Agenda
Thursday, 9 November 2023
“How Can CFOs Boost Productivity, Modernise and Leverage AI for Competitive Advantage?”
Please note that 1:1 meetings will be running throughout the day.
Registration & Check-in
Secure your seat in the keynote room for the day.
Welcome to the 14th CFO Edge: Boost Productivity and Modernise for Advantage and Sustainable Growth
Jim Berry - CEO & Founder at ADAPTMost Australian organisations are mired with legacy challenges and facing productivity challenges with limited resources and risk appetite. To ensure growth and profits, many are embracing technology. But tech for tech’s sakes brings risk and expense. What is the role of the Australian CFO? How can you measure ROI on current and future investments?
New Australian business performance data from ADAPT shows that the organisations funding modernisation and structured innovation are outperforming their peers on all counts including growth, net profit, and revenue from innovation. They also show huge operational efficiencies and improved customer and employee experience, and retention on their path to sustainable growth.
What are they doing differently? What can you learn from their lessons?
ADAPT Research: Performance Insights from 2023 C-level Australian Surveys - Covering 57% of Australia's GDP
Matt Boon - Senior Research Director at ADAPTADAPT’s Research and Advisory team will reveal the core findings distilled from your aggregated pre-event surveys and those of your CIO and LOB executives to show your common aims, investments, capital allocation and plans as well as common challenges and barriers to execution.
Also sharing performance insights from assessments of organisations responsible for 40% of our GDP. ADAPT will reveal latest EVR findings, showing CFOs:
- Where top Australian business are focusing their resources
- Who are Australia’s most modernised performers
- What strategy, risk and value levers did they pull to get there
- The inputs and levers that create business value at each stage
Get an Edge: Making the Most of Your Day
Tenar Larsen - Head of Community & Ecosystem PartnershipsFutureproofing your Organisation: Managing Innovation and Transformation
Damon Rees - formerly CEO of ServiceNSW, Managing Principal at BAUWe face unprecedented change and challenges, where future advantage relies on cost effective transformation that performs. Damon Rees is an experienced business leader renowned for driving transformational change, organisational performance, efficiency, and better customer outcomes.
Most recently known for his role as CEO for ServiceNSW from 2017-2023 where he oversaw a profound shift in government service delivery, and rapid change forced by the pandemic. Alongside Minister Dominello and an outstanding team, he led many complex and future forward initiatives that enabled NSW to become a digitally advanced state.
At the forefront of successfully leading complex and innovative transformation projects, with legacy and people challenges, Damon will share his knowledge, experiences and lessons learned – both as CIO and CEO – as related to the Australian CFO.
- The critical role of leadership, culture, and delivery capability
- Optimising costs and innovation through digitisation
- Managing large-scale transformation in a complex environment.
- Improving Operational Effectiveness
- The trustworthy and responsible use of necessary technology.
Formerly CEO of Service NSW, Damon’s experience spans the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors including as the inaugural Government Chief Information and Digital Officer for NSW Government, the Chief Digital Officer for Macquarie Group, the Chief Technology and Interim Chief Information Officer for Woolworths, and the Head of Integrated Delivery for Westpac. He’s served as an independent Director of GP Synergy for the last eight years including three years as Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk committee, and six years as Chair of the Digital and ICT committee.
Trajectory for Success: Fuelling 1% Better Decision-making Every Day
Linda Fox - Non-Executive Director at QV Equities Limited Meredith Rowan - Vice President, Australia and New Zealand Applications & License Applications Asia Pacific at OracleOngoing innovation to digitise strategy and processes and enable finance transformation is now a business imperative. As such, CFOs and their teams need the right combination of strategies, data-fuelled insights, and technology to help drive profitable growth, whilst influencing the organisation in new ways.
In this fireside chat, Oracle and a leading CFO will explore the strategies and actions top CFOs are adopting to improve decision-making, boost productivity and help drive a 1% better everyday approach to business and finance transformation.
Discussion highlights
- Improving forecasts for a cloudy future.
- The AI opportunity – Aligning humans and technology.
- Mitigating risk without stifling growth.
Morning Break: Refreshments, Snacks & Connections
A New Era for Data, AI and Compliance: The Sheriff is Riding into the ‘Digital Wild West’
Edward Santow - Director of Policy and Governance at University of Technology SydneyThe Australian Government has embarked on a major reform process for AI, and it is centred on risk-based regulation. It’s sometimes said that we’re living in a ‘digital Wild West’ – beyond the reach of the laws and ethical codes that govern the physical world. If that was ever true, it’s changing rapidly. Other jurisdictions, most notably in Europe and North America, are similarly focused on risk-based law.
Meanwhile, regulators and plaintiff lawyers are starting to enforce existing laws more effectively. Smart companies are getting ahead of the wave before it breaks, but what does that look like? And how can we apply the lessons from the Robodebt catastrophe?
- What will reform for AI look like, and what does it mean for Australia’s CFOs?
- AI ethics haven’t created meaningful change. So how can we trust the algorithms and assure the use of AI?
- The implications on automated decision making, data sharing frameworks and compliance
At CFO Edge, Ed will suggest ways for you to self-regulate before the laws force you to.
Ed was introduced to ADAPT by Ian Oppermann as one of the more important national stakeholders in AI assurance since he sits on the new AI Taskforce chaired by Ian, set up by Minister Dominello and the NSW Government to focus on AI Ethics and AI Assurance. This will govern obligations for good data management and lifecycles through to the ethical use of AI, and all NSW agencies will need to show their workings to the taskforce to be regulated. The model could then be copied nationally.
Insights from CFOs: How our Australian CFOs have Maintained their Focus on Financial Transformation in the Last 12 Months
Jon Blackburn - Executive Director Corporate Services & CFO at Sydney Opera House David Pollock - Chief Financial Officer at AAM Investment Group Clodagh Farrell - CFO & COO Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at DXC TechnologyA lot can change in 12 months.
We set personal and professional goals for ourselves and for our organisations.
At the ADAPT CFO Forum in 2022, our CFO audience was asked in the ADAPT CFO Survey Nov 22 to rank the focus of their Financial Transformations for the future 12 months.
So how have our Australian CFOs done with achieving their 12-month financial transformation goals?
We have invited a number of key DXC Technology customers to join us on stage and discuss their past 12 months and how they have managed to juggle the economic headwinds with a need to focus on financial transformation.
Evolving Service to Make Social Impact Now
Brett Manwaring - Group CFO & GM Corporate Services at Evolve Housing Teodora Nikolova - Solution Sales Executive at ServiceNowTo underpin growth and minimise risk, CFOs need to consider much more than cutting costs. Bold moves are required to drive growth culture and having a vision far beyond being a financial steward.
The CFO is now the critical executive to support the CEO in leading the digitisation and evolution of their organisations – especially an organisation where customer experience is key to providing social and affordable housing.
Join ServiceNow for a fireside chat where they will cover how the role of automation has changed finance, the priorities in using technology platform in the future such as AI Search, case summarisation and content creation to enhance customer experience.
ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables
Attend your pre-selected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion with confidence under Chatham House Rules moderated by an ADAPT analyst with subject matter experts.
Trajectory for Success: Fuelling 1% Better Decision-making Every Day
Frances Grima - Senior Director SaaS Applications at OracleFurther to the keynote session – Ongoing innovation to digitise strategy and processes and enable finance transformation is now a business imperative. As such, CFOs and their teams need the right combination of strategies, data-fuelled insights, and technology to help drive profitable growth, whilst influencing the organisation in new ways.
Join this roundtable to explore the strategies and actions top CFOs are adopting to improve decision-making, boost productivity and help drive a 1% better everyday approach to business and finance transformation.
Discussion highlights
- Improving forecasts for a cloudy future.
- The AI opportunity – Aligning humans and technology.
- Mitigating risk without stifling growth.
Value Creator: The Next Evolution of Finance
Marise Maltman - Office of CFO Leader APJ at Workday Richard Payne - Regional Finance Leader, ANZ at WorkdayCFOs have always had a big job, one where expectations are high and risks even higher. Over the past few years, expectations have increased beyond just maximizing shareholder value, to meeting the expectations of a broader set of stakeholders and becoming the architects of value creation. This expanded role means finance must have the right data, technology foundation, and people to be successful.
CFOs have traditionally focused on tracking value, reporting what happened in the past. Today, CFOs need to focus on value creation, while anticipating and navigating what’s coming next, like the impact of inflation, a recession or global unrest will have on their business. But, how do they do that?
Discussion Highlights:
- AI-Powered Finance: Practical Use Cases for Intelligent Automation
- Accountable decision making across the business
- Accounting and finance effectiveness
- Attracting and retaining digital finance talent
- Creating a culture of continuous cost containment
- Speed and agility to adapt to change
Accelerate your Digital Finance Transformation
Heidi Badgery - Managing Director ANZ at Alteryx Keith Bousfield - Transformation and Strategy Lead at AlteryxBusiness resiliency is top of mind for finance leaders during turbulent times, but analytics transformation can help you create a resilient business.
Join us for an interactive roundtable discussion and: Discover the strategies fellow leaders use to address risk and costs Learn how your peers maximize data value and accelerating results Discuss actionable plans and best practices for recession mitigation using AI/ML/analytic automation
Why CFOs have to Wear Three Hats
Mike Goldsworthy - Principal Value Architcht at Blackline Rosie Cairnes - Regional Vice President APAC at BlacklineThe pressures on chief financial officers (CFOs) have risen significantly, with nine out of 10 businesses now relying on third-party, cloud-based finance and accounting (F&A) software to cope with this increased demand. Among those yet to adopt, 90 per cent are considering integrating such platforms in the near future. This shift is driven by a significant skills gap and a high turnover rate of 26 per cent in F&A positions, affecting the sector at large.
While many businesses are finding a sense of normalcy, the CFO role has transformed permanently. Embracing automation and expanding their responsibilities, CFOs are now seen wearing not one, but three distinct hats: operational; technological; and navigational.
Join this exclusive roundtable to discuss the evolving role of CFOs and the increasing significance of automation in F&A, driven by the growing demands placed on CFOs.
You will have the opportunity to explore:
- How CFOs’ foundational skills need to adapt to varied team locations.
- The increasing role of CFOs in enterprise resource planning (ERP) transitions
- The significance of ongoing scenario analysis amidst rising mergers and acquisitions
- The impact of F&A software in providing real-time data and aiding talent recruitment.
Prepare for the future of finance.
Peer Networking Seated Lunch
ADAPT Executive Insight Roundtables - share with confidence under the Chatham House Rule
Attend your preselected roundtable to participate in a peer discussion moderated by ADAPT analysts with subject matter experts.
The Collaborative Advantage: Transforming Enterprise Planning for Maximum Impact
Arpit Shah - Director, Business Value & Strategy (APAC) at AnaplanIn today’s rapidly changing business landscape, CFOs and Finance Leaders face unprecedented challenges in delivering outcomes with certainty. Success is guided by performance on three cornerstones: effective planning, agile adaptation, and flawless execution.
Cloud-powered analytics and generative AI can play a critical role in enabling CFOs to achieve these goals. They can help CFOs in breaking silos across their business data, leverage external data, identify trends and patterns, gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions. They can also help rapidly develop and test new scenarios, reduce the manual rigor involved in undertaking complex planning, budgeting, and forecasting activities and facilitate effective collaboration with the business and across the enterprise.
Join us in an engaging roundtable to discuss how CFOs and Finance Leaders can gain the insights and agility they need to achieve their goals more effectively and efficiently, and deliver outcomes with higher certainty, by embracing cloud-powered analytics and scenario planning.
How Automation and Data Consolidation will Shape the Future of Finance Teams
Karl Durrance - Managing Director, AU & NZ at StripeIn Stripe’s research, over 40% of businesses foresee increased customer churn due to today’s volatile economy. 60% report that their finance teams now allocate more time to operational tasks and less to strategy, compared to three years ago.
Revamping finance operations is crucial for organisational growth. What factors shape the finance team of the future? How will finance teams adapt to evolving economic conditions, AI advancements, and the persistent focus on profitability over the next five years?
In this roundtable, we’ll explore trends finance leaders are embracing as they reshape today’s finance organisation foundations to ensure future success.
Join Stripe to discuss:
- The future operations of finance teams amid economic changes, AI progress, and profitability pressures.
- Strategies for modernising your finance operations to boost revenue, cut costs, and retain clients.
- Methods to unlock growth and reduce expenses by streamlining finance processes.
AI and Automation Driven Finance Transformation – From Exploration to Implementation
Pooja Singh - Senior Research Analyst & Strategic Research Matt Boon - Senior Research Director at ADAPTJoin ADAPT Analysts Pooja Singh and Matt Boon, together with industry peers in an engaging roundtable discussion, where we will workshop and bring to life use cases and approaches for adopting and deploying AI and Automation as effective tools to accelerate transformation and create the finance organisation of tomorrow.
This interactive roundtable will discuss how CFOs can accelerate the transformation of finance functions to act as an innovation pillar for creating the resilient organisations of the future.
Key discussion points:
- Current state of finance functions and the evolving role of a Modern CFO
- Potential of AI and Automation to transform finance from a reactive function to one that is risk resilient predictive and data driven.
- Deep dive into local use cases on how Australian organisations are realising benefits and approaching AI and Automation as part of their finance transformation.
- Why the AI and Automation revolution is uplifting the CFO as a key decision maker in technology buying decisions.
Partake in this interactive session to redefine your finance function with AI and Automation, and your role as CFO as a strategic advisor at the leadership table.
Afternoon Break: Refreshments, Snacks & Connections
What is the Modern CFO's Role in Cyber and Operational Resilience?
Prof. Lesley Seebeck - Chair of National Institute of Strategic Resilience. CEO Cyber 21, Award winning CIO of BoM, and former CEO of the Cyber InstituteIn the modern economy, business is impossible with digital means, or relying on data. That means every business is vulnerable to cyber, the ‘dark side’ of today’s digital and data-based economy. CFOs play a critical role in ensuring organisations are cyber secure and resilient, through their financial prioritisation, how they fund digital and data, and actions enabling recovery. This session helps CFO—and other decision-makers—frame their understanding of cyber and what to next to ensure you are not the next headline.
Lesley Seebeck is an independent consultant and an honorary professor at the Australian National University. Chair of National Institute of Strategic Resilience. CEO Cyber 21. GAICD 2021; Federal Government CIO of the Year 2017; WICked Woman of the Year 2018, AWSN Award Finalist 2020. Leader, team builder and systems thinker in a range of domains including strategy, policy, technology and organisations.
McKinsey's CFO Guide to Gen AI: Does it Matter, What is the Risk, and What Should You Do?
Solly Brown - Partner at McKinsey + QuantumBlack – contributor to McKinsey’s “CEO guide to GenAI”The rise of generative AI has captured everyone’s imagination, but how should CFOs be responding? This talk will outline the areas where CFOs can expect to see the biggest impacts, outline some of the conditions for success, and the role CFOs can play in enabling and capturing value while managing the risks.
CFO Edge Panel: The CFO Role to Boost Productivity, Modernise and Transform
Peter Hind - Principal Research Analyst at ADAPT Barbara Galloon - Group CFO at Avis Greg Ritter - CFO and Head of Business Operations Australasia at JLL Jenny Saliba - CFO, Wealth & Capital Markets at Australian Unity Francine Hackett - VP, Finance & Operations at PearsonIt has never been as important to harness the enablement value of technology to protect against margin risk while driving growth.
Based on ADAPTs new Exponential Value Roadmap (EVR), and 100s of interactions with CFOs and CIOs from the top 1000 enterprise and government organisations in Australia, the research assesses what the top performers do differently or better than their peers to reach their peak.
- How to prioritise spend to ensure resilient operations, data driven compliance, and security across the business?
- How to measure and ensure your modernisation or transformation strategy is on track, to lead the field and stay relevant in the modern age.
- How can you become the CFO that modern business demands?
- Coaching and mentoring finance team while giving oversight to the business as a change agent.
We gather some of the top CFO and business leaders in Australia to give frank advice and practical tips on how to get it right.
Closing Comments
CFO Edge Peer Networking Drinks
An opportunity to stay, mingle and meet other CFO peers over drinks and food.