Future of Finance & CFO Select
Executive Leadership Summit
Main Day Two - Wednesday, September 17, 2025
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Executive Breakfast and Registration
9:00 am - 9:15 am
SSON Welcome & Opening Remarks
9:15 am - 10:00 am
The Future of Corporate Finance: Adapting to a New Landscape
John Adams -
Chief Financial Officer,
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
As the corporate finance function faces unprecedented changes driven by economic volatility, technological advancements, and evolving stakeholder expectations, finance leaders must recalibrate their vision for the future. This session will explore the critical need for finance functions to establish trust, demonstrate value, and adopt a more autonomous approach. Join us to navigate the evolving landscape of corporate finance and ensure your organization remains relevant and resilient in the face of rapid change.
· Understand the importance of establishing trust with stakeholders and articulating the finance function’s value beyond being a cost center
· Discuss the shift from reactive, historical analysis to a proactive, autonomous finance function that leverages automation and real-time data to anticipate future challenges
A series of 25-minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
1:1 Business Meetings
10:00 am - 10:25 am 1:1 Business MeetingsA series of 25 minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
1:1 Business Meetings
10:30 am - 10:55 am 1:1 Business MeetingsThis is an opportunity to select some common challenges that you would like to collaborate with your peers on. In groups of roundtables, we will discuss and explore ideas and areas of opportunities.
Challenge Rounds
10:00 am - 10:25 am Evolving Finance Functions: Adapting to New Demands Dumitrache Martinez - CFO Mars Global Services, MarsAs the finance landscape shifts, leaders must adapt to new responsibilities driven by talent shortages and digital skill demands. Engage in a challenge round to share insights on workforce management and talent acquisition strategies.
· Discuss innovative approaches to attract and retain finance talent
· Collaborate on solutions for enhancing digital skill sets within your team
Challenge Rounds
10:30 am - 10:55 am Bridging the Finance Skills Gap: Preparing Your Team for Tomorrow’s Challenges Imad Barake - Chief Financial Officer, AirswiftThis session will provide actionable insights on how to enhance your finance team's skills and capabilities, ensuring they are prepared to navigate both current complexities and future challenges. Learn how strategic training, new leadership, and a focus on building a future-ready workforce can transform your team for long-term success.
· Address the skills gap in finance through structured, high-impact training programs
· Build a highly skilled, future-ready workforce equipped for emerging challenges
· Leverage new leadership to accelerate growth and drive strategic financial functions
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Networking Break: Connect and Engage with Peers
Take a moment to recharge and connect with fellow finance leaders during our Networking Break. This is an invaluable opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, share insights, and forge relationships.
11:30 am - 12:00 pm
Riding the Waves of Economic Chaos: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive
Krish Gupta -
SVP and CFO,
CRH Canada Group
In the face of inflation and market unpredictability, CFOs must go beyond survival mode. Learn how to make bold financial moves that drive both resilience and growth.
· Uncover dynamic strategies for slashing costs without stifling innovation
· Co-create approaches to turning uncertainty into a competitive advantage
A series of 25-minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
1:1 Business Meetings
12:00 pm - 12:25 pm 1:1 Business MeetingsA series of 25 minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
1:1 Business Meetings
12:30 pm - 12:55 pm 1:1 Business MeetingsA series of 25 minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
This is an opportunity to select some common challenges that you would like to collaborate with your peers on. In groups of roundtables, we will discuss and explore ideas and areas of opportunities.
Challenge Rounds
12:00 pm - 12:25 pm Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging Analytics for Strategic Growth Afonso Guimaraes - R2R Business Transformation Lead, Marathon OilAs data becomes a critical asset, finance is evolving from a retrospective function to a proactive driver of enterprise value. This session will explore the strategic implementation of advanced analytics to enhance decision-making and accelerate organizational growth.
· Exchange insights on establishing a comprehensive analytics framework
· Collaborate on addressing challenges in data integration and optimization for actionable insights
Challenge Rounds
12:30 pm - 12:55 pm CIO & CFO Collaboration: Driving Digital Transformation in Finance Antonio Marin - CIO, US Med-EquipThe synergy between CIOs and CFOs is crucial for successful digital transformation. This session will explore how finance and IT leaders can collaborate to drive innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and achieve strategic business objectives.
· Align IT initiatives with financial goals to support business growth
· Evaluate technology investments for measurable ROI
Leverage data analytics to inform strategies and address cybersecurity/compliance challenges
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Executive Luncheon
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
Riding the Waves of Economic Chaos: How to Thrive, Not Just Survive
Keith Cowart -
Global Market Owner, Automated Finance,
FIS
Dumitrache Martinez - CFO Mars Global Services, Mars
Kathryn Armstrong - GPO, Credit, Meta
In the face of inflation and market unpredictability, CFOs must go beyond survival mode. Learn how to make bold financial moves that drive both resilience and growth.
· Uncover dynamic strategies for slashing costs without stifling innovation
· Co-create approaches to turning uncertainty into a competitive advantage
A series of 25 minute consultative meetings with service providers that can help provide insights and value to your roadmaps, strategies, and plans for the quarters to come: based on mutual availability and personal preference.
As automation evolves from isolated use cases to enterprise-wide strategies, finance leaders must rethink how they orchestrate intelligent automation at scale. This session explores how to integrate RPA, GenAI, and citizen development into core finance operations to unlock measurable, end-to-end impact.
· Share lessons learned and scalable approaches for maximizing automation value
· Explore how to balance governance with empowered innovation across teams
· Align automation efforts with business outcomes and ROI
Join us for an unscripted Benchmarking Session where you and your peers set the agenda! This dynamic, interactive forum allows you to explore the most pressing challenges and trends in finance, share real-time insights, and collaborate on best practices. Come prepared to dive deep into the topics that matter most to you and leverage the collective expertise of your fellow executives to drive meaningful discussions and innovative solutions.
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm
Networking Break
As AI adoption surges, finance leaders are tasked with assessing its return on investment while navigating uncertainty. This session will explore strategies for effectively measuring AI’s impact beyond the numbers.
· Discuss how to quantify productivity and customer satisfaction gains from AI
· Share best practices for integrating AI solutions that align with your finance strategy
Chris Costa, Chief of Staff and Head of Finance Transformation, Chewy
4:45 pm - 5:10 pm
Tech Stack Transformation: Rebuild for the Future
Rahul Malhotra -
CFO,
Integreon
Finance leaders are rethinking their tech infrastructure to boost agility and performance. Join us to evaluate the most effective ways to streamline your tech stack and drive cloud-based success.
· Discuss ERP integrations and cloud migrations that elevate financial performance
· Collaborate on selecting the right tech tools to fuel growth
5:15 pm - 6:15 pm
Reception: Reflect and Connect with Peers
Join us for an engaging Reception where you can unwind and reflect on the day's sessions. Share insights and compare notes with fellow executives, discussing actionable steps to implement what you've learned and enhance your strategic initiatives.
