$95/ticket
Exclusive to Conference attendees only. Registration link will be sent in your registration confirmation.
Presented by Women Leaders Connect, a Chief Executive Group Community
Dr. Alessandra Wall, Founder & CEO, Noteworthy
Every day, senior leaders are asked to articulate their unique value—whether in strategic discussions, high-impact projects, or in board meetings where clarity and authority are essential. Executed well, this skill opens doors to influence, innovation, and growth. Done poorly, it can leave opportunities on the table and, at worst, contribute to misunderstandings and missed connections that can ripple across your teams.
In this workshop, we will explore three proven strategies that will empower you to work from your strengths and position yourself for maximum impact. You will learn a structured process for sharing your expertise in a way that is both clear and compelling, ensuring that your contributions are recognized and understood across all levels.
This session will provide you with a powerful blueprint to claim your authority, engage others, and elevate your presence—all without hesitation or self-doubt. For organizational leaders, these strategies can pave the way for greater inclusion, streamlined communication, and a culture of engagement and shared accountability.
$95/ticket
Exclusive to Conference attendees only. Registration link will be sent in your registration confirmation.
Presented by Foley & Lardner LLP
Kate Beattie, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Jim Lundy, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Chris McKenna, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
Aaron Tantleff, Partner, Foley & Lardner LLP
The Law School for the CFO program is designed to help you get up to speed—and stay up to speed—on the fast-changing legal issues that have a direct impact on the health of your business and your professional life. Partners at Foley & Lardner LLP will share key legal 2025 updates. This must-attend program will provide you with the practical and actionable advice you need to avoid unintended pitfalls and risks—without incurring high hourly fees.
Jack McCullough, President, CFO Leadership Council
David Marberger, EVP & CFO, Conagra Brands
Moderator: Dan Bigman, Editor & Chief Content Officer, Chief Executive Group
Dave Marberger, EVP & CFO of Conagra Brands, has been at the forefront of one of the most significant transformations in the food industry. Under his financial leadership, Conagra evolved from a traditional, slow-to-change company into a dynamic, innovation-driven powerhouse. During his tenure, Dave has played a critical role in reimagining the company’s strategy, fostering a culture of growth, and driving innovation to meet the demands of today’s competitive marketplace.
In this keynote session, Dave will share his insights into the unique challenges and opportunities CFOs face during times of significant organizational change. From redefining long-standing business models to aligning financial strategies with new operational goals, he will provide actionable takeaways for CFOs looking to lead meaningful transformation in their own companies. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how finance leaders can drive innovation and create long-term value in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Marybeth Gray, Senior Vice President of Health and Welfare Benefits Consulting Trion, a Marsh McLennan Agency
With healthcare costs projected to rise at their fastest pace in 15 years, CFOs are facing tough choices that go beyond just balancing budgets. As the second-largest expense after compensation, healthcare spending directly impacts talent acquisition, retention and overall organizational sustainability. This session will equip CFOs with actionable strategies to address the pressing challenges of healthcare cost management in 2025 and beyond. We’ll help you strike a balance between providing comprehensive healthcare benefits and managing costs without sacrificing your oganization’s ability to attract and retain top talent. It is clear that a “do nothing strategy” with a 10% annual trend will not work.
Join us to explore:
In today’s competitive landscape, CFOs play a critical role in shaping benefits strategies that balance cost efficiency with employee satisfaction. Learn how to collaborate effectively with HR to design benefits plans that are not only financially sustainable but also a strategic asset for attracting and retaining top talent. This session will explore the key questions CFOs should ask their HR leaders to achieve optimal benefits outcomes. Topics will include:
As growth turns global, the way you manage cash must adapt to the complexities of multi-currency transactions, regulatory differences, and market volatility. This session will explore how to keep banking simple as your company scales. From simplifying your account structure to optimizing liquidity management, you’ll leave with the blueprint for a scalable system to confidently manage global spend.
Key Takeaways:
72% of CFOs now cite technology investment as a top driver of competitive advantage. But competitive advantage doesn’t come from software alone, it comes from how CFOs lead the transformation.
In this breakout session, Chad Wonderling, CFO of Zone & Co, will be joined by fellow CFOs Yoana Land and Eduardo Arrega to unpack what it really takes to lead enterprise-wide transformation.
Drawing on their collective experience in ERP transitions, automation initiatives and scaling finance teams through M&A, the panel will explore how CFOs can:
Balancing the pull of day-to-day financial discipline with the push to lead bold, enterprise-wide change
Build the case for tech investments that don’t show immediate ROI, but are critical to future readiness
Learn from failed initiatives and navigate transformation fatigue inside the finance function
Influence cross-functional partners and shift team culture to support continuous innovation
Prepare their teams now for the capabilities that will define high-performing finance orgs by 2030
This conversation will cut past frameworks and get straight to what’s real: the wins, the failures and the lessons learned. Whether you’re refining your roadmap or navigating transformation fatigue, this session will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your approach.
Cathy Yang, CFO, Trexon
Jim Waddell, CFO, SHR LLC
Charlie Tice, National Private Equity Practice Leader, Travelers Insurance
As companies seek to stay competitive, expand their reach and innovate, many are weighing the merits of buying versus building. While M&A can accelerate growth, it also brings heightened demands on the CFO’s office—whether a deal is completed or not. Join us for an insightful fireside chat with three seasoned leaders who have navigated the complexities of M&A firsthand.
Together, we’ll discuss:
In today’s competitive landscape, CFOs play a critical role in shaping benefits strategies that balance cost efficiency with employee satisfaction. Learn how to collaborate effectively with HR to design benefits plans that are not only financially sustainable but also a strategic asset for attracting and retaining top talent. This session will explore the key questions CFOs should ask their HR leaders to achieve optimal benefits outcomes. Topics will include:
As growth turns global, the way you manage cash must adapt to the complexities of multi-currency transactions, regulatory differences, and market volatility. This session will explore how to keep banking simple as your company scales. From simplifying your account structure to optimizing liquidity management, you’ll leave with the blueprint for a scalable system to confidently manage global spend.
Key Takeaways:
72% of CFOs now cite technology investment as a top driver of competitive advantage. But competitive advantage doesn’t come from software alone, it comes from how CFOs lead the transformation.
In this breakout session, Chad Wonderling, CFO of Zone & Co, will be joined by fellow CFOs Yoana Land and Eduardo Arrega to unpack what it really takes to lead enterprise-wide transformation.
Drawing on their collective experience in ERP transitions, automation initiatives and scaling finance teams through M&A, the panel will explore how CFOs can:
Balancing the pull of day-to-day financial discipline with the push to lead bold, enterprise-wide change
Build the case for tech investments that don’t show immediate ROI, but are critical to future readiness
Learn from failed initiatives and navigate transformation fatigue inside the finance function
Influence cross-functional partners and shift team culture to support continuous innovation
Prepare their teams now for the capabilities that will define high-performing finance orgs by 2030
This conversation will cut past frameworks and get straight to what’s real: the wins, the failures and the lessons learned. Whether you’re refining your roadmap or navigating transformation fatigue, this session will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your approach.
Lauren StClair, CFO, Slice
Moderator: Dan Bigman, Editor & Chief Content Officer, Chief Executive Group
Lauren StClair, CFO of Slice, brings a wealth of experience from her leadership roles at some of the most iconic fast-growing companies, including eBay and StubHub. At her most recent role as CFO at NerdWallet, she was instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic and financial vision, guiding its journey from a high-growth startup to a successful public company. Lauren’s leadership during NerdWallet’s IPO and her ongoing efforts to drive sustainable growth exemplify the pivotal role a CFO plays in navigating the complexities of today’s business environment.
In this keynote, Lauren will share her perspective on what it takes to lead a company through hypergrowth, the transition to public markets, and beyond. Drawing from her rich career experience, she will offer practical insights into scaling operations, building resilient financial frameworks, and aligning finance and strategy to support long-term success. This session is a must-attend for CFOs seeking to drive growth while maintaining agility and innovation in an evolving marketplace.
*Open only to CFOLC Advisory Board Members
Fundraising, investments, and acquisitions are expected to surge in 2025, but certain sectors will drive the majority of deal flow. This session will leverage data from 40,000+ PE- and VC-backed companies to uncover which industries have dominated investment and M&A activity over the past 12 months—and what that signals for the remainder of 2025. Gain insights into emerging trends, sector-specific dealmaking and where capital is flowing next.
Jack McCullough, CFO Leadership Council
Julianna Hayes, CFO, Philo
Moderator: Jack McCullough, President & Founder, CFO Leadership Council
Julianna Hayes, CFO of Philo, has helped the company carve out its own space in the highly competitive streaming landscape, taking on industry giants like Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime. With a wealth of experience gained from leadership roles at Twitter and Google, Julianna has been instrumental in driving Philo’s profitable growth and forging a strategy that prioritizes differentiation and resilience.
In this keynote, Julianna will share how finance leaders can craft and execute strategies that enable smaller organizations to thrive in markets dominated by massive players. From fostering innovation to building financial models that support sustainable growth, Julianna’s insights will inspire CFOs looking to lead their organizations to success, even in the shadow of industry titans.
Sarah Spoja, CFO, Tipalti
Kim Clark Pakstys, Managing Director, CxO Advisory, CohnReznick Advisory LLC
In the face of economic headwinds and accelerating change, forward-thinking CFOs aren’t hitting pause—they’re reimagining what finance can be. This fireside chat brings together Tipalti’s CFO, Sarah Spoja, and CohnReznick’s CFO Advisory Managing Director, Kim Clark Pakstys, to explore how finance teams can stay agile, resilient and adaptable to meet the demands of 2025 and beyond. Drawing on real-world examples and industry insights, they’ll unpack how finance leaders are continuing to drive transformation, unlock operational efficiency and turn disruption into a catalyst for long-term value. Attendees will gain insights on the evolving CFO function from traditional stewardship to dynamic strategic leadership, while preparing finance teams to navigate economic shifts, new technologies and global complexity.
Key Takeaways:
Madhu Ranganathan, Retired CFO, Audit Committee Member – Bank of Montreal & Akamai Technologies
Moderator: Jack McCullough, President & Founder, CFO Leadership Council
Madhu Ranganathan, former CFO of OpenText, is a veteran leader whose unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit and big-company expertise has established her as one of the most respected CFOs in the industry. Renowned for her deep commitment to her team, Madhu exemplifies how empowering talent and leveraging cutting-edge technology can drive sustainable growth and innovation.
In this keynote, Madhu will share her proven strategies for optimizing T&T—Talent and Technology—to build resilient organizations and unlock long-term value. With practical insights and a focus on collaboration, this session will inspire CFOs to rethink how they nurture teams and harness technological advancements to achieve impactful results.
Anurag Yagnik, CTO, Prophix
Loretta Keane, CFO, Arcadia.io
It’s not their fault. Traditional health plans make common practice of gatekeeping data that CFOs could leverage to inform their healthcare buying decisions. Decisions that could free-up capital and create new opportunities for growth-related initiatives – without passing the buck to employees.
We’re going to lift the veil hung by status-quo health insurance carriers to obfuscate and blur financial decisions for both fully funded firms and self-funded companies alike.
Attend this powerful session and discover:
Robert K. Wittman, Former Special Agent, FBI
The Wall Street Journal called him “a living legend.” The Times of London dubbed him “The most famous art detective in the world.”
Robert Wittman will share true stories of his 20-year career working undercover to catch art thieves, forgers, and black-market traders around the world. Hear about some of his most notable cases, such as his undercover work to recover stolen art from the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston considered the biggest art heist of the century.
Wittman’s efforts helped recover more than $300 million worth of cultural property, including art and antiquities. He founded the FBI’s National Art Crime Team and served for 20 years as the FBI’s investigative expert in art crime. Since retiring from the FBI, he authored his memoir “Priceless: How I went undercover to rescue the world’s stolen treasures,” a New York Times best-seller now published in 12 languages around the world. Today he is President of Robert Wittman Inc., the international art recovery and security firm.
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
