C-Engage Convention 2022 - C-Engage Convention

Masterplan for Success Post-Digitalisation

WELCOME NOTE

Differing priorities and unique perspectives shaped by experience are just two conditions among many that create a not-so collegial relationship among members in the C-suite. The unfortunate reality is that this disagreement in approaches impacts the precision and speed at which the enterprise is able to reap the benefits of digital transformation.

With workforce issues looming large and sustainability priorities becoming a mainstream concern, need not only guidance but an unbiased collaborative relationship between two of his most trusted partners in the enterprise: The Chief Finance Officer and the Chief Information Officer.

In a 2022 Gartner survey, people, purpose, prices and productivity emerged as key issues for the C-suite in 2022, and looking to 2023, reflecting a radical shift in priorities not seen in 15 years but likely to represent enduring change in the mindset of CEOs.

“In 2022, the Gartner CEO and senior business executive survey showed that, catalysed by multiple macro trends and economic factors, business leaders are reprioritizing some key areas of enterprise purpose and management focus,” said Mark Raskino, distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner.

Themed “Masterplan for Success Post-Digitalisation”, C-Engage Convention 2022 is a recognition that rationalising digital transformation initiatives require a re-alignment of the many different priorities and expertise within the organisation and steering these to one goal. How we execute tactics and strategies may differ but these must all be aligned towards one goal, and executed with one voice.

At this year’s flagship event, C-ENGAGE CONVENTION 2022 will cover:

Elements of a growth strategy post digitalisation
Leading enterprise in the next phase of digital transformation
Striking a balance in innovations in the new business order
Strategies to overcome retention, efficiency, and productivity challenges of a hybrid workplace
Bridging the technology divide

CXOCIETY acknowledges that members of the C-suite have emotional biases and who doesn’t. However, by working together and arming ourselves with a better awareness of each other’s priorities, capabilities and shortcomings, we are better able to bridge the divide and achieve the business’ goals for 2023.

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 300 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 30+ 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.

AGENDA

09.05

PANEL DISCUSSION I: 2023 CIO Agenda in Amplifying Digital Wins and Resilience

According to the 2022 Gartner CIO and Technology Executive Survey, CIOs expect IT budgets to grow 3.6% — the fastest year-over-year growth rate in more than a decade. That’s a global average, with APAC CIOs expecting the greatest change (3.9%). As enterprises push to accelerate digital transformation (DX) and integrate across silo initiatives, how should IT leaders prioritise their internal initiatives to stay agile, resilient and flexible?

Meeting the new business expectations during volatile times
Striking the right balance between business and technology priorities
The new enterprise modernization: Scaling digital initiatives to stay ahead of competition
Unlocking transformational business performance, operational agility and flexibility with cloud and AI.
IT investments to focus on: Which tech is priority in 2023 and beyond?

MODERATOR

Ng Lai Yee
Managing Partner & Country Leader, Singapore, IBM CONSULTING

PANELISTS:

Balaji Uppili
Region CIO, GE HEALTHCARE

Karen Tan
CIO, DHL EXPRESS

Kshitij Mulay
CIO, SEPHORA ASIA

Raju Chellam
Chairman, Cloud & Data Standards, ITSC (IT STANDARDS COMMITTEE)

09.40

KEYNOTE I: Accelerating Innovations with Hybrid Cloud Architecture

What’s next in cloud? – The expanding realities of hybrid cloud architecture
Enabling flexibility and overall cost reduction with cloud
Key considerations in adopting hybrid cloud
Managing the hybrid cloud set-ups

Craig Fulton
Executive, VP and Senior Partner APAC Lead Hybrid Cloud Transformation, IBM

10.05

PANEL DISCUSSION II: Fueling Business Growth with Data Driven Leadership

Where we are in 2022-23 with data: Advanced analytics, AI & ML initiatives and automation
Data competency for CIO of the future
Revisiting big data management strategy in a complex hybrid landscape
Data as an ecosystem: Bringing the data to people
Creating value through data with data monetizing strategy
Delivering tangible initiatives for data prioritization: Ensuring data-driven culture and data governance program

MODERATOR:

Ritin Mathur
Partner, Consulting, YOUNG ADVISORY

PANELISTS:

Juliana Chua
Sr. Director | Global Digital Acceleration, ESSILORLUXOTTICA

Lee Siew Kit
Vice President (Technology & IT), SINGAPORE CRUISE CENTER

Rajesh Nandakumar
Head of Technology, Asia (Singapore), WESTPAC INSTITUTIONAL BANKING

09.05

PANEL DISCUSSION I: The Road Ahead: CFO’s New Mandate and Priorities for 2023

With the turmoil caused by prolonged pandemic and current macroeconomic development, CFOs and finance leaders are required to deal with changes swiftly, evaluate and modify their finance strategies particularly in the areas where digital and finance intersect to match the shifting economic conditions.

2023 Finance landscape: Economic outlook, challenges and opportunities in Singapore and region
CFO’s new role in leading recovery from pandemic impact and losses
Repositioning business, opportunities and digital agendas to meet the new economic demands and ensure resilience
Initiatives to drive performance, build profitable growth and surpass competitions in 2023

MODERATOR:

Allan Tan
Group Editor-in-Chief, CXOCIETY

PANELISTS:

Jonathan Seow
CFO, MOLEAC

Peter Oey
CFO, GRAB

Tay Siang Leng
CFO Asia, QBE
*Winner of Excellence in Financial Planning & Analysis Award, FutureCFO Excellence Awards 2022

09.40

KEYNOTE I: Imperatives for Resilient CFOs amidst Growing Uncertainty

The evolving role and responsibilities of today’s finance function
Deploying technology to act fast and mitigate risks amidst a volatile environment
Delivering sustainable and inclusive growth

Ayelet Rotblat
CFO, South East Asia, SAP

10.05

PANEL DISCUSSION II: Future-Ready Finance Leadership in 2022 and Beyond

With the continued uncertainty and increased hybrid work model within Finance & Accounting (F&A), how should CFOs and finance leaders reset their leadership model and strategy to support business recovery and navigate the rapidly changing business landscape? What are the strategies to build a digital-savvy finance team in the rise of digital economy?

Infusing digitalisation, collaboration and open communication for greater growth, productivity and profitability
Embedding insightful business intelligence for informed decision-making
Scaling up digital payments for financial improvements across the board
Creating a digital-first mindset and building multi-skilled F&A teams to keep up with the new business expectations
Funding digital growth with a flexible budget
Managing the speed of digital transformation vs. regulations and compliance

MODERATOR:

Allan Tan
Group Editor-in-Chief, CXOCIETY

PANELISTS:

Alexander Joramsa
CFO Asia Pacific, TEVA PHARMACEUTICALS

Shantanu Gupta
Partner, Finance Transformation, APAC, IBM CONSULTING

William Foo
Group CFO, LUXASIA

Zulaifah Abdul Ghani
CFO APAC, ISS GLOBAL FORWARDING

11.05

KEYNOTE II: Demystifying the Intelligent Enterprise and Cloud Transformation

Organisations now recognise the importance of digitalisation and have embarked on various initiatives to push their business process transformation. For many, the way forward is the cloud as they strive for agility to scale quickly and speed up their time-to-market. While the cloud appears to be the generic answer to digital transformation, business, operations and technology leaders must carefully define the pragmatic considerations relevant to their business and develop a roadmap that will guide the organisation through their cloud journey. This session will look at the elements of successful process improvement while moving to a cloud-native operating model.

Why do companies still face challenges in driving business transformation and cloud adoption?
What are the key considerations in developing a business case and maximising the true business benefits of the cloud?
Which are the areas to focus on to ensure successful cloud migrations and long-term benefits?
How do CIOs play an advisory role to users in understanding their processes and enabling business models through cloud adoption?

Casey Kwan
VP and Head of Enterprise Cloud, SAP SOUTHEAST ASIA

11.30

FIRESIDE CHAT: Enabling Cyber Security in the Next-Phase of Digital Transformation

The surges in use of cloud, internet, remote work, mobile devices and digital networks have removed traditional security boundaries. The expanded the threat surface has brought about unprecedented data leakages and high security risks. The possible complexity, volume and frequency of the cyber-attacks have indeed prompted concerns to C-Suite, IT and IT Security leaders today.

Threat landscape in ASEAN in 2022-2023
The evolving roles, relationships and responsibilities of CIO and CISO amidst the changing business outlook and threat
Consistently applying cyber security protection across all supply chains
Identity and access management in cloud environment
Harnessing AI and ML in cybersecurity
Fostering collaboration for successful zero trust implementation

INTERVIEWER:

Mark du Plessis
Managing Director and Security Lead for South East Asia, ACCENTURE

INTERVIEWEE:

Sujith Immanuel Pellican
Technology Evangelist, MANAGEENGINE

11.55

PANEL DISCUSSION III: Stepping into the Post-Pandemic Era: Riding the Wave of Digital Transformation (DX) 2.0

According to IDC, DX has entered the 2.0 era, laying the foundation of future enterprises where digital operations achieve scale and innovation speed is a magnitude greater than of traditional businesses.

Pivoting towards transformation 2.0
The changing role and responsibilities of IT leaders in leading future enterprises
Broadening scope and scale of transformation initiatives of digital ecosystems 2.0
Adopting smarter technology implementations to address rapid changes and dynamic customers’ needs
IT leadership lessons in 2021-2022
The way forward: Leading in the era of DX 2.0

MODERATOR:

Allan Tan
Group Editor-in-Chief, CXOCIETY

PANELISTS:

Jacky Koh
IT & Data Analytics Director, KRISSHOP

Mohamed Hardi
Director & CIO, NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD

Niels Maerkedahl
CIO for Business Banking and CTO for Digital Platforms, STANDARD CHARTERED BANK

Yeow Loye Siew
Chief Information Technology Officer, BOC AVIATION

11.05

FIRESIDE CHAT I: Adapting to Inflationary and Volatile Environments: Factoring Externalities to Drive Scenario Planning in Finance Function

Planning, budgeting and forecasting are three key pillars of enterprise performance management (EPM). The purpose of planning, budgeting and forecasting is to translate strategy into execution via long-term or mid-term plans as well as short-term budgets and forecasts.

While no organization is protected from fluctuations in inflation, interest rates, and foreign exchange (FX), organizations that use sophisticated assumptions to build scenarios are generally in better positions to prepare for possible outcomes of today’s ever evolving business landscapes. With the constant changes in the marketplace and inflationary pressures at generational highs, how should finance leaders stay on point so they are not caught off-guard?

Infusing adaptability and flexibility in financial and operational models
How to accelerate planning and budgeting process amidst unpredicted market disruptions?
Ensuring enterprise-wide planning outperformance with adaptability
Building scenarios to better prepare and adapt current operations to new realities

INTERVIEWER:

Allan Tan
Group Editor-in-Chief, CXOCIETY

INTERVIEWEE:

Deepak Sanadhya
Regional Sales Director, Asia, JEDOX

11.30

PANEL DISCUSSION III: Finance Function as the Driver of a Sustainable Future

Developing environmentally sustainable practices and policies can seem overwhelming, especially given the already large workload that falls on the finance team’s shoulders. Managing existing financial management and reporting requirements while adding Environmental, Social, and Corporate governance (ESG) strategy, measurement, and reporting may not seem feasible for some teams. However, with finance team’s background in risk assessment and mitigation, data analysis and reporting, and strategic direction, the finance function makes it perfect for this task.

ESG is a growing priority for CFOs and what does it means to CFOs and finance function?
Role of finance in enabling the transformation of a sustainable enterprise
Building a sustainable finance function
Meeting the challenges in transitioning to a sustainable finance function
Embracing finance automation to support enterprise-wide’s ESG efforts

MODERATOR:

Ronald Wong
Financial Accounting Advisory Services Leader and Partner, EY

PANELISTS:

Helen Brand
Chief Executive, ACCA

Kevin John Monteiro
Executive Director & CFO, JAPFA

Victor Ng
Regional Vice President, BLACKLINE

William Tan Kwang Hwee
Group CFO, TIONG WOON CORPORATION HOLDING

12:05

PANEL DISCUSSION IV: Flexible Forecasting, Planning and Budgeting (FP &B) amidst Persistent Disruptions

A Gartner CFO Survey shows that finance leaders will focus on improving the flexibility of budgeting and forecasting in 2022 (72%), reallocate capital based on changing demands (60%) and redefine the employee value proposition in a hybrid environment (58%)

Aligning FP & B strategies with business objectives in 2023
Embedding flexibility into budgeting and forecasting to foster innovation and align to changing priorities
Roadmap to flexible planning and rolling forecast

MODERATOR:

Jeremy Gray
Editorial Consultant, CXOCIETY

PANELISTS:

Ivy Yeoh
Sr. Regional Finance Director, AON

Mahadevan Natarajan
Sr. Director Financial Applications, CCH Tagetik APAC, WOLTERS KLUWER

Tanisha Govindarajan
Finance Director, SAPMENA, L’OREAL

Wilson Cheng
Head of Finance, BHG SINGAPORE

13.40

KEYNOTE III: Embedding DataOps in Modern Enterprises

Information is the lifeblood of most businesses today. That is why data, analytics, and artificial intelligence have become an essential part of remaining competitive in today’s digital economy. To make it easier to untangle and use data to its full potential, organisations need to transform their systems and capabilities step-by-step, guided by an overarching strategy and strong technical capabilities.

Identifying where data delivers the most business value
Common challenges enterprises face in operationalising their plans
Leveraging data to enhance decision making, business outcomes and risk mitigation
Managing impact on stakeholders from possible loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data
Quick overview and case studies using Azure Data Services

Hemanta Banerjee
Vice President, Public Cloud Data Services, RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY

14.05

PANEL DISCUSSION IV: Women in Tech: Reinventing Gender Diversity and Inclusion in IT in a Post-Pandemic World

There is a global trend to increase diversity in the workforce including IT. This session will address how diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) actually matter in successfully managing enterprise’s IT function.

Will DE&I solve Asia’s ICT skills shortage in 2023?
Gender consideration in the hiring of tech experts
The change of the experience of women working in the technology space over the past decade
Promoting an equitable workplace that fosters diversity in IT function
Establishing policies and programs to encourage more women to pursue careers in IT

MODERATOR:

Charu Mahajan
Partner, IBM Garage & Corporate Ventures, and Sector Leader, IBM CONSULTING

PANELISTS:

Annie Chong
Global IT Director – Manufacturing and Head of IT Singapore Hub, ILLUMINA

Geetha Gopal
Head of Infrastructure Projects Delivery and Digital Transformation, PANASONIC ASIA PACIFIC

Joey Chua
Head of IT, OSM MARITIME SHIP MANAGEMENT

Joyce Chua
First Vice President, Enterprise Data Governance, UOB

13.40

KEYNOTE II: Harvesting the Fruits of Digitalisation: Making Supply Chain Part of the Enterprise’s Net-Zero Strategies and Further Streamlining Finance Processes

The ultimate paradox of disruption is that “more stays the same than changes”. This session will highlight case studies and strategies on how to monetize corporate buyers’ existing data, strengthen supplier relationships and implement science-based net zero strategies.

Unlocking working capital using existing data
Digitising the entire supply chain with embedded finance, buyer-driven offsetting and intelligent process automation
How to add millions to your company’s bottom line, annually recurring, without any change to processes
Best practice in ensuring the loyalty of thousands of logistic partners and working towards common targets

Volkmar Ahrens
Co-Founder & CEO, VERTICYS

14.05

PANEL DISCUSSION V: Hire, Develop, Retain: Managing the Finance Talent War in 2023

As organisations remain hopeful for a better economy and return to some normalcy this year, a new crisis emerges. Workforce shortages, skilled talent turnover, tech-savvy workforce scarcity, hybrid model workplace, and displaced workforce due to the pandemic – all conspiring to frustrate CFOs and finance leaders’ strategies to improve overall company performance in 2022.

The great resignation and what it is like in ASEAN
Emerging workforce trends, changing the nature of work, evolving business requirements and other challenges for finance function in 2023
Recruiting and retaining finance talents in the era of mutual prosperity
Implementing agile workforce strategy to overcome talent shortage and skilling roadblock
Maximising your talent dollars in your 2023 budget

MODERATOR:

Tjendra Halima
Former Regional CFO, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

PANELISTS:

Devesh Singhania
CFO South East Asia Pacific Region, SOCOMEC

Jim Kaitz
CEO, ASSOCIATION FOR FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS

Pankaj Kabra
Senior Vice President Finance, TRAVELOKA

Steven Yong
Director HR Operations – ASEAN and ANZ & Chief Administrative Officer – Asia HR, HSBC

15:20

C-SUITE PANEL DISCUSSION: Changing Gears: The C-Suite’s Agenda in 2023

Inflation, geopolitical upheavals, changing consumer behaviors, supply chain disruptions, quick adaptation to persistent changes and labor shortages are some of today’s CEO’s and business leaders’ universal challenges. While most of business leaders nowadays seem to constantly play catch-up, unfortunately business challenges will keep on mounting and shifting. Therefore, it is imperative for C-Suite to remain agile while also deploying frontier technologies to thrive in digital business era.

Setting business and technology priorities in a digital-first world
C-Suite’s action plan in supporting revenue growth in 2023
Emerging techs, big data, innovations, e-invoicing and metaverse: Technology trends that shape C-Suite’s agenda in the coming years
ESG on the C-Suite agenda: C-Suite’s new emphasis on sustainability
Balancing innovation, technology spending to thrive and business sustainability
Building new skills to lead sustainable business in the new digital economy

MODERATOR:

Praveen Hariharan
Partner, Sustainability Practice and Industrial Sector, IBM CONSULTING

PANELISTS:

Bill Xiao
Assistant Director, E-Invoice Project Office, IMDA

David Tay
CIO Asia, LENDLEASE

Kent Teo
Regional CFO, SEA, JARDINE CYCLE & CARRIAGE LIMITED

16:00

KEYNOTE I: Considerations for Leaders in Their Digital Transformation Journey

In the day-to-day operations of many organisations, an inordinate amount of time and effort doing work that is not directly relevant to our job functions are spent. Research by Workfront has shown that only 40% of our workday is spent on primary tasks. This has significant impact not only on the productivity of our teams but also on our ability to affect strategic decisions for future growth. 58% of us feel so swamped with daily work that we don’t have time to even think. With digital transformation, we have the opportunity to create “space” for our teams to focus on things that truly matter to deliver on our mission. This session will look at:

Instilling the right corporate mind-set
Adopting a flexible and sustainable technology platform
Identifying and putting in place data-first people
Designing an audience-centric programme

Dean Seiff
General Manager, UNIT4 PROSOFT

16:25

C-SUITE FIRESIDE CHAT: Achieving Transparent Supply Chain in the Digital Age

The global pandemic has undoubtedly disrupted and increased supply chain complexity as multiple third parties are now involved at various stages of manufacturing and transportation processes to reach end customers. The latest global macroeconomic developments, that include inflation, rising energy costs as well as Russia-Ukraine war, coupled with rising ESG pushes, have indeed placed higher pressures and called urgency in creating resilient supply chains for most organizations.

The new era in supply chain management
Creating intelligent respond approach to changes and disruptions in supply chain
Role of hybrid cloud, AI and blockchain to build smarter and transparent supply chain
Leveraging data and analytics capabilities for competitive advantage, improved resilience and efficiency across the supply chain

INTERVIEWER:

Allan Tan
Group Editor-in-Chief, CXOCIETY

INTERVIEWEE:

Kuntha Chelvanathan
Partner, APAC Supply Chain, and Procurement Transformation Leader, IBM CONSULTING

16:50

KEYNOTE II: C-Suite’s Masterplan for Post-Digitalisation in 2023

The evolving and new roles of C-Suite under the current business order
Key trends in C-Suite’s leadership thinking in the next phase of risks, disruptions and transformation:
Accelerating growth post digitalisation
Bridging the technology divide in the C-Suite
Managing the future of work revolution and workforce in 2023

Shivaji Das
Managing Director & Partner, FROST & SULLIVAN ASIA PACIFIC

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AT THE CONVENTION

“It was a wonderful experience being in a joint CFO and CIO conference with over 350 leaders across functions… I enjoyed this format better than only CIOs on the panel. Digital transformation is a collaborative effort across functions driving business outcomes and not a responsibility of IT alone.”

"Thank you very much! …. We all were very impressed by the number and quality of the participants!"

“…I was a delegate attending two very futuristic and informative conferences. The idea was to move away from .ppt to .exe meeting real-time IT leaders and exchange ideas and thoughts on today's fast-paced digital world. The C-Engage Convention talked about building strong CFO-CIO relationships to address the cutting edge technology developments, strategies in driving tech transformation across companies as well as addressing pressing concerns to optimize digital investments and business performance."