Agenda Day 2, May 17th, 2023:   (see Agenda Day 1)     (back to Event Summary)

09.00 – Opening Remarks from the Chair

09.15 - Finance Transformation in the Chemical Industry

·        Setting a strategy for finance transformation aligned with the direction of the business

·        Updating the finance operating model and organizational structure: what has changed in our date to day roles?

·        Enabling finance as a valued business partner

·        Business decisions support and analytics

·        Automation and continuous improvement

·        Finance operations optimisation programmes

Michael Tesch, Managing Director Germany and Finance Lead Europe, Clariant

10.00 – Unlocking FP&A’s Capabilities to Drive Business Performance

·        Readjusting FP&A’s placement in your organization’s hierarchy

·        Determining FP&A’s focus and level of centralization based on market and business factors

·        Ensure that FP&A managers are focused on higher level finance and tasks: contributing to the business on decision support, forecasting and management information

·        The future path of FP&A technology and its impact on the organization

Stephane Hamon, Director of Finance Supply Chain and Solution Europe & ISMEA, UPS

10.45 – Finance’s Contribution to Support Business Transformation and Enhance Competitiveness

·        Finance’s role in performance as it relates to strategic planning and strategic execution

·        Cascading financial performance management principles and SOPs and strategic objectives to the  

Chris Seybold, CFO, Gemini Data

11.30 – Morning Coffee and Networking

12.00 – Behavioral  Finance and Its Importance in Today's Financial Context

·        2008 Financial Crisis - Representativeness Heuristic

·        Dot-com Bubble - Availability Heuristic

·        Anchoring in Stock Price Evaluations

·        Behavioral Biases in Retirement Savings - Status Quo Bias

·        Conclusion

Maciej Mikucki, CFO, Polpharma Group

12.45 – Accounting Transformation and Automation in Practice

·        Practical experiences on accounting transformation

·        Centralisation of accounting functions (PTP, RTR, OTC) and the close process

·        Common mistakes / pitfalls to be avoided

·        Delivering what you promised

·        Automating core accounting processes while maintaining stakeholder trust

·        The path to continuous accounting

Frederic Marret, Group CFO, Webcor Group

13.30 – Lunch Break

14.15 – Sustainability in your Finance Model and Business Partnering

·        ESG strategy within finance

·        Development of accounting towards sustainability

·        Attention to environmental matters

·         Implementing The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

Remko Walsweer, CFO, PreZero Nederland

15.00 - Using AI to Unlock Commercial Insights

Eyal Dayan, Head of Commercial Finance, Polpharma Group

15.45 – Brief Coffee Break

16.00 - Building up the Finance Function in Startups/Scaleups

Ervin Alliu, Head of Finance, Isar Aerospace

16.30 -  The Use of AI-Powered Chatbots in the CFO Office

In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, the integration of AI-powered chatbots in the CFO's office represents a transformative shift. These advanced tools offer unparalleled efficiencies, deeper insights, and enhanced risk management. Let's explore how AI can redefine the role of CFOs and elevate their strategic impact

·        Enhanced Data Analysis and Decision Making: AI chatbots provide real-time data analysis and reporting, enabling informed decision-making and strategic planning based on market trends and financial forecasts

·        Operational Efficiency and Cost Management: Automating routine tasks like data entry and invoice processing with AI leads to increased efficiency, reduced errors, and effective cost management

·        Risk Identification and Regulatory Compliance: AI's ability to detect anomalies and patterns in financial data aids in risk management and ensures adherence to evolving regulatory standards

·        Improved Stakeholder Engagement and Training Support: AI chatbots facilitate better communication with stakeholders by providing instant financial information and assist in training new staff, ensuring consistent knowledge transfer.

·        Scalability and Predictive Analysis: AI systems easily scale with the company's growth, offering predictive analytics for future trends, crucial for long-term financial health and planning

Lennart van Bolderick, CFO, Super-B, part of Koolen Industries Group

17.00 – Closing Remarks from the Chair and End of Forum

(see Agenda Day 1)      (back to Event Summary)