The Most Anticipated Sessions at Evanta’s Upcoming CFO Gatherings

This fall, Evanta’s CFO communities will gather across North America to forge new connections, share insights, and learn from one another. In New York and Chicago, CFO communities will host annual, in-person Executive Summits, while the San Francisco CFO community will conduct a peer-led, virtual Town Hall. Each agenda is carefully crafted “by CFOs, for CFOs” to ensure the discussion topics address relevant business challenges and the critical priorities facing their roles today. 

Last year, CFOs focused on productivity, talent development, and the introduction of advanced technologies such as generative AI. This year, the conversation has evolved to emphasize how CFOs can better plan and execute finance transformations. 

According to Gartner research, 70% of finance transformations move slower than expected, and 30% fail to deliver the anticipated benefits. Extensive conversations with our CFO community members have reiterated these points, highlighting a strong desire to discuss this topic with peers to find more efficient ways to carry out their transformations.

As the programs swiftly approach, we’re excited to showcase some of the most anticipated sessions at Evanta’s upcoming CFO gatherings.

1. The Future-Forward CFO at the New York CFO Executive Summit

In today’s business landscape, CFOs are expected to look beyond the finance function as strategic advisors to the CEO and wider organization. Shaun Taylor, CFO Americas at Standard Chartered, will deliver a keynote on how the CFO's influence transcends traditional finance and ultimately helps shape critical decisions that drive growth and mitigate risks.
 

1. Hearst Communications’ Journey to Harmonizing the ERP at the New York CFO Executive Summit

Transitioning from legacy systems to future-proof applications is a challenge for many organizations. In this breakout session, David Hovstadius, SVP Finance Operations at Hearst Communications, will share how one of the largest media and information services companies managed to unify its ERP to enhance efficiency.
 

1. Benchmarking AI Initiatives in Finance at the San Francisco CFO Town Hall

CFOs are in a race to capitalize on emerging AI use cases to drive efficiencies across their organizations. During this interactive, virtual session hosted by Julie Underwood, Chief Financial Officer of CalSTRS, community members will discuss how they can balance organizational priorities against AI capabilities, overcome common AI challenges, and benchmark processes and capabilities.
 

1. Building the Future of Finance at the Chicago CFO Executive Summit

With an increase in enterprise data, CFOs are challenged with how to identify the right KPIs and drive data-driven decision-making. Dee Merriwether, CFO at Grainger, will deliver this keynote with a focus on creating a structure that drives fact-based decision-making. Grainger successfully crafted a future-focused approach by linking its Finance, Analytics and Corporate Strategy functions under one team to drive significant team member engagement.

1. Profitability at a Glance to Enhance Decision Making at the Chicago CFO Executive Summit

Travis George, SVP and Chief Financial Officer at Molex, will lead this breakout session which dives into Molex’s database-driven solution for instant profitability calculations. 

These sessions represent just a glimpse of the valuable insights and actionable strategies that will be shared at Evanta’s upcoming CFO gatherings. Whether you are looking to navigate complex finance transformations, leverage AI for operational efficiency, or drive data-driven decision-making, these events offer a unique platform for learning and collaboration.

Don’t miss the chance to join your peers in these dynamic discussions and take your finance leadership to the next level. Apply to join your local CFO community to secure your spot and be part of a community dedicated to shaping the future of finance. If you are already a member, sign in to MyEvanta to register today. We look forward to seeing you there!