You operate in systems where small shifts can trigger large consequences. External shocks rarely stay isolated. They ripple through markets, organizations and decisions. Chaos is not noise to eliminate. It is a reality to navigate.

In this opening keynote, you step straight into the heart of that dynamic. Together with Margot Ribberink, former storm chaser, and scientifically trained meteorologist, you explore what happens when complex systems come under pressure. Not through spectacle, but through analysis.

Together, you explore how extreme weather systems unfold, how patterns emerge in apparent randomness, and where predictability proves its value and where its limits lie. Chaos is rarely accidental. Small disturbances can trigger large effects, often far beyond the original epicenter.
In the eye of the storm, something unexpected appears: clarity. Not because everything stands still, but because you learn to recognize which signals matter when everything is in motion.

This opening does not offer ready-made answers. It sharpens your perception, expands your frame of reference, and sets the starting point for a day about holding direction within forces you cannot fully control.

How do you create clarity when everything around you is shifting at the same time?

In a world where signals contradict each other, risks shift overnight and the pressure on finance keeps rising, clarity becomes a competitive advantage. In this conversation, moderated by Rens de Jong, Charlotte Hanneman (CFO Philips), Pieter Everard (CFO Picnic), Steven Zaat (CFO Air France - KLM) and  Marijn Steegstra (Head of Wholesale Rabobank) share how they cut through the noise, bring focus when their organisations are being pulled in multiple directions and make confident decisions in moments of uncertainty. Marijn Steegstra (Head of Wholesale Netherlands and Sector Banking Europe, Africa and Asia Rabobank) adds an external perspective on the patterns she sees across organisations, challenging assumptions and reflecting on how companies navigate uncertainty in practice.

Celebrating exceptional financial leadership with the CFO of the Year Award

Budgets were designed to create control. Yet for many CFOs today, they do the opposite. They create illusions of control. Plans break faster than reporting cycles. Targets become outdated before the year has even started. Rigid detailed cost budgets prevent fast responses. And the gap between what the numbers say and what the business actually needs keeps widening.

In this keynote, Bjarte Bogsnes does not argue for less discipline, less accountability, or financial looseness. He challenges something more fundamental: whether traditional management through fixed annual budgets are still the right instrument in a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Drawing on (nearly) thirty years of experience with Beyond Budgeting in complex, global organizations, Bogsnes explores how CFOs can regain better control by shifting focus from static plans to adaptive decision-making.
From compliance to confidence.
From prediction to preparedness.
From fighting uncertainty and ambiguity to accepting and embracing it.
From managing performance to enabling performance.

This is a session for CFOs and finance leaders who feel the tension between structure and reality every day.
Who know that tighter rules do not automatically lead to better outcomes. And who are ready to rethink what financial leadership looks like when certainty is no longer guaranteed.

Not a plea to abandon control, but an invitation to redefine it.

Predictability is disappearing. Willem Post shows why that has become a direct business issue for every CFO.

Known for his sharp analysis of U.S. politics, transatlantic relations and global power shifts, Post brings clarity to a world in which geopolitics is increasingly shaping supply chains, capital allocation, currency stability and growth assumptions.

In this session, he explores how America is rewriting the rules of geopolitics and business, what that means for the balance of power between the U.S., China and Europe, and which scenarios CFOs should be watching closely in the years ahead.

How do you lead when trade policy becomes power politics, strategic resources turn into geopolitical leverage, and predictability can no longer be taken for granted?

This session helps you look beyond headlines and focus on the developments that truly matter for risk, investment decisions and geographic exposure.

Because today’s CFO needs more than financial insight alone.

How CFOs stay strategic in a world that constantly pulls them back into operations

Today’s CFO is expected to do both: keep the business running and help shape the future of the organization. In practice, however, operational demands often take over. Board meetings, urgent decisions, transformations, organizational changes and talent challenges all compete for attention.

Many finance leaders find themselves constantly reacting. Days fill up with operational issues, leaving little space to step back, think strategically and focus on the decisions that shape long-term direction.

In this interactive workshop, leadership advisor Frans van Loef introduces a practical framework for redesigning your Personal Operating Model: the way you structure your roles, focus your attention and organise how you lead.

Working through five drivers, Roles, Focus, Leadership Mode, Way of Working and Wellbeing, participants will reflect on their current operating model and identify where it supports their impact and where it quietly pulls them back into operational overload.

The session also offers a rare opportunity to step back and reflect with fellow CFOs on the question every senior leader eventually faces: what kind of leader you need to be in the next phase of your organization and what may need to change in the way you lead today?

Expect to leave with clear insights on what to stop, simplify or delegate, and how to create more space for strategic thinking, shifting your focus from running the business to building its future.

Most CFOs still view payments as a cost to manage. But for a growing number of finance leaders, payment infrastructure is becoming a strategic lever for growth, expansion and customer conversion.

The shift is bigger than efficiency alone. Modern payment capabilities increasingly influence how companies scale internationally, unlock new revenue models and remove friction from the customer journey.

In this masterclass, we explore how finance leaders are repositioning payments from a back-office process to a driver of commercial performance and strategic flexibility.

You’ll also hear directly from TicketSwap CFO Erik Wienk on how this played out in practice: the decisions they made, where the impact became visible, and what finance leaders should pay attention to when rethinking their own payment strategy.

Whether you’re focused on scaling, profitability or international growth, this session opens up a conversation many finance teams are only just starting to have.

Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

The role of the CFO is under unprecedented pressure. Geopolitical uncertainty, increasing regulation, inflation and the acceleration of AI make one thing clear: standing still is not an option. CFOs are expected to provide direction, make tough choices, and create value even when outcomes are uncertain.
During this exclusive roundtable at CFO Day 2026, CFOs will engage in a peer-to-peer discussion on the dilemmas that truly matter. Together, we will explore how CFOs can look beyond the numbers, how to weigh risk in an era of continuous disruption, and how leadership makes the difference when standard answers fall short.
No presentations or best practices just an open and confidential conversation among peers. About where to place your next strategic bet. About which risks are worth taking. And about how finance can support the future, not just explain the past. For CFOs who are making decisions today about tomorrow.

Ready to future-proof your finance strategy as global events disrupt business as usual?
During this interactive session, we will discuss how geopolitical disruptions influence DSO, inventory, collateral utilization, and funding headroom, assess their impact on your balance sheet, and uncover strategies for managing uncertainty.
You'll also explore practical ways to protect against non-payment and counterparty risk while still providing competitive open account trade terms. Plus, learn how to unlock trapped cash and stabilize cash flows through working capital levers, credit risk tools, and supplier finance - enabling continued investment, even in unstable regions.

AI is not only driving demand for smarter technology, but also for massive investments in energy, data centres and infrastructure. As the global AI race accelerates, pressure on electricity networks, energy capacity and the physical systems behind economic growth is increasing just as rapidly. What does this mean for CFOs? Which infrastructure will become strategically critical for competitiveness? Where will the biggest bottlenecks emerge? And which investments will become unavoidable in an economy where technological growth is accelerating faster than physical capacity can keep up?

This session explores the growing tension between the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure and the energy systems required to support it. A conversation about energy, infrastructure, investment and the economic consequences of the AI race, and why this is no longer just a technology discussion, but a strategic boardroom issue.

Bjarte’s keynote typically triggers the same reaction: “This makes sense, but how do we do this here, without losing control or credibility?” That’s exactly what this small-group session is for.

In a limited setting, Bjarte opens the floor for a moderated in-depth Q&A with CFOs and senior finance leaders. No deck. No scripted content. Just an honest conversation about what happens when you challenge one of the most entrenched processes in the company. Expect concrete discussion on cost control, shareholder confidence, the resistance you will face and failures to avoid.

Bring your own situations and dilemmas and learn from the questions others are wrestling with. The session is open, candid, and grounded in practice, aimed at helping you leave with clearer options and more confidence about next steps.

In the days leading up to a board meeting, the numbers rarely stand still. Forecasts shift, assumptions evolve, and figures that looked solid yesterday may already tell a different story today. In this environment, the challenge is rarely a lack of data, but turning complex reporting into a clear story that helps boards focus on the decisions that matter.

In this interactive masterclass, CFOs and senior finance leaders will explore how greater clarity can be brought to board-level financial communication. Drawing on real boardroom examples, we will discuss how complex reporting can be translated into clearer financial narratives and visuals that support more focused discussions and decisions in the boardroom.
Together with think-cell, this session will combine practical insights with open discussion, allowing participants to exchange perspectives on where complexity arises in practice and how finance teams can turn busy fact packs into clearer, decision-focused communication.

Strategic Allocation Exercise

Geopolitics are reshaping the global business landscape. Trade tensions, industrial policy, reshoring, and geopolitical fragmentation are forcing companies to rethink where they produce, invest and grow.

For you as CFOs and finance leaders, this is no longer an abstract macroeconomic discussion. It directly impacts capital allocation, geographic exposure, supply chain resilience and currency risk.
In this interactive workshop, Menno Middeldorp, Global Head of RaboResearch at Rabobank, will briefly outline several geopolitical and economic scenarios that could redefine global supply chains, access to markets and investment decisions in the coming years.

You will then step into your role of CFO of a fictional multinational company and face a strategic question increasingly relevant in today’s boardrooms:

Where do you position your company in a geopolitically fragmented world?

Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

How often are you faced with defining the best course of action in strategic interactions?

In a world where strategic decisions mark the difference between success and failure, game theory has emerged as a remarkable force in revolutionising strategic decision making. Whether it’s about securing business through tenders, renegotiating with a major client or customer, choosing the right pricing strategy for your market, or ensuring your teams achieve the best outcomes in complex negotiation settings, game theory provides a structured way to navigate these challenges.

In our session, we explore how this fascinating methodology empowers organisations to act with foresight and helps to create maximum certainty for your strategic decisions. The CPOs of KPN and Heijmans will share their journey with game theory and how they achieved results beyond expectations. Discover why it’s time to test this transformative methodology in your organisation.

How to Leverage People-First Practices to Drive Financial Resilience and Mitigate Risk

Join our interactive breakout, where we delve into the implications of pay transparency and the risks arising when salary history is off the table during recruitment. We’ll examine how this shift could affect salary structures, candidate fit, and trigger challenges such as errors, engagement issues, and costly severance payments. Discover practical strategies to redesign your pre-hiring process and mitigate these risks, ensuring your organisation remains resilient and competitive.

Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

Every investment is a trade-off. Saying yes to one initiative means saying no to another. For CFOs, the real challenge isn’t what to start, it’s what to stop, and being able to defend that decision.
As demand for investment continues to outpace available capital, how do you determine where value is truly created?
Where are you overinvested relative to impact? What can be reduced, rationalised or stopped without increasing risk?

In this roundtable, finance leaders share how they approach these decisions in practice. How do you rebalance run, grow and transform in line with strategy? And how do you clearly explain these trade-offs to the CEO, CIO and board?
Using Technology Business Management (TBM) as a lens, you explore with your peers and Apptio how greater transparency and alignment can turn complex spend into actionable choices.

When does strategic autonomy actually become financially rational?

For years, you as a finance leader operated in a world where one logic dominated: optimize for cost, efficiency and scale. That logic is starting to crack.
Geopolitical tensions and shifting trade dynamics are forcing companies to rethink their dependencies. The ambition to regain control is clear, but the financial reality is far less straightforward.
So the real question is: When does independence actually make sense and when does the price outweigh the benefit?

In this session, three very different perspectives come together.
* Susan Swarte (CFO TNO) outlines why strategic autonomy is rising on the agenda, from the development of new technologies to strengthening Europe’s ability to produce critical capabilities itself.

* Remco Rijn (CEO/CFO RESiLICON) brings a concrete example: the development of a new semiconductor materials chain in Europe, including plans for a ~€1 billion facility in the Netherlands and what that requires in terms of capital, risk and long-term commitment.

* Vivienne de Leeuw (CFO Port of Rotterdam) brings a system-level view, operating at the heart of global trade and energy flows. She sees how deeply interconnected supply chains really are and why dependencies don’t disappear, but shift, often in less visible ways. Her perspective challenges a key assumption: how much control can companies realistically achieve, and at what cost?

What is the price of independence and when is it worth paying?

In this fireside conversation, Laurens Meester, Senior Relationship Banker at Rabobank, speaks with Pieter Everard, CFO of Picnic, about the realities behind scaling one of Europe’s fastest-growing online grocery businesses.

The discussion explores how Picnic uses data to support strategic decision-making, improve operational performance and identify opportunities for growth in an increasingly competitive market.
Pieter also shares how the company builds and scales its organisation around talent, and why people, culture and leadership remain critical in sustaining long-term growth.

Rather than focusing purely on technology, this conversation offers an inside look at the decisions, trade-offs and organisational choices that shape hyper growth from a CFO perspective.

AI is rapidly reshaping the finance function. But as adoption accelerates, finance leaders are increasingly challenged by a different question: how do you embrace AI-driven innovation without losing trust, transparency and human judgment along the way?

In this masterclass, Wolters Kluwer CCH Tagetik combines market insights and practical perspectives with room for discussion and experience-sharing among finance leaders in the room.
Together, the session explores three key themes shaping AI adoption in finance today: Current AI adoption trends within finance teams, the evolution of AI capabilities and finance technology, and the growing importance of responsible AI implementation, including topics such as privacy, security and bias.
The conversation centers on how organizations can innovate at speed while still maintaining confidence, control and governance.

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Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

AI is rapidly changing how companies sell, price, scale and compete. But while the technology moves fast, many finance leaders are still trying to determine where real value is created, where new risks emerge, and what this means for the role of finance itself.

In this interactive roundtable, hosted together with Stripe, CFOs and finance leaders come together to discuss how AI is beginning to reshape commercial models, revenue streams and operational decision-making. What happens when pricing becomes dynamic, customer journeys increasingly autonomous, and commercial decisions are no longer fully human-led? And how do you maintain visibility, control and accountability as these shifts accelerate?
Rather than focusing on theory or hype, this session is designed as an open peer discussion around the strategic questions finance leaders are facing right now.
Where are organisations investing today? Which developments still feel uncertain? And how do you make confident decisions while the commercial landscape is shifting in real time?

Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

Cyber risk has moved to the boardroom and with it, executive accountability. Under NIS2 and DORA, the question is no longer whether controls are in place, but how you establish real oversight: Where are you exposed, which risks are you consciously accepting, and how do you ensure those choices are informed and defensible? At the same time, digital complexity is accelerating. AI-driven processes, fragmented data and interconnected systems make exposure harder to see and easier to underestimate. So, what does “being in control” actually look like in this reality? In this roundtable, you exchange perspectives with peers on where control becomes less tangible, how to surface blind spots, and what it takes to strengthen grip on cyber risk.

Please note that submitting your preference for a Round Table does not guarantee participation.

Finance teams rely on an ever-growing stack of systems across payments, procurement, forecasting and compliance. Each tool promises efficiency. In reality, many CFOs are left managing fragmented ecosystems that are harder to control, integrate and scale.
At what point does adding technology start slowing you down?

In this roundtable, finance leaders exchange how they are navigating this trade-off.
Where does additional tooling create real value and where does it introduce friction, complexity or risk? How do you simplify your landscape without limiting flexibility or innovation?
Expect an open discussion on the decisions behind consolidation, integration and ownership of the finance stack.
Not from a systems perspective, but from a CFO lens: control, clarity and the ability to move when it matters.

Cyber threats, AI acceleration and geopolitical instability are exposing how vulnerable organizations can become when pressure builds faster than systems, structures and decision-making are able to adapt.

For CFOs, resilience is no longer just about control or continuity. It raises broader leadership questions around adaptability, vulnerability and how organizations respond when certainty starts to disappear.

This interactive masterclass, hosted by Sijthoff Academy, opens with a fireside conversation with a CFO and senior business leader and Vincent Wanders, who will share firsthand perspectives on organizational resilience, disruption and leadership under pressure.

From there, the session shifts into an open exchange with fellow finance executives. Together, we explore where organizations are often more vulnerable than expected, why risks only become visible once pressure starts to build, and how AI, cyber risk and digital dependency are reshaping the balance between control and adaptability.

Drawing on expertise in leadership, organizational resilience and decision-making in complex environments, Sijthoff Academy will use these perspectives to guide a broader peer-to-peer discussion around resilience, uncertainty and navigating disruption in an increasingly unpredictable world.

What happens to decision-making when volatility becomes constant, information becomes harder to trust and markets increasingly react on emotion?

In this closing conversation of CFO Day 2026, moderated by Rens de Jong, Klaas Knot reflects on the moments where financial stability suddenly disappeared, from the collapse of Fortis/ABN AMRO and the euro crisis to the pandemic, inflation shocks and today’s growing geopolitical fragmentation.
Having operated at the centre of these defining moments for more than a decade, he shares how leaders can avoid being pulled into noise and sentiment, why staying rational becomes harder under pressure, and what concerns him most when looking at the years ahead.

A closing conversation about leadership, volatility and the growing challenge of staying clear headed in a world that no longer feels stable.