Keeping current on economic developments is critical in today’s fast-paced world. Evaluate current national and regional economic conditions, examine key indicators, and identify emerging and future trends and challenges to inform your company’s decision-making. 

Speaker:
Dr. Lynn Marie Burks, PhD, Chief Associate | HYA & Assoc.

Just like on a soccer pitch, finance and accounting teams have to constantly adapt to the ever-changing environment around them. Building the right business team is very much like building a championship roster. Kick off your knowledge of the training, commitment, motivation, and teamwork it takes to keep your organization successful year after year. 

Speaker:
Pawel Szynalik, CFO, Sr. Vice President, Program Revenue | Chicago Fire Football Club

Speaker:
Reena Kansal, COO and Story Facilitator | Leadership Story Lab

Discover how an agile approach and automation can streamline your month-end financial close process. Learn strategies to reduce bottlenecks, automate repetitive tasks, and empower your team to focus on high-value activities. Explore practical tools, best practices, and real-world examples to cut down close time, improve accuracy, and enhance collaboration across teams. Walk away with implementable strategies to transform your financial close and make every moment count. 

Speaker:
James Hannan, CPA, Founder | IFG Chicago's Advisory Practice and Outsourced Accounting Practices

Dive into the types of artificial intelligence (AI), with a focus on generative AI and its practical applications as an everyday business tool. Understand what AI means for you and your company, and learn key questions, strategies, and real-world examples to guide your AI journey. 

Speaker:
Ayala Clinkman, CPA, PMP, Sr. Director, Business Solutions | Business Technology Partners

Session description coming soon!

Speaker:
Jaysen Dyal, Product Marketing Manager | FloQast

For many of us, the “work” in “networking” is daunting. Networking events feel artificial, we hate bothering people, we hate talking about ourselves, and we HATE following up. Find the play in the networking game that emerges when we have real, dynamic conversations, stop talking about the weather, and make meaningful connections. 

Speaker:
Matt Elwell, CPTD, Founder and CEO | PLAY Polarities

In-person attendees are invited to stay after the conference to connect and interact  over light refreshments. We hope you can join us!