SSOW ANZ 2026: The Next Frontier for Shared Services
12th – 13th May 2026
| InterContinental Double Bay, Sydney
Tom Elkins
Finance Transformation & Digital Director Lion
NextGen Finance Transformation 2026 Day 1: Tuesday, 12 May 2026
3:10 PM PANEL DISCUSSION | Beyond Software Training: Building True Technology Fluency in Finance Organizations
This session tackles the uncomfortable truth: expensive technology sits underutilized while finance professionals struggle with basic digital skills, data literacy, and systems thinking. Leaders will explore proven strategies to build genuine technology fluency across finance organizations, turning software investments into actual capability and competitive advantage.
Key Takeaways:
• The utilization crisis: quantifying how much technology capability remains untapped due to skills gaps in finance teams
• Capability frameworks that move finance professionals from basic tool usage to advanced analytics, automation design, and data storytelling
• Blended learning approaches: combining technical training, hands-on sandbox environments, and peer mentoring for sustainable skill development
4:40 PM PANEL DISCUSSION | The Fragmented Finance Tech Stack: Building a Digital Core That Actually Connects
This panel explores how leading finance organizations are building truly integrated digital cores—unified technology architectures that enable seamless data flow, real-time insights, and agile operations. Leaders will share their strategies for connecting fragmented systems and creating the connected, data-driven foundation essential for strategic finance.
Key Takeaways:
• The integration crisis: how fragmented finance technology creates inefficiency, data inconsistency, and limits strategic capability
• Architecture principles for building a cohesive digital core: platform selection, API strategies, and data governance frameworks
• Overcoming common obstacles: legacy system constraints, vendor lock-in, budget limitations, and organizational resistance to integration.
NextGen Finance Transformation 2026 Day 2: Wednesday, 13 May 2026
9:45 AM PANEL DISCUSSION | AI Powered Finance – Embedding Intelligence Across the Functions
Explore how finance leaders are integrating AI and advanced analytics across core processes to unlock smarter, faster, and more strategic decision-making.
3:00 PM TECH TALK | Platforms and Tools Powering the Next Generation of Finance Reporting
Explore how modern platforms and tools are transforming finance reporting, enabling faster, more accurate, and more insightful decision-making
Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Tom.
Download The Latest Agenda
