$95/ticket
Exclusive to Conference attendees only. Registration link will be sent in your registration confirmation.
Andy Core, Ph.D. – Resiliency Author/Speaker/Researcher
Today’s CFOs are grappling with unprecedented change and uncertainty. The silver lining is, you don’t need to change your entire life to be more successful under stress. But you do have to change your day. After participating in this program, you will walk away with daily action items that can help you envision a brighter future, see the best in others, and recognize the best in yourself.
Specifically, you will:
$25/ticket
Exclusive to Conference attendees only. Registration link will be sent in your conference confirmation.
Strategy, Teamwork and a Little Texas Grit — Add this high-energy, interactive experience to your conference experience!
Ready to connect with fellow CFOs in a fresh, memorable way? The CFO Challenge is a fast-paced team competition. In just 90 minutes, you’ll tackle a series of light physical and mental challenges—each cleverly tied to the CFO mindset—while exploring a little bit of downtown Austin.
You’ll be grouped with fellow attendees against your peers in challenges like:
Teams will race to collect clues and puzzle pieces before reconvening to complete a final task. It’s a fun, fast-moving experience designed to build new relationships, spark strategic thinking and get you energized for the full conference.
SPONSORED BY:
Jack McCullough, President, CFO Leadership Council
LTC Oakland McCulloch, (Ret.), U.S. Army
Great leaders aren’t born—they’re built through purpose, service and relentless self-awareness. In this energizing opening keynote, LTC Oakland McCulloch (Ret.), a decorated U.S. Army officer and author of Your Leadership Legacy, will share lessons from the battlefield to the C-suite on how to lead with clarity, character and conviction. Drawing from decades of leadership under pressure, he’ll challenge attendees to reflect on your own leadership impact—and you’ll leave inspired to lead more intentionally in every facet of life and work.
Marybeth Gray, Senior Vice President of Health and Welfare Benefits Consulting Trion, a Marsh McLennan Agency
You’ll learn how to:
Presented by Tipalti
Alex Cedro, Vice President of Finance, Tipalti
Modern CFOs aren’t just stewards of capital; they’re architects of strategy. As real-time data and intelligent insights become essential to staying competitive during times of uncertainty, finance leaders are evolving from reactive reporting roles to proactive drivers of business ROI. This session will explore how finance leaders are driving strategic transformation across their teams by embedding AI-powered finance deeper into business planning, forecasting, and operational execution. They’ll share actionable insights on where AI delivers the highest ROI and the practical steps they’re taking to elevate finance’s influence on go-to-market strategy, product investment, and company-wide risk management.
Key Takeaways
Presented by Trintech
Omar Choucair, CFO, Trintech
Conlee Hunt, Account Executive, Trintech
As AI and automation rapidly transform the finance function, CFOs are moving from efficiency-focused tools to intelligence that can drive strategic decision-making. This session will explore how finance leaders are prioritizing AI use cases, modernizing close and control processes, and preparing teams to maximize the value of new technologies. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to balance innovation with compliance, strengthen governance, and build a roadmap for sustainable impact.
Learning Objectives:
Presented by Brex
Arthur Akhtenberg, Senior Finance Manager, Brex
How do you really know what sales tactics are working? A finance team that sits at the intersection of revenue planning, incentive design, and frontline execution can bring new clarity to business ROI. In this session, learn how finance teams can better partner with sales leadership to drive growth and improve ROI. We’ll share lessons from scaling Brex, where finance is influencing pricing strategy, managing GTM performance, and unlocking more predictable revenue.
Key takeaways:
Presented by Planful
Kevin Beckberger, Vice President Product Marketing, Planful
Natalie Quan, Vice President and CFO, CalCPA
As finance leaders take on broader strategic roles, modernizing legacy processes becomes critical—but getting there isn’t always straightforward. In this session, CalCPA will share how they reimagined financial operations across departments, enabling faster closes, more consistent forecasting, and increased collaboration beyond the finance team.
You’ll hear firsthand how their finance function scaled from manual processes to real-time reporting, and what it took to build internal buy-in, train 30+ users, and prepare for their first fully integrated budgeting cycle. Panelists will also reflect on key lessons from the transformation journey—from choosing the right tools to ensuring adoption across business units.
Whether you’re mid-implementation or just beginning to modernize, this session offers practical strategies to scale your finance capabilities, foster greater transparency, and create a stronger foundation for smarter decision-making.
Presented by Tipalti
Alex Cedro, Vice President of Finance, Tipalti
Modern CFOs aren’t just stewards of capital; they’re architects of strategy. As real-time data and intelligent insights become essential to staying competitive during times of uncertainty, finance leaders are evolving from reactive reporting roles to proactive drivers of business ROI. This session will explore how finance leaders are driving strategic transformation across their teams by embedding AI-powered finance deeper into business planning, forecasting, and operational execution. They’ll share actionable insights on where AI delivers the highest ROI and the practical steps they’re taking to elevate finance’s influence on go-to-market strategy, product investment, and company-wide risk management.
Key Takeaways
Presented by Trintech
Omar Choucair, CFO, Trintech
Conlee Hunt, Account Executive, Trintech
As AI and automation rapidly transform the finance function, CFOs are moving from efficiency-focused tools to intelligence that can drive strategic decision-making. This session will explore how finance leaders are prioritizing AI use cases, modernizing close and control processes, and preparing teams to maximize the value of new technologies. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to balance innovation with compliance, strengthen governance, and build a roadmap for sustainable impact.
Learning Objectives:
Presented by Brex
Arthur Akhtenberg, Senior Finance Manager, Brex
How do you really know what sales tactics are working? A finance team that sits at the intersection of revenue planning, incentive design, and frontline execution can bring new clarity to business ROI. In this session, learn how finance teams can better partner with sales leadership to drive growth and improve ROI. We’ll share lessons from scaling Brex, where finance is influencing pricing strategy, managing GTM performance, and unlocking more predictable revenue.
Key takeaways:
Presented by Planful
Kevin Beckberger, Vice President Product Marketing, Planful
Natalie Quan, Vice President and CFO, CalCPA
As finance leaders take on broader strategic roles, modernizing legacy processes becomes critical—but getting there isn’t always straightforward. In this session, CalCPA will share how they reimagined financial operations across departments, enabling faster closes, more consistent forecasting, and increased collaboration beyond the finance team.
You’ll hear firsthand how their finance function scaled from manual processes to real-time reporting, and what it took to build internal buy-in, train 30+ users, and prepare for their first fully integrated budgeting cycle. Panelists will also reflect on key lessons from the transformation journey—from choosing the right tools to ensuring adoption across business units.
Whether you’re mid-implementation or just beginning to modernize, this session offers practical strategies to scale your finance capabilities, foster greater transparency, and create a stronger foundation for smarter decision-making.
Cameron Kinloch, CFO, Weights & Biases (a CoreWeave company)
What does it take to guide a company from scrappy startup to strategic acquisition—and do it with both financial discipline and velocity? Cameron Kinloch has helped scale some of the most ambitious companies in tech, driving triple-digit growth, raising eight-figure rounds, and advising CEOs through IPOs and exits. Most recently, she played a central role in the successful acquisition of Weights & Biases by AI infrastructure leader CoreWeave in one of the most closely watched deals in the AI space.
As CFO, Cameron brings sharp financial acumen and operator-level instincts to the high-growth journey. In this fast-paced, insight-packed keynote, she’ll pull back the curtain on what it takes to scale a company in the AI era—including how to prepare for a strategic transaction while still running full speed ahead.
You’ll hear how CFOs can lead with speed, precision, and vision—while building finance teams that are future-ready, tech-savvy, and deeply aligned with product and go-to-market strategy. She’ll also reflect on the unique demands and lessons of being deal-ready while scaling fast.
Key takeaways:
Presented by Prophix
Aaron Levine, CFO, Prophix
AI is evolving rapidly – moving from machine learning to generative AI and now to Agentic AI, where intelligent systems act independently to manage complex finance tasks. For CFOs, this shift presents both opportunity and challenge: how to unlock efficiency gains and sharper insights while ensuring governance, security, and data privacy are not compromised.
In this session, we’ll explore where finance sits on the AI adoption curve and why not all AI is created equal. You’ll gain clarity on what to consider when evaluating AI tools, including balancing innovation with risk. Discover how Agentic AI can help deliver scalable flexibility and trust in decision-making so that the finance function can position your organization for long-term advantage.
Jack McCullough, President, CFO Leadership Council
Shelagh Glaser, CFO, Synopsys
What happens when a CFO helps steer a $70B AI-driven acquisition, leads at the intersection of strategy and execution, and brings 30 years of experience from companies like Intel and Zendesk to one of the world’s most influential technology enablers?
You get Shelagh Glaser.
As CFO of Synopsys—the global leader in software and silicon IP for chip design—Shelagh is helping drive the transformation of the semiconductor industry from behind the scenes. With deep operating experience in both hardware and SaaS, she brings clarity to complexity and turns financial planning into a strategic scorecard.
In this keynote, Shelagh outlines how modern CFOs must step up as cross-functional leaders, investment strategists, and enterprise accelerators. She’ll also share what she’s learning as a public company board member and how those external perspectives sharpen internal decision-making.
Key takeaways:
Chad Wonderling, CFO, Zone & Co
Vipul Shah, Co-Founder & CFO, FinQore
From investor expectations to operational constraints, the pressure on finance teams is only rising. Everyone’s talking about AI, but few know what to automate, what to push back on and how to avoid becoming just another failed pilot.
In this session, Chad Wonderling, CFO at Zone & Co and Vipul Shah, Co-Founder and CFO at FinQore, will share how they’re navigating AI adoption inside finance: where it’s actually moving the needle today, how to balance long-term transformation with short-term demands and how to lead with credibility in front of boards, sponsors and investors.
They’ll cover:
Expect straight talk, behind-the-scenes context and practical takeaways to help you pressure-test your own approach. Whether you’re navigating a new investment, preparing for an exit or scaling through complexity, this session will help you lead a finance team that’s ready for what’s next.
Joan Bottarini, CFO, Hyatt
As CFO of Hyatt, Joan Bottarini has helped steer one of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands through a period of rapid evolution — from navigating the global disruption of COVID-19 to expanding into new guest segments to the importance of being a purpose-driven company. In this fireside chat, she’ll share her perspective on how today’s CFOs can lead beyond the numbers—balancing financial strategy with bold reinvention and a strong cultural foundation.
Join us to discuss:
This conversation will offer a candid, forward-looking perspective on what it takes to lead with impact in a world where financial decisions are inseparable from people, purpose and innovation.
Presented by TravelBank
Presented by Pigment
Jan Hill, Global Head of Business Transformation Advisory, Pigment
Sam Foshay, CFO & EVP of Operations, Continuous
Stanford Escalante, VP of Finance, Continuous
Presented by 2x
Brandon Sullivan, CFO, 2x
Rich Carroll, Principal, CFO Advisor, Maximus Partners
Barbie Mattie, Sr. Principal, B2B Marketing Consultant, 2x
The relationship between CFOs and CMOs is more critical than ever—and more complex. While finance leaders push for measurable ROI, marketing teams navigate fragmented data, long sales cycles, and shifting attribution models. The result? Budget tensions and missed opportunities. In this interactive discussion, CFOs will share how they’ve worked with marketing leaders to move beyond vanity metrics and attribution battles to build shared success metrics that drive efficient, profitable growth. You’ll hear practical strategies for aligning on pipeline, conversion, and revenue impact—plus new ways to simplify the tech stack and free up budget for what really moves the needle. Walk away with a clearer lens on marketing’s real contribution to financial performance—and how to turn potential spots of internal friction into a more collaborative revenue engine.
Leanna Rossmann, CFO & Head of Strategy, SXSW
What does it take to help steer one of the world’s most influential cultural brands into its next era?
As CFO and Head of Strategy at SXSW, Leanna Rossmann sits at the intersection of finance, creativity, and innovation. With a career spanning The Walt Disney Company, Warner Music Group, and 20th Century Fox, she brings world-class experience to an organization that thrives on reinvention.
In this keynote, Leanna shares how financial leadership and strategic vision come together to shape the future of an iconic institution. From streamlining legacy processes to cultivating forward-looking partnerships, she’ll offer CFOs a roadmap for driving meaningful change—even in environments where tradition runs deep.
Attendees will get a rare look behind the curtain at how one of the most celebrated events in culture, tech, and music is evolving—and the role finance plays in making that transformation real.
Key takeaways:
Exhibit hall closed
10 CPEs offered, pending NASBA approval on final agenda.
The CFO Leadership Council is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org
Instructional method: Group-Live
Recommended CPE Credits: Up to 12 Credits
Experience Level: Basic
Prerequisites/advance preparation: None
For CFOLC CPE credits, one credit hour equals 50 minutes according to NASBA guidelines. Some state boards may differ on how many minutes constitute a credit hour. Contact your state board for more information. Questions or comments? Contact Nancy at nancy@cfolc.com
