Chithra Rajagopalan is a finance leader with experience across high-growth SaaS and AI security companies. She currently serves as Head of Finance at Obsidian Security, where she oversees financial strategy and operations. Her previous roles include finance leadership positions at Glue, ClickUp, and People.ai, following earlier experience at Deloitte and Ernst & Young.

Expect to Learn:

• Why great FP&A goes beyond reporting.

• How strong data foundations support better decisions.

• What finance teams need during hypergrowth.

• How AI is changing finance roles and workflows.

• Why cybersecurity matters when finance adopts AI.

Eric Alexander is the President of Six Arrows Consulting and an advisor, speaker, and author with nearly 40 years of financial management experience, including 20 years in CFO roles. He served as CFO of Happy State Bank and now provides leadership development, strategic planning, finance function, and advisory services to community banks and mid-market companies. He is also the author of Stewardship Leadership for Stinking Accountants: Serving as the CFO.

Expect to Learn:

• Why business understanding matters beyond technical skills.

• How to build a stronger FP&A function.

• Why CFOs need leadership and communication skills.

• How to make better decisions through constructive disagreement.

• Why stewardship is essential to effective finance leadership.

Soufyan Hamid is a finance professional, corporate trainer, EMBA lecturer, and keynote speaker who specializes in systematizing storytelling for finance teams. He helps finance professionals strengthen their communication and financial storytelling skills.

Expect to Learn:

• What the “precision trap” means for FP&A.

• Why timely analysis can be more valuable than perfect accuracy.

• How to choose the right level of accuracy for a decision.

• What questions to ask before starting an analysis.

• How finance professionals can become better business partners.

• How the DERP framework improves variance analysis.

Zach Rial is a finance leader at AskElephant, a startup focused on revenue and conversation intelligence. He brings experience as an operator who uses finance, FP&A, and business insights to help companies grow and improve decision-making. Chris Ortega is the CEO of Fresh FP&A, a global fractional CFO and advisory firm supporting small and medium-sized businesses. Chris has over 20 years of experience in accounting, finance, and leadership roles, helping organizations build, scale, and prepare for growth.

Expect to Learn:

• The real purpose of budgeting and forecasting

• How to create a business-focused planning process

• Why trust and partnership are essential for FP&A teams

• How to balance budget discipline with flexibility

• Best practices for managing AI costs and governance

Brock Beyer is the CPA Controller at Jump, where he has used vibe coding to build internal productivity tools. Natalia Kudinova is a Senior Director at ABBYY with experience across finance leadership, treasury, tax, reporting, transformation, and process improvement.

Expect to Learn:

• What vibe coding means for finance professionals

• Practical finance processes you can automate with AI

• How to manage AI token usage and costs

• Why security and human oversight remain essential

• How to start small and learn through experimentation

Nitesh Mukhi is the Finance Director at Presight AI, an AI analytics and big data analytics company in Abu Dhabi, with over two decades of experience across auditing, financial analysis, treasury, and FP&A roles at companies including Schlumberger, FedEx, and KPMG. Rohit Menon is a Regional Finance professional at Bioltec with more than 19 years of experience across multinational companies, focusing on finance transformation and developing FP&A capabilities. Sweta Jhalani is a Chartered Accountant and FP&A Manager based in India who transitioned from audit into FP&A, building experience in financial planning, analysis, and business partnering

Expect to Learn:

• How AI is transforming FP&A workflows

• Practical finance use cases for AI tools

• The importance of financial modelling and business partnering

• Why human judgment remains critical in AI adoption

• Building the skills needed for the future of finance

Eve Reiter is a global procurement leader and AI advocate with experience at Amazon, American Express, and State Street. Jurgen Lang is a Hamburg-based fractional CFO specializing in SaaS, sports, hospitality, and technology, with more than 15 years of finance experience. BukieFaforiji is an FP&A professional and creator of CFO Intel, an AI-powered platform that delivers transparent and auditable financial insights.

Expect to Learn:

• How AI is changing the day-to-day work of FP&A professionals.

• Why critical thinking and domain expertise matter more than ever in an AI-driven world.

• How finance leaders are using AI to automate workflows and build custom finance tools.

• What the AI Finance Club offers finance professionals looking to upskill.

• The opportunities,and risks, that AI creates for the future of finance careers.

Josette Ferrer is the Founder and Managing Director of Clairent Advisors, a valuation and business advisory firm specializing in business and intellectual property valuations. She also serves as President of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Financial Executives International (FEI) and is actively involved with organizations including How Women Lead, ProVisors, the American Society of Appraisers, and several executive leadership communities.

Expect to Learn:

• Why networking should start long before you need your next opportunity

• How to choose the right networking organizations for your career goals

• Simple strategies introverts can use to build meaningful professional relationships

• Why mentoring and networking naturally go hand in hand

Albert Lee is an FP&A leader, AI finance coach, and corporate trainer with over 13 years of experience helping finance teams embrace AI and automation. He has led FP&A functions across multinational organizations, including Merlin Entertainments and The Cookware Company, driving forecasting, profitability modeling, and process improvements across APAC. Today, Albert coaches CFOs and finance leaders through the AI Finance Club while delivering AI training for global organizations and professional finance communities.

Expect to Learn:

• Why AI should be your finance copilot

• How to build trusted AI workflows

• When to use AI vs. Power Query

• Best practices for secure AI adoption

• Key skills for the future of FP&A
  

Jack McCullough is the founder and president of the CFO Leadership Council, a professional community he built to empower senior financial executives through peer learning and collaboration. Over the course of his career, Jack has served as chief financial officer for twenty-six companies, leading not only finance but also business development, HR, and IT functions. 

Expect to Learn:

• Build FP&A teams with the three Cs: communication, curiosity, courage.

• Rare specialists can outperform broad generalists.

• Spot true critical specialists vs. those who just seem important.

• Find hidden influence by who people turn to in crises.

• Avoid promoting specialists away from their best work.

Alok Ajmera is the CEO of Prophix, a leading financial performance management platform helping CFO organizations modernize planning, budgeting, and forecasting. With over 22 years at Prophix, he has supported more than 3,000 finance teams globally in transforming how they close, consolidate, and plan. Alok has led the evolution of FP&A systems from spreadsheet-first to system-first, and now toward AI-enabled finance operations.

Expect to Learn:

• What makes FP&A a true force multiplier inside organizations

• How data stewardship, collaboration, and forecasting define great finance teams

• Why AI must stay deterministic when handling financial calculations

• The difference between probabilistic AI and structured finance systems

• How AI agents support FP&A without replacing financial control

Tim Stallkamp is a Senior Managing Director and the leader of Riveron’s Interim Management practice. He is a seasoned turnaround executive who provides interim management and turnaround management services to distressed and under-performing businesses. Tim has led turnarounds as interim chief executive officer (CEO), chief restructuring officer (CRO), chief transformation officer (CTO), and chief financial officer (CFO).

Expect to Learn:

• Why private equity is driving demand for interim finance leaders

• What makes a strong interim FP&A and finance professional

• Why broad, cross-industry experience matters more than narrow expertise

• How interim leaders create value from day one

• The importance of clear scope and alignment in engagements

Nicholas Moen is a CMA and finance leader at Section, where he reinvents finance through AI, helping organizations build AI-powered workflows at scale. Based in Franklin, Pennsylvania, Nicholas specializes in leveraging AI to streamline FP&A processes, automate workflows, and empower finance teams to focus on strategic decision-making.


Expect to Learn:

• How AI frees FP&A teams from manual work

• Automating reports, spreadsheets, and workflows

• Training and empowering teams on AI tools

• Key FP&A skills: business partnering, listening, and data understanding

Robert Blanding is the Chief Financial Officer at Fall Creek, a global leader in the Ag-Tech sector. He brings extensive experience in finance and operations from 18 years at Intel and leadership roles across industrial manufacturing, technology, and ag-tech companies. Robert combines strategic financial leadership with a focus on innovation, long-term business growth, and developing high-performing teams.

Expect to Learn:

• What great FP&A looks like and the importance of business acumen

• How to develop strong partnerships between FP&A and accounting

• Strategies for building high-performing, empowered finance teams

• Navigating systems, processes, and technology challenges in FP&A

David Dors is a finance transformation consultant and AI educator specializing in helping finance teams adopt Claude, AI agents, and workflow automation. After beginning his career in banking and FP&A, David shifted his focus to helping finance professionals use AI to improve reporting, analysis, forecasting, and decision-making. Through workshops, training programs, and content creation, he teaches finance teams how to build AI-powered systems that save time and allow analysts to focus on higher-value strategic work.

Expect to Learn:

• How AI is changing the future of FP&A

• Practical ways to automate reporting and recurring finance tasks

• The difference between Claude Chat, Claude Code, and AI agents

• Why finance professionals should think of AI as a digital teammate

• Key skills FP&A professionals need in an AI-driven world

Tim is the CFO of the Savannah Bananas, a wildly innovative and entertaining baseball organization. With experience in public accounting, higher education, and consulting, Tim brings a unique perspective on financial management, teaching, and operational strategy. He has also authored a book for creatives and non-finance professionals on strategic financial management, helping others understand how to transform ideas into sustainable business ventures.

Expect to Learn:

• How FP&A functions in an unconventional sports and entertainment organization

• Budgeting and financial planning across multiple teams and events

• Managing risk, contracts, and operational logistics for traveling events

• Lessons on aligning finance with organizational growth and fan engagement

• How innovative business models and creativity intersect with FP&A

Derek Baker is the Head of Strategic Finance at Circle, a growth-stage SaaS company focused on building an all-in-one platform for online communities. He has built the Strategic Finance function from the ground up, covering areas like pricing, sales compensation, investor due diligence, and AI-powered financial reporting. Prior to Circle, Derek co-founded The FP&A Hub with Paul Barnhurst and Liran Edelist to support finance professionals. His career spans FP&A roles across SaaS, marketplace, and biotech startups. 

Expect to Learn:

• How AI is transforming financial reporting and analysis in FP&A.

• The role of business partnering in aligning FP&A with strategic decisions.

• Derek's transition from spreadsheets to AI-driven financial models.

• How FP&A evolves as companies scale.

Gabrielle Dolan is a global expert in strategic storytelling and communication, having worked with leaders from companies like Amazon, EY, Uber, and the Obama Foundation. With over 20 years of experience in leadership roles and storytelling, Gabrielle is the bestselling author of eight books, including her latest Story Intelligence: The Craft of Authentic Storytelling Made Smarter with AI. She is also the co-host of the podcast Keeping It Real with Jack and Ral, which ranks in Spotify's top 3% most shared podcasts. 

Expect to Learn:

• Why storytelling is essential for influencing decisions in finance and business.

• The impact of authenticity and vulnerability in leadership communication.

• How AI can enhance storytelling without losing its human touch.

• Practical tips for finance professionals on how to use stories in presentations.