In 2023, successfully partnering with the wider business is the goal of virtually all senior Finance executives – enabling them to get a seat at the table and prove the value of Finance in driving effective enterprise decision-making. Introducing a theme that is fundamental to this year’s Exchange, this panel aims to dig deeper into how we can elevate our communication and leadership skills to build a strategic partnership and address the challenges that come with this increased responsibility. Our panelists will do so by tackling the following questions:

• How can we prove the value Finance is adding when targets and responsibilities are constantly changing?
• How can we as leaders be better at communicating our ideas for business partnering?
• How can we ensure we balance our time well between people management, traditional Finance roles, and translating our ideas into business deliverables?
• What do we need to do to make sure our analysis and suggestions align with wider business objectives?

When talking about the future of Finance, we must look at what disruptive technologies are making their way into the market and how they can be leveraged within our function. We can’t rely on knowing what technology is available; without truly understanding how we can integrate that new technology into our existing ecosystem we cannot hope to apply it effectively. Understanding what Finance might look like in the not-so-near future requires us to get to grips with the longer-term application of Generative AI, Blockchain and other transformative technologies and to understand the impact they can make on efficiency. The opportunity is exciting, but we must also understand the challenges that can arise from implementing technological change. Our panellists will use their experience to address these challenges:

• What emerging and disruptive technology could be a priority for Finance right now?
• Where are technologies like AI and Generative AI compared to where they could be (for Finance) in the future?
• How can new tools and technology fit in with our existing set to elevate our finance output?
• How could this technology affect our Finance team, and how can we keep them motivated?
• How does increased use of technology like AI affect data security in the Finance department and is it worth the data security risk?

In many industries, there is a challenge with hiring and retaining talent, as well as ensuring these employees are adaptable in their roles. Not only is Finance not an exception to this rule, but it is really the one most affected. Enterprise automation often starts with Finance, so the need to manage and navigate the situation is a top priority for finance leaders. Addressing these challenges as well as thinking about how to re-imagine how we interact with our employees is pivotal to enabling growth and success of the Finance function. Our panelists will do so by answering the following questions:

• How has the transition to remote working affected the expectations of employees and how can we use this way of working to our advantage?
• How does the remote/hybrid working setup affect how we lead and train our employees, and alter how they interact with new technology?
• How can we achieve economies of skill as well as economies of scale?
• How can we offer the best to our employees and harness a culture of continuous improvement to nurture relationships and retain talent?
• How can we as leaders identify key skills that would be favorable when looking for future Finance leaders?