Program
Date
Monday, October 5, 2026
Location
MASCOT Circuit Zandvoort
We’re working hard on an inspiring programme for the Leadership in Finance Summit. Be inspired by leading speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and opportunities to connect with peers who, like you, dare to reshape the future of finance.
Keep an eye on this page. We’ll soon reveal what you can expect from this special edition. Please note that session times and schedules may still change over the coming weeks.
| 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Arrival & Registration Reception & Registration | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM | Opening Welcome to the 2026 Leadership in Finance Summit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM | Keynote Driving Performance: When Control Is Not Enough CFOs are used to seeking control: better data, sharper forecasts, clearer scenarios. Neuroscientist and psychologist Dr. Marcia Goddard has spent more than a decade studying what enables people and teams to perform at their best, working with global organisations and senior leaders in Formula 1. Drawing on neuroscience and insights from her new book Driving Performance, she explores what pressure and uncertainty do to our judgement and decision-making, and what leaders can do to keep themselves and their teams performing when the stakes are high. At Circuit Zandvoort, Marcia challenges one of our strongest leadership instincts: when does greater control improve performance, and when does it start getting in the way? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM | Breakout Round 1 Panel: Making AI Investment Decisions Before ROI Is Proven AI has rapidly moved from experimentation to serious investment. Yet while spending on AI tools and capabilities continues to rise, the timing and scale of the financial return often remain difficult to quantify. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | Round Table Why Is AI Still Stuck in Pilot Mode? Hosted by Alex van Groningen AI has moved beyond the hype. Across Finance, organisations are experimenting with use cases in reporting, forecasting, planning and decision support. Yet despite growing investment and enthusiasm, many initiatives struggle to move beyond the pilot phase. The challenge is no longer identifying opportunities for AI. The challenge is embedding AI into the way Finance operates. Moving from isolated experiments to organisation-wide adoption requires more than technology alone. It demands the right combination of strategy, skills, governance, leadership, and data foundations.
In this interactive round table, a select group of CFOs and Finance leaders will discuss why so many AI initiatives fail to scale and what it takes to close the gap between experimentation and implementation. Supported by benchmark insights from participating organisations, the discussion will focus on a question many finance leaders are currently facing: What does it take to transform AI experiments into lasting business value and build an AI-ready Finance organisation? | Roundtable What Are You Ready to Hand Over to AI? Hosted by Prophix AI can already take on parts of the close, consolidation, lease accounting and forecasting. But for finance leaders, the real question is not what AI can do. It is what they are prepared to let it do without human oversight at every step. Handing over work does not mean handing over accountability. CFOs must decide what needs to be true of their data, workflows, controls and audit trails before AI can act with greater autonomy. Where is human judgement essential? When does oversight protect the organisation, and when does it become a bottleneck? In this interactive round table, CFOs and finance leaders will compare where they currently draw the line. Through open peer-to-peer discussion, they will explore which activities can already be delegated, where human control remains non-negotiable and what must change before they can go further. Prophix will bring its expertise and practical perspective to help deepen the discussion. | Round Table When Is There Enough Data to Decide? Hosted by Unit4 Technology has transformed the finance function. Data, dashboards, AI and automation provide more visibility than ever before.
Just as in Formula 1, success starts with preparation. Strategy, scenarios and analysis help define the route ahead. But once the race is underway, conditions change.
Through peer discussion and practical examples, we will explore a question that sits at the heart of modern finance leadership: How do you know when you have enough information to decide? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM | Breakout Round 1 Racing simulation & Mindmarqs | Breakout Round 1 Mindmarqs & Racing simulation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | Lunch & Connect Networking Lunch with Peers Recharge in the heart of the circuit. During lunch, take the time to catch up, meet new faces, or simply enjoy a great meal in an inspiring setting. Because some of the best ideas often emerge in between sessions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM | Plenary Session The AI Race Is On. Can Our Infrastructure Keep Up? AI is moving fast. But can the infrastructure behind it move at the same speed? You are making decisions today about how your organisation prepares for an AI-driven future. But those ambitions depend on something you don't fully control: access to compute, sufficient energy and an electricity grid that can support growing demand. This panel looks beyond AI applications and focuses on a question that could increasingly determine your organisation's ability to grow and compete: do we have the infrastructure to deliver on our AI ambitions? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:15 PM - 2:45 PM | Break Break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM | Round Table How Much Control Does a CFO Really Need? Hosted by Medius For decades, finance leaders have built their organisations around one core principle: control.
Hosted by Medius, this interactive round table explores how finance leaders can maintain control while increasing speed, agility and efficiency. Together, we will discuss where human judgement remains essential, how to build trust in increasingly automated processes, and how to make better decisions while balancing control, accountability and performance.
Join your peers for a candid discussion on one of the defining questions for today's CFO: what should you still control yourself, and what can you confidently let go? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM | Round Table Round Table: Round 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4:00 PM - 4:25 PM | Fireside Chat When Everything Matters, What Comes First? Every finance leader has access to more information than ever before.
In this fireside conversation, she explores how the role of the CFO is evolving from reporting performance to shaping business outcomes, why judgement becomes more valuable as AI automates analysis, and how finance leaders can help organisations balance innovation, investment and discipline while making confident decisions in an increasingly complex world.
It's about knowing what matters most. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4:25 PM - 4:30 PM | Plenary Closing Plenary Closing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Networking Drinks Networking drinks & bites A welcoming setting where you can network and exchange experiences while enjoying drinks and bites. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||