EUROPE’S NO.1 SHARED SERVICES & GBS EVENT
Conference Day Two: May 21st, 2025
7:30 am - 8:25 am
Breakfast and Registration
8:25 am - 8:55 am
Monday Highlights from the Chair
Steve Rudderham -
Head of Global Business Services,
Carrier
Jackie Crockford - VP, Global Business Services, AstraZenca
Rajeev Mall - Vice President - Mondelēz Digital Services, Mondelēz International
SSOW THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
8:55 am - 9:25 am
THE OUTSOURCING CUSTOMERS PANEL: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UNEXPECTED OF WORKING WITH BPOS
Jan Nikus -
Head of KONE Business Services,
KONE
Sebastian Frey - Managing Director, Kärcher Global Services
BPO and Outsourcing Partners have been a critical part of the Shared Services and GBS ecosystem. There are many factors to consider when it comes to choosing the right partners and models and the experiences are often mixed. This session will look to share experiences and explore new ways of driving transformational outcomes from your BPO partnerships:
· Understanding the business objectives and selecting the right service delivery model accordingly
· Examining the systems, processes and data required to make sure they are fit for purpose
· How to leverage BPO partners to drive end-to-end process efficiency
· How do you expand into cutting-edge services around big data, analytics and other innovative solutions?
· Developing and shaping centres of excellence to build capabilities
9:25 am - 9:50 am
GBS AS VALUE CREATOR TO THE BUSINESS EBITDA: HOW ARE WE DOING IT AT STORA ENSO?
Hannele Palje-Rossi -
Senior Vice President, Head of Global Business Services,
Stora Enso
· Designed for impact from day one: Building a GBS team where the impact is greater than the functions
· How do we lift up GBS as a key player in the company business?
· How do we have the right conversations to have a seat at the table within one year?
· How can GBS contribute to the EBITDA value: How are we bringing value into key parts of sales, production and sustainability?
· The GBS role in leveraging AI as the accelerator services to reinforce business impact
9:50 am - 10:20 am
THE GREAT AI COMEDY SHOW: INTELLIGENCE OPTIONAL
Robert Weltevreden -
Global Business Services Advisor,
RW Advisory Ltd
Hannele Palje-Rossi - Senior Vice President, Head of Global Business Services, Stora Enso
Steve Rudderham - Head of Global Business Services, Carrier
Sandy Khanna - Vice President, Finance Operations, Mars Global Services
Vikram Gollakota - Vice President, Global Alliances and Strategic Initiatives, HighRadius
AI is the future. AI is a game-changer. AI is making us all obsolete… but not today.
While the rest of the conference talks about how AI is transforming GBS and shared services, we’re here to talk about what happens when AI completely loses its mind. Artificial Intelligence, Real Stupidity?
What if AI decided your GBS team was running a cartel? What if it promoted an intern to CFO? What if it scheduled a conference so long that no one ever made it out? These aren’t just absurd hypotheticals – they’re what happens when AI starts making its own rules.
AI is changing everything. The real question is: Into what?
Sponsored by: HighRadius
Technologies and solutions are driving the speed of change in shared services evolution. We have dedicated this time for solution provider demo drives to provide great opportunities for you to hear from multiple vendors with a snappy overview of their key solutions and capabilities and how they can advance your GBS and shared services transformation journey. Be it RPA, process mining, BPM, consultancy or finance/supply chain/HR automation solution providers, you name it and all of them will be doing their short sharp pitches during this time!
Get ready to join them and take notes on which ones you would like to explore further. On top of that, once you’ve heard all of the pitches and ticked them off your demo drive card, you will stand a chance to win multiple wonderful prizes. Pick up a demo drive card from one of the staff and join in now!
SSON Connect
10:20 am - 11:15 am SSON ConnectSPLIT PLENARY STAGE (RUNNING CONCURRENT WITH IDGS, INVITE-ONLY MASTERCLASSES & PAVILION SESSIONS BEGIN)
11:15 am - 11:45 am
CO-CREATING A WORLD CLASS VALUE FOCUSED GBS ORGANIZATION ENABLED THROUGH DATA & AI
Sachin Kumar -
EMEA BPO Leader,
IBM Consulting
John Bradbury - Finance Director – GFS New Business & Transformation, Reckitt
11:45 am - 12:10 pm
THE NOKIA GBS TRANSFORMATION: SPEED OF EXPANSION, DEPTH OF SERVICES AND A LASER FOCUS ON LEADING CHANGE
Jonathan Chamberlain -
Head of Business Operations,
Nokia Business Services
Timothee Raffour - COO Financial Controller, Cloud Network Services, Nokia
The transformation journey at Nokia GBS has been monumental, marked by a significant expansion of scope, the redesign of the entire service portfolio with a completely different charging model, whilst building relationships with 11 main stakeholder groups across 7-8 global entities. This shift required significant efforts to address customer pain points, enhance engagement and rebuild trust. Join this unique conversation to not only discover how GBS tackled these challenges but also to hear directly from their customers about their experiences:
· How GBS focused on building transparency, portfolio management and a consumption-based approach to meet internal customer expectations
· Exploring how consistent listening, acting on feedback and collaborative problem-solving became the cornerstone of change management
· Building trust and expanding scope: two-way dialogue on winning confidence from the stakeholders
12:10 pm - 12:35 pm
GBS VALUE SELLING AND VALUE GENERATION: A SIEMENS GBS CASE STUDY
Alexander von Thielmann -
SVP Shared Services, O2C & CRM,
Siemens
· Shifting GBS strategy to become an E2E integrated business partner delivering top line support, transformation capabilities and knowledge driven services
· Sharing use cases and proven results for value generation
· How to have clearly defined metrics on measuring the value created
· How to effectively communicate the value generation approach to customers and stakeholders
12:35 pm - 1:00 pm
AN UNCONVENTIONAL CASE STUDY: DELIVERING VALUE THROUGH INNOVATION AT NATIXIS IN PORTUGAL
Etienne Huret -
CEO,
Natixis in Portugal
The story begins with the name: Natixis in Portugal is not a traditional shared services delivery centre, but a key part of the Natixis Group (as an innovation hub). This distinction is critical for Etienne and his team. Join Etienne in this session to discover why the organisation is designed this way. He will also share valuable insights into the following areas:
· Delivering tangible and measurable value through innovation, actionable AI and advanced technologies
· Building trust with a transparent, visualised set of Finance, HR, and Delivery KPIs
· Identifying where we fall short as an extended team and exploring strategies to overcome these challenges
· Pinpointing areas where we can further advance our maturity
IDGS & INVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASSES
IDG A
11:30 am - 1:00 pm A: INDUSTRY GROUP FOR CPG & RETAILIDG C
11:30 am - 1:00 pm C: INDUSTRY GROUP FOR PHARMA, BIOTECH & HEALTHCARE Lukasz Wielochowski - Head of Enterprise Solution Hub in Poland, Moderna
IDG D
11:30 am - 1:00 pm D: FINANCE MEETS AI: UNLOCKING PERFORMANCE THROUGH AUTOMATION Marko Kling - Vice President, Solution Architecture, SerralaVeronika Gordejeva - Project Manager, Siemens
Gerald Fass - GBS Growth Lead for Europe, Capgemini's Business Services
Oliver Bissinger - Business Development Executive Germany and Industry Lead Automotive, Capgemini’s Business Services
Sponsored by: Serrala
Oliver Bissinger
Business Development Executive Germany and Industry Lead AutomotiveCapgemini’s Business Services
IDG E
11:30 am - 1:00 pm E: MANAGE YOUR DATA EFFECTIVELY IN YOUR FINANCE SHARED SERVICES Meg Howe - Chief Sales Officer, Oversight
IDGS & INVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASSES (Continued)
IDG F
11:30 am - 1:00 pm F: HIRE-TO-RETIRE TRANSFORMATION Mariana Cervan - HR Senior Manager, People Services Excellence, Infineon TechnologiesDavis Aguilar - Head of HR Operations, Diageo
IDG G
11:30 am - 1:00 pm G: DEVELOPING AND EXPANDING THE SERVICE SCOPE AND CATALOGUE FOR MAXIMUM BUSINESS ALIGNMENT & IMPACT Bohumil Riha - EMEA Procurement Regional Delivery Lead, J&J Global Services
IDG H
11:30 am - 1:00 pm H: INDIRECT TAX COMPLIANCE: KEEPING UP WITH THE EVER-CHANGING REGULATIONS Kerstin Bauer - Senior Manager Indirect Tax Accounting, eBay
IDGS & INVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASSES (Continued)
IDG I
11:30 am - 1:00 pm I: THE EVOLVING GPO ROLE Pieter de Bruijn - Director International Accounting, Bose Products B.V.Balint Hoffer - Head of A2R, EMEA, Opella Healthcare
IDG J
11:30 am - 1:00 pm J: GBS STANDARDS SSON R&A Naomi Secor - Global Managing Director, SSON Research & Analytics
IDG K
11:30 am - 1:00 pm K : FROM OBSOLETE TO FUTURE-READY: WHY AP AUTOMATION IS NOW A STRATEGIC EMERGENCY Phil Bailey - Director, Product Specialist, Pagero (Part of Thomson Reuters)Sponsored by: Thomson Reuters
INVITATION ONLY MASTERCLASS
8:00 am - 8:30 am ACCELERATING SHARED SERVICES' AI TRANSFORMATION THROUGH PROCESS INTELLIGENCE Alex Trail - Senior Account Executive, GBTECAs shared services evolve, the focus must shift from task automation to end-to-end process transformation. True value from AI is unlocked not by automating isolated steps, but by rethinking the operating model itself—grounded in a deep understanding of how work actually flows.
This session explores how process intelligence provides the visibility needed to identify inefficiencies, connect siloed systems and teams, and align AI with real business impact. By revealing how processes truly run, organizations can prioritize high-value automation, enhance compliance, and accelerate digital transformation across finance, HR, and procurement.
Join us to discover how leading Shared Services Centers are using process intelligence to build a connected, intelligent foundation for scalable AI-driven change.
Sponsored by: GBTEC
Masterclass
1:15 pm - 1:45 pm (Invitation-Only) Masterclass with Thomson Reuters: Solving the Centralised Statutory Reporting Challenge George Sugden - Account Director, Global Statutory Reporting, Key Strategic Accounts, Thomson ReutersKristine Commons - Account Director, Global Statutory Reporting, Key Strategic Accounts, Thomson Reuters
Ewelina Dominiak - Senior Project Manager, ABB
Renata Marchwinska - Head of Statutory Compliance, ABB
Many businesses are looking to drive efficiency and reduce cost 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 overcome by a large MNC in their global business. In this interactive session, come and discuss your challenges with the experts from Thomson Reuters, network with your peers and get the latest information on what we are hearing from the market about the drivers for transformation.
Sponsored by: Thomson Reuters
George Sugden
Account Director, Global Statutory Reporting, Key Strategic AccountsThomson Reuters
Kristine Commons
Account Director, Global Statutory Reporting, Key Strategic AccountsThomson Reuters
Lunch
1:00 pm - 1:55 pm LunchVIP LUNCH
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm VIP LUNCH HOSTED BY IT PARK UZBEKISTAN: SPOTLIGHT ON THE EVOLVING SHARED SERVICES LANDSCAPE Ahmed Aboulezz - Advisor to the CEO, IT Park Uzbekistan
THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
2:30 pm - 3:20 pm
G6 Digital Debate: GBS Dragon's Den
Deborah Kops -
Industry Influencer and Shared Services Expert,
Sourcing Change
Sandy Khanna - Vice President, Finance Operations, Mars Global Services
Aneta van den Kieboom - Senior Vice President, Head of Global Shared Services, RHI Magnesita
Joan Torres González - Vice President, Business Operations Leader EMEA, IBM Consulting
Magdalena Matell - Vice President, Global Head of Projects & Consulting for Finance Transformation, Capgemini's Business Services
Yanis Vadier - Managing Director, Operations Sales Lead EMEA, Accenture
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?
Magdalena Matell
Vice President, Global Head of Projects & Consulting for Finance TransformationCapgemini's Business Services
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF SHARED SERVICES IN DRIVING BUSINESS GROWTH
Josh May -
Partner Enablement Director,
Blackline
In this session, Chris Gunning, Global Finance Operations Leadership – Head of Enablement at NielsenIQ, and Josh May, Partner Solutions Director at BlackLine will explore how automation, AI-driven financial solutions, and data-driven insights empower organizations to scale, enhance efficiency, and improve governance.
• The role of Shared Services in driving efficiency, scalability, and compliance.
• Leveraging automation and AI to streamline operations and improve decision-making.
• Best practices in digital upskilling, change management, and stakeholder alignment.
• Real-world lessons from transformation initiatives across industries.
Presented in a fireside chat format, this session will deliver actionable strategies and industry insights to help organizations optimize their Shared Services function for long-term success.
Sponsored by: BlackLine
3:20 pm - 3:45 pm
SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: LIVE BENCHMARKING WITH THE TOP 20 MOST ADMIRED SSOS IN THE WORLD
Barbara Hodge -
Global Editor & Principal Analyst,
SSON Research & Analytics
Rod Lindsay - President, Nokia Business Services, Nokia
Priyambhu Arya - BCOE CEO, ArcelorMittal
Curious how your SSO/GBS performance compares to some of the most respected operations in the industry? In this session, we’ll spotlight SSON Research & Analytics’ exclusive Top 20 Most Admired SSO/GBS Benchmarking metrics. Two Top 20 GBS will share strategies that help drive their performance with reference to selected Top 20 benchmark metrics. Join us to gain benchmarking insights from Top 20 Most Admired Shared Services leaders as they share:
- How they’ve driven performance across key process areas—from Talent to Automation and Finance
- What makes them stand out as Most Admired
- Practical lessons and KPIs you can apply to accelerate your own maturity curve
This isn’t just a look at the data—it’s a celebration of operational excellence, a live benchmarking experience, and a chance to uncover the untapped potential in your own SSO/GBS.
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm
Afternoon Break & SSON Connect
SPLIT PLENARY AND THEMED STAGES
SPLIT PLENARY
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm BUILDING A SKILL-BASED ORGANISATION: AN AXA GBS CASE STUDY Isabelle Isnard - Head of HR and Communications, AXA Global Business ServicesAn organisation is agile only to the extent that its workforce is ready to handle any near-term or future scenario. With the pace of change accelerating, the traditional experience-based talent model is no longer sufficient. Future-ready organisations need to base people decisions on skills more than jobs – and having a scalable, manageable, and more equitable way of operating. A skills-based organisation turns talent management on its head, redefining and reimagining every talent practice to be based more on skills than on jobs and setting a new direction for the future of work: agile, tech-enabled and democratised. This is no longer a vision, but a mission and reality set in motion within AXA GBS. Join this case study to hear how they are achieving this vision with practical steps:
· Building a skills-based organisation to be able to anticipate and effectively respond to new capability building initiatives
· Sharing the key steps AXA GBS are taking to shift the focus from jobs to skills
· Redeploying resources impacted by the automation of transactional activities and processes
SPLIT PLENARY
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm FUTURE-PROOFING GLOBAL BUSINESS SERVICES (GBS) THROUGH TALENT DEVELOPMENT, CAREER PROGRESSION & EFFECTIVE SUCCESSION PLANNING Lucja Grochal Moscicka - HR Business Partner GBS, Management, PandoraCarlos Guimaraes - VP GBS Operations, adidas
Lizzy Bowling - Executive Director, Head of Strategy and Service Management Global Business Services, Astellas Pharma Europe
· How GBS leaders are approaching right-skilling to address evolving industry demands
· Strategies for linking training and development with business goals
· The Learning and Development (L&D) Agenda: Strategic Secret Sauce
· Overcoming the reverse talent flow problem: What can we do to attract talent from global functions into GBS?
· Pathways for career growth in GBS: Developing a clear game plan for progression
· Future-Proofing GBS with an effective succession planning strategy
Lizzy Bowling
Executive Director, Head of Strategy and Service Management Global Business ServicesAstellas Pharma Europe
Foundational Capabilities (Launching) Stage
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm LIFT & SHIFT, TRANSITION, SCOPE & PROCESS STANDARDISATION: WHERE WOULD YOU LIKELY FAIL WHEN LAUNCHING SSCS? Jan Mottl - Asahi Business Services Director – Finance, Asahi Europe & InternationalKrystian Bestry - President & CEO, Adaptive Solutions & Advisory Group
Asko Vainio - Project Director, GBS implementation, Fiskars Corporation
There are so many things to consider when setting up an SSC/GBS organisation from scratch and many could go wrong, resulting in delays and increased cost. In this session, learn from experienced SSO leaders about their top tips and tricks to get SSO launch right:
· How to decide which operating model is right for you
· Understanding key drivers – what is the catalyst for business services?
· Linking location strategy to your long-term goals
· Process consolidation before vs after transit: Pros and cons
Foundational Capabilities (Launching) Stage
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm ALL ABOUT PROCESS - FROM STANDARDISATION TO AUTOMATION: CHALLENGES, BEST PRACTICES AND PROVEN METHODS Danuta Swieton - VP, GBS Finance Services, Krakow Center Head, HerbalifeJohn O'Shea - Global Business Services (GBS) General Manager, Solvay
Sebastian Schweitzer - Head of GBS Process Transformation, Fresenius Kabi
Bjorn Dumortier - Director Finance Operations, Zalando
Driving efficient and scalable processes is often the first step and a top priority for shared services leaders, but the path towards standardisation and automation is fraught with challenges. This session focuses on practical strategies to overcome these hurdles, ensuring that your process infrastructure, systems, and tools are fit to support an evolving service delivery model.
· Balancing complexity and standardisation: Discover how to harmonise processes that conform to global standards while accommodating unique needs
· Defining and communicating “Gold Standards” across your organisation
· Choosing the right method and tools for process standardisation and automation
· Addressing automation challenges: Explore why automation may not yield the expected results even with standardised processes
Finance Transformation Stage
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm ACHIEVING TOUCHLESS FINANCE PROCESSES IN P2P AND R2R WITH GLOBAL PROCESS, ADVANCED AUTOMATION AND AI: AN EBAY CASE STUDY Jana Skottova - Senior Director Global Shared Services, eBayIn this session, we will hear practical experiences from Jana on how the eBay finance shared services achieves 95% e-invoicing rate, 70% touchless rate in AP invoicing and 97% automated journals in R2R. We will also explore the practical questions such as how to ensure compliance and control when you have touchless processes.
· What does it take to achieve end-to-end touchless finance workflow while maintaining compliance and control?
· Implementing automation and AI tools to handle mismatched invoices, managing e-invoicing portals and automating exception handling
· Developing effective performance metrics for processes involving diverse procurement categories and global invoicing nuance
Finance Transformation Stage
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: BEST PRACTICES ON MASTER DATA MANAGEMENT AND TRANSFORMATION Tanuja Singi - Vice President and Head of Global Business Services, McCormick & CompanyLars Hölzer - Head of Business Services & Digital, Fresenius Kabi
Mauro Portela - Managing Director Global Master Data Operations, One Danone Business Services
Master data management is moving to the top of the agenda for many GBS organisations. In this session, our panel of experts will identify key challenges and offer best practices for organisations that are tackling the complex transformation of master data:
· What is the role of master data management in digital transformation?
· How to develop a robust data governance framework?
· Leveraging master data management platforms and tools to support data integration and governance
· Sharing best practices in managing and improving data quality
· What is the role of AI in master data transformation?
HR Shared Services Stage
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm CASE STUDY: DRIVING INNOVATION AND GROWTH AT H2R SERVICES AT BOSCH Dominik Schoenherr - Director Global HR Service Management, BoschJoscha Gruseck - Automation & Analytics Expert, Bosch
During the 13 years since their introduction of HR shared services, BOSCH had to adapt to continuous change and transformation, to meet the evolving needs of business and associates. This session will introduce the Bosch GBS - and H2R strategy which guides the way for their success. You will learn about digitalization and automation as an integral strategic pillar. From GenAI to Low-Code platforms, tools are reshaping work at BOSCH GBS. Beyond a central team for digital HR transformation, Bosch established decentral "Digi Agents" to focus on operational efficiency: A grassroots initiative empowering associates to create, maintain, and adapt their own digital solutions. This reduces pressure on central teams, fosters ownership, and drives innovation. The result is a more agile organization. While central teams focus on high-impact initiatives, operations solve their own challenges efficiently.
- Discover how Bosch are embracing innovation and growth to deliver more with less
- Drive your employment brand and become a more attractive employer in a competitive market through more flexible ways of working
- Learn about Bosch's latest initiatives which utilise technology to provide employees to focus on operational efficiency.
HR Shared Services Stage
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm CASE STUDY: PROVEN APPROACHES TO STANDARDISATION- THE KEY TO COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP Eva-Maria Nagel - Vice President HR Operations and Systems, Festo SE & Co. KGGiedre Belazariene - Head of Operations Business Services Kaunas, Festo UAB, Lithuania
When considering whether shared services are right for you, it is crucial to weigh both the positives and negatives of this large-scale transformation. This case study session will delve into the recent centralisation and standardisation of HR processes at Festo, featuring insights from both the customer and solutions perspectives. This holistic view will cover everything from HR strategy to change management.
· Learn how to navigate and simplify complex processes to achieve the best possible employee experience
· Discover the importance of true collaboration and communication between solution providers and the customer base, and the role of strong leadership in driving change
· Explore Festo’s tried and tested approaches, including their “fail fast” methodology for continuous learning and improvement
· Understand the critical role of culture and change management in successful HR transformation
THE BIG IDEAS STAGE
5:30 pm - 5:35 pm
Move back to Auditorium
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
6:30 pm - 10:00 pm
SSOW Europe 2025 Impact Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner (By Invitation and Pre-Registration Only)
Joanne Griffin -
Founder & CEO,
AdaptIQ
Sameer Jalundhwala - SVP, GBS Operations & Outsourcing, NTT
Lafras Moolman - Director Finance Transformation, CRH – Tarmac
Tony Saldanha - President, Inixia
Fraser Kirk - VP HR Transformation & Systems, GKN Automotive
Phil Priest - Head of GBS, Rolls-Royce
Kamila Grembowicz - Head of Global Business Solutions, Astellas Pharma
Dr. Frank Schüler - Managing Director Global Service Center, DHL Global Forwarding and Freight
Deborah Kops - Industry Influencer and Shared Services Expert, Sourcing Change
Vanessa Rechter - GBS Transformation Global Head, Kerry
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 Gold and Silver pass holders only.
