Tired of wrestling with complex travel and expense management? Discover how cutting-edge technologies are transforming the way you manage travel and expenses. Learn to streamline workflows, automate tedious tasks, and gain unparalleled visibility into your spending. By harnessing the power of data analytics, you'll uncover actionable insights that drive cost reductions and optimize your travel programs. Hear from a T&E superstar on how they: 

• Identify cost-saving opportunities through data-driven insights 
• Implement automation to streamline processes and reduce errors 
• Enhance employee satisfaction with a user-friendly experience 
• Strengthen compliance and mitigate risks 

Sponsored by: SAP Concur

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Explore how a global organization revolutionized its operations through cutting-edge process mining and intelligent automation. You’ll hear how the team leveraged process intelligence to uncover and eliminate process inefficiencies, accelerating workflows and driving cost savings in the process. 

Action Items: 

• Discover how process mining technology can uncover hidden inefficiencies across business operations. 
• Learn how real-time process analytics and automation were leveraged to achieve operational transformation. 
• Gain insights into strategic approaches for driving innovation and change management within shared services environments. 

Sponsored by: Celonis

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Achieving significant growth and efficiency starts with transforming the customer engagement process. By reducing the number of engagement platforms from hundreds to a single, unified solution, organizations can dramatically streamline operations and enhance the customer experience. CK's optimization journey not only simplifies communication but also slashed the cost of customer engagement from $62 to just $7 per interaction. With a focus on seamless delivery and customer satisfaction, the shift to a consolidated platform paves the way for sustainable cost reductions and operational excellence, proving that simplicity and efficiency are key drivers of success. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Consolidate engagement platforms to reduce complexity and improve customer interactions. 
• Streamline delivery processes to enhance customer experience and boost satisfaction. 
• Drastically cut engagement costs, maximizing efficiency and driving long-term growth. 

CK Taneja

Senior Vice President of Transformation and Innovation
Northern Trust Corporation

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Achieve Strategic Advantage in Intercompany Practices 

Intercompany is like the octopus in the finance organization. Its tentacles reach everywhere. But it’s rarely discussed. This session will change that with an illuminating customer discussion on transcending conventional Intercompany transactions. In this rousing session our leaders will share: 

• How to optimize global intercompany practices, promising a significant enhancement to your accounting strategies 
• How to go beyond zero balances to discover the rationale behind elevating your intercompany dynamics, encompassing the new streamlined operating models, strategic tax considerations and the seamless integration of automated processes

Sponsored by: BlackLine

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Jim Tilk

Director of Solutions Strategy & Marketing (Intercompany),
Blackline

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The role of FP&A is rapidly evolving from a purely reporting function to a strategic business partner. This session will explore how cutting-edge analytics techniques and AI are transforming the FP&A landscape. Attendees will gain insights into the latest trends, tools, and best practices to enhance decision-making, improve forecasting accuracy, and drive business growth. 

Aashu Rahar

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis
Veritiv Corporation

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In today's data-rich environment, finance professionals are presented with unprecedented opportunities to harness information for strategic advantage. We’ll focus on the transformative power of data in optimizing cash flow, managing credit risk, and conducting comprehensive spend analysis.  Venture into how leading organizations are leveraging advanced analytics and data-driven insights to enhance financial decision-making, improve liquidity, and drive cost savings. 

Action Items: 

• Initiate projects to integrate data from different financial systems and sources to create a unified view of financial information. 
• Establish or enhance data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, consistency, and security. 
• Develop strategic dashboards that provide real-time insights into key financial metrics and KPIs

Charles Morgan

Head, Finance Transformation
Verisk

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A compelling narrative is essential for the success of your shared services initiative. Learn how to craft a business case that resonates with key stakeholders, transforming them into advocates who propel your vision forward. Discover strategies to effectively communicate the value of shared services to your workforce, addressing concerns and turning resistance into support. By aligning your message, you’ll foster greater organizational buy-in, ensuring smoother implementation and long-term success. 

Action Points: 

• Develop a compelling shared services business case that drives executive buy-in 
• Align Shared Services deliverables with goals and problems the business is attempting to solve 
• Address workforce concerns by demonstrating tangible shared services benefits. 

Shane Abeyratne

Senior Vice President for GBS
Cardinal Health

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Even the most mature shared services organizations must always come back to the basics.  In this panel discussion, industry leaders explore how to design a blueprint that balances growth and strategic integration. Learn how to expand your service offerings while aligning with organizational goals, build a talent pipeline that supports new capabilities, and standardize technologies that unlock efficiency and scalability. This session equips you with actionable insights to lead transformative initiatives in your shared services model. 

• Learn to define the scope of your shared services integration to align with organizational goals, setting boundaries and expectations for value and efficiency. 
• Conduct thorough assessments to identify organizational needs and craft a talent pool ready to address them 
• Develop a robust technology integration plan, covering the most common tools for automation success 

Sue Brauer

Consultant - GPO P2P
Walgreens Boots Alliance

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Jenna Urban

Vice President, Shared Services
Help at Home

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Pawel Kalinowski

Executive Director GBS Strategy
Organon

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The remarkable growth of JB Poindexter’s shared services organization underscores the critical importance of laying a strong foundation for scalable success. Beginning in 2021 with a small, focused team, JB Poindexter embraced a strategic vision that centered on the fundamentals—process optimization, operational efficiency, and leadership alignment. By prioritizing these foundational elements, the company rapidly scaled to over 200 employees, with a projected growth to 350 in the next 2 years and 600 in the next 5 years. Join us to hear how to: 

Key Takeaways: 

• Align leadership and vision early to create a solid foundation for growth. 
• Optimize processes and operations to ensure scalability and efficiency. 
• Drive continuous improvement to transform shared services into a strategic business asset. 

Prathap Varkey

Global Director of Shared Services and Business Process Solutions
JB Poindexter

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Join us for a thrilling exploration of the parallels between managing digital transformation in shared services and the exhilarating world of extreme sports. Larry Hack, a seasoned shared services executive with CTO experience and a passionate cave diver, base jumper, and other adrenaline-fueled pursuits, will share his unique insights into the similarities and lessons learned from both realms. 

Discover how the strategies, mindset, and risk management techniques employed in extreme sports can be applied to navigate the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in shared services. 

Action Items: 

• Assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of taking more calculated risks to drive innovation. 
• Encourage a mindset of continuous learning and growth within your shared services team to navigate challenges and setbacks. 
• Foster a supportive and collaborative environment where individuals can contribute their unique skills and perspectives. 

Larry Hack

Senior Vice President, Shared Services
PriceSmart

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More information to come!

Sponsored by: Deloitte

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Traditional "big-bang" transformations often fail to deliver expected outcomes due to their complexity and the difficulty of predicting future requirements.  Evaluate an alternative approach that leverages agile methodologies and cross-functional "pods" to automate processes and roll out new capabilities in an iterative and responsive manner. 

Action Items: 

• Break down complex processes into smaller, manageable components to facilitate iterative automation and reduce the risk of failure. 
• Establish metrics to monitor the progress of agile automation initiatives and measure their impact on key performance indicators 
• Regularly review the agile automation process and adapt strategies based on feedback, performance data, and changes in business needs. 

Julie Gillespie

Vice President Finance – Global Transformation
Ecobat

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Anil Thalayat

Senior Director, Digital
Carrier

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Sarah Hough

Vice President, Shared Services
Ontario Power Generation

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Looking for the next frontier for your SSO? Integrating supply chain management is one common area of expansion. In this session, we will explore actionable strategies for seamlessly integrating supply chain functions into your existing shared services framework, creating a unified, high-performance environment. Learn how to bridge the gap between these critical functions to drive efficiency, innovation, and overall organizational excellence. 

• Discover innovative approaches to aligning supply chain processes with shared services functions for maximum impact. 
• Gain insights into effective methods for fostering robust cross-functional collaboration between supply chain and shared services teams. 
• Explore proven tactics for leveraging integration to boost organizational performance and achieve strategic goals.

Josye Santiago

Sr. Supply Chain Director - Global Operations
Jabil

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As supply chains grow more complex, companies must find innovative ways to streamline operations while ensuring full compliance. This session explores how embedding supply chain functions within the operational core bridges the gap between frontline activities and compliance oversight. Attendees will learn how this integrated approach strengthens visibility, fosters cross-functional collaboration, and enables companies to proactively manage risks and regulatory requirements. By bringing supply chain management into the center of business operations, organizations can achieve greater efficiency and control. 

• Understand how embedding supply chain into core business operations enhances collaboration and operational transparency. 
• Learn techniques for aligning supply chain management with compliance requirements to proactively manage risks and regulations. 
• Explore the operational benefits of integrating supply chain into a centralized function, driving improved performance and agility. 

Sponsored by: Neo Tangent

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As Sanofi, a F500 pharmaceutical company, embarked on its GBS transformation, the team knew that to unlock true enterprise value from the procurement function that they would need to move beyond a transactional S2P process. Sanofi procurement leaders will talk openly and candidly about the relationship between the CPO and business operations and how the S2P function has been a cornerstone of the transformative journey Sanofi has been on. They will address: 

• The importance of establishing foundations and getting back to the basics, including moving from a legacy, fragmented delivery model and process to a single, end-to-end operating model 
• The need to transform operations, deploying a target operating model and new business processes that work for the business, rather than simply focusing on one step in the E2E S2P process 
• The impact of community building and the need to ensure you put the right people with the right skills in the right roles and locations to unlock the full potential of the transformation. 

Ryan Burger

SVP, Global Head, Procurement Services, Global Business Operations 
Sanofi

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Jeff Metzger

Global Head, Procurement Operations
Sanofi

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Change management is the cornerstone of successful shared services transformations, yet countless initiatives fail due to ineffective strategies. This session will peel back the layers of organizational dysfunction, revealing the hidden obstacles that derail change efforts such as: 

• Lack of clear vision and direction leading to employee confusion and uncertainty 
• Leadership resistance which sends a negative message to the team 
• Organizational cultural barriers 
• Fear of failure causing teams to not try 

This session will allow you to learn from the mistakes of others as we dissect real-world case studies. 

Adam Holmes

Senior Vice President, Business Services
Publicis Re:Sources

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Vanessa Bordeaux

Vice President, Integrated Global Services
Ingredion Inc.

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Why do so many organizations remain stuck, wanting to embed AI into their systems but not quite getting there? This panel will provide their first-hand insights into why a robust AI adoption is not as easy as it seems. Challenges addressed will include: 

• Ensuring a robust governance framework before any technology is adopted 
• Addressing ethical considerations and bias 
• Managing the data that enables the AI to work 
• Planning the overall AI narrative and strategy and not just jumping in to low-hanging fruit 

Ashish Gupta

Head, Global Customer Excellence
Iron Mountain

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Maxim Ioffe

Director, Global Intelligent Automation COE
WESCO DISTRIBUTION

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SSOs can’t stay stagnant for too long. Doing “just enough” won’t cut it with increasing imperatives to drive additional value but keep costs the same or less. Where do SSOs find this additional value? Scope and geographical expansion are the two most common areas. This session will address some of the questions that arise when taking the plunge into expansion including: 

• When to establish regional hubs rather than new centers to leverage local talent 
• How to do the dance with the BUs to ensure the SSO’s services align with their needs and avoid turf wars 
• What are the best areas to expand? Including Supply Chain, R&D and marketing 

Rob Bullen

SVP Shared Services Delivery
Bayer

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Emma Ridley

Head, Global Business Solutions Central Operations
British American Tobacco

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Another year, another promise that a technology will reinvent shared services as we know it. Is Generative AI any closer to fulfilling this promise? In this session, attendees go through a round robin of use cases their GBSO has implemented, highlighting the successes and challenges they’re seeing with the technology and why would you do arbitrage when you can automate? 

We’ll examine the impact on operating models – if there have been any, - capability and value creation, impact on FTEs, and challenges with controls organizations are currently addressing.  

We continue to see talent acquisition and upskilling for future and current digital skills continue to be the biggest challenge within the GBSOs. On the other side, while most organizations continue to focus on KPIs and traditional governance, with expanding scope, the need for customer engagement is changing. We will explore how the two sides of the brand context interact and have been successfully leveraged by organizations to make an impact on their image as an ‘Exciting place to be’ within the broader enterprise. We will look to learn from the leaders and understand how these strategies can be leveraged across other enterprises irrespective of their position on the maturity continuum. 

Erin Vincent

Vice President, GBS
Sonoco

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