EVENT OVERVIEW
The 6th Annual C-Engage Convention is Singapore’s largest, exclusive event for CIOs and CFOs.
Comprised of a CFO Conference and CIO Conference, the event helps IT and Finance team leaders learn about technology investments that are cost-effective and directly contribute to the financial health and long-term success of their companies.
According to Gartner’s CEO and Senior Business Executive survey in 2025, growth tops the list, cited by 56% of CEOs. This is followed by technology implementation (42%), strengthening the organisation’s operating model or corporate profile (36%), and financial stability (25%).
With the persistent market volatility, the advent of new technologies and rising stakeholder expectations, there is a mounting need for greater collaboration and cohesive dynamics across the C-Suite. Business unit leaders must now join forces to identify, implement and optimise the right technology investments for their respective business and enterprise domains. Also, with the evolving breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, many business leaders will grapple with both the promise and hype around AI, deploying the technology wisely, effectively and responsibly while harmonising its promise and practical reality.
At the 2024 C-Engage Convention, a remarkable 81% of delegates identified automation, AI, and digitalisation as their top priorities for 2025. Additionally, investing in talent and employee development (52%) and leveraging technology for cost efficiency (50%) emerged as key areas of focus. While 90% of attendees expressed a keen interest in deploying AI, 32% of finance leaders raised concerns about data privacy and information security risks, as highlighted in the CXOCIETY Research. These insights underscore the critical importance of collaboration between CFOs and CIOs in navigating the evolving landscape of technology.
CXOCIETY Research in 2024 concluded that even as CIOs strive to leverage technology for innovation and operational efficiency, CFOs are focusing their energies on financial planning, risk management, and more efficient resource allocation. Together, they are creating a consistent vision that harnesses technology to achieve exceptional outcomes for their organisations. Dialogue with these leaders acknowledged that only by aligning their efforts can CFOs and CIOs ensure that technology investments are not only cost-effective but also significantly enhance the financial health and future prosperity of their companies.
Running in its sixth year under the theme of “Pathways Towards Differentiated Success“, C-Engage Convention 2025 co-locates the FutureCFO and FutureCIO Singapore Conferences, bringing together these essential leaders in a dynamic setting to discuss strategies for a successful C-Suite partnership and technology investments that are crucial for organisation’s success.
At this year’s flagship event, we will cover:
- Balancing priorities and immediate results
- Strategic leadership for organisational success
- Modernising enterprise transformation with innovative technologies
- Revolutionising business with AI
- Creating a successful team that delivers maximum impact
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
C-Engage Convention aims to give insights on driving technological transformation and on addressing pressing concerns to optimize digital investments and business performance to over 400 senior IT and finance leaders from multiple industries in the region.
This one-day event offers the best opportunity to hear from the industry’s leading professionals, contribute questions from the floor, engage in panel discussions, attend hands-on workshops on harnessing the power of disruptive technologies, and witness first-hand best practices in deploying the right technology and strategy to be successful in moving to the next phase of digital transformation and managing the change.
High-Level Industry Speakers
We gather 40+ industry speakers and experts from leading organizations for keynote presentations and incisive discussions so you can tap on their invaluable insights and best practices to your digital transformation journey.
Interactive Discussions
Be part of our interactive panel discussions that address the current hot topics, share ideas and experiences and get the answers to your pressing questions from prominent business leaders on stage.
Networking Opportunities
Meet new business partners, engage and forge new connections with our business leaders, end users, solution providers and many more at our event through luncheons, coffee breaks, one-to-one meetings and informal introductions.
Targeted In-Depth Sessions
8 hours of learning and networking opportunities packed into 10 in-depth sessions. Listen to corporate-driven best practices and case studies sharing that are targeted to your profession through the personalized conferences we crafted for you - FutureCIO and FutureCFO conferences.
2025 AGENDA
09.00
Conference Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
09.15
Panel Discussion: Technology Business Partnering to Drive Business Growth
In a world where everything moves very rapidly, the role of IT and CIO/CTO naturally needs to evolve and develop into technology business partners. IT is now required to champion innovation, advance enterprise business goals and drive enterprise transformation for business growth, efficiency and competitive advantage.
- How the role of IT is changing for the better
- Bridging the divide between business and IT
- Driving a transformative mindset within IT function
- Infusing business acumen into IT function to channel innovation
- Best practices in cultivating business-centric IT
Moderator:
Panelists:
10.15
Panel Discussion: The Reality Check of GenAI Adoption
2024 saw immense growth of Generative AI (GenAI) adoption where the technology fundamentally changed how businesses get done. However, Gartner analysts predict that at least 30% of generative AI (GenAI) projects will be abandoned after proof of concept by the end of 2025, due to poor data quality, inadequate risk controls, escalating costs or unclear business value.
- Expectations vs. reality
- Assessing the maturity of GenAI model and how to accelerate it
- Ensuring GenAI delivers its promises
- Realising measurable business value for GenAI
- Framework for ethical GenAI development and deployment
Moderator:
Panelists:
09.15
Panel Discussion: Balancing CFO’s Strategic Priorities while Delivering Immediate Results
In 2025, CFOs face the challenge of balancing business growth and profitability with fostering innovation and ensuring compliance. As the finance function evolves, how can it add genuine value from the perspective of business stakeholders? This session emphasises the strategic focus and complexities that CFOs will face in 2026.
- Navigating growth pressures and challenges facing CFOs in 2026
- Ensuring long-term profitability amidst market changes
- Cost control as growth strategy
- Balancing risk and growth
- Making smart investment decisions
Panelists:
10.15
Panel Discussion: CFO’s Investment Strategies that Drive Growth
According to Gartner, organisations currently face historic hurdles: a competitive talent landscape, an exhausted workforce, pressure to control costs, and the rise of AI. These new developments are likely to be faced by finance functions too and finance leaders will now need to rethink how and where work gets done. As CFOs are dealing with the complexities of hybrid work and at the same time embracing emerging and automation technologies in the finance functions, how can they effectively manage these transitions while attracting and retaining top finance talent in 2026?
- How we invest: local, regional, or global?
- Investment strategy that fits emerging markets
- Key risk mitigation management for strategic investments
- The need of investment compliance – latest trends and best practices
Moderator:
Panelist:
11.15
Keynote: AI-Ready Enterprises: Building the Foundation for Agentic Transformation
As AI adoption accelerates, many organisations struggle to unlock its full potential due to fragmented systems and data silos. How can you trust your data and systems to be the fuel your AI initiatives need to be successful?
- AI Agents as the catalyst of a new form of transformation
- Overcoming the modern integration challenge – a major roadblock to AI success
- A strategic approach to drive agility and customer-centric innovation while reducing complexity
11.40
Panel Discussion: Innovation vs. Keeping the Lights On
The days of just keeping the lights on are gone for today’s IT leaders. Most IT leaders are now under pressure to help the business to drive business changes and propel growth with continuous innovation.
As the epicenter of modern enterprise, CIO/CTO’s role in championing innovation today is often iterated as efforts to help business increase revenue, tap new markets, increase customer engagement or grow new product lines. How should CIOs/CTOs lead innovations that don’t impact current business operations thus overshadow new innovations?
- What to prioritise in 2026?
- Managing the continuous demand for innovation
- Striking the right balance between innovation and operational excellence
- Engaging with ecosystem partners to deliver the most value
- Driving sustainable innovation while maintaining critical enterprise service continuity
Moderator:
Panelist:
11.15
11.40
Panel Discussion: Finance Digital Transformation Check-Up
A McKinsey Global Survey of CFOs in March 2024 reveals that while 98% of CFOs have invested in digitisation and automation within their finance functions, only a quarter of their processes are fully digitised or automated. As we navigate the uncertainties of 2026, finance leaders need to understand the challenges and strategies essential for modernising the finance function in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. How should finance leaders drive their digital transformation efforts while balancing the inherent risks and opportunities of the evolving financial landscape in Asia?
- Identifying roadblocks in finance transformation
- Modernising legacy processes
- Leveraging technology and embedded finance solutions to streamline cross-border payments and treasury management
- Aligning people and technology for effective transformation
- Measuring ROI of finance transformation initiatives
Moderator:
Panelists:
Parul Aggarwal
Finance Director - APAC Lead, Enterprise Finance S/4 Transformation
JOHNSON & JOHNSON
14.05
Panel Discussion: Modernising Digital Transformation Strategies for Relevance in 2026
Gartner research shows that 89% of boards agree digital is an implicit part of growth strategy, but 81% report they have not made progress toward or achieved their digital business transformation goals. Now that CEOs and the boards expect to see top- or bottom-line benefits from digital investments, how should CIOs and CTOs handle lagging digital transformation efforts and demonstrate business value from technology investments?
- Aligning technology initiatives with business goals to drive digital transformation
- Scaling digital transformation despite organisational barriers
- Balancing innovation and control during digital business transformation
- Sustaining the transformation momentum without overwhelming the teams
- Measuring the outcomes and success of digital strategy
Panelist:
14.40
Fireside Chat: IT Cost Optimisation to Meet Business Transformation Demands
According to Forrester, while most technology executives expect to increase their IT budgets in 2026, it might not be enough to keep up with inflation. The rising costs from AI and cloud spends, security frameworks, supply chains and tech talents will expect CIOs to manage technology investments more carefully to avoid redundancy.
- Growth vs. inflation – budgeting for IT in 2026
- Budgeting for cloud, non-cloud investments, software and technical staff amid increased demand for AI modernisation
- Optimising cloud use and rein in cost
- How to minimise IT operation and fixed costs
- Innovative sourcing and vendor management to reduce IT spend
Moderator:
Panelists:
13.40
Keynote: Empowering Finance: How CFOs Can Build a Data-Driven, People-Centric Function
The role of CFO is no longer limited to financial oversight. Today’s finance leaders must lead the charge in using technology to transform operations and outcomes. But tools alone aren’t enough—organisational data must be clean, accessible, and actionable. The finance function, as the data powerhouse of any organisation, is uniquely positioned to pioneer these advancements by collaborating closely with IT to design and implement innovative tools. This session will share how leveraging cutting-edge technologies can enhance financial operations, empower decision-making, and improve business outcomes.
- Discovering the importance of accessible, organised, and actionable data with data democratisation
- Strategies to build a future-ready finance function through data, automation, and people
- Addressing the skills, mindsets, and culture required to bridge the gap between data and decision-making for lasting impact
14.05
Panel Discussion: Revolutionising Finance with Artificial Intelligence
As we approach 2025, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in finance is becoming a pivotal focus for CFOs across Asia. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 90% of finance functions will implement at least one AI-enabled technology solution. Notably, 44% of finance professionals are already leveraging AI for intelligent process automation, enhancing information processing and anomaly detection.
With AI's potential to transform decision-making and operational efficiency, how can finance leaders harness this technology effectively?
- The impact of AI on finance in 2026
- Initiating AI innovations in finance
- Collaborating with IT Leaders for AI deployment
- Evaluating AI tools for finance
- Use cases of AI application to finance activities
Panelist:
C-ENGAGE CONVENTION PLENARY
The CFO & CIO Alliance
15.30
Conference Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
15:35
C-Suite Panel Discussion: AI Action Plans for 2026
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat shared a preview of Singapore’s plans for research, innovation and enterprise (RIE) by 2030 and said both initiatives on large-scale applied AI push, and cross-sector research will be among wider efforts, including major investments, to secure Singapore’s future amid quickening economic and geopolitical shifts.
With Singapore’s plans in pushing on with applying artificial intelligence (AI) on a large scale in key sectors, as well as launch major research and development (R&D) programmes that cut across different fields in an effort to drive economic growth that creates good jobs, how should business leaders in Singapore redefine their strategy in their AI roadmap for the coming years?
- Practical lessons of AI implementation: What works and doesn't
- Bridging the gap between Open vs. Closed AI models
- Budgeting for AI: Siloed projects or big bang
- Deploying AI as a defence and offence strategy for business resilience
- Decoding AI opportunities for business in 2026
Moderator:
Panelists:
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
CFOs, VPs, Directors, Heads, MDs, GMs, Sr Mgrs involved in:
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Strategic Planning & Forecasting
- Costing & Budgeting
- Accounting and Reporting
- Fiscal Policy Planning
CIOs, CTOs, Directors, Heads, MDs, VPs, Leads involved in:
- IT Security and Technology Risk
- Enterprise Architecture and Strategy
- IT Infrastructure or Operations
- Big Data/Analytics
- Cloud Management
WHY SPONSOR
We will help you GENERATE quality business leads.
We will help you INCREASE your regional profile.
We will help you CREATE new business opportunities.
- Get cost-effective marketing exposure and branding to your target audience, culminating in face-to-face meetings with your prospects.
- Position and profile yourself as an industry leader.
- Increase your brand recognition.
- Create new partnerships and alliances.
- Develop relationships through new networking opportunities.
- Showcase new products and services to a targeted audience of decision makers.
- Get direct and exclusive access to key decision-makers
Sponsorship Opportunities:
- Clarise Goh
- +65 9387 8878
- [email protected]
- Nigel Standley
- +65 9176 6363
- [email protected]
- Perry Zhao
- +65 9298 6097
- [email protected]
2025 SPONSORS & PARTNERS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSOR
PARTNER SPONSOR
ROUNDTABLE SPONSORS
BUSINESS CONNECT SPONSORS
EXHIBITORS
SUPPORTING ORGANISATION
SUPPORTING MEDIA
VENUE
C-ENGAGE 2024 PHOTO GALLERY
FROM THE ATTENDEES
