Conference Day 2 - Wed, 16 Sept
9:00 am - 9:10 am
Chair's Opening Remarks
Alicia Bezkhmelnitsyn -
FP&A leader,
.
Agentic AI and the Autonomous Finance Function
9:10 am - 9:50 am
Panel Discussion: Embedding GenAI in Everyday Finance – Use Cases & Guardrails
Joao Moreira -
Manager, Digital Finance & Innovation,
BlueScope
Aileen Yao - General Manager - Group Treasury, M&A, Corporate Finance, Fulton Hogan
Liz Siminsky - CFO Australia, Fisher & Paykel
Key Takeaways:
- High-impact GenAI use cases across planning, reporting, and analysis
- Embedding AI into everyday finance workflows and decision support
- Establishing governance, risk frameworks, and ethical guardrails
- Building trust and adoption across finance teams and leadership
9:50 am - 10:20 am
Strategy Doesn't Fail in the Boardroom. It Dies on a Tuesday
Anam Dhila -
Global Head of Finance,
UpGrad
Key Takeaways:
- Moving beyond task automation to intelligent, outcome-driven finance processes
- Identifying where agentic AI can unlock the greatest value
- Measuring automation ROI beyond efficiency gains
- Scaling intelligent automation across the finance function
10:20 am - 11:00 am
Panel Discussion: From Pilot to Production: Making Agentic AI Stick in Finance
Adam Aziz -
Head of Financial Accounting,
Komatsu Australia
Tom Briley - Head of Finance, Integration, Domain Group
Priya Iyer - Finance Transformation Lead, --
Key Takeaways:
- What separates a successful POC from a scalable production agent
- Managing team resistance and the fear of job displacement
- Navigating global ERP constraints when building the business case for agentic AI
- Balancing the build vs buy decision: when to deploy off-the-shelf agents and when custom solutions are worth the investment
Morning Break
11:00 am - 11:30 am
MORNING RECHARGE IN THE EXPO
ESG, Risk & Governance in a Complex World
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Fireside Chat: The Finance Advantage: Owning the Shift From Reporting to Strategy, Risk and Resilience
Yvonna Gammie -
Head of Corporate Development,
Pepper Money ANZ
Key Takeaways:
- Shifting finance from a reporting function to a strategic driver of sustainability outcomes
- Building frameworks that embed sustainability thinking into core financial decision-making
- How finance can influence, advocate, and lead from the front
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Rethinking the Budget: Persistent Funding Models and the Move to Agile Capital Allocation
Phil Aerdeman -
Head of FP&A & Technology Finance,
Bupa Australia
Key Takeaways:
- Strengthening credibility and transparency in ESG reporting
- Aligning sustainability commitments with financial performance
- Demonstrating measurable ESG value to investors and stakeholders
- Positioning finance as a steward of long-term enterprise trust
Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Networking Lunch & VIP Hosted Lunches
Join us in the expo hall for a relaxed networking lunch with the Finance and CFO community—connect with peers, explore the exhibition, and recharge for the afternoon ahead. For invited guests, exclusive VIP lunches will run concurrently—bringing senior leaders and select partners together for high-impact conversations in a more intimate setting.
Problem Solving Labs
2:00 pm - 2:55 pm
Problem 1: Finance Transformation Is Behind, and Execs Want a Reset by Monday
2:00 pm - 2:55 pm
Problem 2: A Cyber Attack Has Frozen AP & Payroll: Cash Flow Is Now Critical
2:00 pm - 2:55 pm
Problem 3: Executive Leadership Wants a 25% Headcount Reduction Without Hurting Service
2:00 pm - 2:55 pm
Problem 4: Your Forecasting Model Has Failed, And the Board Wants Answers
3:00 pm - 3:10 pm
Chairperson’s Closing Remark
Alicia Bezkhmelnitsyn -
FP&A leader,
.
Key Takeaways:
- The deliberate steps taken to reposition finance from a reporting function to a genuine strategic partner across the enterprise
- Building credibility with the CEO, board and operational leaders through commercial acumen, not just financial accuracy
- How the CFO used a period of economic uncertainty to demonstrate finance's value as a decision-making engine
- The internal capability and cultural shifts that made the repositioning stay
