In-Person

Chicago CFO Community

Executive Summit

October 20, 2026 | Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile

October 20, 2026
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile

Collaborate with your peers

Get together with Chicago's top CFOs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.

Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CFOs today:

Prioritizing Cost Optimization and Resource Allocation

Driving AI Impact Despite Challenges and Risks

Closing the Digital Talent Gap to Promote Finance Transformation

Chicago CFO Governing Body

The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CFOs, For CFOs®.

Governing Body Co-Chairs

Travis George

Molex
CFO

Dee Merriwether

Grainger
SVP & CFO

What to Expect

Interactive Sessions

Hear from CFO practitioners and thought leaders on how they're solving critical challenges impacting your role today in Keynote sessions, and join smaller, interactive discussions with your peers in Breakout and Boardroom sessions.

Community Networking

Make new connections and catch up with old friends in casual conversations during dedicated time for networking designed to better acquaint you with your Chicago CFO community.

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a private, one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

Agenda

October 20, 2026

8:00am - 8:30am  Registration & Breakfast

8:30am - 9:15am  Gartner Keynote

Finance 2030 — Key Actions for CFOs

Mallory Barg Bulman headshot

Mallory Barg Bulman

Sr. Director Analyst

Gartner

The future presents many opportunities for CFOs to reach new levels of efficiency and effectiveness. Between now and 2030, CFOs and their teams will find a number of forces acting to reshape finance, ranging from increased matrix decision making to fast-paced advancements in technology to heightened divergence across regulatory regimes.

 Join this Gartner-led keynote to explore insight on:

  • Adopting the use of sophisticated enterprise simulations
  • Key governance principles for AI-enabled enterprises
  • Evolving the finance workforce to be more capable of doing technology work
  • Redesigning finance to act like a product team

9:15am - 9:40am  Networking Break

9:40am - 10:25am  Breakout Session

How Do You Transition from C-Suite to Boardroom?

Amanjeev Singh headshot

Amanjeev Singh

CFO

Ardagh Group

The need for CFOs as board members has never been greater. With increasing demands for financial expertise, risk management, and strategic insight, companies are actively seeking CFOs for board service. Join fellow CFOs and board members for an interactive session as they share their experiences and offer practical advice on navigating the transition from the C-suite to the boardroom.

Join this panel to explore:

  • Knowing when you’re ready to serve on a board
  • Pursuing board opportunities — how to get started
  • What to expect as a board member

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Defending AI Decisions in Finance

AI promises efficiency, but for finance leaders the real challenge is building trust, accountability, and ensuring audit readiness. Discover how Governed Autonomy empowers organizations to adopt AI at their own pace while maintaining oversight and compliance. Learn how Auditable AI accelerates automation, strengthens financial integrity, and enables you to confidently defend every AI-driven decision.
 
Join this session to:

  • Understand how Governed Autonomy lets teams scale AI with oversight and control
  • Build trust by using auditable, traceable, and explainable AI for compliance
  • Balance efficiency and risk to automate more while protecting financial integrity

9:40am - 10:25am  Executive Boardroom

Governing Agentic AI Without Slowing Innovation

Alex Miller headshot

Alex Miller

SVP & CFO

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Andrea Marin headshot

Andrea Marin

CFO

Logicalis

As agentic AI becomes more embedded in finance operations, CFOs must balance innovation with oversight. Forward-thinking finance leaders will explore how to establish effective governance, mitigate risk, and build trust in AI-driven decision-making while maintaining the speed and agility needed to drive business value.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Establishing governance frameworks that support responsible AI adoption
  • Balancing innovation, risk management, and regulatory expectations
  • Defining accountability for AI-driven decisions and outcomes

10:25am - 11:10am  Networking Break

10:35am - 11:00am  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

11:10am - 11:55am  Breakout Session

AI Won't Fix Broken Processes — Transformation Starts with Standardization

Daniel Nagle headshot

Daniel Nagle

Head of GFA Transformation, Americas

SAP

 CFOs must address fragmented, inconsistent processes that limit AI’s potential and hinder transformation. Adding AI to a broken system only creates a more complex and costly problem. The journey to autonomous finance relies on process standardization, automation, evolving operating models, and workforce development.

Join this session to explore how to:

  • Scale productivity through standardization, automation, and workforce transformation
  • Embed AI into trusted finance workflows
  • Build the operating model, governance, and culture needed to accelerate AI adoption

11:10am - 11:55am  Gartner Boardroom

Influencing Board Decisions With the Right Data

Dilanthi De Alwis-Mummert headshot

Dilanthi De Alwis-Mummert

CFO

Traffix

Finance leaders are increasingly expected to provide strategic insights that shape boardroom decisions. The forward-thinking CFO will learn how to communicate the most impactful data, understand what boards value, and leverage analytics to elevate their strategic influence.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Selecting and presenting the data that matters most to boards
  • Communicating financial insights for maximum board impact
  • Enhancing the CFO’s role as a strategic advisor through data-driven storytelling

11:10am - 11:55am  Executive Boardroom

Building an AI-Ready Finance Organization

Allison Lausas headshot

Allison Lausas

VP & Chief Accounting Officer

IDEX Corporation

Benjamin Oertel headshot

Benjamin Oertel

CFO

Miller Milling

As AI reshapes the finance function, CFOs must balance innovation with the realities of organizational change. Forward-looking leaders are building adaptable teams, developing new capabilities, and creating cultures that can thrive amid continuous transformation. Join peers to explore strategies for preparing finance organizations for the future.

Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Guiding teams through AI-driven organizational change
  • Training and upskilling teams for an AI-driven future
  • Attracting and developing talent for long-term success

11:55am - 12:30pm  Lunch Service

1:05pm - 1:30pm  Break

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Breakout Session

Accelerating Cash Flow with Autonomous AI

Tarek Alaruri headshot

Tarek Alaruri

CEO & Co-Founder

Stuut

AI automation tops every CFO’s list, but the talk stays at promise. This session goes to the data—a meta-analysis of collections across many companies—and shows where it breaks conventional wisdom.

Join this session to discuss:

  • AI versus human impact across collections, cash application, and credit
  • DSO by industry, and the best times and formats to reach payer
  • Priming your AR book for AI, from white-glove to long tail

1:30pm - 2:15pm  Executive Boardroom

Be a Strategic Driver in the C-Suite

Brad Feitl headshot

Brad Feitl

CFO

NOW Health Group

Finance leaders are increasingly becoming strategic partners across the C-suite. With Gartner research reporting that 42% of CFOs cite unified finance and technology strategies as a top challenge, close collaboration with other executives is essential to drive enterprise value and innovation.

 Join this boardroom to discuss:

  • Advancing data-driven decisions
  • Positioning Finance as a proactive business partner
  • Building influence across the C-suite

2:15pm - 3:00pm  Networking Break

2:25pm - 2:50pm  Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Peer-to-Peer Meetings

Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.

3:00pm - 3:35pm  Keynote

Finance & Technology Alignment for AI Success

David Abuhl headshot

David Abuhl

SVP & CFO

Plexus

Kyle McMillan headshot

Kyle McMillan

Chief Information & Technology Officer

Plexus

As AI rapidly transforms business strategy, the question of who should lead AI investments, finance or technology, has never been more pressing. Finance leaders bring rigor to governance and value realization, while technology leaders are at the forefront of identifying opportunities and driving innovation. This session brings both perspectives to the table, challenging traditional boundaries and exploring how finance and technology can work together to drive AI success.

Join this interactive keynote to: 

  • Align AI investments with strategic business priorities.
  • Clarify the evolving roles of CFOs and CIOs in AI decision-making.
  • Measure and communicate the impact of AI across the enterprise.

3:35pm - 3:45pm  Closing Comments and Prize Drawing

3:45pm - 5:00pm  Governing Body Reception

Governing Body Reception

Finish the day sharing lessons learned with your peers over light fare and drinks at this closing reception hosted by your governing body members.

October 20, 2026

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming in-person gathering

Gartner cares about the health and safety of our community. If you are feeling unwell, please refrain from attending the conference. At this time, Gartner does not have any health-related requirements in place for attendance. Should this change, we will follow up with updated guidance.

Location

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 877-303-0104. Please mention Gartner CFO Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.

Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of $409 USD (plus tax) is September 28, 2026.

Your Community Sponsors

Program Sponsors

Community Program Manager

For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.

Lauren Hursley

Senior Community Program Manager

503-575-8524

lauren.hursley@gartner.com