- 17 September 2026
- 9:00am - 6:00pm
- Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
2026 CFO CONFERENCE AGENDA
09.00
Conference Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
09.15
Panel Discussion: Scaling Enterprise Growth and Resilience in 2027
In an era defined by economic uncertainty, trade tensions, regulatory shifts, rising scrutiny and new tax regimes, and rapid technological disruption, finance and treasury leaders in Singapore are expected to transcend their traditional roles. Today’s CFOs must simultaneously drive enterprise growth and architect organisational resilience — balancing opportunity with risk, innovation, compliance, and treasury optimisation.
- CFOs as the strategic enterprise growth leaders
- Safeguarding business resilience amid shifting risks
- Allocating capital for key finance and innovation initiatives
- Treasury as a catalyst for growth and resilience
- Navigating complexities across regulation, taxation, investment, and growth
Moderator:
Panelists:
09.50
Keynote: Achieving High-Performance Finance in the Age of AI
Drawing on fresh insights from a global study of 1,707 finance leaders — including perspectives from Australia — this keynote reveals the four habits that distinguish high-performing finance teams today: making AI ubiquitous in finance work, grounding decisions in data, extending influence across the business, and getting ahead of compliance.
- What are top CFOs doing differently with AI right now?
- Integrating the habits of high-performing finance teams with agentic AI
- Harnessing Agentic AI to automate the mundane tasks, elevate judgment for more forward-looking analysis and shorten the month end firefighting
- Practical playbook to start small, prove value fast, and scale AI responsibly across the finance function
10.15
Keynote: AI in Finance: What’s Real, What’s Risky, What Works and What’s Next?
Finance leaders are under the pump to modernise their operations and deliver measurable improvements, all while staying accountable for risk management, audit compliance, and regulatory oversight. This session equips CFOs to cut through hype and make informed, practical decisions on adopting new AI technologies within their finance functions.
- Identifying where AI tools are delivering results: month-end close, reconciliations, handling exceptions, and catching potential issues early
- Hype vs. reality: Where AI’s promise has outpaced reality
- Recognising how inadequate AI oversight often led to more problems than solutions
- How to measure ROI with numbers and move forward without sacrificing control and accountability.
11.20
Keynote: From Hype to Value – Evaluating Finance AI that Actually Delivers
Every vendor claims to offer “AI-powered finance,” but not all capabilities are created equal. This keynote helps CFOs to distinguish genuine transformative innovation from repackaged automation.
- Proven EPM use cases on autonomous reconciliations in minutes, real-time conversations with planning data, and self-service reporting with insights
- Evaluating AI capabilities in EPM platforms beyond marketing spin
- Building a CFO-ready business case that justifies investment with measurable outcomes
11.45
Panel Discussion: Managing Technology Overload and Integration Challenges in Finance
The technology advancements – from real-time analytics, ERP, RPA and AI insights – has undoubtedly presented finance with tangible benefits. However, the growing tech stack within finance often leads to fragmented digital tools – thus producing workflow inconsistencies, data silos, and decision paralysis and eventually, damaging workforce productivity. With evolving technologies and business needs, how should CFOs better manage their tech investments within the finance function?
- Rationalising existing tech stack without sacrificing performance
- The cost of tool overload and poor system integrations
- Embracing an integration-first strategy
- Empowering finance with do-it-yourself tech
- Creating a cohesive finance digital ecosystem
Moderator:
Panelists:
12.20
Keynote: Beyond the Mandate: How AI-First E-Invoicing Keeps CFOs Ahead
E-invoicing has moved from a tax administration project to a permanent change in how finance operates. Singapore's InvoiceNow mandate is one expression of a global shift toward real-time invoice visibility — and even a well-run mandate creates pressure on the CFO, from compressed timelines and unbudgeted spend to exposure on invoices already issued. This keynote examines what genuinely changes when compliance is built AI-first rather than bolted onto legacy systems, and how finance leaders can tell the difference before they commit.
- InvoiceNow in context: Singapore's mandate as part of a global move to real-time invoice visibility
- Where the pressure lands: Timing, budget, and retroactive risk on the CFO's desk
- What "AI-first" compliance looks like in practice — and how it differs from AI added to a legacy platform
- Why human oversight remains non-negotiable in an AI-driven compliance model, and the one question every CFO should ask a vendor to test it
13.45
Session Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
13.50
Keynote: The Future Belongs to AI-Powered Businesses
AI is reshaping how businesses operate, and the next step is bringing AI directly into the flow of business. This keynote explores how AI agents can work alongside ERP systems, with ERP serving as the trusted source of truth, to automate processes, enable smarter decision-making, and deliver measurable business outcomes.
14.15
Panel Discussion: Finance Talent Transformation in the Age of AI
A Gartner study reveals CFOs expect that digital finance talent will account for 46% of the finance team by 2027, a significant jump from 17% today. Also, by 2027, organisations that emphasize AI literacy for executives will achieve 20% higher financial performance compared with those that do not. To make finance more agile, automated and AI-enabled, how should CFOs in Singapore transform their finance talent composition and reskilling for a future-ready finance function?
- The evolution of hybrid finance roles in Singapore
- The scope of today’s finance talent crisis
- Infusing tech talent in finance: Spotting, attracting and retaining digital finance talent
- Upskilling finance in AI and data analytics and leadership development
- Closing the staffing and digital skills gaps
Moderator:
Panelists:
14.50
Keynote: From CFO to Autonomous Finance Orchestrator: The Next Evolution of the CFO
The role of the CFO is evolving from financial steward to strategic business orchestrator. Today’s finance leaders must connect people, processes, and data across the organisation to drive agility, operational excellence, and better decision-making. With increasing complexity and disruption, CFOs need real-time insights, automation, and AI-powered intelligence to proactively manage risk, unlock growth, and build the finance function of the future.
- The expanding role of the modern CFO
- Connecting enterprise functions to improve visibility and business outcomes
- Moving from reactive finance to proactive, real-time decision-making
- Balancing control, agility, and growth in an unpredictable environment
- How automation and AI agents enable the autonomous finance orchestrator
- Leveraging AI to drive smarter, faster, and more strategic finance operations
C-ENGAGE CONVENTION PLENARY
The CFO & CIO Alliance
15.40
Conference Chairperson’s Welcome Remarks
15:45
C-Suite Fireside Chat: Agile AI in the C-Suite: Building Trust through Governed Operating Models
The C-suite mandate for AI has shifted dramatically from "experimentation" to "justifiable ROI." Yet, for leaders navigating high-stakes financial, risk, and sustainability reporting, public LLMs present severe operational threats: data leakage, toxic prompt injections, and a total lack of auditability. When a single hallucinated number can trigger a regulatory penalty or tank investor trust, corporate leaders find themselves unable to scale AI safely. This session will deconstruct how to bridge this AI trust divide. By mapping specific C-suite pain points directly to a platform where data, AI, and assurance coexist seamlessly, this fireside chat will outline a blueprint for building an agile, defensible, and highly productive business operating model.
- The pain point and disconnected data silos
- The regulatory crunch & generic AI hallucinations
- The AI trust deficit and security blindspots
- Empowering the next-gen employees and teams in a governed and sustainable pace
Interviewer:
Interviewee:
16:10
C-Suite Keynote: The Operational Shift Driven by People, C-Suite Collaboration & AI
AI is no longer an experiment—it is now a driver of enterprise value. The challenge ahead is not technology itself but scaling its impact across the business. To succeed, AI must be directly tied to measurable outcomes: growth, efficiency, risk reduction, and customer experience. Organisations must move beyond isolated pilots toward a structured AI portfolio approach. This requires clear prioritization, strong governance, and deep integration into core business domains. At the same time, AI success depends heavily on people. By 2027, AI will be embedded in every role, demanding an AI-enabled workforce. This means new role structures, robust upskilling programs, and leadership prepared to manage hybrid human–AI teams. Adoption, not experimentation, will become the ultimate success factor.
- The new mandate for AI
- How AI is reshaping the business operating model
- AI as a critical enabler for the collaboration between CIO and CFO
- Creating a strong partner ecosystem to scale AI
- Proven use cases of AI’s tangible impact
16:35
C-Suite Panel Discussion: From AI Pilot to P&L – The C-Suite Partnership for AI Value
To move beyond experimentation and scale AI initiatives that deliver measurable impact on the P&L, C-Suite leaders need a practical, actionable framework. The session will dissect the unique challenges of the AI "Pilot to P&L" journey and define the specific roles and partnership required among senior leadership to overcome them.
- The "pilot purgatory" reality
- Building the business case for scale
- The critical role of the C-Suite partnership
- From plan to P&L: Framework for action
Moderator:
Panelists:
17:10
C-Suite Panel Discussion: Resilient Leadership amid Turbulent Times
High-performance leadership isn’t defined by speed alone — it is anchored in resilience. True organisational resilience is cultivated through C-Suite’s intentional decisions and choices that shape the enterprise’s culture, strategy, and adaptability. Resilience must be integrated into the way organisations operate, allocate resources, and evolve — not just how they react when disruption strikes.
- The C-Suite in 2027 – what’s next?
- Driving growth, collaboration, and investment through digital innovation and intelligent systems
- Leading with agility to navigate uncertainty, disruption and change
- The new equation of people management
Moderator:
Panelists:
17:45