Agenda currently in Production
Please email register@cfoseries.com to be added to the priority invitation list and you will be notified as soon as the agenda is ready
⌚ 07.30
REGISTRATION & ARRIVAL BREAKFAST NETWORKING
Barista coffee and breakfast items will be served in the networking lounge
⌚ 08.25
OPENING COMMENTS:
James Solomons, CFO & CFO Magazine A/NZ Symposium Host
⌚ 08.30
CFO Horizons: Leading Through Uncertainty, AI and the Path to 2030
CFO PANEL
Moderated by James Solomons, CFO & CFO Magazine A/NZ Host
kerry conway, CfO | heartland bank
carol bellette, Cfo | agresearch
cfo | tbc
CFO playbooks are being rewritten in real time > The CFO role has changed more in the last five years, than in the previous twenty and showing no signs of slowing down in the age of AI.
Global instability, trade wars, conflict in the Middle East & Ukraine, and energy market shocks are challenging CFOs once again. Closer to home, NZ CFOs are navigating cost pressures, election year uncertainty and a talent market being pulled increasingly across the Tasman. And then there's AI - moving faster than most executive teams and boards anticipated. To set the tone for the day we are joined by three of NZ's leading CFOs to discuss the further evolution of the CFO role and how they look to tackle the short, mid and long-term horizons - from today's priorities to the strategic decisions that will shape their organisations beyond 2030.
⌚ 09.00
WHAT MAKES A GREAT CFO?
CFO PANEL Moderated by James Solomons, CFO & CFO Magazine A/NZ Host, featuring:
Michael Boggs, CEO | NZME
Pip Greenwood, Chair | Westpac NZ & A2 Milk
Hugh Cotteril, Managing Partner | Direct Capital
This candid discussion brings together a highly experienced CEO, Chair and a Private Equity lens to explore what truly sets exceptional CFOs apart. Beyond technical mastery, what personal qualities, leadership presence, and
strategic instincts define the best in the profession? Panellists will share first hand perspectives on hiring, working alongside, and evaluating finance leaders and debate what CEOs and Boards truly look for in finance talent and
what separates the good from the great! A highly insightful and informative session for both established and aspiring CFOs.
⌚ 09.30
Beyond Borders, Beyond Control
KEYNOTE | Andy Thiss | VP A/NZ | Eftsure
Cybercriminals are moving faster, hitting harder, and scaling globally. And AI is accelerating the shift. The result: fraud doesn’t stop at firewalls or national boundaries, and neither can your defences. Yet many finance leaders
still lack clear direction on how to secure international payment workflows. Andy will share today’s new threat realities, from AI-driven impersonation to cross-border fraud operations and emerging compliance gaps. Increasingly, when finance teams strengthen their payment processes, they protect the entire organisation. Whether your business operates in one country or twenty, Beyond Borders, Beyond Control is a deep-dive discussion that will help CFOs navigate a world where attacks are automated, threats are global, and financial operations must be more resilient than ever.
⌚ 10.00
The 2026 CFO Outlook Survey — Inside the Minds of NZ's Leading CFOs
KEYNOTE | Angela Cameron, CEO | Consult NZ & LEAD
How are NZ's top CFOs and senior finance leaders really feeling - and what are they doing about it? Angela Cameron presents the live findings from the 2026 CFO Outlook Report, a comprehensive survey of NZ's senior finance community. Discover how the CFO role is evolving, the biggest challenges keeping leaders up at night, how AI is disrupting finance teams and reshaping the skills that matter most, and what the most forward-thinking and top-performing CFOs and organisations are doing to stay ahead.
⌚ 10.30
MORNING NETWORKING BREAK
Barista coffee & refreshments served in the networking lounge
⌚ 11.15
WHAT IS THE #1 SKILL ALL GREAT FINANCE BUSINESS PARTNERS HAVE?
KEYNOTE | Andrew Jepson FCA, CEO & Founder | The FBP Team
A skill that is top of the list for organisations such as Google and NASA when they recruit their technical experts. A skill that is teachable….. And a skill few in finance spend any time developing? Join Australia’s leading Finance Business Partnering expert, Andrew Jepson FCA, as he takes us through the number one skill all finance professionals must develop!
⌚ 11.45
AI in Finance: What’s Real, What’s Risky, What Works and What’s Next?
KEYNOTE | Georgina Woolf, Sr. Solutions Consultant (APAC) | Trintech
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 is for
CFOs who need to cut through the hype and make sound decisions about implementing new technology in their finance departments. Drawing on what we've seen working with finance teams over the past year and a half, we'll
look at where these tools are delivering results. We're talking about areas like month-end close, reconciliations, handling exceptions, and catching potential issues early. We'll also be honest about where the promise has
outpaced reality, and why some approaches that lack proper oversight are creating more problems than they solve. You'll walk away with a practical sense of what's working in real finance teams, how to measure ROI with
actual numbers, and how to move forward without sacrificing the control and accountability your role depends on
⌚ 12.15
FINANCE IS EVOLVING – ARE YOU KEEPING UP? THE CFO GUIDE TO AI & FINTECH
CFO PANEL Moderated by James Solomons, CFO & CFO Magazine A/NZ Host, featuring:
vik singh, group cfo | general capital limited
Damon Hauenstein cfo & coo | Weel
cfo | TBC
This session will go beyond the ‘buzzwords’ of AI and Automation explore the real technologies and challenges facing finance leaders looking to successfully navigate the evolving digital landscape with confidence and
build a high-performing finance function and examine - Why outdated finance tech stacks are slowing teams down, The tech stack solutions modern finance teams are adopting, How is AI really transforming finance? A framework for selecting the right fintech, ensuring seamless integration, security and maximising ROI and how to build a scalable, secure, and future-ready finance tech stack that keeps up with your business.
⌚ 12.45
Datacom Fireside Chat
CFO fireside chat SESSION moderated by James Solomons, featuring:
David Fox, Associate Director | Datapay
Lara Utatao, Head of Finance & Operations | NZ Super Fund | Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation
More details coming soon...
⌚ 13.15
NETWORKING LUNCH
Lunch served in the networking lounge with refreshments & barista coffee
⌚ 14.00
SELLING FOR CFOS – WHY CFOS NEED TO THE BE THE SECOND BEST SALESPERSON
KEYNOTE Alena Bennett | Award Winning CFO Coach & Author, ‘CFO of the Future’
“CFOs need to be the second best salesperson in their organisation” Alena shared this statement in her most recent CFO Annual Report. Yet, most CFOs will tell you they aren’t great sales people. Many will still profess their
dislike of public speaking. However, in an economic environment where there’s a higher bar to access capital, and in an age where investors, shareholders and the ELT need to be brought on the journey, CFOs must have
sales capability. To hear what CFOs need to do to become the second best salesperson in their organisation, join Alena in this highly informative CFO session and gain a competitive edge.
⌚ 14.30
THE CFO TECH STACK > THE NEW BLUEPRINT FOR FINANCE
CFO PANEL SESSION moderated by James Solomons, featuring:
Fusion5 Representative TBC
tba
⌚ 15.00
Building, Managing & Retaining a Finance Team: 2026 and Beyond
CFO PANEL Moderated by James Solomons, CFO & CFO Magazine A/NZ Host, featuring:
Angela Cameron , CEO | Consult NZ & LEAD
Denisa Calian, cfo | TAB New Zealand
cam irons, cfo | as colour
The role of the CFO has never been more complex. As AI and automation continue to reshape the finance function, eliminating roles, demanding new skills and accelerating decision-making, leaders must simultaneously navigate an equally demanding human agenda. How do you attract and keep top talent when expectations around flexibility, purpose and wellbeing have fundamentally shifted? How do you build a team that is both digitally agile and genuinely connected? This panel brings together finance leaders to explore the tensions, trade-offs and practical strategies shaping how great finance teams are built and kept today ore details coming soon!
⌚ 15.30
AFTERNOON NETWORKING BREAK
Barista coffee & refreshments served in the networking lounge
⌚ 16.00
Tariffs, Trump & Turbulence? NZ Economic Outlook - Election Year Special
CLOSING KEYNOTE Nick Tuffley, Chief Economist | ASB
From the Asian Financial Crisis to the GFC to Covid, ASB Chief Economist Nick Tuffley has navigated some of the most volatile periods in modern economic history - and right now, he'd be the first to tell you things are anything but calm. In this ‘election special’ keynote, Nick cuts through the noise to deliver a clear-eyed view of what global turbulence - from shifting US trade policy to geopolitical uncertainty - means for the New Zealand economy heading into a pivotal election year. With a proven track record in forecasting Nick will equip CFOs with the insights and context needed to make smarter decisions in an increasingly unpredictable world.
⌚ 16.30
CLOSING COMMENTS
James Solomons, CFO & Symposium Host
⌚ 16.35
END
Thursday 18th June 2026
The Pullman Auckland
Future Focussed Leadership
towards 2030
CFO Horizons
