WFF SYDNEY

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Day two

February 17, 2023

Previous agenda

8:30 am -9:00 am

Welcome and introduction from the Chairperson

8:55 am -9:00 am

Karma Auden, Chief Financial Officer, University of Canberra

Panel

9:00 am -10:00 am

Strengthening resilience during times of crisis

Over the past few years the visibility of the CFO in the corporate world has been starker than ever before.

Monumental shifts in business models, technology and talent, along with geopolitical events have increased the role of finance leaders in driving change.

As we battle with rising prices worldwide this profile continues to expand. The CFO of today requires resilient adaptability to ensure navigate these unpredictable landscapes.

This session will look at learnings from the last three years how to make our teams more resilient, as well as discussing what we can do now and in the future to protect ourselves from future challenges.

Karma Auden, Chief Financial Officer, University of Canberra

Rosalie Percival, Chief Financial Officer, Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand

Viral Shah, Chief Financial Officer ANZ, Wipro

Rachel Westbrook, CFO Global Rice, SunRice Group

Keynote

10:00 am -10:30 am

The equilibrium you never knew: within and beyond

As finance leaders, we are often responsible for setting KPIs and driving results for our organizations. To accomplish that, we typically focus on managing others – our teams, our functions, and the company as a whole. And yet, how we manage ourselves is equally important.

A negative balance can cause burnout, stress, health issues and an increase in pressure on both work and home life.

In this session, Xuehui will look at how to prioritise to give the best possible opportunity to excel at both.

Xuehui Chiu, Chief Financial Officer, SAP

Coffee break

10:30 am -11:00 am

Panel

11:00 am -12:00 pm

The fight for talent: how to stand out in a crowded market

With employees often representing a company’s greatest cost and most important asset, investing in talent acquisition is vital to achieving high levels of productivity and profitability.

The process of talent acquisition involves not just the hiring of new people, but also identifying people with the right skills and qualities to become the innovators, leaders and executives of the future.

This session will focus on the process of identifying, securing and developing talent to support both short and long-term organisational strategy during a time when the pipeline has been slowed.

Santiago Spada, Chief Financial Officer, Pirelli Tyres Australia

Karma Auden, Chief Financial Officer, University of Canberra

Xuehui Chiu, Chief Financial Officer, SAP

Nan Meka, VP Commercial & Planning, Pet Circle

Enis Vural, Financial Advice Team Leader, Mercer Australia

Presentation

12:00 pm -12:30 pm

Reflections: increasing virtual adoption of our ERP

The approach you should take to the budgeting process constantly evolves as your company grows. Join this session to hear from financial leaders at various stages of how to hear about best practices in FP&A during various cycles of companies’ growth.

Zain Hoosen, Chief Financial Officer, McCann Worldgroup

Lunch

12:30 pm -1:30 pm

Roundtable discussion

12:50 pm -1:20 pm

Future-proofing finance through Connected Reporting

Organizations today are stretched from a time and human capital perspective.

As the architect of business transformation, how can CFOs use technology to automate the mundane and allow their teams to use their skills and experience to drive strategic value for their businesses?

Here, we invite CFOs to grill two technology experts on how your teams can deliver timely and accurate, board-trusted data across financial, management and sustainability reporting.

Karan Bajaj, Manager of Solution Engineering, Workiva

Jon Hartland, Director of Strategic Partnerships ANZ, Workiva

Roundtable discussion

12:50 pm -1:20 pm

FP&A: The new Engine of Finance Transformation

CFOs and finance leaders are considered the principal steward of capital in an organisation. As one of the decision-makers in an organisation, they are supported by competent and progressive teams that allow them to monitor where the capital was, is, and goes next.

While the finance function continues to progress, looking into the future is where the focus now lies. Therefore, the FP&A unit continues to receive critical attention, as they are now considered the drivers of change not just in Finance, but in the entire organization.

Join Jedox for a peer to peer discussion on the evolving function of Finance in an organisation and how the FP&A unit plays a vital role in this transformation.

Discussion Points:

· Understanding the role of FP&A in the Finance unit of an organization.

· Factors that influence the FP&A and Finance team to achieve value imperatives.

· Forecasts and analysis of FP&A trends.

· The future of FP&A.

Stefano Giordano, Regional Director Sales ANZ, Jedox

Lunch

12:30 pm -1:30 pm

Panel

1:30 pm -2:30 pm

Diversity, equity and inclusion: the driver of innovation and team building

Diverse workforces have been proven to be crucial in all areas of an organization for many reasons, and the finance departments of these companies is no different.

Building and cultivating a diverse workforce can help improve employee recruitment, retention and performance, increase brand awareness for the company and for us as leaders, track social impact and sustainable growth, and positively impact bottom line.

Jenny Woodward, Chief Financial Officer, Douglas Partners

Laurent Kabbabé, Director Of Finance And Operations (ANZ), Clarins

Payal Kapoor, Chief Financial Officer, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Mitchell Koureas, Chief Financial Officer, Barbeques Galore

Nan Meka, VP Commercial & Planning, Pet Circle

Presentation

2:30 pm -3:00 pm

Becoming a CFO by unconventional means

Traditionally the route to becoming a CFO has been a clear path, with the majority coming through the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms.

Nowadays we are seeing leaders within the finance function coming from more and more diverse backgrounds.

In this session, Phil Halbish will talk about his own story in becoming a CFO at a rapidly growing company.

Phil Halbish, Chief Financial Officer, Who Gives A Crap

Coffee break

3:00 pm -3:30 pm

Presentation

3:30 pm -4:00 pm

Sustainability as a force for innovation

With the announcement that Mars and Snickers bars will be rolling out paper-based packaging in Australia and New Zealand in early 2023, CFO Duncan Webster will speak about the role that finance has had in the launch and the challenges they have faced.

Duncan Webster, Chief Financial Officer, Mars Wrigley Australia

Panel

4:00 pm -5:00 pm

Leading from the front: finance shaping business strategy

Strategic planning is crucial for a business to grow and reach it’s goals, with the CFO the foundation of experience and knowledge that not only shapes financial strategy, but can also shape strategy as a whole.

Muhammad Shahid, Head of Finance Australia, Vena Energy

Chris Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer, ITW

Jean-Baptiste Naudet, Chief Financial Officer, St Vincent de Paul Society

Anna Schell, Financial Planning and Analysis Manager, Starlight Children's Foundation

Santiago Spada, Chief Financial Officer, Pirelli Tyres Australia

Happy Hour - Networking Drinks 🍷

5:00 pm -6:00 pm

Registration & Breakfast

8:30 am -9:00 am

Welcome and introduction from the Chairperson

8:55 am -9:00 am

James Burt, Director - Office of Finance ANZ, Oracle

Panel

9:00 am -10:00 am

Using digital transformation to reshape your finance function

Going “Digital” is no longer a nice to have, it is a need to avoid getting behind.

But that is not the only transformation Finance is or will be going through.

We will explore what are the key elements for a successful and continuous transformation of the Finance function.

Muhammad Shahid, Head of Finance Australia, Vena Energy

James Burt, Director - Office of Finance ANZ, Oracle

Josée Lemoine, Chief Financial Officer, BINGO INDUSTRIES

Rohan Liyanage, CFO Pacific, Signify

Moazam Shah, Chief Financial Officer, Aspen Medical

Narain Viswanathan, Head of Sales and Account Management, Workiva

Presentation

10:00 am -10:30 am

Why CFO’s need to take ownership of Cybersecurity

Traditionally cybersecurity has been under the remit of the CTO/CIO; however, as this is a significant risk of stopping the business or impacting the organization’s financials negatively, the CFO/team needs to understand and take the lead to mitigate the risk.

With an understanding of the implications of developing a cybersecurity framework within an organization, the CFO team can assess risks, ensure a safer risk-free environment, and reduce vulnerabilities to these threats.

This session will outline the benefits of the CFO team being involved in an organization’s cybersecurity strategy and dig deeper into the implementation methods that early-stage and multinational organizations can adopt to ensure that these transitions are practical and cost-effective.

Jenny Woodward, Chief Financial Officer, Douglas Partners

Coffee break

10:30 am -11:00 am

Panel

11:00 am -12:00 pm

Can the automated workforce replace our teams?

In this session we will look at how far we can take automation, and explore what the limits and possibilities could be.

In a time when human resources are scarce, is it realistic to replace all of our employees with bots, or is the sentient understanding required to make sense of what the machines are producing?

James Burt, Director - Office of Finance ANZ, Oracle

Nam Do, Group Financial Controller ANZ, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Meriem Idris, Manager of Finance, GenWest

Tariq Munir, Head of Finance - Supply Chain, PepsiCo

Roy Totino, Chief Operating and Financial Officer, Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia

Fireside Chat

12:00 pm -12:30 pm

The changing role of the CFO: demonstrating purpose through integrated reporting

The world is changing and common approaches and mindsets around ESG are swiftly becoming outdated in business. There is now an expectation that CFOs and financial leaders have a key role to play in leading their company’s efforts in sustainability reporting – and taking ownership to drive better results. This fireside chat will offer a deep dive into how the Australasian market is evolving and Xero’s approach to tackling the realities of doing business sustainably in 2023 and beyond – from setting carbon emissions reduction targets, to supporting customers on their sustainability journey, and developing a culture and strategy of inclusive business practices.

Kirsty Godfrey-Billy, Chief Financial Officer, Xero Limited

Toby Langley, General Manager - Customer and Strategic Finance, Xero Limited

Lunch

12:30 pm -1:30 pm

Panel

1:30 pm -2:30 pm

Transformation of culture: technology and your team

Firms need to show, not just tell their employees that their culture is evolving and what the end goal looks like. The C-suite need to see themselves as true leaders in every sense of the word, and set an example of behaviour, tolerance and practice others can easily follow.

Finance transformation is no different, simply instructing others to change will not have a lasting effect until senior management are seen to be setting the new standard themselves.

This session will look at how leaders of finance can set the standard and ensure that their teams are on board with the new procedures and habits.

James Burt, Director - Office of Finance ANZ, Oracle

Craig Horneman, Chief Financial Officer - Asia Pacific, Asurion

Karina Kouroutzoglou, Chief Financial Officer, Advanced Buildings and Restorations

Moazam Shah, Chief Financial Officer, Aspen Medical

Geoff Walshaw, Director of Finance and Operations, Queensland Ballet

Presentation

2:30 pm -3:00 pm

Navigating the ship in a storm of inflation

Just when we thought that Covid’s behind us and days of uncertainty are over, a new fog of uncertainty is enshrouding us in form of record breaking inflation, soaring interest rates, lingering supply chain issues significant foreign-exchange rates movement, and mounting fears of a looming recession.

These interconnected issues raise paradox of choice for finance leaders, and in some cases poses a decision paralysis or at least a slowdown:

How should pricing be handled, given cost pressures and consequently squeezing margins? Should it be sudden price increase or should it be staggered? Should price increases be more than competitor, or less?
How to optimise costs? Should companies start scaling down in preparation of recession or should the expansionary objectives be continued?
Should high growth CAPEX be continued or should cash be preserved and debts kept at lower level
Should inventory buffers be created to hedge against supply chain issues or should working capital be minimised at a time when interest rate and other carrying costs are increasing

This session would discuss some of these questions and some options to balance the paradoxes; including Revenue Management, Cost Optimisation, and maintaining Resilient Balance Sheet.

Aakif Khan, Financial Planning & Analysis Manager, Hungry Jack's

Aakif Khan

Financial Planning & Analysis Manager, Hungry Jack's

Aakif Khan is currently heading the FP&A team in Hungry jacks Australia and part of a team who are successfully transforming the business.

He has 20 years of experience which started with PWC, and includes separately heading finance departments of two large FMCGs in Dubai and Middle East. During both these roles, the companies were operating across multiple countries, facing different stages of economic cycle, from stable to hyperinflationary, so his key focus was on Revenue management and cost efficiencies, in addition to strengthening the balance sheet, transforming and restructuring respective finance departments, pivoting from traditional accounting to business partners.

He has also headed FP&A of two of the largest conglomerates in Middle East Region. One of these conglomerates has 50+ JVs, which included Kleenex, Coca Cola, Nestle, Kraft Foods, Baxter Pharma, Colgate Palmolive, Burger King and scores of other international brands operating in that region, in addition to other local businesses that included Oil & Gas, IT, FMCG, Property, Health Care, Private Equity & Public Equity. The other conglomerate, operated KFC, Pizza Hut, Krispy Kreme, Costa, Hardee’s and few other American brands in +10 countries in Middle Eastern region. In both these roles his key learning was grappling with volatility and uncertainty, helping build business resilience, supporting navigation through different economic and business cycles of countries.

Part of these roles he also; co-led a very successful M&A by world’s largest dairy company, led post-merger integration of an FMCG business, organisational transformations and massive restructurings, investment analysis of projects worth several billion Dollars for sovereign wealth funds and participated in IPO preparation.

In his non busy time he loves exploring and understanding US stock market, and is a very passionate advocate of value-investing style.

Panel

3:00 pm -4:00 pm

Business partnering: unlocking the true potential of collaboration

Many organisations have already begun investing in finance business partnering capabilities, but CFOs must embrace the challenge of translating this capability into benefits for the organisation.

Taking a strategic approach to ensure finance business partners are focussed on key areas of activity will gain trust and buy-in from the business. This session will look at how that will support in delivering value and shaping strategy.

James Burt, Director - Office of Finance ANZ, Oracle

Payal Kapoor, Chief Financial Officer, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District

Marcus Marano, Senior Finance Executive - Former CFO , American Express Australia and New Zealand

Joanne Smith, Chief Financial Officer, July

Duncan Webster, Chief Financial Officer, Mars Wrigley Australia

Download Agenda

WFF SYDNEY

Day one

Day two

Karma Auden

Strengthening resilience during times of crisis

Karma Auden

Rosalie Percival

Viral Shah

Rachel Westbrook

The equilibrium you never knew: within and beyond

Xuehui Chiu

The fight for talent: how to stand out in a crowded market

Santiago Spada

Karma Auden

Xuehui Chiu

Nan Meka

Enis Vural

Reflections: increasing virtual adoption of our ERP

Zain Hoosen

Future-proofing finance through Connected Reporting

Karan Bajaj

Jon Hartland

FP&A: The new Engine of Finance Transformation

Stefano Giordano

Diversity, equity and inclusion: the driver of innovation and team building

Jenny Woodward

Laurent Kabbabé

Payal Kapoor

Mitchell Koureas

Nan Meka

Becoming a CFO by unconventional means

Phil Halbish

Sustainability as a force for innovation

Duncan Webster

Leading from the front: finance shaping business strategy

Muhammad Shahid

Chris Kennedy

Jean-Baptiste Naudet

Anna Schell

Santiago Spada

James Burt

Using digital transformation to reshape your finance function

Muhammad Shahid

James Burt

Josée Lemoine

Rohan Liyanage

Moazam Shah

Narain Viswanathan

Why CFO’s need to take ownership of Cybersecurity

Jenny Woodward

Can the automated workforce replace our teams?

James Burt

Nam Do

Meriem Idris

Tariq Munir

Roy Totino

The changing role of the CFO: demonstrating purpose through integrated reporting

Kirsty Godfrey-Billy

Toby Langley

Transformation of culture: technology and your team

James Burt

Craig Horneman

Karina Kouroutzoglou

Moazam Shah

Geoff Walshaw

Navigating the ship in a storm of inflation

Aakif Khan

Business partnering: unlocking the true potential of collaboration

James Burt

Payal Kapoor

Marcus Marano

Joanne Smith

Duncan Webster