FP&A Educational Sessions

Finance & Financial Processes

How AI Saved 50 Hours in My Monthly Finance Operations Tuesday, March 24 • 1:00 - 2:00 PM
AI offers practical benefits that finance teams can start using immediately, with a learning curve that is manageable in day-to-day work. In this session, a CFO shares how she used AI across common finance tasks, focusing on the decision logic and setup choices that made the time savings possible. Join to learn how she leveraged today’s AI and automation tools to build a complete business model end-to-end, identify anomalies and judgment calls in month-end accruals, stress-test cash-flow assumptions through rapid scenario modeling, and more—saving 50 hours in December alone. By learning these methods, you can simplify complex financial processes and boost efficiency in your daily work.

• Walk away with practical approaches to applying AI and automation to streamline reporting, forecasting and model updates.

Anna Tiomina, Founder & CEO, Blend2Balance

[back]

Agile by Design: Operational Agility and the FP&A Enabler Role Tuesday, March 24 • 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Agile organizations thrive because they sense risks early, adapt quickly, and seize opportunities faster than their competitors. At the core of this agility is a leadership mindset, the ability to detect risks and opportunities in real time, and the strength of cross-functional collaboration. FP&A enables these capabilities by embedding risk checkpoints into planning cycles, shifting from static budgets to rolling scenario-driven forecasts, placing FP&A professionals within business teams to accelerate decisions, and leveraging real-time data and analytics for instant insights. Join this panel of FP&A leaders as they share their experiences in reimagining strategy, planning, and daily operations to position finance as the backbone of agility within the organization.

• Learn how to embed agile planning practices into cycles and processes to improve forecasting responsiveness and decision support.

Mitch Max, Strategic Advisor, BetterVu
Kavin Soni, Senior Financial Analyst, Google
Carrie Billings, Assistant Controller, Indiana Tech University

[back]

From Headwinds to Tailwinds: How Finance-led Turnarounds Drive Sustainable Growth Wednesday, March 25 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
In times of disruption, finance leaders are expected to guide the business through uncertainty while enabling long-term growth. This session highlights a real-world example of a finance team that met that challenge by aligning financial strategy with operational reinvention. Using a transformation playbook built on structural agility, cross-functional collaboration, and cultural alignment they sparked innovation and accelerated performance. Whether you’re navigating current disruptions or preparing for future shifts, this session offers actionable tools and inspiration to position finance as a growth engine that turns headwinds into tailwinds across the enterprise.

• Gain tools to align financial strategy and planning with operational reinvention to turn disruption into growth

Amy Johnson, FPAC, Financial Analyst, Bassett Unified School District
Abiodun Yusuff, CTP, Tax and Treasury Manager, The Heineken Company
Antonio Morales, Executive Partner, Gartner

[back]

Smarter Forecasts, Not Bigger Data: Right-Size Models for Real-World Decisions Wednesday, March 25 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
In many organizations, financial models have become bloated, outdated, or disconnected from decision-making. This session challenges the “more data = better forecast” mindset and offers a roadmap for building flexible, purpose-driven planning tools that serve the business. You’ll learn how to define the minimum effective model (MEM) for your company’s size and needs, align FP&A processes with operational priorities, and embed forecasting into faster, more agile decision cycles. Whether you’re working with startups, mid-size firms, or cross-functional teams, this session helps you simplify and amplify the role of FP&A in business performance.

• Build lean, flexible forecasting models that align with operational priorities and accelerate real-time planning and analysis.

Leisan Galieva, VeraGalieva LLC

[back]

Beyond the Buyout: A Survival Guide for Finance Leaders in PE Environments Tuesday, March 24 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Entering and operating in a private equity environment can flip the script for how finance leaders work. This session explores the cultural, operational, and strategic shifts that follow a private equity deal, including heightened reporting rigor, faster decision-making, and an intense focus on the investment thesis for value creation. A panel of experienced PE leaders who have guided companies through these changes will discuss what changes to expect, common pitfalls you can avoid, and practical strategies to thrive as a portfolio company.

• Understand operational and analytical shifts in private equity environments and strategies to thrive through accelerated decision demands.

Chris Ortega, Chief Executive Officer, Fresh FP&A
Adedolamu Isaac Shogelola, Strategy & Corporate Development Professional, Grey Orange Inc.
Geetanjali Tandon, SVP of Financial Planning & Analysis, Dayforce
Christopher Day, CEO, Elevate Ventures

[back]

Evolve Your Budgeting and Forecasting for the Next Generation of Finance Tuesday, March 24 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Finance teams today are under pressure to do more with less—responding faster to market shifts while maintaining accuracy, accountability, and agility in planning. Through PwC’s transformation expertise and a client case study, participants will learn practical strategies to elevate their FP&A processes to today’s standard practices and paving the way for leading practices such as integrated planning, advanced tools including cloud EPM and AI, and becoming true business partners. Attendees will gain actionable steps and a framework to enhance planning capabilities and move toward industry-leading finance practices.

• Take away actionable steps to modernize budgeting and forecasting processes for agility and alignment with strategic priorities

Dan Trent, Director, PwC
Blake Cooper, Partner, Finance Transformation, PwC
Gaileon Thompson, CTP, FPAC, CFO, Branch Systems & Transformation, Wells Fargo

[back]

Collaborate to Win: Cross-Functional Alignment Elevates Strategy and Finance Monday, March 23 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM<
True partnership goes beyond meeting other teams for coffee; it is strengthening the organization by aligning goals and integrating workflows across departments to reduce process redundancies, enhance communication, and accelerate decision-making. Learn how a finance team partnered with Analytics, Treasury, IT, and customer-facing teams to gain access to more accurate, timely data and broader business insights. The result: more agile planning, faster scenario modeling, and better-informed decisions that made the forecast more effective and proactively plan for change. Financial resilience increasingly depends on cross-functional alignment and real-time collaboration.

• Learn to create shared goals and KPIs that drive greater collaborative accountability

Steven Sullivan, Director, Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis, Allegion
Eric Ellis, CFO, Institute of Food Technologists

[back]

Personal & Team Effectiveness

How I Built This: FP&A For Today and Tomorrow Tuesday, March 24 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Modern FP&A functions are indispensable business partners, driving strategy execution, leveraging technology effectively, producing accurate plans and forecasts, optimizing resources, and delivering forward-looking insights for better decision-making. Yet, many FP&A teams remain underdeveloped or ill-equipped to successfully fulfill this role. In this panel discussion, three FP&A leaders share how they built high-impact FP&A functions across diverse industries, and organizational complexities. They explore the three essential pillars of process, technology, and people, offering practical lessons and proven approaches. Key learnings include building a roadmap aligned with an FP&A maturity continuum, balancing day-to-day needs with future design, and using change management to drive business transformation.

• Explore frameworks for building high-impact FP&A functions that strengthen planning, forecasting and strategic influence

Joe Nagel, VP, CFO North America and Global FP&A, Convergint Technologies
Brad Frankel, CFO, Mayzon
Rosemary Linden, President, Momentum CFO
Philip Peck, Vice President, FP&A Transformation, Peloton Group

[back]

Building Buy-in to Lead and Sustain Organizational Change Tuesday, March 24 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Make change less stressful and more successful by learning how finance pros are juggling deadlines, winning over skeptics, and keeping the gears of business turning—all at the same time. This session will diagnose why change initiatives sputter, how to spot resistance before it stalls progress, and what to do to win commitment (without promising the impossible). Through a series of case studies and small-group problem solving, attendees will develop a 30-day action plan covering stakeholder strategies, communication rhythms, quick wins, and ways to keep momentum going.

• Predict resistance and respond with targeted strategies that increase buy-in and reduce friction.
• Draft a simple 30-day change plan: stakeholder moves, communication cadence, quick wins, and basic measures to sustain momentum.

Carolyn Goerner, Clinical Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business

[back]

Level Up Your Finance Team: Coaching, Accountability, and Culture in the Next Era Tuesday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Accuracy and technical brilliance are necessary but insufficient for building great Finance teams. As AI continues to transform our workplaces, a future-proofed Finance team will increasingly rely on a robust culture as opposed to technical acumen. In this session, learn how to create a culture of trust and learning, and keep your team’s high-potential individuals engaged for the long haul. Expect candid stories, practical tips, and a fresh take on building Finance teams that thrive in an AI-heavy world while staying rooted in human connection. Whether you're bringing on your first Analyst or expanding into overseeing multiple teams and functions across Finance, you'll learn how to create a performance-driven culture without micromanagement in this session.

• Learn how to develop a performance-driven finance team that thrives through coaching, accountability, and culture.

Gloria Li, CTP, Program Manager, Google LLC
Cassie Wang, CFO, Head of Finance, Lightship Security Inc

[back]

Navigating the Push and Pull Between a CEO's Vision and a CFO's Reality Tuesday, March 24 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
For many strategic finance leaders, the hardest part isn’t the numbers, it’s working with the CEO. This session tackles one of the most complex C-Suite relationships: balancing a CEO’s expansive vision with a CFO’s grounded reality. Attendees will learn four practical strategies to strengthen this partnership and drive better business outcomes including turning “No” into “Here’s how” and speaking CEO (not spreadsheet). The session concludes with a candid panel discussion with CFO practitioners from diverse industries, moderated by a three-time CFO turned CEO, sharing real-world lesson on collaboration, conflict, and course correction. It’s not about avoiding tension. It’s about learning to harness it.

• Gain practical strategies to strengthen collaboration between finance leadership and the C-suite to support business execution.

Christina Ross, CEO, Cube
Jonathan Fan, CFO, Chowbus
Nader Saad, CFO, TiniFiber

[back]

Speak, Lead, Succeed: Communication Skills for FP&A Professionals Wednesday, March 25 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Technical skills may get you in the door, but soft skills open the rooms that matter. In today’s evolving business environment, FP&A professionals are expected to communicate clearly, influence decisions, and build strong relationships across the business. Yet these interpersonal skills are often underdeveloped, especially in teams focused primarily on data and analysis. This session explores the core soft skills that set effective finance practitioners apart, such as verbal and non-verbal communication, influence, collaboration, problem solving, and storytelling. Through examples and interactive elements, attendees gain practical guidance and real-world context to help strengthen your leadership presence, improve business partnerships, and maximize long-term impact in FP&A.

• Walk away with tools to enhance how you communicate analysis, drive influence and lead cross-functional conversations.

Rosemary Linden, President, Momentum CFO
Tyler Vonderheide, Sr. Manager FP&A Systems and Product Enablement, Southwest Airlines

[back]

Visual Storytelling: Transform Your Slides, Transform Your Impact Tuesday, March 24 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Many finance teams deliver accurate data, yet struggle with how their slides and reports are interpreted at the top. This session is designed to help professionals improve how financial results and insights are understood and used across the organization. Using concrete before-and-after examples, attendees learn how visual strategy helps reduce noise, highlight what truly matters, and turn financial visuals into clear decision signals. Participants see how thoughtful use of visuals — supported by AI where relevant — enables finance leaders to standardize messaging, avoid misinterpretation, and increase control over how insights influence discussions and decisions.

• Learn how to apply visual principles to produce consistent, executive-ready visuals.

Soufyan Hamid, Founder, The Finance Circle

[back]

The FP&A Transformation Playbook: From Spreadsheet Heroes to Strategic Partners Tuesday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Building a world-class FP&A function takes more than talented analysts and modern tools—it requires a clear foundation for sustainable excellence. This session examines five pillars that distinguish high-performing FP&A teams: strategic partnership alignment, process excellence, technology enablement, talent development, and stakeholder engagement. Through case studies spanning a Fortune 500 corporation, a mid-sized family-owned business, and a fast-growing NYC media startup, participants see the application of these principles in diverse contexts. Attendees gain practical frameworks, structured evaluation methods, and implementation timelines, along with proven change management strategies to close capability gaps and elevate FP&A impact across any organization.

• Design an FP&A transformation roadmap with clear KPIs, phased implementation milestones and measurable business value. 

Terry Matthews, FP&A Manager, Air Control Concepts
Aalok Rathod, Head of FP&A, Metro TV Refrigeration Company
Anshuman Yadav, Founder & CEO, NeuraCraft

[back]

Where Do FP&A Careers Actually Go? Four Paths You Haven't Been Told About Wednesday, March 25 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Most FP&A professionals are trained to focus on accuracy, models, and processes—but not long-term career design. As the function evolves, so do the opportunities to grow within it. Too often, the default path is Director - VP - CFO. This session challenges that mindset and offers a practical roadmap to alternative paths that build on the FP&A skillset. With the rise of PE-backed companies, strategic finance consulting, CFO tech platforms, and hybrid BizOps roles, finance professionals now have multiple ways to advance. Attendees walk away with a clear framework for evaluating new roles and a downloadable career path matrix to help guide future decisions.

• FP&A is a great career, and it is also a springboard to other opportunities; use a structured assessment, skill alignment and career planning to consider various career options that are open to you. 

Nathan Saperia, Founder, Saperia Consulting LLC

[back]

Technology & Data

Frictionless FinanceWednesday, March 25 • 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a Fortune 50 agribusiness with more than a century of innovation, is transforming its FP&A function to deliver faster, more accurate insights that power decisions across the enterprise. By leveraging automation, AI, and continuous improvement, ADM is removing roadblocks and advancing toward a frictionless, end to end FP&A ecosystem. In this session, learn how to become a catalyst for change, build and execute a transformation roadmap, visualize the impact AI can have on your own transformation, and apply strategies that build stakeholder engagement through meaningful quick wins.

• Find new ways of working enabled by automation and AI and build stakeholder engagement through quick wins.

Kenn Kobia, Director, FP&A Transformation
Jagadeesh Manukonda, Senior Director - Artificial Intelligence, Digital & Innovation

[back]

Ask, Analyze, Automate: How Modern FP&A Drives Strategy with Agentic AI Tuesday, March 24 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Agentic AI, is transforming the way finance teams analyze historical trends, forecast financial scenarios and generate actionable insights, Yet, knowing where to begin can be daunting. Going beyond generative AI, Agentic AI capabilities automate entire workflows, apply deep contextual analysis and frees FP&A professionals to focus on strategic decision-making. This session contrasts the capabilities of Generative AI and Agentic AI through case studies that highlight how finance teams can leverage Agentic AI, while keeping humans in the loop, to reduce time spent on manual data aggregation, streamline fragmented analysis to accelerate decision-making across the organization.

• Apply Agentic AI to automate financial data preparation, streamline analysis workflows and accelerate insight generation.

John Baule, CEO and Founder, FutureView Systems
Brian McGrath, COO, FutureView Systems
Brad Schomber, CFO, CandleScience

[back]

A Transformation Blueprint for Client–Implementer Partnerships Tuesday, March 24 • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Successful financial transformation depends on a strong, transparent partnership between clients and implementers. This session explores what each side truly needs from the other—clients’ expectations for clarity, structure, and proactive guidance, and implementers’ need for timely access, open communication, and active collaboration across every project phase. Through joint polling, shared perspectives, and a real-world case study, presenters will illustrate how consistent engagement, readiness, and mutual accountability lead to smoother deployments and sustainable results. Attendees will walk away with a clear blueprint for building high-trust partnerships that accelerate transformation and improve long-term outcomes.

• Learn where software implementations go wrong, from the perspective of both consultants and practitioners, in order to avoid those challenges
• Hear case study that shows the choices—and impacts of those choices—on project implementations

Olga Netwal, Head of FP&A and Sales Operations, Exponential Interactive, Inc. (dba VDX.tv)
Chad Perry, Director, Services Delivery, QueBIT
Leo Cohen, VP of Sales, QueBIT

[back]

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Reimagining Planning, Forecasting, and Analytics at AMC Theatres Monday, March 23 • 2:30 - 3:30 PM
AMC, the world’s largest movie exhibitor with nearly 900 theatres and 10,000 screens, faced unprecedented FP&A pressures during COVID as closures, industry uncertainty, and cash constraints heightened the need for accurate forecasting and agile planning. Its legacy on-prem EPM system was outdated, manual, and lacked robust forecasting and analysis capabilities. Using a phased transformation roadmap, AMC rebuilt its planning and reporting processes through a modern EPM cloud solution featuring driver-based rolling forecasts, weekly dashboards, streamlined annual planning, collaborative workforce planning, capital planning, and integrated data. The result: on-demand forecasts, shorter cycles, stronger business partnering, richer scenario analysis, and better decision-making.

• See how cloud EPM transformation improved forecasting, reporting cadence and cross-functional planning.

Brian Thomas, Vice President, FP&A, AMC Theatres
Debbi Weber, SVP, Finance, AMC Theatres
Philip Peck, Vice President, FP&A Transformation, Peloton Group

[back]

From Now to Next: Roadmap to Your AI Future Wednesday, March 25 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Everyone is talking about AI, yet few finance teams are turning it into sustained impact. Many initiatives stall, not because the technology underperforms, but because the organization isn’t structurally prepared to scale it. This session explores why AI adoption quietly fades inside finance functions and introduces a practical framework for readiness: building AI literacy, strengthening foundational data and systems, developing complementary human capabilities, and establishing clear ownership of decision logic. Led by an experienced practitioner, participants will leave with diagnostic tools and practical techniques to identify structural gaps and move toward scalable, trustworthy AI-driven decision-making.

• Build an AI-ready finance function by modernizing data, systems and processes using accessible automation and low-code tools.

Mariya Guttoh, FPAC, Director FP&A and Treasury, Payjoy

[back]

How AI Enhances Finance’s Value to the Business: Our Story
Tuesday, March 24 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Too many FP&A teams shy away from AI, fearing it’s a “risky black box” or a threat to their jobs. This session follows the FP&A team at Kimball Midwest, a leading MRO distributor, which embraced AI after realizing they couldn’t hire their way out of a growing backlog. By reframing AI as a job enhancer, they equipped their team to better predict and respond to challenges in partnership with the business. Building on one of last year’s top-rated AFP FP&A Forum sessions, they’ll share how AI drives value today, supports agile planning, and transformed their lean FP&A function.

• Learn how a lean FP&A team used AI to improve agility, forecasting responsiveness, and business partnership value.

Matt Sledge, Planful
Kevin Washek, Director of FP&A, Kimball Midwest

[back]

Implementing Predictive Forecasting at Shutterfly Tuesday, March 24 • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
For FP&A practitioners, accurate cash forecasting is critical to managing liquidity, optimizing working capital, and making informed strategic decisions. Shutterfly sought to escape its legacy systems and spreadsheets to deploy a predictive forecasting capability that improved visibility into seasonal cash flow cycles and supported smarter working capital decisions. This session dives into the “why” behind their transformation, the “how” of implementation, including change management strategies, system integration, and dashboard design, and the “so what,” highlighting the impact it's had on financial planning and risk management.

• Gain actionable insights on implementing predictive forecasting to improve working capital visibility and risk management.

Ralph Shields, VP, Performance Management, Donyati
Russell Selman, Director, Treasury and Risk Management, Shutterfly, Inc.

[back]

Unlock SaaS-like Capabilities with Excel and Power Query Wednesday, March 25 • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Finance teams often believe they must migrate to costly SaaS platforms to achieve automation, scalability, and real-time insight. But many already have the solution at their fingertips. This session shows how Power Query turns Excel into a SaaS-like FP&A platform, delivering speed, integration, and collaboration capabilities finance professionals need without the cost or disruption of migration. Through a practical case study, see how Power Query connects to multiple data sources, consolidates ERP/CRM/HR/financial data, automates tasks like reconciliation and variance analysis, enables driver-based forecasting and scenario modeling, and delivers interactive dashboards that replicate SaaS FP&A functionality while staying within the familiar Excel environment.

• Discover how to use Power Query to automate tasks, enhance data integration, and layer SaaS capabilities into planning workflows without new platforms.

Sanika Desai, Graduate Assistant & Research Analyst, Adelphi University
Adinath Subhash Kadam, FP&A Analyst, Pets Best Insurance LLC

[back]

Use Power BI to Rewire and Integrate Your Planning Processes Tuesday, March 24 • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Finance professionals are streamlining planning and forecasting by integrating workflows into platforms like Power BI, aiming to boost transparency and collaboration. This session shows how connected data empowers agile finance teams, offering practical examples and tips for strengthening collaboration, reducing administrative tasks and supporting iterative planning. Attendees learn how to build effective dashboards, design structured templates and improve data governance to deliver real-time insights and faster decisions. Visual guides highlight how modern planning tools can elevate the planning process.

• Learn how to leverage Power BI to unify planning, reporting and analysis for faster insights and collaborative forecasting

Dennis Carriere, Head of Client Success, Collectiv

[back]

Principles in Practice Workshops

Delivering Impactful and Compelling Messages Monday, March 23 • 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Ensuring your message makes an impression on those receiving it isn’t rocket science, but there are proven methods to make you more successful. In this workshop, participants learn a skills framework that includes impactful opening techniques, a supporting structure with clear points, and memorable closing tactics that will transform your message into a powerful narrative. Additionally, participants are then given the opportunity to practice these skills through interactive, scenario-based group activities, benefiting from both peer feedback and expert advice.

John Sanchez, Managing Director, The FPA Group

[back]

FP&A Audience Engagement Strategy Monday, March 23 • 2:30 - 3:30 PM
If time is money, then meetings are expensive. However, they play a vital role in fostering communication, collaboration, and coordination within an organization. Successful engagement depends on your ability to understand your audience, tailor your communication approach and manage the expectations of different types of stakeholders. It also requires an understanding of corporate culture and developing professional speaking skills. This workshop helps finance professionals to better manage meetings and to communicate confidently in any professional setting. Participants who successfully complete this workshop will receive AFP’s FP&A Audience Engagement Strategy digital badge.

John Sanchez, Managing Director, The FPA Group

[back]

Designing Finance Bots that Don’t Derail the Reporting Cycle Monday, March 23 • 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Bots are increasingly being used in finance to reconcile accounts, generate variances and produce reliable stakeholder updates that contribute to overall business goals. Without careful design, these bots can disrupt processes, create inconsistent data and slow the reporting cycle. This workshop explores how to design finance bots that enhance performance of the finance team without derailing the reporting cycle. Using B.O.T.S.A.F.E, a dead-simple blueprint for building useful AI agents, FP&A pain points will be transformed into clear business goals, crisp inputs and hard acceptance criteria.

Mike Dion, Founder, Mike's F9 Finance

[back]

Orchestrating an FP&A Agent: Architecture, Prompts, and Packaging for Month-End Commentary Monday, March 23 • 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Tackling the Month-End Variance Commentary Agent, this session takes a deep dive into building an end-to-end solution that delivers reliable output without the need for writing a single code. See how all the pieces fit together: a simple folder-to-model data foundation, a master prompt that enforces tone and math checks, and an orchestration flow that drafts, formats, and packages outputs, including one-pagers, slide drafts, and HTML emails, while maintaining logs for auditability. Also covered are governance, including approvals, versioning and “what happens when it gets something wrong” so you can deploy with confidence.

Mike Dion, Founder, Mike's F9 Finance

[back]

Roundtables

Establish a Data Culture
Monday, March 23 • 2:30 - 3:30pm

Building a data-first culture is about fostering clarity, confidence, and alignment in decision-making. The challenge isn’t just about technology, it requires ensuring leaders and teams trust the same numbers, speak the same language, and act on shared priorities. For organizations with limited resources, this can feel daunting, but small, intentional steps can transform how data informs strategy and performance. This roundtable brings finance leaders together to explore practical ways to strengthen governance, boost data literacy, and establish data as a reliable foundation for informed decision-making. Bring a challenge and leave with peer-tested ideas you can put into action immediately.

Facilitators: 
Olga Netwal, Head of FP&A and Sales Operations, Exponential Interactive, Inc. (dba VDX.tv)
Jesse Todd, Director, Finance Transformation Consulting, Microsoft

[back]

Working with Private Equity
Tuesday, March 24 • 10:30 - 11:30am

Finance professionals face unique challenges and opportunities when working with private equity–backed companies; this session sets the stage for your success in this ownership structure. Participants contribute their experiences, share lessons learned, and discuss common challenges encountered when engaging with private equity-backed companies. Collectively, develop a list of leading practices prior to PE involvement, during the period of ownership, and in preparation for a successful exit.

Facilitator: Geetanjali Tandon, SVP of Financial Planning & Analysis, Dayforce

[back]

FP&A in Growth Stage Companies
Tuesday, March 24 • 1:00 - 2:00pm

Growth stage companies face unique financial planning and analysis challenges as they scale rapidly. This roundtable will explore how FP&A teams can support sustainable growth while managing cash flow, forecasting uncertainty, and building scalable processes. Participants will share experiences, discuss best practices, and identify strategies for balancing agility with control in a high-growth environment.

Facilitator: Jessica Martin, Sr. Finance Manager, Seurat Technologies

[back]

Partnership Tactics That Really Work
Tuesday, March 24 • 2:30 - 3:30pm

Facilitator: Ilana Esterrich, CFO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

[back]

Develop Your Risk and Response GPS: An Interactive Finance Simulation
Tuesday, March 24 • 4:00 - 5:00pm

Tariffs, cyber hacks, wars and more, it seems the velocity and quantity of risk events are increasing, leading to a state of heightened instability, unpredictability, and rapid change that disrupts normal operations and challenges strategic planning. In this interactive “tabletop” exercise, attendee groups will be assigned a risk scenario and various executive and staff roles and then work through their responses. Attendees will develop and gain a playbook for thinking through the business response, including financial maneuvers, process changes, and looking through the crisis to potential opportunities.

Facilitators:
Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, Director, FP&A Practice, AFP
Valerie Nielsen, Managing Director, Inside Edge Risk Advisors LLC

[back]

Technology & Change Management
Wednesday, March 25 • 8:30 - 9:30am

Technology transformation extends far beyond the initial “go live” date. It is a process that starts prior to purchasing technology and continues well after deployment. This roundtable examines common challenges encountered throughout transformation initiatives and strategies to address them, including laying a solid foundation and encouraging organizational buy-in. Participants are encouraged to share both the obstacles and successes they have experienced to collaborate on problem solving with peers and implementation experts in the room. Whether you are managing a finance transformation, adapting to cultural changes, or exploring fresh approaches to technology adoption, this roundtable offers an invaluable forum for professional learning, meaningful connections, and collective growth.

Facilitator: Mitch Max, Principal Consultant, BetterVu

[back]

Managing Capital Expenditures
Wednesday, March 25 • 10:30 - 11:30am

Capital expenditure (CapEx) represents significant investments that shape an organization’s long-term growth and operational capacity. This roundtable will explore best practices for planning, prioritizing, and monitoring CapEx initiatives in today’s dynamic business environment. In this peer-to-peer discussion, attendees are encouraged to share challenges and strategies for aligning CapEx decisions with corporate objectives, managing risk and uncertainty, and leveraging technology to enhance forecasting, visibility, and governance.

Facilitator: Marcus Gadson, CTP, FPAC, AVP of Capital Management, Ascension

[back]

Is Your Forecast Adding Value?
Monday, March 23 • 1:00 - 2:00pm

Forecast accuracy is temporary, but variance analysis is forever—what is the return we are getting on our forecasting efforts? This roundtable will highlight common time wasters and showcase strategies that have led to real business results. We’ll examine how accuracy, precision, effort, and impact connect, evaluate value added beyond naïve forecasts, and discuss granularity and drivers. Attendees will leave with practical ways to link forecasting to measurable outcomes.

Facilitator: Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, Director, FP&A Practice, AFP

[back]

Adapting to Workforce Trends: What Finance Leaders Need to Know
Tuesday, March 24 • 8:30 - 9:30am

New research from Robert Half highlights how quickly workforce dynamics, talent pipelines, and hiring strategies are changing. As hiring trends shift, finance leaders must proactively build strong, adaptable teams.  In this interactive roundtable discussion, attendees are invited to share their perspectives and experiences on emerging hiring trends, workforce challenges influencing business strategy and the techniques they are using to maximize talent resources. Explore what these trends mean for your organization and how they can support your planning for the year ahead.

Facilitator: Steve Saah, Executive Director of Permanent Placement, Robert Half

[back]

Partner Demos

Live Partner Demo | Redefine business planning with Agentic AI
Tuesday, March 24 • 9:40 - 9:55am

In today's volatile business environment, FP&A leaders need to adapt fast and make decisions with clarity. This live demonstration showcases how Pigment's Agentic AI, a network of proactive Analyst, Modeler, and Planner agents, transforms enterprise planning by consolidating data into a single source of truth, proactively surfacing insights before you ask, and simulating thousands of scenarios to help you anticipate outcomes and act ahead of change. Discover how Pigment empowers FP&A practitioners to build more resilient plans, make faster decisions, and drive stronger business performance through intelligent collaboration and AI-driven foresight.

Sponsored by Pigment

[back]

How to Connect Data, People, and Plans for Agile Decision-making
Tuesday, March 24 • 10:05 - 10:20am

The ability to turn strategy into immediate action is the ultimate competitive advantage for your business. See how a modern, AI-driven platform closes the gap between insight and execution, transforming core financial processes, like budgeting and forecasting, into connected, enterprise-wide plans. Join this session to learn how this unified perspective is the key to achieving decision excellence and navigating market volatility with speed and confidence. 

Sponsored by Anaplan

[back]

From Forecasting to Prediction: Machine Learning for Modern FP&A
Tuesday, March 24 • 11:50am - 12:05pm

FP&A is evolving from reporting the past to predicting the future. See how embedded Machine Learning/AI and Predictive capabilities inside SAP Analytics Cloud help finance teams automatically detect risks, generate forecasts, and explain variances without needing data science expertise.

Sponsored by SAP America

[back]

Automate Finance Activities to Drive Measurable Business Impact
Tuesday, March 24 • 12:15 - 12:30pm

Finance teams are under pressure to increase productivity while improving accuracy and control. This session explores how automating core finance activities reduces manual effort, shortens decision cycles, and enables teams to focus on higher-value analysis. Learn how IBM helps organizations translate automation into measurable business impact — from efficiency gains to stronger financial performance.

Sponsored by IBM

[back]

Meet Your New FP&A Partners: Planful AI Assistants
Tuesday, March 24 • 12:40 - 12:55pm

FP&A teams are under constant pressure to deliver strategic insights, guide critical decisions, and support the business at scale, all while managing a steady stream of ad hoc requests that divert them from higher-impact work. In this live demo, see how Planful’s AI Assistants support FP&A teams directly while also enabling non-finance users to get the answers they need on their own. We’ll walk through real workflows using the Help, Analyst, and Planner Assistants to demonstrate how Planful AI can surface insights, explain results, and guide planning decisions within the platform, reducing one-off requests, improving alignment across the business, and allowing FP&A teams to stay focused on strategic priorities. 

Sponsored by Planful

[back]

FP&A in Action: From Data Silos to Unified Intelligence
Tuesday, March 24 • 2:10 - 2:25pm

See how Solver unifies data from every department to break down silos and empower teams across Finance, Operations, HR, and more. Experience how AI-powered tools like Solver Copilot accelerate analysis—quickly surfacing trends, identifying anomalies, and answering complex business questions in real time. Discover how expanding planning beyond Finance and supporting it with AI can transform organizational silos into a strategic advantage.

Sponsored by Solver

[back]

Predictable Cash Flow and DSO Reduction Through Automated Settlement
Tuesday, March 24 • 3:40 - 3:55pm

For Finance leaders, high-volume, small-dollar payments sit in "reconciliation limbo" every day, trapping your capital. Learn how to accelerate the entire payment lifecycle—from customer payments through cash application—without a months-long IT overhaul. We’ll show you how to leverage automation with smart payments to reduce DSO and ensure your settlement cycles are as agile as your strategic plans.

Sponsored by BILL

[back]

AI for Analysis and Scenario Exploration
Wednesday, March 25 • 9:40 - 9:55am

Finance teams are under constant pressure to answer “what if?” questions faster, without breaking trust in the numbers. In this live demo, we’ll show how FP&A teams use Abacum to analyze performance, explore drivers, and run real-time scenarios using natural language and structured models. Attendees will see how modern finance teams move from static models to decision-ready insights in minutes.

Sponsored by Abacum

[back]

Automating Finance Operations
Wednesday, March 25 • 10:05 - 10:20am

This demonstration provides an overview of Ramp, a modern financial operations platform designed to help businesses control spend, automate accounting, and move faster. We’ll walk through how Ramp brings together corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, procurement, travel, treasury, and real-time insights into a single, intuitive experience. Attendees will see how Ramp helps finance teams save time, reduce costs, and gain complete visibility into company spending—with built-in controls and automation.

Sponsored by Ramp

[back]