EUROPE'S PREMIER INVITATION-ONLY EVENT FOR FINANCE EXECUTIVES
19 - 20 October 2026 | Leonardo Royal Hotel Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Agenda Day 1
Agenda day 1
7:45 am - 8:30 am
Registration & Coffee
8:30 am - 8:35 am
Exchange Welcome
8:35 am - 8:45 am
Chair’s Opening Address
8:45 am - 9:15 am
OPENING KEYNOTE - Progressive Finance: The CFO as a Leader of AI Adoption and Cultural Change
Sebastian Hurst -
CFO at Roche Netherlands,
Roche Netherlands
As organisations accelerate investment in AI, the CFO's role is rapidly expanding beyond traditional financial stewardship. In this era of Progressive Finance, CFOs are uniquely positioned to lead not just the deployment of technology, but the fundamental mindset shift required for its success.
The successful integration of AI is more about effective leadership that shapes culture, establishes trust, and guides teams through change.
CFOs are crucial in fostering an "AI-First" culture by actively championing its adoption. Given that AI acts as the "great equaliser," this leadership must be characterised by empathy and flexibility. This means leaders must demonstrate emotional intelligence, acknowledge the human element of this transformation, and remain adaptable as roles, processes, and expectations evolve.
By combining strategic foresight with empathy, Finance Leaders can ensure the responsible deployment of AI, aligning it with overall business objectives and embedding it into daily decision-making across the organisation. The current focus should be on cultivating the essential mindsets and capabilities within the Finance Organisation today. This proactive approach will ensure the development of a high-performing finance team prepared for the future.
This opening keynote will detail how CFOs can spearhead AI transformation, driving both the necessary technological innovation and the critical cultural shift required to realise its full potential.
Key discussion points include:
- Why CFOs and the Finance Function are uniquely positioned to lead enterprise-wide AI adoption: Including Roche leadership perspectives.
- Defining high-performing finance teams: Exploring the skill sets and capabilities required when AI becomes the great equalizer.
- Leading through change: The Finance Leader as a role model in AI adoption, fostering an "AI-First" mindset with empathy and adaptability.
9:15 am - 9:45 am
PLENARY FIRESIDE CHAT: The Architecture of Modern Finance: From Fragmentation to A.I-Ready Systems
Matej Trbara -
Co-founder,
Farseer
In this session, we unpack why "one version of the truth" continues to break down at scale, where the real bottlenecks sit between BI, DWH, and planning, and what's actually changing (and not changing) with AI in finance.
Expect a candid conversation on the trade-offs, the practical constraints and what has — and hasn't — worked when AI is thrust into modern finance.
Discussion topics
• Why "one version of the truth" still breaks — even with modern finance stacks
• Where reconciliation actually creeps back in (and why it's so hard to eliminate)
• Trade-offs between flexibility, control, and speed in finance data
• Where AI genuinely helps finance teams today — and where it doesn't
• How far teams can get without re-platforming — and where shortcuts fail
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Networking Bingo
Get to know your peers as you navigate the room to find the needed numbers for you to be able to call "Bingo!"
10:05 am - 10:35 am
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
10:05 am - 10:35 am
THINK TANK A: Beating the Filing Clock: The Case for AI Agents in iXBRL Reporting
Gerben de Boer -
Senior Account Executive,
Lucanet
Mamad Mardani - Senior Account Executive, Lucanet
Mamad Mardani - Senior Account Executive, Lucanet
Every filing cycle ends the same way: tagging, cross-checks, and the last mile compressed into the final 48 hours before the deadline. Lucanet's XBRL Tagger Agent already processes over a thousand InlineXBRL filings a year, cutting tagging time from days to minutes. A real number, not a roadmap. This session makes the case for where AI agents beat that clock: what they already handle unsupervised, where that intelligence extends next into drafting and checking the report itself, and where your team's judgment still leads. Then we hold it up against the room's own filing clock.
Three takeaways:
- Where AI agents already remove the last-minute scramble in iXBRL filings, in verified numbers, not a promise.
- Where that intelligence extends next, from tagging into drafting and consistency-checking the report itself.
- A read on your own filing clock: where an agent would buy your team the most time this cycle.
10:40 am - 11:10 am
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
11:15 am - 11:45 am
PLENARY PRESENTATION: The Future of GBS & Value Creation in the Age of AI
Inbal Orbach -
Vice President Global Head of FP&A,
Lonza Group AG Basel
Frenchie Green - Global Director, Financial Operations Strategy, Nike Inc.
Over the past 15–20 years, Global Business Services and outsourced finance models have evolved from cost-saving engines into strategic enablers. However, the landscape is shifting rapidly. With the rise of AI, automation, and changing cost dynamics across geographies, CFOs are re-evaluating long-standing operating models. Traditional location-based arbitrage is no longer the primary driver of value and many organisations are questioning whether their
current GBS structures are fit for the future.
This Think Tank session explores how finance leaders can redefine GBS to deliver true value in a digital-first world.
Key Questions Explored:
• From Cost Efficiency to Value Creation: Is the traditional GBS model still relevant?
• The Impact of AI on GBS : How AI is reshaping shared services and BPO models
• Location Strategy Revisited : Does it still matter where your shared services are located?
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: Agility, Resilience, and Adaptability: The Three Pillars for Leading Through Uncertainty?
Dennis Sasse -
Group Finance Director,
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Roche
Mohamed Elmeadawy - Vice President Finance & Controlling - Emerging Markets, Groupe SEB
Elizabeth Shadrack Paszek - CFO Technology, Nordea
Rick Selbach - CFO Benelux, Zurich Insurance Benelux
Davide Busata - CFO of Africa and Levant, Ferrero
Evgeny Tyurin - Head of Corporate Bank Financial Planning & Analysis and ESG Finance, Deutsche Bank
Uncertainty in business is nothing new but today, it has become multi-dimensional and, arguably, the new world order. CFOs and senior financial executives are navigating a world defined by geopolitical tensions, market volatility, currency fluctuations, rapid technological change, and relentless operational pressures. The question is clear: What is uncertainty and how do you manage in these conditions, inspire confidence, and ensure that stores, infrastructure, and supply chains keep running smoothly?
This panel discussion, led by Dennis Sasse, Group Finance Director, Roche, explores how uncertainty differs from unpredictability and questions how disruption can create opportunities for new business models, strategic investments, and sustainable growth.
Key discussion points will include:
- Embracing a "wait, look, and listen" approach, centred around scenario planning and stress-testing in volatile environments
- Mastering the distinction between perceived and actual crises while communicating financial realities effectively, turning fear of uncertainty into curiosity and courage
- How to balance short-term pressures with long-term stability and growth goals in times of instability
- Navigating fragmented trade dynamics and regulatory shifts to maintain supply chain and capital fluidity
Evgeny Tyurin
Head of Corporate Bank Financial Planning & Analysis and ESG FinanceDeutsche Bank
12:20 pm - 12:50 pm
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
12:20 pm - 12:50 pm
THINK TANK C: An ERP is not software: It's a contract, and you can't vibe code a contract.
Franz Faerber -
Managing Director,
Lensing GmbH
AI can generate software in an afternoon, but it can't sign a contract, keep a guarantee, or make a promise — and Franz argues that's actually what you're buying when you buy an ERP. The talk walks through how Lensing holds all three (accountability, operational continuity, and adaptability to future rules) by making the business spec itself the auditable source code, with AI generating changes on top of a controlled floor. Closes with four questions to ask any ERP vendor, and the line: "buy the contract, not the code."
Three key takeaways:
- Legacy ERP and AI-native GLs each fail a different leg of the stool — legacy is slow but accountable; AI-native ledgers are fast but carry no real audit position. Neither is safe to choose blindly.
- Turning the spec into the source code is what makes AI-generated changes auditable — finance reviews and signs off in business language, not code, and every change is tested and revertible.
- Regulation gets rewritten, not just added to (CSRD's scope was cut ~80% after companies built for it) — so "future-proof" has to mean able to unwind, not just able to comply.
12:55 pm - 1:55 pm
Networking Lunch
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
THINK TANK D: FP&A Transformation: From Reporting to Decision Intelligence
Saad Lahlou -
Division CFO,
Hermès
FP&A is evolving from a function focused on reporting what has happened and forecasting what might happen, towards one that
actively helps the business decide what to do next. In this interactive think tank, Saad Lahlou, Divisional CFO, will open with a real-world
example from Hermès, exploring how FP&A can use data, AI and demand-driven planning to move beyond traditional production-led
planning and support better commercial and operational decisions. Saad will introduce the challenge of planning inventory and product
allocation across a global luxury retail network and share how at Hermès, the approach has increasingly shifted towards understanding patterns
of consumption by store, city and country. Join us to discover how using data, AI and planning technology, FP&A can help reverse the planning
logic, starting with demand and then assessing production capacity, inventory and cash-flow implications.
The session will then open into a peer discussion, inviting participants to share how they are transforming their own FP&A models and where they
are seeing the greatest barriers.
We will focus on the below questions:
• From reporting to decision-making: How much of FP&A capacity is still consumed by gathering data, producing PowerPoint slides and explaining historical performance? What can and should be automated?
• From forecasts to scenarios: Are FP&A teams spending enough time on scenario modelling? How quickly can your organisation move from a change in assumption to an actionable scenario?
• From supply-led planning to demand-driven planning: Are organisations planning around what they can produce or what customers actually want? How do demand insights translate into decisions around capacity, inventory and cash?
2:35 pm - 3:05 pm
AI in Finance Debate: Redeploy Talent or Slash Headcount?
Claudia Brambilla -
CFO Nordics,
Pirelli Tyre Nordic AB
Alexandra Kim - BL CFO, Eurofins
Inbal Orbach - Vice President Global Head of FP&A, Lonza Group AG Basel
Julia Nuss - CFO, DHL Express Sweden
As AI becomes embedded across the finance function, CFOs face a fundamental strategic question: is the real value of AI in reducing costs and increasing efficiency, or in redeploying talent to higher-value work?
AI has the potential to automate manual processes, accelerate reporting cycles, and reduce operational costs. At the same time, it can free finance professionals from repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic analysis, scenario planning, and deeper business partnership. For CFOs, the challenge is determining where AI should drive cost efficiency and where it should unlock new capability and insight.
Join this panel discussion as we debate the purpose of AI within finance and impact on team structures.
Key discussion points include:
- Efficiency vs. reinvention: Should AI primarily reduce headcount and operational costs, or enable the redeployment of finance talent into more strategic roles?
- Measuring AI's real impact: How CFOs are assessing productivity gains, process acceleration, and value creation across finance workflows
- Redesigning the finance workforce: What AI means for roles, skills, and team structures as automation increases
3:05 pm - 3:35 pm
PLENARY PRESENTATION: From Trusted Finance Data to Agentic AI Decisions - How Mileway built the foundation and put Agentic AI into practice
Myrea Hijmans -
Customer Success Manager,
OneStream Software
Guillermo Ramos Henningsen - Finance Director, Mileway
Tim Vierhout - Principal Manager EPM, Mileway
AI is not the starting point of transformation. It's the outcome of getting the foundation right first. In this session, Mileway, Europe's largest last-mile logistics real estate company, shares how it established a single finance platform for planning, forecasting, consolidation and reporting, bringing together data from across the organisation into a single source of truth. With trusted data, consistent business logic and no technical debt to carry forward, Mileway created a foundation that not only supports finance today, but provides the governed, auditable basis required for explainable AI.
With a trusted finance foundation in place, Mileway is now putting OneStream SensibleAI™ Agents into practice , actively defining how agentic AI can create value across its finance function. As an early adopter, the team is working closely with OneStream, evaluating real-world use cases, testing conversational access to trusted finance data, and shaping how AI can best support its people, processes and decision-making.
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm
THINK TANK E: Interactive Case Study: Transforming the Finance Function at Sulzer
Stan Stoyanov -
Senior Director, Finance Transformation & CFO Office,
Sulzer Pumps Ltd.
Finance transformation is often described as a technology journey. In reality, it is a much broader organisational change that touches operating models and people capabilities.
In this case study, we explore how Sulzer is redesigning its finance function through a multi-year transformation programme. The initiative includes the creation of regional centres of excellence, the redesign of controlling and accounting structures, and a fundamental shift in how finance supports the business.
The transformation is currently about 40% complete, offering a realistic view of what works, what doesn't, and what other CFOs should expect when undertaking similar programmes.
Key lessons from the current transformation discussed include
- Finance transformation quickly becomes organisational transformation: Changes to processes and systems inevitably require changes to roles, structures, and skills.
- Centralisation alone does not deliver efficiency: Without process standardisation, centres of excellence simply centralise inefficiency.
- Technology must come after process redesign: Automation is only effective once processes are aligned and standardised.
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm
Pre-scheduled Business Meetings & Networking
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
THE WINE AND WHINE CLUB
Leading the charge on finance comes with its fair share of challenges. In this roundtable session, enjoy a glass of wine as you discuss (and whine about!) the trials you are up against and come up with actionable insights that you can bring back with you to the office. Choose the boardroom topic that most aligns with your current priorities and interest and join the discussions!
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP A: Future Skills: Empathy in the Age of Teams
Roberto di Matteo -
CFO Central Europe,
Takeda
Finance roles are evolving fast. They are no longer defined by control and reporting alone, but by the ability to influence direction, shape strategy, and create value beyond the numbers.
As automation and AI become embedded across finance, the skills and profiles needed in teams over the next three to five years will look very different from today. Technical expertise will still matter but so will data fluency, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate across the business. At the same time, as teams become more distributed and interactions increasingly take place in virtual environments, empathy and human connection are emerging as critical leadership capabilities.
In this interactive roundtable, led by Roberto Di Matteo, CFO, Takeda, we will explore what the finance team of 2030 needs to look like and how CFOs can begin preparing now. Alongside the evolving talent profile, strategic agility, and data fluency, the discussion will also focus on the human intelligence required in an automated world.
Join peers for an open discussion on how finance leaders can start building the skills, structures, and culture needed for the next generation of finance teams, balancing technological advancement with human connection.
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP B: Tinkers vs. Integrators: Where Are You on Your AI Adoption Journey?
Finance teams are under pressure to leverage AI, yet adoption remains uneven. Fragmented data, slow close cycles, limited training, and the absence of executive mandates are all barriers preventing AI from becoming a core part of finance operations. As a result, only a minority of organisations have successfully embedded AI into their operating model, creating a widening gap between experimentation and true transformation.
This interactive roundtable will help you benchmark your AI journey against your peers and explore the critical distinction between Tinkers, finance leaders who are aware of AI's potential but are still exploring use cases and integrators, the CFOs who have moved beyond experimentation and are embedding AI tools into routine processes.
Join us to share experiences, uncover best practices, and gain insights that can accelerate your path from tinkering to full-scale integration.
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP C: Cash is King: Why CFOs Prioritise Cash in Uncertain Times
Svitlana Dryhush -
CFO,
METRO Cash & Carry Ukraine
In an environment where certainty is scarce and economic conditions shift quickly, cash has become the most critical strategic asset on a CFO's balance sheet. It's not just about liquidity or survival. Strong cash positions give finance leaders the flexibility to make confident decisions when the future is unclear.
Seasoned CFOs understand that companies rarely fail because of poor strategy alone. More often, they fail when they lose the financial breathing room needed to adapt. Effective cash management preserves that breathing room allowing organisations to absorb shocks, respond to change, and seize opportunities when they arise.
This roundtable will explore why cash continues to dominate the CFO agenda and how finance leaders can strengthen their organisation's cash position. Together we'll discuss how so-called "idle" cash can provide resilience during periods of volatility, create strategic optionality when plans shift, and provide tolerance when things go wrong. Join peers from across the finance community to share practical approaches for improving cash management, including strengthening accounts receivable processes, structuring customer contracts and payment terms to better support cash flow and re-evaluating spend, cost structures, and working capital priorities.
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP D: Redefining the Finance Scorecard: Measuring What Truly Matters in Transformation
Stephanie Rinkel -
CFO South Europe,
Bayer
This roundtable will explore how finance leaders can effectively measure their "scorecard" in an environment of rapid transformation and rising strategic expectations. As organisations modernise their finance functions, many still face challenges in defining what good looks like, moving beyond traditional metrics, and ensuring reporting keeps pace with the needs of the business.
With 7 out of 10 finance transformation programmes failing to deliver on their objectives, the session will examine how leaders can better track progress, identify early warning signs, and ensure initiatives drive real value. Discussion will also focus on shifting from manual, retrospective reporting to real-time, insight-led performance measurement, and the importance of incorporating stakeholder feedback to truly assess finance's impact. Attendees will gain practical perspectives on how to align metrics with strategic outcomes and build a scorecard that reflects finance's evolving role as a trusted business partner.
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP E: Defining Guardrails, Governance, and Accountability in the Age of AI
As AI rapidly reshapes finance—from predictive modelling to automated decision-making—CFOs are facing a critical challenge: how to harness its power without losing control, accountability, or trust. This interactive roundtable brings together senior finance leaders to explore how organisations are defining effective guardrails, governance frameworks, and human oversight in an increasingly AI-enabled finance function. With AI now embedded across FP&A, forecasting, and decision support, the question is no longer whether to adopt it, but how far it should go and who ultimately owns the outcome. Discussion will focus on where to draw the line between automation and human judgment, how accountability is maintained when AI generates insights, and what "human-in-the-loop" truly looks like in practice.
5:25 pm - 6:25 pm
GROUP F:,How to manage the mental load and maintain resilience?
Alexander Sobiech -
CFO Germany,
REPLAY
As the role of the CFO evolves from financial steward to strategic partner, the pressure has intensified. Today's CFO is expected to navigate constant change, support the CEO, lead transformation, manage talent challenges, and embrace AI all while maintaining performance and composure.
But behind this shift lies a critical question: How are CFOs actually coping with the mental load?
This roundtable creates a safe, peer-led space to openly explore the often-unspoken realities of leadership pressure, resilience, and wellbeing at the top.
