritise? How can they lead an entire organisation to become digital champions while balancing the cost and benefits of digital investments? How do you figure out how to identify, track, and monitor the big digital-analytics projects? How do you know you’re spending the right amount on technology or new talent?
• 1:45 pm Afternoon Tea & Networking Break(Plenary)
• 2:15 pm The Modern CFO - Challenging The Status Quo(Plenary) As the role of the modern CFO transitions from backend support to business leader, the question becomes 'what is a true leader?' And how does the modern CFO harness their natural traits and develop their human skills, to become the complete C-Suite Executive? Join Linda Karen and Robert as they share their journey and the challenges of the role of a Future CFO. What are the essential skillsets required to morph into the current market trends The accountability and the shift to being a strategic business leader Adapting change management and pivoting towards creating a people centric environment
• 2:40 pm Evolve: Riding the Wave of Change through Human Leadership(Plenary) We operate in an increasingly volatile and ever-changing world. For Leadership to be transformative we must learn to ride the waves of change, rather than resist them. Through a Human Leadership approach we can harness the power of our greatest assets, our human beings, and move business forward sustainably without sacrificing people in our pursuit of profit. Join this session to unlock: Change is inevitable, how we respond to change is our choice. Focusing on meeting the needs of our Human Beings first, we ensure they're committed and on the journey with us while we ride the waves of change. The Organisational and individual benefits of Human Leadership.

Speakers

• Nicola MacPhail · Chief Financial Officer, Hover UAV As a chartered accountant, I believe that simply counting the gains and losses and saying who won at the end of the day is an easy and useless task. I was always excited by roles that provided value to the company. I jumped on opportunities to improve productivity. I have worked on projects that improved the accuracy of reported financial information by linking data feeds directly to reporting, creating more time for analysts to understand information. A large chunk of my accounting career has been spent on developing and designing management reports to highlight key business drivers and areas of risk. Accountancy became the wind beneath my wings when I started flying. I was given my first job because I could help out with the numbers a couple of times a week, eventually I was flying full time. I’ve flown the big jets and the little ones. I’ve also flown unmanned planes. Along the way, I got interested in safety - and became a Safety Officer, which is all about capturing data and making sense of it. I met some inspiring people along the way, and now I’m working towards a PhD in Safety and Resilience.
• Linda Scott · Managing Director and Founder, Thinking Leaders I work with CEOs, business owners, executives and senior leadership teams to unlock their potential, achieve high performance, and fast track growth and results, for themselves and their businesses. I have worked in and for businesses as a finance executive for nearly 30 years. After a very successful career both locally and internationally, I founded Thinking Leaders to focus on leadership, career and business growth, decision making, time management, productivity, communication effectiveness, problem solving, increasing profits and results, and creating professional businesses to maximise monetisation value, through changing the way you think, behave and respond. A speaker and facilitator in the space of self-leadership and perspective, and how this impacts your environment and results, I teach strategies to help you understand that you have choice about your thinking, which in turn impacts how you respond and the results you create.
• James Frayne · CFO, Felix An accomplished and commercially astute Chief Financial Officer with over twenty years of experience supporting medium and large, complex organisations through the development of strategy, forecasts, budgets, analysis, and reporting. Currently focussing on leading earlier stage business, with strong financial management, through high growth and formative periods. Proven experience navigating organisations through a transformative change periods, including delivering substantial and sustainable growth, despite two financial crises (GFC & Covid). Lead the development and management of teams, including developing capabilities, monitoring performance, and creating an inclusive, continuous improvement culture.
• Nadia Adelstein · Portfolio Manager, Factor A branding & events expert, with 10+ years experience in exponential marketing, Nadia thrives on bringing stories to life through creativity. Working overseas for 12 years on both agency and brand side, she has a unique approach to business strategy.
• Karen Hildenbrand-Allery · Chief Financial Officer, CFO Centre A commercial finance specialist who partners with Boards and Officers in the NFP Aged Care sector, Manufacturing and Heavy Industry to produce further benefit and understanding of the enterprise. A business partner with vision and committed to delivering transformational outcomes which will add value and support a best practice framework. My professional experience includes successful change management, governance framework, risk management, business systems audits, process and control reforms and policy writing. Challenging the status quo falls within my scope, and due to my broad experience I am able to have productive and meaningful conversations which lead to improved commercial outcomes. I bring a steady, calm and considered approach to the most challenging of environments with integrity and commercial acumen whilst ensuring the organisation’s mission and vision are not compromised. I have enjoyed challenging roles in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
• Robert Easton · CFO, Monarc An accomplished and commercially astute Chief Financial Officer with over twenty years of experience supporting medium and large, complex organisations through the development of strategy, forecasts, budgets, analysis, and reporting. Currently focussing on leading earlier stage business, with strong financial management, through high growth and formative periods. Proven experience navigating organisations through a transformative change periods, including delivering substantial and sustainable growth, despite two financial crises (GFC & Covid). Lead the development and management of teams, including developing capabilities, monitoring performance, and creating an inclusive, continuous improvement culture.
• Winston Lewinsmith · Consultant, Group Security Advisory and Awareness, Security Consultancy, NAB Winston is a cyber security specialist with a human centric focus. Winston has over twenty years’ experience in ICT, marketing, public speaking, and business ownership and has developed a passion to educate and empower employees, customers, students, and the community to keep themselves safe online and in the physical world. Winston has a Master of Cyber Security and a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Information Technology from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
• James O'Reilly · Head of Sales - APAC, Unit4 In a career spanning 30 years in IT, Telco and F&B, James has driven enterprise-wide change in both finance and operational roles. His passion for IT stems from its ability to transform business operations, allowing businesses and employees to thrive without bureaucratic burden. Over the last 14 years, James has been based in Singapore working at Lenovo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise covering a variety of sales, finance and operational roles. “I realised early on in my career that finance and accounting knowledge was a brilliant platform to understand all aspects of a business and critically allowed my career to go far beyond pure financial roles. As I have partnered with Asia’s leaders, I have been able to help them triangulate corporate and GTM strategy, people planning along with budget and compliance issues. The breadth of considerations is huge but enormously satisfying when you can bring it all together in a plan, and then execute to it!”
• Fintan Diviney · Director, APAC, Trintech Successful sales leader and IC with experience at Trintech, Oracle, Adaptive Insights, and Hyperion, achieving top sales awards and winning landmark deals with major banks, telecommunications, and government organisations. He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in various roles, including sales management, alliance management, sales, pre-sales, and consulting. He works for leading solution providers across all sectors and the government. He worked in start-up environments as well as large enterprise organisations. Successful across direct and channel sales roles as an individual contributor and a multi-disciplinary business leader. Typical growth has been 20-30% YoY, and he is a passionate professional who cares about my customer’s success.

Partners

• Xactly Xactly has helped thousands of companies and millions of sellers around the world beat their revenue targets. Using Xactly’s solutions, leaders look past the current quarter to create revenue streams for long-term growth. The Xactly Intelligent Revenue Platform marries artificial intelligence and 16 years of proprietary data in easy-to-use applications. Sentiment, process, and trend analysis come together to form accurate machine forecasts. Quick identification and implementation of revenue plans, quotas, and territory improvements are easy. And, rapid calculation of even the most complex compensation plans keeps sales reps motivated and on track. This makes the Xactly Intelligent Revenue Platform the only solution that aligns seller behavior with boardroom strategy to create a resilient, predictable, and profitable business.
• Netsuite Founded in 1998, Oracle NetSuite is the world’s first Cloud Business Software Suite company. For more than 20 years, NetSuite has helped businesses gain the visibility, control and agility to build and grow a successful business. First focused on financials and ERP, we now provide an integrated system that also includes inventory management, HR, professional services automation and omnichannel commerce.
• Trintech At Trintech, we pride ourselves on providing enterprise-class financial solutions for the Record to Report process to organizations committed to transforming their financial process to best in class levels of efficiency and effectiveness. We understand the deadlines, dynamics and challenges of managing the Record to Report process.
• Unit4 Unit4’s next-generation enterprise software transform work to be more meaningful and inspiring through software that’s self-driving, adaptive and intuitive, intelligently automating administrative tasks and providing easy access to the answers people need. Our intelligent Financial Planning & Analytics software solutions free your teams to spend more time delivering insights and creating value for the business. We help you understand the numbers more deeply and then turn that insight into action, for better business results. You will gain access to automated, AI-infused financial planning and analysis, budget management, and financial forecasting tools with highly interactive dashboards and powerful, pre-configured models.

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