From big data and artificial intelligence (AI) 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.

Working for an essential business during the Covid-19 pandemic was both a blessing and a curse. While selling the basic goods that people needed was great for business, the demands on all our staff were equally challenging. It certainly underscored the importance of having people, processes and technology that were up to the task.

In this session, we will explore the role that people and processes play in guiding a business during a pandemic.  Additionally, what are some lesson learned and best practices gained during scenario planning and agile business modeling.   Lastly, this session will provide some future trends that will significantly impacts accounting, finance & FP&A teams for the foreseeable future.  

Investor interest in ESG issues has recently intensified, especially as it relates to company disclosures about climate change risks and remediation strategies. In the Blackrock 2020 letter to client CEOs Larry Fink emphasized long-term value creation and profitability and highlighted the importance of sustainability risk assessment and disclosure. In particular, Fink recommended the industry-specific Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards for reporting on a wide range of issues and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework for evaluating and reporting on climate-related risks.

This session will focus on the leadership style you need to incorporate to lead high impact teams in your workplace.  It will outline a process for setting teams up for success while giving them accountability and decision making authority that allows you to lead and stay informed as the team drives toward the outcome you want.  The nuggets in this session will allow you to lead better while still ensuring any team can be successful without constant over management. 

The role of Finance has evolved over the past 30 years, and with new labels as the Modern CFO, Next Generation Finance, etc. new requirements for Finance in the 2020s emerge. Stepping out of the role as the Record keeping Accountant several decades ago and into a partnering role to the business, Finance is now entering into The Analytics Business Partner in the 2020s. 

This session provides a framework for how Finance advances from a hindsight looking reporting center to a forward looking predictive powerhouse by using advanced analytics to generate insight to influence decisions and foresight to impact the strategic direction. To do so, Finance needs to raise the bar and engage both emerging technologies and a broader skillset. The session also provides a benchmark study for where Finance is today in its journey to become an Analytics Business Partner.