With 12 words, Seth Godin has captured one of the biggest, most frustrating and difficult-to-overcome challenges of our time: "We're so busy doing our jobs, we can't get any work done."

Until a clear return on investment is defined, many leaders fall back on the status quo, thinking we can dig ourselves out from the avalanche of busy-ness if we just work a little harder. But there are two problems with that line of thinking:

1. We'll never have less work to do. The problem isn't what we're doing; it's how we're doing it.

2. Instead of worrying about the ROI, we should focus on the RONI—the risk of not investing. Today, that risk is huge. Our competitors are working to become future ready. If we don't, we risk irrelevance at best…and extinction at worst.

Learning Objectives:
1. Leveraging business process to drive productivity
2. Four cornerstones to productivity
3. Applying business process to simplify your business and create capacity

Professionals within Financial Planning & Anlysis will discuss various topics regarding innovation in FP&A. Attendees should come to the session with questions for the panel.

Learning Objectives:
• Review key things are happening in FP&A now
• Determine what can be expected in FP&A going forward
• Cover greatest challenges in FP&A
• Discuss successes and failures experienced recently

This session is a tactical approach to leading organizational change and developing effective business partnerships to achieve a common goal. The speaker will provide a step by step approach to take lead organizational change.

Learning Objectives:

1. Cover ways to develop effective business relationships.

2. Discuss real life examples and lessons learned along the way.

This session will explore methodologies and techniques on effectively communicating financial and operational results to business partners.

Learning Objectives:
1. Presentation of financial results and operating metrics
2. Understanding the "so what" of financial results

What does it really take to run an innovative and engaged FP&A function? The best way to learn that maybe to interact with a 20-year FP&A leader, who will share front-line examples of leading the effort to implement transformative strategies to both solve business problems and ensure that the team was properly positioned to be a valued partner in day-to-day decision making.

Hear the stories and experiences that led to the evolution and success of this FP&A team, including:
• Being present in addressing the true needs of the business
• Prioritizing high-value activities over perfunctory busywork
• Pursuing diverse and appropriate skill sets within the team
• Creating engagement by utilizing embedded structures
• Upgrading the planning function to rolling forecasts

Learn how a true leader:
• Nurtures team members’ professional and personal growth
• Promotes knowledge-sharing strategies that accelerate business acumen
• Stretches the team’s creativity
• Ensure the team is having fun and excited to be at work
End your day on a high note with this inspirational account of how powerful and high-functioning an FP&A team can be.

This session will cover the impacts of forecasting on financial reporting and business operations.

Learning Objectives:

1) The "how" of building a forecast: market insights, historical experience, innovation and frequency.
2) How to determine and account for sensitivities in forecasts.

The latest business-centered technological advances (i.e. Blockchain, AI, IoT, etc) and the amount of data that businesses generate & hoard on a daily basis are speeding up the way that businesses merge, integrate, grow, and expand into new markets or territories. These characteristics bring challenges for the FP&A team to assess situations, qualify investments, develop new market models, and prepare budgets & monthly forecasts.
So, companies are in need of Finance leaders with “high caliber features” that can be proactive, precise, quick, and accurate on their decision making process. Unfortunately, these leaders cannot only rely on their education and technical experiences; but also, they must develop personal skills and attitudes that will allow them to grow long lasting business partnerships within & outside of the organization.
In this session, you will learn some of the key areas that a Finance leader should focus on to develop successful long term business partnerships within today’s FP&A work environments.

Learning Objectives:
1. Develop or participate on a “task-force team” within the organization
2. Create “brainstorm sessions” to identify common goals, objectives, and values
3. Identify one or multiple leaders within the organization to help the “task-force team” being on track with the goals, objectives, and to discuss functional specific topics
4. Connect with each team member by being transparent, authentic, and a little bit vulnerable
5. Cultivate a team mentality and always collaborate to achieve the team’s results

During this session, the speaker will discuss the state of the U.S. and global economy, the impact of federal policies, and the likely direction of capital markets. Particular focus will be given to late-cycle strains on the U.S. economy and potential policy remedies and risks.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the role of government policy in the U.S. economy
2. Learn the role that social ills are playing in labor force dynamics
3. Acquire the knowledge to incorporate reasonable economic assumptions into their financial analysis work

Microsoft has quietly been turbocharging Excel by integrating industrial-strength Business Intelligence and Reporting engines into it - capabilities that are 100% built for YOU, and that you start revolutionizing your career (and improving your LIFE) on your very first day using them. Take your first step in this session.

Attendees will:
• Gain awareness of Microsoft's massive investments in this space - capabilities ideal for the FP&A pro... but poorly marketed.
• Understand the roles and utility of Power Pivot and Power Query - the two 'engines' at the heart of this.
• Watch as the presenters walk through common FP&A workflows, witnessing the dramatic efficiency and intelligence gains.
• Leave with next steps - activating/installing the software, downloading the session examples, and further educational resources.