2019 Financial Leadership Summit

Agenda

Agenda topics, timing and speakers subject to change.
 
 

Sunday, May 19

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Financial Executive of the Year Awards Ceremony 
Join fellow Summit attendees as we raise a glass to celebrate and recognize exceptional financial executives in their roles as corporate stewards. In its third year, the Financial Executives of the Year awards will be presented to peer nominated individuals who demonstrably make major impacts within their companies, ranging from increasing profitability to exhibiting exemplary leadership.

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Financial Leadership Summit Opening Reception
Following the Awards presentation attendees will be shuttled to Epcot®'s Isle de France to kick-off the 2019 Financial Leadership Summit Opening Reception. As the fiery glow of torches and sky-piercing lasers reflect on the lagoon, the boom of thunderous fireworks echoes atop an original music score. It is a thrilling visual extravaganza as the skies above the lagoon are transformed into a kaleidoscope of color from thundering pyrotechnic bursts. What an amazing way to start this dynamic conference!

 
 

Monday, May 20

7:00 am – 5:00 pm

Registration

 
 

7:30 am - 8:20 am

4 Breakfast Sessions available – 1 CPE credit each

Extraordinary Popular Delusions: How Stories Drive Markets
Sponsored by Cambridge Global Payments
Stories have always had an enormous influence on human society, with the power to motivate millions of people in pursuit of a shared objective. Cambridge Chief Market Strategist Karl Schamotta will outline strategies that finance teams can use to identify and map the spread of stories in real time - giving organizations the tools needed to harness the political and economic volatility that characterizes the modern world.

Presenter:
Karl Schamotta | Chief Market Strategist | Cambridge Global Payments

 

How Consumerism, Wellness & Plan Design Can Improve Your Health Plan & How They Can’t
Sponsored by Hays Companies
Decision-makers are tasked with improving organizational health, satisfying recruitment/retention needs and managing the bottom line. This seminar presents a counter-intuitive yet actionable approach to meeting these objectives:

  • 84% of employers offer a High Deductible Health Plan -- the other 16% are right
  • The only kind of wellness program that works and why it has nothing to do with wellness
  • How consumerism is being used against employers
  • The opportunities employers have to improve plan design and lower costs

Presenter:
Dave Ross | Executive Vice President & Director of Underwriting Services | Hays Companies

 

The Data Driven Finance Leader
Sponsored by Sage Intacct
From big data and network effects to the subscription economy and cloud computing, modern finance is undergoing its most fundamental transformation ever. Today, it takes a data-driven finance leader – someone who understands and embraces the promise and power of technology – to navigate this exciting, uncertain future. Attend this session and hear how Sage Intacct customers became data-driven finance leaders that proactively drove strategy and improved operations.

Presenter:
Rich Reimer | VP of Industry Marketing | Sage Intacct

 

Disclosure Effectiveness: Who Tells Your Story?
Sponsored by Workiva
This session will cover trends in corporate disclosures and identify ways for companies to make them more meaningful and relevant for investors. Join fellow practitioners as they discuss ways to develop strategies for presenting financial information in a more logical, easy-to-read structure.

After this session, you will be able to:

  • Apply industry best practice to your own disclosure initiatives
  • Identify specific areas where your disclosure process can be streamlined
  • Define key stakeholders for improving the reporting process

Presenters:
April Brady | Senior Director of Product Marketing, Accounting and Finance | Workiva
Katie Stipic | SEC Reporting Manager | Intel Corporation

 
 

8:30 am – 9:00 am

Welcome & Opening Remarks
Andrej Suskavcevic | President and CEO | Financial Executives International
Deborah Adkins | CFO | Children’s Home Society of Florida
Chair | 2019 Financial Leadership Summit Planning Committee  

 

9:00 am – 10:00 am

Opening Keynote Address
ME TO WE: Making Doing Good, Doable

Craig Kielburger | Humanitarian, Activist and Social Entrepreneur | Co-founder, WE Charity

New York Times Best-Selling Author and Co-founder of the WE Organization, Craig Kielburger, will give you the tools to take action and drive social change. Through his life's journey he discovered a simple but profound truth, that anyone has the power to change the world, and real fulfillment starts with having the courage to reach out to others. By sharing the ME to WE philosophy during this session, you will be inspired to discover your own purpose to help you start your own journey to create positive change.

 
 

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  
American Express

 

10:30 am – 11:20 am

Inspiration Tracks

4 Inspiration Tracks available - please choose 1 during registration:
Business Management and Organization, Information Technology, Personal Development, & Best Practices for Private Companies

Boards Want the Story
Business Management and Organization

Managing the gap between director expectations and management execution is often more art than science. Financial executives not only need to give the board the numbers, but also tell the story regarding what the numbers mean. This session will tell attendees how to reset their board relationships and ways to put together a quarterly game plan for success.

Presenter:
Stephen Brown | Senior Advisor | KPMG Board Leadership Center

 

Quantifying Cyber Risk: From Bits & Bytes to Dollars & Sense
Information Technology

How can organizations design effective cybersecurity programs when faced with an ever-changing cyber threat landscape? This session will discuss considerations for business leaders as they prepare for current and coming threats.

Presenter:
Jeff Welgan | Executive Director & Head of Executive Training Program | CyberVista

 

Productivity Hacks That Will Improve Your Life
Personal Development

Though there’s no shortcut to success, all leaders rely on certain “hacks” to manage their time, prioritize, delegate, and recharge. Panelists will discuss habits that have helped them not only find success in their careers but find balance in their lives.

Presenter:
James Reid | Founder & CEO | J. Reid Group

 

Getting Under the Financial Hood In M&A
Best Practices for Private Companies

According to a Harvard Business Review study, when it comes to corporate mergers & acquisitions (M&A), “too many executives bring insufficient discipline to the evaluation process that fuels these deals — as a result, they often get deals wrong.” Panelists will discuss how senior-level financial executives can protect their companies from potential disaster by asking specific and pointed questions.

Presenters:
Paddy King | Senior Manager, Transaction Advisory Services | Ernst & Young LLP
Kevin LaHatte | Principal | Comvest Partners
Blake Pilgrim | Partner, Transaction Advisory Services | Ernst & Young LLP
Raj Toleti | SVP and General Manager | Allscripts

 
 

11:30 am – 12:20 pm

4 Inspiration Tracks available - please choose 1 during registration:
Business Management and Organization, Information Technology, Personal Development, & Best Practices for Private Companies

Building a Culture of Trust
Business Management and Organization

Trust serves as the foundation of every successful relationship. It creates productive business relationships, and nowhere is its presence – or lack thereof – more evident than between employees and leaders. Great organizations purposefully develop and manage cultures that support employees and their growth. Attend this session to learn the key components of a culture of trust. You’ll be given research on how trust-filled relationships directly impact your bottom line. You’ll learn the four elements of being trustworthy and behaviors that build and deepen trust. If trust has been broken, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to rebuild it. And, you’ll learn tactical exercises you can take back to the office and implement immediately to instill a trust-filled culture.

Presenter:
Michael Seaver | Founder and CEO | Seaver Consulting

 

How Technology is Expanding the Role of the CFO
Information Technology

The past few decades have witnessed a vast expansion of the CFO role. This is due in part to streamlining of other functions as well as a direct result of advances in technology that permit delivery and interpretation of massive amounts of relevant, valuable data, much of which directly impacts financial management. Find out how successful CFOs are managing and leveraging this data and other technology deliverables for the future.

Presenter:
Dr. Ajit Kambil | Global Research Director, CFO Program | Deloitte

 

Negotiation Success Skills
Personal Development

Successful CFOs and financial professionals must be capable negotiators. Both internal policy questions as well as external contracts require input and insight from an organization’s chief financial officer. It’s not enough to be in the room – CFOs need to be able to identify, discuss, and debate potential policies and agreements in a professional and measured manner, knowing how and when to bring the pros and cons to the table. Both experienced and newer CFOs will come away with suggestions and ideas to improve their position in their next negotiation.

Presenter:
Heather Cole | Executive Coach/Business Analytics Advisor | Lodestar Solutions, Inc. & Heatherized

 

Human Resource Issues for Private Companies
Best Practices for Private Companies

Rapid growth. Lease accounting. Unexpected events. New projects. Talent shortages. Robotic process automation integration. Finance functions confront no dearth of challenges and urgent priorities, all of which place heavy demands on staff seemingly in a constant state of “stretched thin.” For private companies, these issues can exacerbate hiring and retention challenges made more difficult by having to compete with public companies and hot start-ups. This session will look at human resource issues at private companies, including how technology affects finance departments, and provide best practices for hiring and retention, staffing major initiatives, using new the labor model and gaining a competitive advantage in the race to secure a high-performing team.

Presenters:
Ana Amato | Managing Director | Protiviti
Paul McDonald | Senior Executive Director | Robert Half

 
 

12:20 pm – 1:20 pm

Networking Luncheon in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  
American Express

 
 

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

General Session | A Better Way to Work
The world of work has evolved. Our work practices and the tools we use to do our work are changing. What are the impacts of the digital on the human and how might we embrace human machine collaborations to build a stronger, more competitive workforce? Join Roberto Masiero as he provides a peek at the future of work through the lens of technology. What does new technology really mean for businesses and employees? And how can finance be a catalyst to applying new tools to enhance the workforce?

Roberto Masiero Presenter:
Roberto Masiero | SVP, Global Products and Technology, ADP Innovation Labs | ADP
 
 

2:40 pm – 3:30 pm

4 Inspiration Tracks available - please choose 1 during registration:
Business Management and Organization, Information Technology, Personal Development, & Best Practices for Private Companies

How Financial Executives can Maximize LinkedIn
Business Management and Organization

LinkedIn is the place that business professionals go to search for information, assess credibility, connect with each other, discover business partners, and get recommendations about business topics. During this session, gain tips and tricks to create a presence that makes an outstanding impression and grows results. Learn how to optimize your profile, position yourself as an authority within your industry or areas of financial and accounting expertise, benchmark with your peers around the globe and more will be shared during this interactive session.

Presenter:
Larry Kaufman | Regional Managing Director | Experis Finance

 

Advanced Analytics, Machine Learning and AI for Finance Departments
Information Technology

Have you ever wondered how Amazon appears to know what you want before you do? They even know what color you like. Today’s data revolution will have a larger effect on the world than the Industrial Revolution. Learn the secrets to positioning your finance department to lead your company to greater profits by leveraging data and analytics.

Presenter:
Heather Cole | Executive Coach/Business Analytics Advisor | Lodestar Solutions, Inc. & Heatherized

 

How to Handle Difficult Conversations
Personal Development

Have you had a tough conversation with someone you work with? You dread it, but you know it must happen. Learn proven methods of adopting the right approach, preparing yourself carefully and developing the right skills, mindset and behavior. You will be able to handle conversations effectively and steer them to a successful conclusion acceptable to all involved.

 

Economic Update for Private Companies
Best Practices for Private Companies

What do changes in the tax code, tariffs and President Trump’s tweets all have in common? They impact the economy. Regardless if you are big or small, a Democrat, Republican or Independent, the constant change affects us all. Get the latest information on how today’s changes are impacting privately held companies, so you can position yourself and your organization to thrive during turbulent times.

Presenters:
Russell Goldberg | Partner | Withum
Peter Hilera | Tax Partner | Withum

 
 

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  
Netrex Capital Markets

 

4:10 pm – 5:05 pm

General Session | The Influential Leader: Transform High Stakes Communication into Massive ROI
“You're too much in the weeds. You’re not getting to the point. Give us the 30,000 ft view.” These are the words many leaders and CFOs hear during a high-stakes presentation. It’s your job to influence, but you can’t make an impact if your message isn’t getting across. Powerful communication can move markets and perception. Financial executives need to look and sound like leaders. During this session, discover the ROI of influential communication and the tools to create presence on the platform without saying a word, gain buy-in for your ideas and projects and speak with confidence, clarity, and conviction.

Diane DiResta Presenter:
Diane DiResta | Founder and CEO | DiResta Communications Inc.
 
 

5:05 pm - 6:30 pm

Evening Networking Reception in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  
Visual Lease

Network with trusted exhibitors, sponsors, and industry leaders – get the latest information on business products, services and solutions. Connect with colleagues and peers over hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and entertainment.

 

 
 
 

Tuesday, May 21

7:00 am – 2:00 pm

Registration

 

7:30 am - 8:20 am 

4 Breakfast Sessions available – 1 CPE credit each

How to Avoid Material Weaknesses or Significant Deficiencies in Your 10K: Steps for Creating a Robust ICFR Program
Sponsored by Greenlight Technologies
A startling number of public companies reported material weaknesses in the previous quarter. In fact, 23% of the 5,600+ filings reported one based on the aggregated information we provide to FEI. And 75% of the companies reporting material weaknesses last year were because of controls not being properly monitored according to the State of SOX/Internal Controls Market Survey result highlights. Join us for this critical session to find out material weakness trends over time, key issues that companies face and best practices to help with your reporting efforts. We will also walk you through how an effective system of ICFR can significantly reduce the risk of misstatements and inaccuracies in your company’s financial statements.

Presenters:
Mark Kissman | Chief Financial Officer | Greenlight Technologies
James Rice | Vice President, Customer Solutions | Greenlight Technologies

 

Finance Unleashed – Enabling Modern Finance with CPM 2.0 Platforms
Sponsored by OneStream Software
The future of finance is now. Over the last decade, Finance teams have continued their transformation from backward to forward-looking and have been navigating their firms through digital disruption. Today, many face new demands to address risks & compliance, the war for talent and to reshape business models. Further, transformative technologies like the blockchain, robotic process automation (RPA) and machine learning are forcing finance leaders to think differently about how they will transact, report and analyze their business in the future. Still, despite billions of dollars invested into ERP and first-generation corporate performance management (CPM 1.0) solutions – almost 50% of CFO's do not believe they are prepared to meet the demands of the strategic priorities of their business.

Forward-thinking finance leaders are thinking bigger to address business demands – and are creating a new foundation for change with CPM 2.0 platforms. Designed to address the same business challenges as CPM 1.0, CPM 2.0 platforms provide a modern approach that aligns to today’s most sophisticated processes, leverages new technologies and provides increased business agility. Learn how leading organizations are innovating with CPM 2.0 platforms to transform processes, increase collaboration with operations and unleash the true value of finance as a strategic business partner across the enterprise.

Presenter:
John O’Rourke | Vice President, Product Marketing | OneStream Software

 

Lease Accounting Implementation: What NOT to Do – Public Company 842 Lessons Learned
Sponsored by Visual Lease
If you’re a private firm just beginning to prepare for compliance with the new lease accounting standards (FASB ASC 842 and IFRS 16), consider yourself extremely fortunate. While you certainly face a big challenge ahead in 2019, you have the advantage of learning from the pitfalls that many public companies made with lease accounting implementation in 2018.

In this session, we’ll explain the missteps and oversights we saw that resulted in wasted time and effort, caused project delays, and opened up firms to significant risk of inaccurate financial reporting. We’ll also share advice to help your company avoid these pitfalls and experience a smoother (and less stressful) transition.

Presenter:
Alexandra Betesh | Vice President, Client Services | Visual Lease

 

The Death of Reporting - How Much Does Behavior Cost You
Sponsored by Zii Travel Technologies
Traditional corporate travel reporting is a total failure. The data reporting provides is often months after the fact, out of context and unusable. If that weren’t enough, most companies are reluctant to act on reporting, not wanting to hamper the performance of their road warriors for some minor overspending. If only there was a way to make travelers realize the impact of their compliance. Attend this session to explore a different approach to manage travel and expenses.

Presenter:
Monique Mardinian | CEO & Founder | Zii Travel Technologies, Inc.

 
 

8:30 am - 8:40 am

Opening Remarks
 

 

8:40 am – 9:45 am

Morning Keynote Address
Trust Your Hustle

Anthony Trucks | Former NFL player, International Speaker and Author

During this morning keynote address, you will be challenged to take big goals from dreaming to doing, from surviving to thriving by learning how to “Trust Your Hustle.” Anthony Trucks' message is enlightening, direct, honest, positive, and personal in a way that makes you feel like you’ve known him your entire life. You will leave his session motivated and clear on how to “Own Your Shift” and lead your life into a future greater than you thought possible.

 
 

9:50 am – 10:20 am

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by  
Ledgent

 

10:30 am – 11:20 am

4 Inspiration Tracks available - please choose 1 during registration:
Business Management and Organization, Information Technology, Personal Development, & Best Practices for Private Companies

Dealing with Transitions
Business Management and Organization

The business world is constantly transforming. Whether you're experiencing massive growth, a merger, a restructure or layoffs, the employees and managers naturally are faced with uncertainty. For most, uncertainty and the psychological transitions experienced with change are even more stressful. Organizational transitions affect people. Discover methods to lead successful transitions so your employees can embrace a new situation and carry out the corresponding change.

Presenter:
Bernie Brown | Instructor | GRO-WELL Brands Inc.

 

Data Science in Finance: Key Actions for Success
Information Technology

The role of senior-level financial executives is evolving as stewards of company data. As such, the ability to classify and predict vast amounts of data coupled with emerging technology is creating new opportunities and new insights. In this session, CFOs, controllers and chief accounting officers will learn specific actions to take to build data science skills on their teams.

Presenter:
Meagan O’Leary | Director, Finance BI | Microsoft Corporation

 

Knockout Presentations: Present Your Message with Power, Punch and Pizzazz
Personal Development

Speaking is the new competitive edge. Your advantage today depends on how well you present yourself, your message, and your value to the marketplace. And the delivery of that presentation determines your success trajectory. Effective presenters get more promotions, higher sales, and so much more. If you want to be seen as the leader you are, you can no longer avoid the platform. This session will empower you to deliver a presentation with maximum impact. Attend and discover how to control nervousness, organize your talk in 7 easy steps, master delivery techniques, work a room, develop visual aids and control Q & A.

Presenter:
Diane DiResta | Founder and CEO | DiResta Communications Inc.

 

Twelve Strategies for Maximizing Profitability
Best Practices for Private Companies

The CFO of a company is the one person who sees the performance of every aspect of the business in great detail. From this perspective, s/he can advise on operational strategies which will improve efficiencies and maximize profitability.

This session will provide hands-on examples of strategies which have generated millions of dollars in cost savings and revenue enhancements for companies large and small, and will leave participants with ideas which they can use immediately in their own companies. A take-away will be an internal audit questionnaire which through forty probing questions will identify immediate opportunities for cost savings.

Presenter:
Philip Varley | CEO | The Barrington Group, Inc.

 

 

 

11:20 am – 12:20 Pm

Closing Keynote Address
The Art of Leadership

Erik Wahl | Artist, Speaker and Author of UNTHINK

Erik Wahl’s entertaining and invigorating Art of Leadership presentation paints a compelling new portrait for what the successful leaders of tomorrow will look like. He inspires audiences to shed old ways of thinking and “business as usual” processes that are outdated, inefficient and detrimental to productivity. Audience members learn new ways to build an emotional connection to drive future employee engagement. Erik’s presentation stretches traditional assumptions on leadership.

 
 

12:20 pm – 1:30 pm

Networking Luncheon in Exhibit Hall
Adaptive Insights

 
 

1:30 pm – 3:10 pm

Post-Conference Workshop: Automate Your Critical Financial Processes

From big data to financial processes, automation plays a big role in your digital transformation. This education, interactive session will show you how to improve your company’s profitability, enhance financial intelligence and minimize risk using a Corporate Performance Software Platform (CPM). CPM software can automate critical financial processes such as budgeting, planning, consolidation and reporting. This hands-on session will showcase a software platform that is easy to use, powerful and collaborative. Gain insight into how companies are using CPM to gain increased visibility and insight into their business performance.

Presenters:
Hashim Alvi | Solutions Engineer | Prophix Software Inc.
Chris Houston | Director, Sales | Prophix Software Inc.

 
 
 

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