Tuesday, March 17, 2026: Main Program
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Breakfast & Registration
Workshops
Shared Services Fundamentals Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am WORKSHOP A: 101: Designing Shared Services that Last: Getting the Fundamentals Right from Day 1 Patricia Ferris - Partner, ScottMaddenTrey Robinson - Partner and Practice Area Leader, ScottMadden
Jonathan Luk - Partner, ScottMadden
Well-designed shared services don’t just improve efficiency, they establish a durable foundation for operational excellence, superior customer experiences, and sustained value creation. Getting the fundamentals right requires intentional design choices across scope, governance, processes, technology, and the customer experience, before scale and optimization can truly succeed.
This workshop provides a practical, design-led roadmap for establishing or strengthening the core building blocks of a shared services model. Participants will gain hands-on guidance and tools to:
- Define and align the foundational elements of shared services, including objectives, scope, operating model, and governance, and build a compelling business case with measurable outcomes
- Design customer-centric processes and experiences that drive adoption, satisfaction, and trust from the start
- Embed enabling technology early, incorporating , AI, automation, and data analytics to support scalable, insight-driven operations
- Plan and execute transitions effectively, managing change, mitigating risk, and securing stakeholder alignment throughout the journey
By focusing on the fundamentals, this session equips leaders with the clarity and structure needed to design shared services that are resilient, scalable, and positioned to deliver long-term value.
Sponsored by: ScottMadden
Shared Services Fundamentals Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakShared Services Fundamentals Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP G: 501: Unlocking the Next Phase of Shared Services Maturity Henry Bell - Partner, ScottMaddenLaura Campbell - Partner, ScottMadden
George Penton - Partner, ScottMadden
As shared services mature, the challenge shifts from establishing stability to avoiding stagnation. Organizations that continue to deliver “good enough” risk falling behind in an environment defined by rapid change, rising expectations, and accelerating digital capability. The next phase of shared services maturity is about intentionally expanding value—through innovation, advanced analytics, and more responsive, customer-centered operating models.
This workshop focuses on the strategies and decisions required to evolve shared services beyond optimization and into a true value engine for the enterprise. Participants will explore practical approaches to:
- Quantify and prioritize AI and automation investments to drive measurable efficiency, cost savings, and performance improvement
- Redesign processes and experiences around the customer, elevating satisfaction while increasing consistency and scalability
- Strengthen data management and analytics capabilities to enable insight-driven decision-making and performance transparency
- Address workforce and skillset evolution, building agility and capabilities aligned to emerging demands
- Optimize sourcing and delivery models, including GBS structures, to better support changing organizational objectives
- Embed governance and value-tracking mechanisms to ensure benefits realization and sustained performance over time
- Align shared services strategy with enterprise transformation initiatives, including digital, finance, and operating model change
By focusing on advanced capabilities and intentional evolution, this session equips leaders with a clear roadmap to unlock the next phase of shared services maturity and sustain long-term enterprise value.
Sponsored by: ScottMadden
Workforce Management & Operations Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am WORKSHOP B: Building Shared Services Versatility: Balancing Depth and Breadth in a Fast-Paced EnvironmentThe Shared Services landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, organizations must master talent retention, process standardization, and digital transformation to stay ahead. While productivity has always been a key metric, workforce analytics is now reshaping how businesses measure, optimize, and sustain performance at scale.
This exclusive workshop, hosted by ProHance, will explore the power of data-driven productivity strategies and how organizations can leverage workforce analytics to enhance operational efficiency and long-term workforce performance.
What You Will Learn:
- How leading Shared Services organizations approach productivity – real-world insights from industry experts.
- Case studies on how global businesses drive sustainable productivity – bridging workforce efforts with measurable outcomes.
- Strategic actions for organizations at different maturity levels – a clear roadmap to enhance workforce efficiency.
- The role of workforce analytics in shaping the future of work – from visibility to execution.
This session will feature exclusive insights from industry research, providing a deep dive into the latest productivity trends, challenges, and strategic playbooks tailored for Shared Services and Global Business Services (GBS) organizations.
Sponsored by: ProHance
Workforce Management & Operations Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakWorkforce Management & Operations Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP H: Operations Transformation in the age of AI Chas Moore - Executive Partner-Transformation, Chazey PartnersGreg Asher - Lumi AI Developer, Chazey Parners
Operations Transformation in the age of AI
AI is here, it’s real, and it’s reshaping how operations run, learn, and scale. Yet most organizations struggle with how and where to apply AI in their operations.
This workshop cuts through the hype to reveal how enterprise operations are shifting from ERP and RPA to tailored AI-driven workflows that continuously learn and improve. You’ll walk away with clear and practical insight into transforming operations across Finance and HR with this new paradigm.
Key takeaways:
Explore how enterprise operations are evolving from ERP to ERP+ to customized AI-driven platforms that modernize processes without disrupting legacy systems.
Discover how intelligent automation and AI agents are transforming back-office operations from rule-based processes to intelligent, event-driven systems that act autonomously in the background.
Learn how AI orchestration can integrate modular AI components to achieve end-to-end automation that goes beyond fragmented, prompt-based interactions
Understand how Agentic AI fits into your transformation roadmap, helping reimagine processes beyond traditional linear models, with examples from back-office operations.
Sponsored by: Chazey Partners
Process Excellence Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am WORKSHOP C: Designing a Digital-First Operating Model for Shared ServicesMany Shared Services organizations automate processes without rethinking the underlying operating model—missing opportunities to truly transform. A digital-first operating model is built for automation, AI, and advanced analytics from the ground up, ensuring agility, scalability, and business alignment. This workshop will help leaders move beyond “lift-and-shift” thinking to architect an operating model where digital is embedded in every layer—from process design to talent strategy.
Redesign processes for digital execution rather than retrofitting legacy workflows
Embed digital capabilities into governance, performance metrics, and service delivery
Identify talent needs for digital operating models and create pipelines for future-ready skills
Sponsored by: PwC
Process Excellence Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakProcess Excellence Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP I: Transforming the Back Office into a Profit Optimizer: A Practical Blueprint for Unlocking Value with ERP Enhancements, RPA, and AI Jivka Batchvarova - Managing Principal, Baker TillySam Dastoor - Principal, Baker Tilly
As enterprises look beyond efficiency and begin treating their back-office functions as strategic value creators, the question becomes how to modernize operations in ways that directly influence profitability. In this hands-on workshop, Baker Tilly will guide participants through a structured approach to redesigning back-office to drive measurable, enterprise-level impact. This session draws from insights in Baker Tilly’s new Essentials Report, providing actionable frameworks and benchmarks you can immediately apply.
Together we will explore four key components to achieving value:
1. Find Your Biggest Bang for the Buck
2. Clarify the Organizational Difference Between ERP Workflow Enhancements, RPA, and AI
3. Build the Right Teams and Partnerships to Harness Workflow, RPA, and AI
4. Unlock technology investments through adoption and operationalization
Key Takeaways:
A clear roadmap for turning your back office into a profit engine, not just a cost center
Practical examples of when to use ERP enhancements, RPA, or AI for maximum value and governance considerations
Insights into appropriate talent models that are truly aligned to operational needs
Strategies to leverage technology to embed new workflows, maintain controls and drive adoption
Access to benchmarks and insights from Baker Tilly’s new Essentials Report
Sponsored by: BakerTilly
Finance Transformation Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am WORKSHOP D: Hybrid Intelligence: Scaling GenAI with Trust and Structure to Unlock Business Value Jon Knisley - Product Marketing, Process AI, ABBYY- Understand the principles of hybrid intelligence and how combining IDP with LLMs creates a scalable, enterprise-ready GenAI framework
- Learn practical strategies for implementing hybrid GenAI solutions that balance innovation with control, enabling organizations to scale without compromising trust
- Explore real-world use cases where this approach delivers flexibility, compliance, and business value across industries
- Build a working prototype from start to finish using real-world data, gaining hands-on experience
Sponsored by: ABBYY
Finance Transformation Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakFinance Transformation Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP J: Finance Transformation Program: Stuck in Pilots? Practical Approaches to Shift Agentic AI Aspirations into Business Outcomes Khalid Siddiqui - Global Offering Leader, Finance Operations /Business Ops, IBM Consulting, IBM
Sponsored by: IBM
Khalid Siddiqui
Global Offering Leader, Finance Operations /Business Ops, IBM ConsultingIBM
Digital Transformation Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am WORKSHOP E: Accelerating Digital & AI Enabled Transformation Dan French - CEO, Consider SolutionsSteve Fox - Process Excellence Leader, Consider Solutions
- Business Demands, Expectations and Barriers to Success
- Business Value & “What Does GOOD Look Like”
- Stakeholders and the “Coalition”
- Technologies and the Essence of Digital and AI Success
- The Data Foundations
- Human Factors and the Customer, Colleague Experience (CX)
- The Art of Execution
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective Digital Transformation
Sponsored by: Consider Solutions
Digital Transformation Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakDigital Transformation Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP K: GenAI and Agentic AI: From Buzzword to Business Advantage in Shared ServiceAs the boundaries between human and machine intelligence overlap, the potential of Agentic AI and Generative AI (GenAI) to revolutionize Business Operations is becoming increasingly evident. From automating routine tasks to enhancing decision-making and fostering innovation, GenAI is reshaping the landscape of Shared Services organizations in addition to other functions across the value chain. However, the successful integration of Agentic AI and GenAI, respectively requires a strategic approach that addresses both its opportunities and challenges. This workshop will explore practical applications of GenAI within targeted functions, providing attendees with insights and strategies to harness its power to effect impactful transformation.
Actionable Takeaways:
- Identify GenAI Use Cases: Discover specific applications of GenAI that can deliver tangible benefits within Shared Services organizations, such as automating document generation, improving customer service, and optimizing processes.
- Promote Security Awareness: Review privacy pitfalls to avoid with respect to purpose limitations and incorporating robust data governance with systematic reviews.
- Overcome Challenges: Learn to address common challenges associated with Agentic AI and GenAI implementation, including data quality, ethical considerations, and workforce integration.
- Develop a GenAI Strategy: Create a roadmap for integrating GenAI into your shared services operations, outlining key steps, resource allocation, and expected outcomes.
- Measure and Optimize: Understand how to measure the impact of GenAI initiatives and continuously optimize your approach to maximize value.
- Foster a Culture of Innovation: Explore strategies for cultivating experimentation within the Shared Services team, encouraging the adoption of new technologies.
Sponsored by: Capgemini
Problem Solving Clinic Workshops
8:30 am - 10:00 am Workshop F: The Efficiency Mirage: What Tools Won’t Fix in Record-to-Report Automation Aaron Veach - Executive Director of Finance Transformation, Redwood SoftwareBarbara Hodge - Global Digital Content, SSON Research & Analytics
- See exclusive new SSON research quantifying the hidden workload that tools don’t remove
- How Siemens replaced patchwork automation with true orchestration— achieving faster closes, stronger control, and audit-ready accuracy
- Understand why “compliance isn’t completion” and how orchestration runs through the process, not around it.
- Learn practical steps to build a continuous, touchless close and reclaim time, confidence, and control in your finance operations.
Sponsored by: Redwood
Problem Solving Clinic Workshops
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning BreakProblem Solving Clinic Workshops
10:30 am - 12:00 pm WORKSHOP L: Blueprint for De-Risking GCC Setup, Build & Expand: Orchestrating Your First of Next Center with AI and HumanMany GCC/GBS initiatives stall not due to intent, but because of execution friction across location, talent, vendors, governance, and risk. Join this guided executive simulation to navigate real trade-offs under time, cost, talent, and risk constraints with access to deep data and expert assistance. Explore why setups fail in the first 24 months including challenges like strategic drift, weak location readiness, vendor-heavy execution, and late-detection governance. This workshop will offer collaborative small-group blueprint building, including choosing a city and backup location, sequencing talent and vendors, responding to regulatory or talent shocks, and managing trade-offs between speed, cost, and resilience.
Together, we will explore the five success criteria:
- Program Wisdom: alignment, milestone health, recovery paths
- Geo Wisdom: city decisions balancing talent, cost, risk, and ESG
- Talent Wisdom: hiring feasibility, leadership readiness, attrition signals
- Ecosystem Wisdom: vendor sequencing, dependencies, and fallback readiness
- Delivery Wisdom: outcome governance and execution velocity
Key Takeaways:
- How to select a location
- How to avoid first-time mistakes and build a orchestration plan
- How to manage the setup and build the GCC as strategic assets rather than cost centers
Sponsored by: Aokah
SSOW Grand Opening
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Networking Luncheon and Grand Opening of Innovation Hub
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
SSOW Opening Remarks
Brad DeMent -
Partner,
SCOTTMADDEN
Heather King - Managing Director, SSON
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Transformative Times: GBS Organizations Between New Requirements and the Race for Digitalization
Eckard Eberle -
CEO, Siemens Global Business Services,
Siemens
- Customers under pressure: new requirements on the horizon
- Adapting to the customer: how Siemens GBS acts in times of transformation
- Successfully leveraging the many facets of digitalization: from co-creation to process AI
- Successful in transformation: key actions that every GBS organization can apply
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Panel | Beyond Boundaries: Broadening the GBS Value Proposition to Front and Middle Office
Maria Saggese -
Global and EMEIA GBS Lead Partner,
EY
Shane Abeyratne - Senior Vice President and Head, Global Business Services, Cardinal Health
Kyle Arnold - Chief Global Services Officer, Bon Secours Mercy Health
Sponsored by: Ernst & Young
Kyle Arnold
Chief Global Services OfficerBon Secours Mercy Health
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Seeing the Full Picture: Unlocking Enterprise Efficiency Through Workforce Insights
Michael Zill -
Head of Global Business Services,
Vantive
When an organization sets out to transform, the first question is often "Where do we start?" In this session, we explore how a cross-functional approach to understanding how work really gets done can provide the clarity needed to prioritize change, improve efficiency, and guide strategic investment. From HR to Finance, IT to Operations, gaining visibility into work activities, resource allocation, and cost drivers can uncover both hidden bottlenecks and untapped potential. This discussion will highlight a client’s journey through an enterprise-wide workforce efficiency assessment — the challenges faced, the surprising insights revealed, and the actions taken to position the organization for long-term success.
Sponsored by: ScottMadden
3:00 pm - 3:40 pm
Networking Break
Breakout Programs
Big Idea Stage
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm Keynote | People First, Purpose Always: The Human Side of Cencora’s GBS Transformation Kim Skanson - SVP, Global Business Services, Cencora Business Services- Building a people-first culture in the age of automation and AI
- How CBS fosters employee engagement, empowerment and growth to drive innovation
- The role of active leading, active learning and collaborative leadership in creating strategic value for customers(the productivity team, Cencora strategy and CBS sponsors)
Big Idea Stage
4:10 pm - 4:15 pm TransitionBig Idea Stage
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm Redefining the Global Business Services Mandate: Orchestrating the Enterprise of the FutureSponsored by: Cognizant
Big Idea Stage
4:45 pm - 4:50 pm TransitionDigital Transformation Program
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm Case Study | Meaningful AI Deployment: How to Select and Scale the Right Use Cases in Shared Services Raja Chaudhuri - Head Strategy & Service Management. GBS & Global Technical Support, DexcomBrian Bachofner - VP, Product Marketing, Neuron7.ai
Most Shared Services AI projects fail long before ROI is even measured—not because the technology doesn’t work, but because the wrong problems are chosen to solve. The real competitive advantage lies in knowing where AI can make the biggest difference, and building a roadmap that takes those use cases from concept to enterprise-wide reality.
Learn how to build use cases that clearly demonstrate ROI and economic value, including how AI can enhance customer experience and increase lifetime customer value by creating consistent, effective support interactions. If you’re aiming for scalable AI solutions that move beyond experimentation to real-world results, this session will provide a roadmap for success.
- Spot and prioritize AI trends with the potential for deep business impact
- Build ROI-driven business cases focused on high-value, targeted deployments
- Design AI initiatives that scale by balancing focused depth with manageable breadth
Sponsored by: Neuron7.ai
Digital Transformation Program
4:10 pm - 4:15 pm TransitionDigital Transformation Program
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm Digital Transformation Without Disruption: Balancing Today’s Service with Tomorrow’s Vision Tommy Wehry - Organizational Effectiveness and Change Lead, Finance & Shared Services Transfor, The Estée Lauder CompaniesMohan Thadani - Sr. Director, Global Business Services & Financial Systems, Liberty Utilities
Transforming a shared services workforce in the digital era, while maintaining or even improving service levels, is no small feat. With AI, automation, and advanced analytics reshaping operations, leaders must go beyond simply automating existing tasks. The real opportunity lies in reimagining how work gets done altogether- rethinking processes, roles, and value delivery in ways that weren’t possible before. This session explores how to protect today’s performance while driving exponential shifts in experience, job content, and operating models that define the future of shared services.
Key Takeaways:
- How to maintain, or even elevate, performance indicators during large-scale digital change
- Keep employees confident and future-ready through reskilling, clear communication, and change enablement
- Sequence automation, AI integration, and fundamental process redesign to maximize both short- and long-term benefits
- Move beyond “doing the same work faster” to redefining what work looks like in a digitally enabled shared services model
- Build stakeholder alignment and secure executive and business unit buy-in for a unified transformation vision
Sponsored by: HCLTech
Tommy Wehry
Organizational Effectiveness and Change Lead, Finance & Shared Services TransforThe Estée Lauder Companies
Digital Transformation Program
4:45 pm - 4:50 pm TransitionFinance Transformation Program
3:40 pm - 4:10 pm Finance Transformation for the Future of Shared Services Andrew Fuhrmann - VP of Customer Success, Basware
Finance Transformation Program
4:10 pm - 4:15 pm TransitionFinance Transformation Program
4:15 pm - 4:45 pm The Unstoppable Journey: A Phased Approach to Finance Transformation James Tilk - Director, Solutions Strategy & Marketing, BlackLineDorcal Jiminez - Senior Director, Compliance & Operational Audit, LAZ Parking
Achieving an "unstoppable" finance operation means embracing intelligent automation and artificial intelligence, but you don't have to do it all at once. This session demystifies the process by presenting a practical, phased-in strategy for your digital transformation journey. Learn how to break down your technology roadmap into manageable "bites"—from initial process automation to advanced predictive analytics—ensuring each step delivers clear ROI without overwhelming your team. We will cover key strategies for project sequencing, risk mitigation, and fostering an AI-ready culture. To illustrate this path, we will share a compelling customer success story, highlighting how they are successfully navigating their journey to becoming an unstoppable, tech-empowered finance function.
Sponsored by: BlackLine
Dorcal Jiminez
Senior Director, Compliance & Operational AuditLAZ Parking
Finance Transformation Program
4:45 pm - 4:50 pm Transition
4:50 pm - 5:20 pm
How United Rentals Harnessed Agentic AI to Redefine Order-to-Cash Performance
Order-to-Cash (O2C) has always been a critical lever for working capital optimization—but the boundaries of traditional automation have been reached. The next leap forward is Agentic AI: autonomous, goal-driven AI agents capable of making contextual decisions, executing complex workflows, and self-improving with every transaction. Learn how a national rental equipment company found its account teams drowning in volume and complexity, with a disproportionate number of resources consumed by the top three customers while thousands of other accounts with high-value invoices were left to wait. They turned to Sidetrade’s AI Collection agent Aimie to accelerate collections and improve cashflow. Implementing a practical approach, you’ll hear how AI Collection Agent Aimie identified 1000s of national accounts based on invoice value and risk, handling outreach, follow-ups, summarization, and next-best actions—so human collection analysts focused on escalations and relationship work. Next, we will explore how Agentic AI continue to transform O2C into a dynamic, predictive, and customer-centric function to drive accelerated cash flow, reduce DSO, and free finance talent to focus on strategic growth and stakeholder relationships.
Key Takeaways:
- Agentic AI Defined: What makes it fundamentally different from RPA, rules-based automation, and predictive analytics
- Prioritize with precision: How to automatically select and segment accounts by invoice value and risk so AI agents target the highest-impact work first
- Real-World Impact: Insights from early adopters achieving double-digit DSO reductions, exponential collector productivity gains, and improved customer experience scores
- Design the AI–human handshake: Proven workflows where agents drive outreach and follow-ups while collectors handle exceptions, escalations, and relationships
- Future Trajectory: How Agentic AI will expand to transform the full credit-to-cash ecosystem—including dynamic risk scoring, dispute prevention, and enhanced customer engagement
Sponsored by: Sidetrade
5:20 pm - 5:50 pm
Glow Party Pre-Game Mixer
5:50 pm - 8:30 pm
Break for Dinner & Dressing
8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
SSOW Glow Party
Happy Birthday SSOW!
It’s not just the luck of the Irish, it’s the luck of turning 30 in style! Join us for a shamrockin’ celebration where birthday magic meets St. Patrick’s Day cheer. Think neon meets emerald, where green is the vibe, the music is lively, and the dance floor is calling.
Whether you come decked out in emerald green or will be chasing rainbows, this milestone birthday is the perfect excuse to raise a glass, share some good fortune, and toast to the next 30 years.
