CFOs face declining returns on capital as they continue to fund aggressive growth agendas. Most CFOs will launch a cost optimization initiative to realign costs with these growth opportunities. In this session, CFOs will learn about an approach called cost differentiation, in which CFOs translate competitive differentiation into the cost structure through investment and cost cutting techniques, protecting the long-term sources of profitable growth. This session will provide an opportunity for peer-to-peer discussion and in-depth exploration of best-practice case examples showing how leading companies have implemented differentiation-based approaches to cost structure. (LE CFOs Only)

Uncertainty about the future state of Finance has never been higher: how will financial information be delivered to stakeholders? What work will be done by algorithms and software, and what will remain for humans? What opportunities will advancements in analytics bring, and how will those new opportunities co-exist with Finance’s evolving control and governance mandates? These questions are forcing Finance leaders to rethink the role of Finance at the most fundamental level.
Most executives struggle to identify exactly where and how Finance adds value in an ecosystem that is defined by siloed functional groups and an ill-defined mix of corporate and business-led activity. Progressive finance teams have realized that in an environment of continuous disruption, sustainable value only comes from a focus on your differentiated capabilities. And as the dynamics within corporations become as fast-paced and information-rich as those of external marketplaces, CFOs more than ever need to run their own functions according to these same principles. They must understand the not just the cost of providing services and products to the business, but the value of so doing relative to alternatives. They must not just understand, but anticipate and shape the evolving needs of the customers they serve. And more than anything, they must understand and build from their Finance team’s sources of comparative advantage: the places where the value of Finance’s involvement demands that involvement from Finance. The comparative advantages of their teams are where leaders find value that is truly differentiated from the other services and support the business might draw upon. Learn how progressive CFOs are charting a course for the future of Finance that is built around the advantages that their functions can uniquely provide to the organization.

It's not easy to build a constructive relationship with the Board. This session will help CFOs from smaller companies ($3 billion or less) learn from each other how they have fostered healthy board relationships that ensure that the CFO mandate focuses on translating short- and long-term business opportunities into profitable outcomes.

The role of the CFO has undergone dramatic transformation in just a generation, evolving beyond accountancy into a steward of enterprise performance. What changes lie ahead for the CFO role? What new direct reports and responsibilities can CFOs expect in the coming years? And where will the best CFOs focus their own time and energy to ensure a continuing personal impact?

In the digital era, where change is more frequent and unpredictable, CEOs cite outdated work processes and organizational structures as the two greatest impediments to managing their workforce for the future. However, before taking action, CFOs need to first understand what is — or could soon be — broken. In this session, we will identify leading indicators of organization design risk and discuss how finance executives should best respond.

Leading CFOs are creating always-on cost reduction as an opportunity for the business to transform internal operations and the customer experience. In this session, learn how leading CFOs are leveraging internal social dynamics to find and sustain cost reductions.