Agenda

Monday, March 17 | 1:00-3:00 PM

FP&A practitioners need the right approach to drive their organization’s financial efficiency, strategic planning and informed decision making. This workshop provides a comprehensive overview of data and analytics that prepares you to harness these tools for business success. You’ll gain insight into the "why," "when," and "how" of applying data analytics to effectively measure and enhance organizational performance through an introduction to the data science technique taxonomy and by examining the three fundamental types of analytics: descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive. Interactive quizzes, discussion topics, and real-world case studies are integrated throughout to ensure an interactive session and effective application of concepts to optimize business outcomes.

Speaker:

• Prashanth Southekal, Founder and Managing Principal, DBP Institute

 Approved Credits: 2.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Monday, March 17 | 3:30-5:00 PM

Discover how the processes we use to deliver financial expertise shape our corporate culture and influence our stakeholder interactions. This roundtable highlights the pivotal role finance professionals play in fostering a positive company culture. Participants explore the interconnectedness of decision-making, leadership styles, employee feedback and retention strategies, psychological safety, stress management, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), workplace flexibility, and, most importantly, trust. Attendees can expect to gain insights into how a deep understanding of corporate culture can enhance value delivery, strategic execution, and talent retention.

Facilitated by:

• Farrah Panjwani, Director, Finance - Trading, Parkland Corporation
  
• Adam Smith, Senior Manager, Finance Business Partner, Parkland Corporation

Approved Credits: 1.8 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Monday, March 17 | 3:30-5:00 PM

As businesses increasingly rely on data to drive decisions, the ability to go beyond traditional descriptive analytics techniques becomes ever more essential. This workshop explores additional techniques such as simple and multiple linear regression models, how to critically evaluate the output of analytics, and how to communicate the insights derived from data analytics using the eight stages of data storytelling. To solidify understanding, quizzes, thought-provoking discussion topics, and real-world case studies are integrated to ensure FP&A practitioners can apply these concepts in their business contexts.

Speaker:

• Prashanth Southekal, Founder and Managing Principal, DBP Institute

*This workshop may be taken in sequence or independent of The Why, When & How of Data Analytics workshop.*

Approved Credits: 1.8 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Tuesday, March 18 | 8:30-9:45 AM

Success in business and life comes down to the decisions we make and the actions we take, but even elite performers can fall into traps of poor judgment or decision fatigue. Former NFL & NBA executive Paul Epstein shares a streamlined, three-step process used to avoid pitfalls, move forward with clarity, and capitalize on your Most Valuable Decisions (MVDs). The Head-Heart-Hands equation — a straightforward, repeatable process that leverages core human capabilities for better decisions — provides a clear path to making fast, effective decisions on pivotal questions like strategy choices, hiring, prioritization, and deal-making. Attendees walk away with the confidence to act decisively by implementing a framework designed for speed and efficiency that empowers individuals and teams for success.

Speaker: 

• Paul Epstein, Former NFL & NBA Executive, Bestselling Author, The Power of Playing Offense and Better Decisions Faster

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Personal Development

Tuesday, March 18 | 10:30-11:30 AM

FP&A and Accounting are distinct disciplines where the objectives, key activities, deliverables, skillsets required, business interaction, and impact are different. While this dynamic is true, organizational dynamics such as size, maturity, culture, and ownership structure often lead to blurred lines and lack of clarity between the roles and responsibilities of the two functions. What role should FP&A have in the monthly pre-close and close process? Who is responsible for accruals & prepaids, goodwill analysis, gross to net sales reconciliation? How can FP&A and Accounting optimally collaborate and partner with the business? In this session, learn from FP&A experts from organizations including Sunovion Pharmaceuticals and Canon Production Printing sharing leading practices, innovative ideas, and lessons learned on navigating and optimizing the FP&A and Accounting collaboration model. Gain insights around the role of the Finance liaison bridging the chasm between FP&A and Accounting.

Speakers:  

• Philip Peck, Vice President, FP&A Transformation & Advisory Services, Peloton Group
• Patty Ciervo, Senior Vice President Finance, enGene

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Tuesday, March 18 | 10:30-11:30 AM

Integrated financial planning is one of the most important capabilities within FP&A and accurate sales forecasts are essential to comprehensive financial planning. In this session, an FP&A practitioner and Microsoft MVP explore the art and science of revenue forecasting using Excel. Designed for finance professionals looking to enhance their integrated modeling expertise, this session provides practical techniques and insights for building robust, flexible, and scalable revenue models. You'll gain a fuller understanding of key operating assumptions and scenario-building principles enabling your long-term planning models to evolve seamlessly without adding unnecessary complexity.

Speaker:

• Carl Seidman, Principal, Seidman Financial

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM Credits & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Finance

Tuesday, March 18 | 10:30-11:30 AM

Implementing FP&A tools effectively is crucial for streamlining financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting. This session emphasizes aligning tools with business processes to support operations. Tool selection requires thorough preparation, including surveying internal expertise and considering system compatibility. Effective implementation relies on clean data, clear ownership, and avoiding pitfalls like disorganized data and insufficient resources. Chris Wilson's insights on involving core and broader teams ensure comprehensive testing and feedback.AI and machine learning in FP&A are evolving, highlighting the need to experiment with these technologies to unlock benefits and stay competitive. This session underscores the importance of careful planning, selection, and implementation of FP&A tools to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and strategic decision-making, contributing to organizational success and growth.

Speaker: 

• Justin Croft, VP, Data Science & Solution Architecture, QueBIT

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Tuesday, March 18 | 1:00-2:00 PM

Many finance teams struggle to make their presentations engaging, impactful and appealing, but it does not have to be this way. This session is designed to help finance leaders enhance their storytelling abilities and transform their presentations by diving into the five most common issues that plague finance presentations and providing straightforward, actionable tips to overcome them. Learn how to extract powerful messages from your analyses to ensure your audience leaves with clear, actionable insights. The world rewards people who are best at communicating ideas, and not the best ideas; making engaging presentations can help position Finance as an integral part of the business team.

Speaker: 

• Soufyan Hamid, Founder, The Finance Circle

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Communications & Marketing

Tuesday, March 18 | 1:00-2:00 PM

In this interactive workshop, finance professionals will participate in Cube's Strategic Finance Framework Assessment to gauge their team’s alignment with organizational goals. Attendees will complete a live assessment and then review the results collectively, gaining valuable insights into their team's strategic positioning.The session will go beyond traditional financial management, focusing on aligning financial decisions with broader organizational visions, creating actionable strategies, and fostering innovation. Participants will learn how to enhance their finance team’s strategic impact through real-world case studies and interactive exercises.By the end, participants will clearly understand their team’s strengths and areas for improvement, along with practical steps to boost operations, decision-making, and profitability.

Speaker: 

• Christina Ross, CEO, Cube Software

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Tuesday, March 18 | 1:00-2:00 PM

Sales forecasts drive business planning and M&A moves, but constant questions and suspect projections can turn critical decision-making into a guessing game. Learn how this chemical manufacturer moved from a black box of revenue hunches and mismatched roll-ups to a pillar of confidence by using AI to spot forecast anomalies, increase forecast accuracy, and drive smarter acquisition choices. They’ll also explain how the finance team overcame typical resistance to AI and how they’re now using AI in more areas of finance.

Speakers: 

• Ameesh Maru, Senior Director, Solution Consulting, Planful
• Kevin Washek, VP Finance, Kimball Midwest

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Tuesday, March 18 | 2:30-3:30 PM

As FP&A professionals advance from individual contributor roles to leadership positions, they must shift their focus from purely compliance-driven tasks to actively influencing strategic business decisions. The ability to translate complex financial data into compelling narratives becomes essential, the skill to balance detail-oriented analysis with a vision for the bigger picture—while making informed decisions amid uncertainty. This session addresses these critical challenges, offering practical insights and actionable strategies for successfully stepping into finance leadership roles. Participants gain a deeper understanding of how to guide not only their own transition but also to mentor and support others navigating a similar journey.

Speaker: 

• Wassia Kamon, Chief Financial Officer, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Tuesday, March 18 | 2:30-3:30 PM

In today's competitive business landscape, getting value from each dollar of expense is critical to finding investment dollars, running lean, and meeting targets. Cost optimization is a critical way to look at processes and infrastructure, but it is confused and sometimes tarnished by its proximity to cost savings. This session will explore the differences and provide examples of how Verizon, one of the largest and most complex companies, is delving into innovative strategies and best practices for reducing expenses while maintaining or improving quality and efficiency.

Speakers:

• Rachel Foust, Senior Director, FP&A, Verizon
• William Merkent, Senior Director, FP&A, Verizon

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Finance

Tuesday, March 18 | 2:30-3:30 PM

Power BI empowers finance professionals to enhance reporting, analysis, and decision-making with advanced data visualization and integration. This session covers key strategies for implementation, best practices for smooth transitions, and customization techniques tailored to your team. Explore data integration methods, real-world case studies, and change management for fostering a data-driven culture. Whether you're new to Power BI or refining your setup, you'll gain the tools to drive financial excellence and strategic decision-making.

Speaker:

• Dennis Carriere, Head of Client Success, Collectiv 

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Tuesday, March 18 | 4:00-5:00 PM

AI is already helping FP&A leaders revolutionize financial operations and company performance. Join four leading FP&A practitioners as they detail the transformative effects AI has had on their workflows. This session showcases how AI has driven improvements in forecasting accuracy—both top-line and bottom-line—reduced manual data manipulation and transformation, and automated reporting across business units. Gain insights into the actionable strategies these leaders employed to integrate AI into their processes and the impacts they’ve seen on their teams and organizations.

Speakers:

• Matthieu Hafemeister, Co-Founder & CEO, Concourse
• Ruchir Nath, Director Sales Strategy and Planning, Dell Technologies
• Alex Hamacher, Head of Finance, Instabase
• Justin Hammergren, Head of FP&A, Lightmatter

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Tuesday, March 18 | 4:00-5:00 PM

Finance departments often have a complex relationship with reporting automation. While there's general agreement on the benefits of eliminating manual tasks, many remain doubtful, believing that “it would never work here.” This session looks at common sources of resistance to reporting automation and walks through a real-world case study of the implementation of automated reporting with a major healthcare distributor. Most importantly, leveraging our structured framework for setting up these projects, each participant builds a custom plan for leaning into a reporting automation opportunity in their own workplaces.

Speakers:

• Alyssa Cox, Founder, Blue Swift Consulting
• Greg Gernetzke, Principal, Gernetzke & Associates

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Tuesday, March 18 | 4:00-5:00 PM

Human skills will be essential for businesses to thrive in tomorrow’s digital landscape. We need an agile mindset to navigate the modern workplace; learn how to build flexibility, collaboration, and adaptation into assets that help you stay ahead in a world increasingly driven by technology. We also need to see the world differently by understanding that we live in “complex systems,” where the interplay of relationships and non-linear actions create outcomes that are hard to predict. Attend this session for insights on fostering these traits to build stronger relationships, develop resilience, and lead with confidence in a rapidly changing digital economy.

Speakers:

• Dani Martins, Founder and Adviser, DM Brasil Strategic Solutions
• Rick Nason, Associate Professor of Finance, Dalhousie University

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE Credits
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Wednesday, March 19 | 8:30-9:30 AM

For FP&A to achieve maximum value, it needs to deliver finance and business acumen to its partners across the business and engaged vendors. This type of interaction goes beyond just having a cup of coffee with your partners; it is based on best practices for breaking down complex finance functions, distributing tasks, and ensuring seamless integration of results. This session provides insights into the key areas essential for impactful collaboration: communication, project management, service level agreements, technology, and collaboration with partners. These essential components prepare finance teams to scale their impact and stay current with upgraded capabilities.

Speaker:

• Christopher Ortega, CEO, Fresh FP&A

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Wednesday, March 19 | 8:30-9:30 AM

Portillo’s, a fast-casual restaurant chain, saw rapid growth leading to its IPO in 2021. Despite this success, the company’s legacy FP&A systems, which were heavily dependent on outdated Excel-based EPM solutions, faced significant challenges-manual processes, limited functionality, and an inability to adapt to evolving business needs were key issues. To address these challenges, Portillo’s embarked on a comprehensive finance transformation by implementing a purpose-built EPM cloud solution specifically designed for retail best practices. Join this session to hear how this fiancé transformation enhanced Portillo’s financial management capabilities enabling advanced weekly driver-based sales planning and reporting. Discover how these improvements can be applied across various industries and organizations.

Speakers:

• Philip Peck, Vice President, FP&A Transformation & Advisory Services, Peloton Group 
• Justin McConkey, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Portillo's

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Wednesday, March 19 | 10:15-11:15 AM

FP&A transformation projects are critical for driving informed decision-making and strategic planning within organizations however, many projects fail to meet their goals. This panel discussion brings together accomplished project leaders and experienced consultants to provide a comprehensive view of what it takes to deliver successful projects and create sustained value within organizations. They examine the essential factors to consider before starting, identify areas for improvement, highlight the actions that drove success, and outline the essential steps for ensuring long-term impact. By focusing on real-world experiences and practical advice, this discussion gives attendees the tools and knowledge needed to enhance their project success and contribute to their organization's long-term goals.

Speakers:

• Kayla Davis, CFO, C&W Services
• Mitch Max, Senior Partner, EPM North America, Alpha FMC
• Melissa Wong, CFO, Tech Opportunities, Bain Capital
• Tyler Vonderheide, Senior Manager Modeling and Visualization, Southwest Airlines
• Marcus Gadson, CTP,  FPAC, Senior Finance Director, Wellpath

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Wednesday, March 19 | 10:15-11:15 AM

As finance leaders, we are dedicated to being efficient stewards of our organizations, navigating the complexities of an ever-evolving risk landscape. Amidst uncertainty, our mission is to provide clarity, visibility, and accountability across all levels of the organization. This session will explore practical strategies and real-world examples to leverage budgeting and forecasting as powerful tools for risk management. Discover how to: align on budget objectives and outputs before the process begins; quantify risk drivers; establish data capture methods that enable dimensional tagging to correlate risks with scenarios; and communicate needs and expectations to budget owners. By adopting these approaches, you can generate more insightful discussions that proactively identify and mitigate risk, and drive better decisions and organizational resilience.

Speaker:

• Benjamin Lehrer, CEO, First Water Finance

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Finance

Wednesday, March 19 | 10:15-11:15 AM

What if you could adopt the proven leadership strategies used by Marine Corps Officers who inspire their teams in the most demanding combat environments to keep your team motivated? While finance leaders are not on the battlefield, they can still leverage these military principles to drive their teams to success. Discover how to: become the people leader your team wants to follow; lead with agility and a bias for action; and maintain a balanced perspective within your team. By the end of this session, you will be equipped with actionable tools to motivate your team to run towards the fire; empowering them to confront and conquer the toughest business challenges of tomorrow.

Speaker:

• Ryan McCool, Founder, McCool Leadership Development

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Wednesday, March 19 | 11:30 AM-1:00 PM

Burnout and stress are increasingly pervasive challenges that impact both our professional and personal lives. For FP&A professionals, the need for an accessible stepwise approach to better protect mental health and boost productivity is more crucial than ever. In this talk, Dr. Aditi Nerurkar offers practical strategies such as implementing a healthy media diet to reduce information overload, using sleep as a therapeutic intervention, adopting monotasking to become more focused, and applying cognitive reframing to strengthen brain health and resilience to effectively manage and mitigate stress and burnout.

Speaker:

• Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH, Harvard Physician | Author, The Five Resets

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Personal Development

Monday, March 17 | 5:00-6:00 PM

Get into the Irish spirit with your FP&A peers as we kick off the AFP FP&A Forum on St Patrick’s Day. Enjoy Irish-inspired appetizers, brews, and festive swag to celebrate the holiday. Don’t forget to wear your green and join the fun.

Sponsored by Workday

Tuesday, March 18 | 10:30-11:30 AM

Unlock your organization’s full potential by embracing the next generation of planning tools and strategies. In this session, discover how Workday Adaptive Planning helps FP&A teams transition from time-consuming, manual budgeting processes to streamlined, collaborative, and highly strategic planning. See firsthand how embedded AI capabilities enhance agility, clarity, and decision-making, allowing organizations to move faster and more confidently toward their goals. You’ll also hear success stories from one of our innovative customers on how they transformed their FP&A operations into an agile, high-performing, and strategic powerhouse, driving smarter, faster results across their organizations.

Speaker(s): 

• Pranay Arya, Director, Financial Planning and Analysis, Team Car Care
• Marlon Sims, Principal, Product Manager, Workday

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Information Technology

Sponsored by Workday

Tuesday, March 18 | 1:00-2:00 PM

The FP&A function is the cornerstone of organizational success, orchestrating critical planning, budgeting, and forecasting cycles. FP&A leaders are uniquely positioned to deliver transformative insights and strategic recommendations that drive efficiency, uncover growth opportunities, and propel the organization forward. However, these teams often encounter significant challenges in delivering on these goals, including resource constraints, outdated methodologies, and fragmented processes. These obstacles can limit their ability to fully leverage their expertise and insights, but the obstacles can be overcome. This session explores innovative strategies to enhance financial agility, foster collaboration across all business units, and uncover novel approaches for unlocking enterprise value.

Speaker(s): 

• TBD

Approved Credits: 1.2 FPAC, CTP/CCM & CPE
CPE Field of Study: Business Management & Organization

Sponsored byAnaplan

Tuesday, March 18 | 9:50-10:05 AM

Planning in Microsoft Fabric and Power BI promises “Planning Nirvana,” but achieving it requires experience and expertise. In this session, Collectiv’s experts uncover the good, the bad, and the ugly of planning with Fabric and Power BI, sharing real-world insights from clients like United Healthcare and USDA. Learn practical strategies to overcome challenges and tailor these tools to your organization’s planning, forecasting, and budgeting needs to drive meaningful outcomes.

Speakers:

• Darren Goonawardana, CEO and Co-Founder, Collectiv
• Dennis Carriere, Head of Client Success, Collectiv

Please note this partner demo is not approved for FPAC, CTP/CCM or CPE credits.

Tuesday, March 18 | 2:05-2:20 PM

TBD

Speakers:

• Tanya Firdman, CPA (Inactive), Principal Sales Consultant, Brex

Please note this partner demo is not approved for FPAC, CTP/CCM or CPE credits.

Tuesday, March 18 | 3:35-3:50 PM

Explore extended Financial Planning and Analysis (xFP&A), a transformative approach that expands traditional FP&A beyond finance to encompass organization-wide integrated planning. Learn from real-world customer examples to see how to break down departmental silos, align strategy with execution across the entire business and accelerate better decisions.

Presenters:

• TBD

Please note this partner demo is not approved for FPAC, CTP/CCM or CPE credits.