CFO Day | Sydney
Mastering Strategic Trade-Offs for Sustainable Value
Crown Barangaroo, Sydney, Australia
Hosted by Factor
- 161 attendees
- 9 hours
Overview
In a world defined by rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, and heightened stakeholder expectations, the CFO’s role goes far beyond managing numbers. Success hinges on making strategic trade-offs, between investment and cost, innovation and operational capability, short-term results and long-term value. CFO Day 2026 brings together leaders shaping the future of finance to explore how to leverage AI and data for smarter decisions, drive transformation with impact, and cultivate resilient teams that thrive in complex, unpredictable environments. This event challenges finance leaders to rethink how they create value in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
What we will cover
- Cost Management Exploring methods CFOs can use to strategically manage costs, driving resilience and growth in an uncertain economic environment.
- Economic Volatility Examining strategies to navigate economic fluctuations, from inflation to supply chain disruptions, ensuring business continuity.
- ESG Reporting Addressing the rising importance of transparent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, and its integration into financial decision-making.
- Supply Chain Risk Discussing how CFOs are mitigating risks associated with supply chain instability, focusing on reshoring and improving supplier relationships.
- Revenue Strategy Exploring ways CFOs can drive top-line growth by leveraging financial data and aligning strategies with broader business goals.
- Finance Transformation Focusing on how CFOs can modernise the finance function with digital tools, improving efficiency, decision-making, and risk management.
- Security & Governance Examining the increasing responsibility CFOs hold in protecting financial data from cyber threats, emphasising governance frameworks.
- Talent Retention Exploring strategies for attracting and retaining top finance talent, especially in areas related to digital transformation.
- Operational Efficiency Investigating how automation and process optimisation can streamline operations, freeing up resources for strategic initiatives.
- CFO Strategy Discussing the growing mandate for CFOs to act as strategic business partners, influencing decisions beyond financial reporting.
- Finance Automation Focusing on how CFOs are adopting AI to improve financial processes, enhance forecasting, and automate routine tasks.
- Data Analytics Exploring the use of advanced data analytics platforms to provide actionable insights, supporting better decision-making.
Agenda
- Networking Breakfast(CFO Day) An informal start to the day where delegates can meet peers, share expectations and prepare for the sessions ahead. Exchange experiences and discuss current challenges with fellow CFOs. Outline objectives for the day’s programme. Build connections that could lead to future collaboration.
- Opening Remarks: Transforming the Modern Finance Organisation(CFO Day) A quick look at the day’s focus on agility, resilience, and insight-driven financial operations
- What Boards Will Be Asking Next: Economic and Policy Risks CFOs Should Be Ahead Of(CFO Day) In an environment where interest rate expectations can shift within weeks, geopolitical tensions can reshape trade flows overnight, and policy decisions reverberate across capital markets, volatility is no longer episodic it is structural. As economic and political conditions evolve, Boards are asking sharper, more forward-looking questions about risk exposure, capital resilience and strategic positioning. This session will explore the economic and policy risks most likely to shape the months ahead and how CFOs can stay ahead of the questions before they’re asked. Discussion Points: The Macro Shifts Boards Are Watching Closely How interest rate trajectories, inflation dynamics, fiscal policy shifts and global trade tensions are evolving and which indicators CFOs should be monitoring most closely. Geopolitical and Policy Shock Transmission How events such as trade rulings, tariffs, regional conflict or regulatory intervention flow through to capital costs, supply chains, currency volatility and market confidence. Modelling Under Uncertainty: Capital, Liquidity and Strategic Flexibility How CFOs can stress-test assumptions, build optionality into capital allocation decisions, and prepare credible board responses in an environment where scenarios can change rapidly.
- High‑Performance Finance in the Age of AI(CFO Day) What are top CFOs doing differently with AI right now? Drawing on fresh findings from a global study of 1,707 finance leaders, including Australia, this session outlines four habits that separate high performers: making AI ubiquitous in finance work, grounding decisions in data, extending influence across the business, and getting ahead of compliance. We’ll pair those insights into what agentic AI can do to automate the mundane and elevate judgment, so your team spends more time on forward‑looking analysis and less on month‑end firefighting. You’ll leave with a practical playbook to start small, prove value fast, and scale AI responsibly across the finance function.
- The C-Suite Trade-Off: Balancing Risk, Cost & Innovation(CFO Day) In today’s environment of economic uncertainty, rapid technological shifts, and rising stakeholder expectations, the toughest decisions organisations face aren’t about strategy, they’re about trade-offs. This cross-functional panel brings together C-suite leaders to explore cross-functional balancing of risk, cost, and innovation while keeping the organisation resilient and future-ready. From allocating capital in tight conditions to green-lighting AI initiatives, to determining when operational risk outweighs potential upside, this session examines how the executive team makes the calls that shape enterprise performance. Discussion Points: When to Invest, When to Cut, When to Pause: How different functional leaders evaluate opportunity vs. risk, and how they align on timing, prioritisation, and business cases. The Role of Data in Justifying Bets: What “evidence-based decision making” looks like in practice, the shift from reporting to prediction, and how data maturity impacts enterprise risk and capital allocation. Operational Feasibility vs. Risk Appetite: How to determine whether the organisation can execute the strategy it wants, how to pressure-test business cases, and how risk and operations shape the CFO’s investment decisions.
- From Planning to Performance: Scaling AI and Automation in FP&A(CFO Day) FP&A is at an inflection point. Traditional planning cycles are struggling to keep pace with the speed and complexity of modern business, while AI and automation are opening up new opportunities to drive performance at scale. In this session, we’ll explore how organisations are transforming planning, forecasting, and close processes through automation and integrated enterprise data. This shift moves beyond isolated improvements toward more connected, real-time decision-making. The focus is shifting from efficiency gains to measurable business impact. We’ll examine what it takes to scale these capabilities across the enterprise, including embedding strong data governance, and building the skills finance teams need to sustain performance over time.
- Networking Break & Morning Tea Morning Team Strategy and Collaboration Session
- Executive Roundtable - Making Transformation Pay: How CFOs Turn Change into Long-Term Performance(Roundtable 1) Striving for successful and continuous transformation is a critical strategy to deliver productivity gains, operational cost savings, risk reduction and improved compliance. This session explores how to truly achieve that without stopping at the obvious, but seeking third and forth order effects. Discussion Points: Data driven discovery and analysis - making improvement decisions from a place of fact Why transformation as a capability supports long term success Why AI infused in transformation capabilities delivers change at speed and with scalability
- Peer-Driven Debates(Networking Break & Morning Tea) A. Capital Discipline vs Timing the Cycle Are CFOs protecting downside, or missing the moment to deploy capital? What recent investment decisions have you delayed or pulled back on and do you think that was the right call? What specific signals give you confidence that now is the right time to deploy capital? How are you testing whether caution is protecting value or limiting future growth? B. AI ROI: Measurable Value vs Proven Spend Is AI delivering financial impact or being justified without clear return? Where have you actually invested in AI so far and what measurable outcomes have come back? How are you evaluating ROI when benefits are indirect (e.g. better decisions, speed, risk reduction)? At what point do you stop or redirect AI funding that isn’t delivering results? C. Forecast Precision vs Decision Readiness Is the goal accuracy or better, faster decisions? Where has improving forecast accuracy not led to better decisions? How are you evolving forecasting into a tool for action rather than reporting? What does good enough forecasting look like in today’s environment? D. Structural Cost Reset vs Long-Term Capability Risk Are cost programs strengthening the business or quietly weakening it? What have you already cut that may be difficult or expensive to rebuild? How are you distinguishing structural efficiency from short-term margin protection? Where are you deliberately choosing not to cut and why? E. Evolving Board Expectations vs Management Autonomy How are shifting board dynamics influencing financial and strategic decisions? Where are you seeing boards become more involved in capital, cost, or transformation decisions? How do you balance stronger board oversight with maintaining execution speed? When does increased board involvement improve outcomes and when does it create friction? F. Resilience Premium vs Capital Drag Are organisations overpaying for safety? What defines the right liquidity buffer in today’s environment? Where is capital sitting idle, and what’s preventing deployment? How are you justifying the cost of resilience to boards and stakeholders? G. M&A Discipline vs Growth Pressure Is deal activity driven by strategy or the difficulty of organic growth? How confident are you in your organisation’s ability to integrate acquisitions successfully? Where have past deals underdelivered and what were the early warning signs? How are you assessing strategic fit beyond financial modelling? H. Strategic Influence vs Accountability for Outcomes Finance helps shape strategy but where does accountability begin and end? Where has finance influenced major decisions and how involved were you in execution? How do you ensure finance maintains independence while still shaping strategy? What does real accountability for finance look like in growth or transformation initiatives? I. Transformation Fatigue vs Execution Discipline Why are so many transformation programs stalling before impact? Where are your current transformation efforts losing momentum? What are the biggest barriers to execution funding, capability, or alignment? How are you measuring whether transformation is delivering outcomes, not just activity?
- When the Business Model Changes, Finance Must Change(Networking Break & Morning Tea) As businesses shift strategy, markets, and operating models, finance can no longer simply support the status quo. In this session, we will share practical insights from leading finance through a major business transformation, highlighting how CFOs can redesign their function to stay relevant and deliver impact. Discussion Points: Redesigning finance to match strategy, not legacy structures. Evolving finance partnership and decision support at the enterprise level. Aligning leadership, capability, and accountability to deliver the new model. Rebuilding finance processes, data, and metrics to enable faster, more confident decision-making in the new operating model.
- AI Investment, Workforce Capability and Measurable Financial Return(Networking Break & Morning Tea) CFOs are funding AI at scale, yet many organisations are not seeing measurable productivity gains. The constraint is often not the technology itself, but workforce readiness, skills, adoption, operating model and accountability. When these elements are missing, the issue shifts from technology spend to productivity risk, making workforce capability a direct financial exposure. This panel examines how CFOs are treating capability as both a prerequisite for AI ROI and a material risk if ignored, and how finance leaders are linking AI investment, workforce execution and governance to real financial outcomes. Discussion Points: How CFOs are measuring return on AI and digital investment beyond experimentation. Linking AI outcomes to operating model, accountability and execution capability. Identifying and quantifying workforce capability gaps as a material financial risk. Measuring productivity, readiness and execution capacity across critical roles. Governance and ownership for capability investment across finance, HR and the business. When reskilling delivers measurable return and when structural change is required.
- The Human + AI Equation in Finance(Networking Break & Morning Tea) Join Sondra Cortis, CFO of Westpac Institutional Bank, for a conversation on how AI and technology are transforming finance. Hear practical examples of digitised processes, explore how to balance human expertise with machine intelligence, and discover how finance leaders can use technology to drive smarter decisions and real business impact. Discussion Points: Leveraging AI and Technology to Transform Finance: Practical examples of processes being digitised and the value it delivers to finance teams. Getting the Human + AI Balance Right: How finance leaders ensure AI complements human expertise rather than replacing it. Driving Strategic Impact Through Technology Adoption: Using AI and digital tools not just for efficiency, but to improve decision-making, shareholder outcomes, and competitive advantage.
- When Everyone Is a Stakeholder: The CFO’s Role in Governing Global Operations(Networking Break & Morning Tea) In globally integrated organisations, stakeholder management is no longer a discrete responsibility, it is embedded in every operational and financial decision. CFOs must reconcile competing expectations from boards, regulators, customers, employees, and partners, often in real time and across borders. Drawing on her experience leading finance in a complex global logistics business, Brindha Pillay, CFO of DHL, explores how CFOs act as integrators between strategy, operations, and stakeholder trust. This session examines how finance leaders translate operational complexity into clear decision frameworks, manage trade-offs when priorities collide, and maintain confidence with stakeholders when uncertainty is the norm. Discussion Points: Translating Complexity into Confidence: How CFOs convert operational and financial complexity into clear, credible narratives for boards, regulators, and senior stakeholders, and why clarity, not certainty, underpins trust. Managing Trade-Offs When Stakeholders Compete- Cost, service levels, compliance, and resilience rarely align. How CFOs decide which stakeholders to prioritise when objectives conflict, and how those decisions are governed and communicated. Finance as the Integrator Across Global Operations- The CFO’s role in aligning finance, operations, risk, and technology before decisions reach stakeholders, and what breaks down when that integration fails.
- Executive Roundtable - Beyond Borders, Beyond Control(Roundtable 2) Cybercriminals are moving faster, hitting harder, and scaling globally. AI is accelerating the shift. The result: Fraud doesn’t stop at firewalls or national boundaries, and neither can your defences. Yet many finance leaders still lack clear direction on how to secure international payment workflows. This session unpacks today’s new threat realities, from AI-driven impersonation to cross-border fraud operations and emerging compliance gaps. Increasingly, when finance teams strengthen their payment processes, they protect the entire organisation. Whether your business operates in one country or twenty, Beyond Borders, Beyond Control is a deep-dive discussion that will help leaders navigate a world where attacks are automated, threats are global, and financial operations must be more resilient than ever before. Discussion Points: Understand how AI is transforming fraud Identify the new operational vulnerabilities Learn how global verification networks strengthen payment security
- Lunch Break & Peer Connect An hour to continue conversations, meet solution providers and explore potential partnerships.
- Executive Roundtable - Future‑Ready Finance: Simplifying Complexity, Building Trust in AI(Roundtable 2) As enterprises look to harness AI in Finance, many are constrained by a growing layer of technical debt—too many disconnected systems, manual workarounds, and an over‑reliance on spreadsheets and IT‑driven reporting. The result is complexity, slower decision cycles, and limited confidence in both the data and the insights AI produces. This executive roundtable will bring senior finance leaders together to discuss what it truly means to be AI‑ready —not from a hype perspective, but through the lens of simplification, trust, and control. We’ll explore how modern finance organisations are reducing system sprawl, eliminating data fragmentation, and creating a trusted financial foundation that enables transparent, explainable AI. The conversation will focus on practical experiences and peer insights around removing technical debt, strengthening data integrity, and empowering finance teams with timely, reliable insights—so AI can move from experimental output to trusted input in financial decision‑making.
- CFO Exchange(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) In this fast-paced session, CFOs share candid perspectives on initiatives that delivered measurable value and those that didn’t. Through a rotating one-on-one format, participants connect directly with peers to unpack common financial, operational, and governance challenges, and explore what truly accelerates or stalls enterprise transformation.
- Doing More With Less: Proven Strategies for Cost Discipline and Operational Efficiency(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) Facing escalating costs and tight budgets, CFOs must find ways to scale operations while controlling expenses. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in healthcare finance, Sam Nagra, CFO at Sonic Healthcare, shares practical insights on driving ruthless cost discipline without sacrificing quality or innovation. Learn how to embed operational efficiency into your finance function, navigate complex stakeholder priorities, and deliver sustainable value in today’s challenging economic landscape. Discussion Points: Ruthless Cost Discipline: Strategies to identify, prioritise, and eliminate inefficiencies without compromising core business value or quality. Scaling Operations While Managing Costs: Practical approaches to grow service delivery and operational capacity under tight financial constraints, including leveraging technology and process optimisation. Aligning Financial Efficiency with Stakeholder Priorities: Navigating diverse demands to maintain financial health while supporting organisational purpose and innovation.
- Leading Resilient Teams in Times of Change(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) Change is a constant in today’s finance landscape, from organisational restructures and digital transformation to shifting economic and regulatory pressures. Drawing on her experience leading finance teams through periods of significant change, Lettina Evans, Chief Financial Officer, HSBC Australia and New Zealand, explores how CFOs can guide their teams through uncertainty while sustaining performance, preserving morale, and building leadership capability for the future. Discussion Points: Leading Teams Through Uncertainty: Practical approaches to keeping finance teams focused, motivated, and aligned during periods of transformation, ambiguity, and change. Building Leadership Capability for the Future: Developing finance leaders who can adapt, inspire, and lead with confidence through ongoing change, while strengthening succession and long-term organisational resilience. Balancing Performance and Empathy: How CFOs can deliver results while supporting wellbeing, trust, and engagement—creating high-performing teams without losing the human element.
- Data-Driven Decisions for Profitability and Customer Loyalty in a Volatile Market(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) CFOs today face the dual challenge of maintaining profitability while strengthening customer relationships in an unpredictable market. This panel explores how finance leaders can act as true business partners, leveraging data to make smarter decisions, allocate capital effectively, and drive long-term growth. Attendees will gain practical insights on navigating change without sacrificing performance or customer value. Discussion Points: Finance as a Strategic Partner: How CFOs collaborate across the organisation to balance priorities and drive enterprise impact. Maintaining Profitability Amid Change: Strategies for protecting margins while adapting to market volatility. Capital Allocation: Making investment decisions that maximise returns and support strategic objectives. Driving Customer Loyalty Through Data: Using financial insights and analytics to enhance retention, inform strategy, and mitigate risk.
- Wrap: The 2026 CFO Agenda(Lunch Break & Peer Connect) Key priorities to bring back to the boardroom including agility, assurance, and measurable value creation.
- End of Day | Networking Drinks(Lunch Break & Peer Connect)
Speakers
Josh Heid · CEO, Panelist Josh brings with himself years of leadership experience as the driving force behind Factor and Panelist , where he has shaped the future of business strategy through his expertise in Product Design , Customer Experience , and Engineering . An innovator at heart, Josh excels in Product Design , where he combines aesthetic sensibility with functional purpose to create solutions that resonate with users and deliver measurable results. His approach bridges customer needs and cutting-edge technology, ensuring that every product is not only visually compelling but also highly effective in meeting market demands. In the realm of Customer Experience , Josh has consistently championed the importance of understanding user journeys and fostering engagement through intuitive design and seamless interactions. He has implemented frameworks that elevate user satisfaction, ensuring that Factor’s offerings remain at the forefront of customer-centric innovation. Josh's engineering mindset adds a unique layer to his leadership. His ability to translate complex concepts into actionable development processes has resulted in robust, scalable applications and systems. By integrating engineering principles with strategic thinking, Josh has driven operational excellence while maintaining a sharp focus on delivering top-tier solutions to clients. With a deep understanding of Leadership Strategy , Marketing , and Sales , Josh has built Factor and Panelist into trusted names in their industries, continuously setting new benchmarks for innovation and success.
Brindha Pillay · CFO, DHL Supply Chain Australia and New Zealand Brindha Pillay is an accomplished Finance transformation executive with a proven track record of optimising business processes within global organisations. Brindha has in-depth knowledge and experience of all facets of Shared Services including strategy, design, transition, implementation, transformation and management. She collaborates effectively across functions and with all levels of the organisation and has a particular strength in building consensus to achieve desired outcomes.
Ray Lui · CFO, Flybuys Ray Lui is the Chief Financial Officer of Flybuys, Australia’s largest loyalty program operated by Loyalty Pacific and jointly owned by Coles Group and Wesfarmers. He provides strategic financial leadership across the business, partnering with the executive team to drive performance, long-term growth, and value creation for millions of Flybuys members and partners. With a background spanning financial planning, commercial strategy, and transformation across consumer-focused and membership-based organisations, Ray is known for translating complex financial insight into clear, practical business decisions. An INSEAD Executive MBA alumnus, he brings a global, data-driven perspective to topics such as modern finance leadership, customer-centric growth, and scaling high-impact finance teams.
Anna Jepson · CFO Institutional Banking & Markets, Commonwealth Bank Anna Jepson became Chief Financial Officer Institutional Banking & Markets in October 2022 and leads a 150-person global team over nine jurisdictions. Since joining CBA in 2014, she has held various roles across the Group: • General Manager, Strategy & Performance for Digital, Operations & Technology (DOT): Managed a $500 million Digital Change portfolio pivoting strategic direction through COVID to address customer needs and implemented a new operating model for the 3,000-person Digital team. • General Manager and Executive Manager roles in Business Banking Finance. • Supervisory Board Member: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Europe) N.V., CBA’s European subsidiary. Before her tenure at CBA, Anna spent 15 years in M&A, focusing on infrastructure transactions and asset management at PwC, Access Capital, and Challenger, eventually transitioning into financial services with a move to Macquarie Bank's internal M&A team. Anna holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics (Honours) from the University of York, is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and is a Graduate of the Institute of Company Directors in Australia. Anna is also a devoted mother of two children, a six-year-old son, and a four-year-old daughter.
Lettina Evans · CFO, HSBC Lettina Evans has been Chief Financial Officer of HSBC Australia since October 2023. Lettina has more than 16 years of experience with HSBC and has previously worked in London and Bermuda, predominantly in Asset and Liability Management (ALCM). Throughout her time at HSBC, Lettina has driven organisational change across the Australia and New Zealand Finance team to enhance commercial support and has a passion for supporting people with personal and professional development. Prior to joining HSBC, Lettina was an accounting professional in Australia with a focus on taxation, business advisory, and management consultancy services. Lettina graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Laws and Business, and is a Chartered Accountant.
Sam Nagra · CFO, Sonic Healthcare Sam Nagra is the Chief Financial Officer at Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology, a leading provider of medical diagnostic services. With over 30 years of finance leadership experience across the UK and Australia, Sam has played a pivotal role in driving financial performance, operational efficiency, and strategic growth within Sonic Healthcare’s pathology businesses, including Douglass Hanly Moir, Southern IML, and San Pathology. Sam’s career began after studying Law at the University of Birmingham and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse. He later advanced his expertise through further studies at AGSM @ UNSW Business School. Known for his strong financial acumen, Sam specialises in budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and leveraging business intelligence tools to support decision-making and sustainable value creation.
Sondra Cortis · CFO Westpac Institutional Bank, Westpac CFO of Westpac Institutional Bank, Sondra is a finance professional with over 30 years experience in Banking and Financial Services across Australia and Asia Pacific. A qualified Chartered Accountant, GAICD, member of CEW and Chair of Good Return. Sondra is a regular speaker at Women in Leadership, Diversity and Flexibility forums. She is a key business advisor with experience in large scale change management programmes and M&A transactions.
Rolee Satyam · CDAO, Consumer Banking, Westpac Rolee Satyam is a senior digital and data leader with two decades of experience across Asia, Australia, and America. At present, she is Chief Data & Analytics Officer of Westpac Consumer banking division. Her role encompasses all aspects of data to ensure data is leveraged to drive positive customer outcomes and data risk is within appetite. In her extensive career, she co led the successful data transformation of WooliesX (Woolworths digital and data arm) driving optimisation & innovation. Prior to that, Rolee was based in San Francisco leading the digital and data plan for Walmart. Rolee is passionate about gender equity and purpose driven work.
Nitsa Niarchos · CFO, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia Nitsa Niarchos is the Chief Financial Officer of SBS, where she leads the organisation’s finance, strategy, audience insights, and media sales functions. With more than 25 years of experience in financial management across Australia and the UK, Nitsa has built a career at the intersection of media, strategy, and sustainability. Since joining SBS over two decades ago, Nitsa has played a central role in shaping the organisation’s financial and commercial direction, guiding major government reviews, and embedding robust governance practices. She was appointed CFO in 2019 and today oversees strategic and budgetary planning, financial reporting, risk management, and commercial operations. A strong advocate for sustainable business practices, Nitsa has spearheaded SBS’s landmark renewable energy commitments and championed the integration of ESG principles into its core strategy. Prior to SBS, she held roles at the UK National Audit Office and Ernst & Young.
Dinesh Jay · Divisional CFO / GM Finance, Endeavour Group Dinesh is the General Manager, Finance at Endeavour Group (ASX: EDV), a leading retail and hospitality business generating approximately $12 billion in annual revenue across its Retail brands (Dan Murphy’s and BWS) and Hotels portfolio (ALH). In this role, he leads the Group FP&A function, providing strategic and commercial support to the Group CEO and CFO, plays a key role in investor relations engagement, and partners with the Managing Director of Pinnacle Drinks as Divisional CFO.
Jonathan Kearns · Chief Economist, Challenger Limited Jonathan Kearns is Chief Economist and Head of Regulatory Affairs at Challenger, where he is on the Asset & Liability Committee and investment committee. He worked for over 20 years at the Reserve Bank of Australia, occupying a wide range of senior roles, including as Head of Domestic Markets, Financial Stability, Economic Analysis and Economic Research Departments. He led the Bank’s work on climate change across four departments. Jonathan has also worked at the Bank of International Settlements in Basel. He has published research in the fields of international finance and macroeconomics. He has a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the ANU and is an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University.
Yogita Nath · CFO South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Sanofi Yogita Nath’s career spans more than 25 years with varied experience in financial management, mergers and acquisitions, finance transformation and business strategy. As Chief Financial Officer at Sanofi responsible for Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, Yogita is responsible for financial functions including Planning and Analysis, Commercial Decision Support, Accounting (lodgement of multiple financials with ASIC), Internal Controls, Tax and Treasury in South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Marc Thompson · Regional Partner - Workforce Transformation & Skills Intelligence, Cornerstone OnDemand Marc Thompson is the Regional Partner for Workforce Transformation & Skills Intelligence at Cornerstone, where he advises enterprises and governments across APAC on translating AI-powered skills intelligence into measurable workforce capability and growth. He works closely with executive leaders to connect strategy to skills, aligning talent investment, operating models, and technology to drive productivity, agility, and long-term value. With over 20 years’ experience, Marc has led large-scale culture, leadership, and performance transformation programs across the region, and has held senior leadership roles at Qualtrics and Gallup. His approach combines data, behavioural science, and digital innovation to help organisations link workforce strategy directly to business outcomes.
Monique Dignan-smith · Editor - Research & Content, Factor Monique Dignan-Smith is Editor – Research & Content at Factor and a versatile host and presenter with more than a decade of experience across corporate, sports, lifestyle, travel, health and automotive sectors. With a strong background in journalism, content creation and social media marketing, Monique brings a sharp editorial lens and audience-first mindset to every conversation she leads. She has delivered across live events, advertorial, interviews, UGC and digital platforms including TikTok Live, combining professionalism with an energetic, engaging on-stage presence.
Chris Thompson · Chief Financial Officer, THE ICONIC Chris Thompson is the Chief Financial Officer at THE ICONIC, one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading fashion and lifestyle destinations. In this role, he is responsible for shaping the company’s financial strategy, driving sustainable growth, and overseeing all aspects of financial performance across a fast-paced, digitally native retail environment. He plays a key role in enabling data-driven decision-making and balancing commercial outcomes with long-term strategic investment. Chris brings extensive experience across finance, operations, and transformation within large-scale consumer businesses. Prior to joining THE ICONIC, he held a range of senior finance roles at Coca-Cola Amatil, where he developed deep expertise in financial control, business partnering, and operational efficiency. A CPA-qualified finance leader, Chris is known for his pragmatic approach, strong commercial acumen, and ability to align financial strategy with broader business objectives.
Michael Small · Head of Growth, APAC, Sage
Marli Lozoya · Executive Producer, Factor Marli Lozoya is an Executive Producer and Moderator at Factor, where she designs and delivers high-impact conferences and executive events that connect industry leaders with actionable insights. With expertise in content development, event production, and executive engagement, Marli creates engaging programs and facilitates thought-provoking discussions that explore emerging trends, strategic challenges, and opportunities for innovation. Known for her collaborative approach and ability to bring clarity to complex topics, she ensures every session delivers value, inspires dialogue, and drives meaningful outcomes for audiences.
Jane Couchman · Chief Risk Officer, and Group Executive, Sustainability, Aware Super Jane Couchman is a senior executive in the banking and financial services sector, with over 30 years of leadership experience across Legal, Risk, and Governance disciplines. She currently serves as the Chief Risk Officer and Group Executive, Sustainability at Aware Super. Her career spans pivotal executive roles, including Executive General Manager, Compliance at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA); Global Chief Operating Officer, Compliance and Head of Enterprise Compliance at Macquarie Bank; Chief Risk Officer at BT Financial Group; and General Counsel at Perpetual. Jane has led major governance, culture, and accountability transformation programs at Macquarie Bank, CBA, and Aware Super. She has also spearheaded strategic initiatives such as the risk integration of Asgard and BT Financial Group during the St George–Westpac merger, and the digital transformation of Aware Super’s internal administration platform.
Roderick Ongpaov · Regional Director A/NZ, Jedox Roderick Ongpaov is the Regional Director for Australia & New Zealand at Jedox, where he oversees both Growth and Customer Success. In this role, Roderick partners with CFOs and executive teams to drive finance transformation across the region helping organisations unlock value from Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), AI, and connected planning. With deep experience in FP&A, finance transformation, and SaaS leadership, Roderick a Chartered Accountant (CA) has led large-scale initiatives across industries including retail, financial services, Government, natural resources, NFP and legal. He blends strategic business thinking with a customer-centric approach to ensure technology investments deliver real outcomes accelerating growth, deepening customer engagement, and enabling smarter, faster decision-making across the organisation. At CFO Factor, Roderick will share practical insights and real customer use cases on how AI is reshaping FP&A, the importance of strong data foundations and security, and how finance leaders can separate hype from reality to deliver genuine business impact.
David J Anderson · Head of Solutions APAC, Sage David Anderson is Head of Solutioning for Sage Intacct APAC, with over a decade of experience helping finance leaders modernise their operations. He specialises in designing industry-specific solutions that give CFOs greater visibility, accuracy, and control over financial performance. Drawing on deep expertise across professional services, SaaS, financial services, and construction, David works with organisations to enhance decision-making, strengthen compliance, and unlock efficiencies that drive sustainable growth.
Partners
- Jedox · Gold Jedox is the world’s most adaptable planning and performance management platform that empowers organisations to deliver plans that outperform expectations. Over 2,900 organisations in 140 countries trust Jedox to model any scenario, integrate data from any source and simplify cross-organisational plans across all business systems. With Jedox, you can react quickly to changes, plan for opportunities, and uncover what you didn’t know was possible.
- Sage · Platinum From scale-ups to global enterprises: Sage Intacct is a best-of-breed, cloud finance software that grows with you. It is the #1 modern cloud financial management solution that delivers the automation and controls around billing, accounting, and reporting that finance need - to reduce errors, stay audit-ready, and scale their business.
- OneStream · Gold
eftsure · Gold Eftsure is a leader in fraud detection and payment protection. Our pioneering fraudtech solution brings financial controls into the digital age and helps organisations of all sizes mitigate the risk of incorrectly processing (EFT) payments, whether as a result of cybercrime, fraud or human error. Eftsure’s unique approach allows its customers to cross-reference payment information in real-time, immediately prior to processing them, against an ever-expanding network of over 2.5 million Australian organisations. In a world in which scammers are actively adopting new fraud tactics, such as social engineering, phishing and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks, Eftsure helps supports organisations to remain secure. With Eftsure, organisations acquire peace of mind knowing that EFT payments are being directed to the intended recipient and that they’re avoiding the growing risk of human error and digital fraud.- Cornerstone OnDemand · Gold
SAP Australia · Gold SAP is one of the world’s leading producers of software for the management of business processes, developing solutions that facilitate effective data processing and information flow across organisations. At SAP, our purpose is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. Our promise is to innovate to help our customers run at their best. SAP is committed to helping every customer become a best-run business. We engineer solutions to fuel innovation, foster equality, and spread opportunity across borders and cultures. Together, with our customers and partners, we can transform industries, grow economies, lift up societies, and sustain our environment.
- Dataminr · Bronze
- Factor Leading market research in APAC.
- Adyen · Bronze Adyen is the financial technology platform of choice for leading companies. By providing end-to-end payments capabilities, data-driven insights, and financial products in a single global solution, Adyen helps businesses achieve their ambitions faster. With offices around the world, Adyen works with the likes of Meta, LVMH, SHEIN, Uber, L'Oréal, Cathay Pacific, Grab, Klook, and Singapore Airlines.
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