NOT JUST A CONFERENCE. A COMMUNITY.
18 - 21 May 2026 | Estoril Congress Center, Estoril, Portugal
Conference Day Two: May 20th, 2026
7:30 am - 8:45 am
BREAKFAST AND REGISTRATION
8:45 am - 8:55 am
TUESDAY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHAIR
SSOW THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
8:55 am - 9:25 am
SHIFTING THE CONVERSATION FROM "WHAT WE DO" TO "WHY WE EXIST": A BUSINESS LEADER'S PERSPECTIVE ON GBS EXPECTATIONS
Priyaranjan Jha -
SVP and Head of GBS,
Iron Mountain
Iwona Silora - SVP & GM EMEA, Iron Mountain
In GBS, the conversations are often about what we do and who we are. But the business leaders are asking different questions: why does GBS exist, and how is it delivering outcomes that truly matter to the enterprise? In this session, Iwona and Ranjan will bring together the voices of business and GBS leaders on stage. Rather than focusing on process for process’ sake, “end-to-end” or AI as an objective, this conversation will challenge how GBS can continuously raise the bar by delivering on margin expansion, innovation and revenue growth. All that while navigating the unique complexities of Europe’s fragmented regulatory and digital environment.
• Through the eyes of the business leaders: how evolving business challenges are continually redefining GBS requirements
• What does it mean for GBS to be accountable not only for efficiency, but also for innovation and revenue impact?
• How can AI and digital be positioned as means to an end rather than ends in themselves?
9:25 am - 9:50 am
A C-SUITE PANEL: CHALLENGING GBS VALUE FROM THE CUSTOMER AND BUSINES PERSPECTIVE: HOW ARE WE DELIVERING ON THE VALUE CREATION PROMISE?
Madeleine Roach -
Executive Vice President, Head of Business Operations,
Sanofi
Traditional service delivery models - with their clearly defined SLAs and KPIs - often create an "us versus them" divide. But here’s the hard truth: customers don’t care whether we sit in the front office or the back office. What they do care about, though, is value. That reality demands a radical shift - designing service models from the outside-in, led by customer value and enabled by end-to-end processes. Easier said than done, especially given the complexity of matrix organisations. This session offers a reality check, drawing on insights from the most experienced industry leaders, who are laser-focused on customer value as they reshape the future of service delivery.
• What are the organisational barriers holding back agility and simplicity?
• How does outside-in design power more effective end-to-end global models?
• What a truly next-generation architecture for global services could look like – emcompassing technologies, capabilities, and operating principles needed for future-ready delivery?
9:50 am - 10:20 am
WHICH COMES FIRST: “LIFT AND SHIFT” OR “TRANSFORM”?
As organizations evolve toward a GBS model, leaders often face a strategic choice. Should they move process ‘as-is’ to a centralized hub first and transform later, or transform processes within the business before centralizing them? Is there a right or wrong answer? What is the best approach for you? Join this leaders debate to hear merits and challenges to help you find the optimal path forward:
• What are the unique benefits and challenges for the “Life and Shift” vs “Transform First” approach?
• What organisational or cultural factors would influence your approach?
• How might technology readiness impact the choice?
• Could a hybrid model (transform some, centralize others) offer a balanced path?
• What metrics or outcomes would define success for each strategy?
Sponsored by: HighRadius
10:20 am - 10:45 am
OPERATIONALISING AI IN GBS TO ACCCELERATE VALUE AND CAPACITY: ERICSSON'S PRACTICAL ROADMAP
Anjali Singh -
Global Business Services Head,
Ericsson
Over the past three years, Ericsson GBS has gone through a profound global transformation, with deep AI seamlessly integrated with the technology stack and ecosystem. The journey began with building an integrated help desk, which went on to achieve 55% self-service adoption. A broader GenAI platform strategy has now been implemented to deliver agentic automation and decision intelligence across all functions and processes.
• A practical approach to build an AI-enabled GBS ecosystem - with measurable outcomes
• Achieving 60% automation rates and a 20–30% cost-out trajectory through initiatives like the end-to-end O2C transformation, agentic workflows for accounts payable auto-posting and data standardisation
• Operationalizing AI through COEs, DevOps models and agentic support frameworks that create new roles and skill pathways
• Proving value and expanding capacity by incorporating the marketing hub under GBS
10:45 am - 11:15 am
MORNING NETWORKING BREAK
SPLIT PLENARY
11:45 am - 12:15 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: GBS LEADERSHIP IN AN AI-FIRST ERA: SHAPING DECISIONS FOR DISRUPTIONThis panel will explore the pivotal role of GBS in navigating and shaping decision-making within an era of digital and AI disruption. Delve into strategies for harnessing the power of GBS to drive organizational success, amidst transformative technological advancements, and learn how GBS leaders are redefining their approaches to enable agile and informed choices.
• Embracing disruption: spearheading transformative initiatives to align decision-making processes with the digital-first landscape
• Agile strategies: uncovering innovative approaches to enable rapid and well-informed decisions in an ever-changing business environment
• Redefining GBS: reimagining roles, leveraging data-driven insights, and fostering collaboration to drive strategic outcomes
Sponsored by: Infosys BPM
SPLIT PLENARY
12:15 pm - 12:40 pm BEYOND TECHNOLOGY: HOW SERVICE MANAGEMENT IS ENABLING GBS STRATEGY - A SMITH & NEPHEW CASE STUDY Pascal Biderbost - Vice President of Global Finance Services, & Poland Centre Head, Smith & NephewIs service management still just a ticketing system for your organisation? Smith & Nephew's Global Business Services leadership is challenging this limiting view, positioning service management as a strategic core of their operating model. By expanding their team's skillsets beyond technical expertise, they are reimagining how service management can become a powerful strategic capability. Join Pascal to hear how they are embedding service management as a central GBS management system:
• Understand how to transition service management from a transactional model to a strategic management system
• Map out the full services scope to ensure that they are aligned with business objectives
• Learn strategies for building a service management team that goes beyond technical skills
• Discover how to use service management to redefine KPIs and therefore drive organisational transparency and customer experience
Pascal Biderbost
Vice President of Global Finance Services, & Poland Centre HeadSmith & Nephew
SPLIT PLENARY
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm BEYOND THE TOUCHLESS PLATEAU: HOW AGENTIC AI AUTOMATES THE TOUGHEST, MOST TIME-CONSUMING AP TASKSDiscover how this advanced technology goes beyond traditional touchless automation to deliver unprecedented efficiency, accuracy, and cost savings. Learn how Agentic AI plans and takes action autonomously, reduces errors, ensures compliance and provides valuable insights, all while scaling effortlessly with your business needs and growth. Join us to explore the next frontier of AP automation and to transform your financial operations.
Sponsored by: SpringTime Technologies
FINANCE END-TO-END TRANSFORMATION
11:45 am - 12:15 pm DESIGNING THE NEXT-GEN FINANCE OPERATING MODEL: AGILITY, TALENT AND SERVICE EXPERIENCE Markus Rieder - Senior Vice President - Transformation & Digitalization, Swissport International AGNathaniel Eaton - Group SVP Global Business Services, Adecco Group Ag
Markus Rieder
Senior Vice President - Transformation & DigitalizationSwissport International AG
FINANCE END-TO-END TRANSFORMATION
12:15 pm - 12:45 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: TURNING DATA INTO CASH - VALUE CREATION IN WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT THROUGH ANALYTICS Laura Rejón Perez - SVP Global Business Services, Repsol S.A.
FINANCE END-TO-END TRANSFORMATION
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm CASE STUDY: FROM COST CENTRE TO VALUE DRIVER: A BLUEPRINT FOR SHARED SERVICES SUCCESSSponsored by: FloQast
HR & PEOPLE SERVICES
10:45 am - 11:15 am CASE STUDY: BUILDING A PEOPLE-FIRST CULTURE OF AGILITY IN SHARED SERVICES Natalie Goffin - Head of People Solutions, Takeda Business SolutionsLasting change doesn’t start with a new operating model or strategy; it begins with the people and culture that enable agility to flourish. For HR and People leaders in GBS, the challenge is to build environments where colleagues feel equipped and empowered to adapt, learn, and contribute to ongoing transformation. This means embedding agility and resilience into the everyday employee experience, not just during moments of change. Yet, outdated structures, legacy ways of working, and resistance to change can slow progress and disengage talent. Explore how to cultivate a culture driven to unlock agility across shared services, enabling teams to thrive.
HR & PEOPLE SERVICES
12:10 pm - 12:40 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: STANDARDISATION VS. LOCALISATION – SHARED SERVICES IN A GEOPOLITICAL WORLD Andreas Mayer - Director Employee Experience & Operational Excellence, INGNadia Hutchinson - Senior Director, Global HR Services and Operations, Cabot Corporation
Éva Csatlós - Group HR BSC Director & Country HRBP, EPTA Group
Shared services are built on efficiency, consistency, and scale. Yet geopolitical and regulatory shifts are forcing HR operations to rethink how to standardise processes in a world where “one size fits all” no longer works. From diverging pay transparency laws across Europe, to shifting DE&I expectations in the US, to sensitive ethical cases and local cultural nuances, HR shared services are increasingly required to operate in the unknown.
· How to balance the drive for global standardization with the need to adapt to country-specific legislation, cultural expectations, and business risks
· Preparing for EU pay transparency rules (and subsequent pay equity directives) that vary by country, while still maintaining efficiency and compliance across borders
· Deciding where to localise investment (e.g., graduate recruitment, DE&I, leadership development) and how shared services can provide the insight and infrastructure to support these choices
HR & PEOPLE SERVICES
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm CASE STUDY: THE JOURNEY TO BUILDING A SCALABLE, HIRE-TO-RETIRE PEOPLE SERVICES AT TESCO Amith Kumar - Associate Director – People Services, Tesco Business SolutionsThe service offerings from People Services function are expanding, with a vision of “Right work at the right place” and the intention to cover the entire hire-to-retire lifecycle. But what does that truly mean and how can it be achieved? This session explores the evolution of Tesco's People Services through an integrated, end-to-end model, covering every aspect of HR / People and continuously expanding its offerings to add value, enhance efficiency, and improve colleague experience across the board.
• Achieve operational efficiency by standardizing, simplifying and automating end-to-end HR / People processes
• Enhance colleague experience by designing people-centric service journeys
• Improve scalability by aligning shared services with business growth / goals
• Strengthen strategic impact by integrating HR services across the full hire-to-retire lifecycle
PROCUREMENT, CATEGORY MANAGEMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN
11:45 am - 12:15 pm BEYOND COST CONTROL: ROLES, BOUNDARIES, AND MODERN OPERATING MODEL FOR PROCUREMENT GBS John O'Shea - General Manager Global Business Services, SolvayRadu Bailau - Head of Procurement Governance and Digitalization Global Process Owner, Ammega
Alexandre Pinheiro - Vice President - Head of WBS, Webasto Group
PROCUREMENT, CATEGORY MANAGEMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN
12:10 pm - 12:35 pm A JOHNSON & JOHNSON CASE STUDY: DESIGNING AN END-TO-END PROCUREMENT OPERATING MODEL FOR ENTERPRISE AGILITY Bohumil Riha - EMEA Procurement Regional Delivery Lead, J&J Global Services
PROCUREMENT, CATEGORY MANAGEMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN
12:40 pm - 1:10 pm STRATEGIC WORKFORCE PLANNING AND SOURCING IN A DYNAMIC WORLD: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO NAVIGATE UNCERTAINTY AND ACHIEVE ADAPTABILITY AND SOURCING COMPETITIVENESS Marcel Mertens - Head Strategic Sourcing & Partner Management, ABN Amro Bank
NETWORKING LUNCH
12:50 pm - 2:00 pm NETWORKING LUNCHINVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASS
1:10 pm - 2:00 pm INVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASS: SOLVING THE CENTRALISED STATUTORY REPORTING CHALLENGEMany businesses are looking to drive efficiency, reduce cost and improve quality in their statutory reporting process through centralisation and standardisation. However, there are major challenges to overcome including a lack of country specific knowledge and local language requirements. Join us to hear first-hand how these challenges were managed successfully by a large MNC in their global business. In this session, we will also discuss the latest information we are hearing from the market about the drivers for transformation.
Sponsored by: Thomson Reuters
THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
EVOLVING THE SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL THROUGH AGENTIC GBS TO DELIVER ULTIMATE CUSTOMER CENTRICITY
Agentic AI is reshaping GBS service delivery model by taking on more complex tasks and providing more personalised experiences. This session will share how industry leaders are evolving their GBS delivery model and service management through a human-centric design and AI innovation, driving significant improvements in employee engagement and operational efficiency.
• What does the future of Agentic GBS look like with AI innovation?
• A new service delivery model focusing on enhancing user-centric experiences
• New ways of augmenting your service management in the age of Agentic AI
2:30 pm - 3:20 pm
G6 Digital Debate: GBS Dragon's Den
Deborah Kops -
Industry Influencer and Shared Services Expert,
Sourcing Change
There's no argument that business process outsourcers have been instrumental in creating the global business services industry. Yet is their value proposition fit for purpose in today's rapidly evolving business context? This year we're taking a different spin on the famous G6, pitting some of our leading business services providers against GBS leaders in the effort to gauge how their offerings have evolved, and what value they provide. In rapid-fire fashion, a select group of BPO leaders will pitch their current propositions our feistiest, most opinionated leaders. Can the providers be differentiated? Are their services constructs agile? Is implementation of AI a method to cut their costs, or a game-changer for their clients?
3:20 pm - 3:45 pm
LIVE BENCHMARKING MASTERCLASS WITH SSON RESEARCH & ANALYTICS
Barbara Hodge -
Global Editor & Principal Analyst,
SSON Research & Analytics
Ever wondered how your SSO/GBS performance stacks up against the best? In this interactive session, you’ll select the metrics that matter most to you, and we'll reveal live benchmarking results from three powerful datasets: Your peers, the Top 20 Most Admired SSOs, and the World's Best GBS finalists.
Hear from award-winning leaders who will unpack the results, share their own performance metrics, and reveal the tactics that propelled them to the top. This isn’t just a data dive - it's a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be the best and a sneak peek into the insights you can unlock with SSON R&A. Walk away with fresh data, winning strategies, and an edge in your SSO/GBS journey. Don’t miss this!
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
AFTERNOON NETWORKING BREAK
SPLIT PLENARY
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm
DIGITAL WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION AS THE FOUNDATION FOR GBS EVOLUTION AND SCALE
Varun Nagalia -
Vice President of Human Resources Tech and Services,
IKEA
With more than 175,000 co-workers across 34 markets, digitally transforming the workforce management has been a strategic imperative for IKEA - laying the groundwork for the evolution and scaling of its Global Business Services (GBS). In this session, discover how IKEA is driving enterprise-wide transformation across support functions and building an integrated GBS model that is agile and people-centric.
• The future of work: sharing how digital tools and automation are leveraged for enhancing human potential and redefining roles
• Insights into how IKEA’s workforce transformation enabled the integration of diverse support functions
• A comprehensive approach to digital partnerships and organizational transformation to evolve towards GBS holistically
INTERACTIVE STAGES
CHANGE AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT CLINICS
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm HOW TO BUILD A CHANGE ENGINE BEYOND COMMUNICATIONS Jan Derek Gill - Head of Change and Communications, Digital Enterprise Solutions (DES), Merck GroupChange adoption and acceleration go far beyond communications. This clinic will focus on the core levers that drive real behaviour change and uncover the key resistance forces that slow Shared Services and GBS transformations.
• Building a structured change communications and adoption engine, starting with readiness assessments
• Building change pathways and change agent networks
• Role-based activation that ensure stakeholders don’t just hear the change - but are part of it
• Identifying and mapping resistance forces and identifying how to diagnose and manage them throughout the process
Jan Derek Gill
Head of Change and Communications, Digital Enterprise Solutions (DES)Merck Group
CHANGE AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT CLINICS
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm WHY TRANSFORMATIONS FALL APART? Asko Vainio - Project Director, GBS implementation, Fiskars CorporationWojtek Tatys - Senior Director, GBS Transformation Lead, Warner Bros. Discovery
We hear a lot of successful transformation stories at conferences. The reality, though, is that the majority of transformation programmes fail and those are the moments where we learn the biggest lessons. This session is designed for leaders to challenge and interrogate the true reasons behind their failed transformation efforts, providing a rare and unique opportunity to draw the most valuable lessons from an honest, raw and peer-led dialogue format.
• Sharing examples of where transformation efforts fall apart
• Digging deep into the reasons behind these failed efforts
• What could have been done differently?
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLES (LIMITED ATTENDEES)
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLESCHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE 1: OVERCOMING COMPLIANCE AND REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE COMPLEXITIES FOR SUCCESSFUL E-INVOICING DEPLOYMENT
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE 2: ENABLING END-TO-END TRANSFORMATION WITH AGENTIC AI
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE 3: AGENTIC SOLUTIONS: BUILD OR BUY
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE 4: BEST PRACTICES ON S4HANA TRANSFORMATION
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE 5: MASTER DATA TRANSFORMATION: A CRITICAL STEP TOWARDS AGENTIC GBS
THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
5:30 pm - 5:35 pm
5 MIN CHANGE OVER (ALL HEADING BACK TO PLENARY ROOM)
5:35 pm - 6:05 pm
UNLOCK THE VALUE CREATION CODE: THE CHALLENGE
This quick-fire session will feature sharp case studies to demonstrate how GBS goes beyond efficiency to deliver proven and recognised value to the business, in different ways and to suit business needs:
· The case where GBS has delivered top-line business growth
· The case where GBS has delivered critical business insights
· The case where GBS has been the accelerator to digital transformation
· The case where GBS touches business critical functions such as supply chain, commercial operations & R&D
AWARDS CEREMONY & GALA NIGHT
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
SSOW EUROPE 2026 IMPACT AWARDS GALA DINNER (By Invitation and Pre-Registration Only)
Joanne Griffin -
Founder & CEO,
AdaptIQ
Lafras Moolman - Director Finance Transformation, CRH – Tarmac
Tony Saldanha - President, Inixia
Fraser Kirk - VP HR Transformation & Systems, GKN Automotive
Kamila Grembowicz - Head of Global Business Solutions, Astellas Pharma
Sarunas Suipis - MD & EVP, Citco Fund Services Lithuania
Tim Palmer - Head Business Transformation and Customer Experience, Insulet Corporation
Maria Salvatore - SVP Finance Operations, Rolls-Royce
Gillian Barton - VP, Global Delivery Operations, Otis Elevator Worldwide
Sameer Jalundhwala - SVP, GBS Operations & Outsourcing, NTT
Phil Priest - SVP, GBS, IFF
Vanessa Rechter - Vice President, Global Business Services, Copeland
Jay Desai - Vice President, IT Infrastructure & Operations, JTI
Dr. Frank Schüler - Managing Director Global Service Center, DHL Global Forwarding and Freight
Salvo Russo - Head of Strategy, GBS, AstraZeneca
Leigh Nicholson - Strategy, Business Partnering & Capabilities Lead, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Recognising excellent work and celebrating achievements is hugely important for the community, especially at a time like this. SSON’s Shared Services & Outsourcing Impact Awards is a globally recognised, annual industry awards ceremony, which honours and celebrates SSC and service delivery teams who have exceeded industry standards in their SS&O initiatives. Tonight is the night we reveal who the winners are for this year and celebrate with them! This year’s awards will be a night to remember! The Awards Ceremony will be presented at the exuberant off-site Gala Dinner, attended by hundreds of SSOW VIPs and attendees, designed to help us network, unwind and celebrate with the best of the best from the industry. Attendance by invitation or for Awards Pass Holders only.
