Spring 2026 CFO Leadership Conference
Spring 2026
2:30 – 4:30 pm ET
The WHAT, WHERE & HOW of Managing Rising Healthcare Benefit Costs — in CFO-Speak
Co-Chair & Moderator: Sandra Clarke | Global Transformational Finance & Operations Leader; Former CFO, Blue Shield of California
Employer-sponsored healthcare costs are rising at double-digit rates, placing benefits firmly on the CFO agenda. Finance leaders are being asked to engage earlier, ask sharper questions, and collaborate more closely with HR, brokers, consultants, and legal advisers—often without having deep expertise in healthcare plan design.
The CFO Leadership Conference Healthcare Benefits Symposium is a closed-door, two-hour intensive that equips you with the financial and strategic grounding needed to lead these conversations with confidence.
In this workshop, we will examine:
This exclusive pre-conference symposium provides essential context around one of your organization’s largest and fastest-growing expense categories. You’ll apply the insights immediately through peer-to-peer discussions and practical scenarios, facilitated by experienced industry experts and fellow CFOs facing similar challenges.
Tickets $95. Offered exclusively to Spring CFO Conference attendees. 2 CPEs offered.
5:00 – 6:30 pm ET
8:00 – 9:00 am ET
9:00 – 9:10 am ET
9:10 – 10:00 am ET
Speaker: Charles “Charlie” Wagner | EVP, COO, CFO, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
What does it take to successfully lead a global biotech company in today’s dynamic environment of rapidly shifting policy, regulatory complexity, risk-averse capital markets, and AI transformation? As Chief Operating & Financial Officer at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Charlie Wagner sits at the center of one of the most innovative and impactful industries in the world, where today’s investment decisions on disease areas, talent, manufacturing capabilities, and geographical footprint shape the company’s trajectory for decades to come. In his forward-looking keynote, Wagner will share how CFOs play a pivotal role in building and leading high-performing biotech organizations in times of uncertainty and unpredictability. He will discuss how he partners across the enterprise to fuel innovation, scale for business growth and diversification, and drive continuous operational improvement, while beating investor expectations and fostering a robust culture of uncompromising commitment to patients, “we wins,” and fearless pursuit of excellence.
Key Takeaways
10:00 – 10:50 am ET
10:50 – 11:20 am ET
11:20 am – 12:10 pm ET
Presented by Capstan
Jacob Wood, JD | Partner, Capstan Tax Strategies
Michael Breeze, MBA | Managing Partner & CFO, Capstan Tax Strategies
Drew Lyon | Co-Founder, CFO & COO, Pallium; Owner, Focused Energy
Drew Bonder, MSIO | CEO, Focused Energy
Most CFOs think about tax compliance, not strategic tax incentives. But when you treat incentives like a value lever instead of an afterthought, you introduce a new competitive advantage.
In this session, a panel of CFOs will break down how they help their clients identify, evaluate, and leverage specialty tax incentives — like R&D Tax Credits, Energy Incentives, and Cost Segregation — in ways that meaningfully improve cash flow. Facilitated by a specialty tax expert, this conversation will explore the CFO’s decision-making process – including practical screening questions for all industries.
Expect true stories, real numbers, and a candid look at how CFOs use incentives to scale operations, offset payroll, and unlock strategic initiatives.
Plus – it’s easier than you think.
Presented by Everest
Presented by Scrubbed
12:10 – 1:45 pm ET
1:45 – 2:35 pm ET
2:35 – 3:00 pm ET
3:00 – 3:50 pm ET
Presented by Capstan
Jacob Wood, JD | Partner, Capstan Tax Strategies
Michael Breeze, MBA | Managing Partner & CFO, Capstan Tax Strategies
Drew Lyon | Co-Founder, CFO & COO, Pallium; Owner, Focused Energy
Drew Bonder, MSIO | CEO, Focused Energy
Most CFOs think about tax compliance, not strategic tax incentives. But when you treat incentives like a value lever instead of an afterthought, you introduce a new competitive advantage.
In this session, a panel of CFOs will break down how they help their clients identify, evaluate, and leverage specialty tax incentives — like R&D Tax Credits, Energy Incentives, and Cost Segregation — in ways that meaningfully improve cash flow. Facilitated by a specialty tax expert, this conversation will explore the CFO’s decision-making process – including practical screening questions for all industries.
Expect true stories, real numbers, and a candid look at how CFOs use incentives to scale operations, offset payroll, and unlock strategic initiatives.
Plus – it’s easier than you think.
Presented by Everest
Presented by Scrubbed
3:50 – 4:00 pm ET
4:00 – 5:00 pm ET
Speaker: Karen Walker | CFO, Office of the CEO, Sysdig
What does it take for a CFO to keep pace when the business is scaling globally, the market is shifting weekly, and innovation cycles move at the speed of AI? As CFO of Sysdig—and a veteran of Uber, Pandora, and PagerDuty—Karen Walker has built finance organizations designed for speed, clarity, and strategic influence.
In this high-impact keynote, Walker will unpack how CFOs can modernize their operating models to support hypergrowth while staying ahead of fast-evolving risk landscapes like cybersecurity, AI adoption, and global expansion. She’ll share practical lessons on shortening friction points across the business—from deal approvals to cash cycles—and on building cross-functional partnerships that empower CFOs to shape decisions, not just validate them.
You’ll hear firsthand how to lead teams through rapid change, when to experiment versus standardize, and how to design processes that accelerate the business rather than slow it down.
Key Takeaways
5:00 – 6:30 pm ET
7:45 – 9:00 am ET
8:00 – 8:50 am ET
Presented by Robert Half
Angela Lurie | Executive Director, Management Resources Practice, Robert Half
Ryan Sutton | Executive Director, Technology Practice, Robert Half
AI is changing the way finance teams work, but having the tools isn’t enough on its own. Many organizations struggle to get the most out of AI because of gaps in skills, experience or governance. This interactive roundtable gives finance leaders a chance to share ideas and learn from each other. We’ll explore practical ways to close those skills gaps, balance AI with human judgment and modernize teams without disrupting day-to-day operations. You’ll hear real-world strategies for upskilling, accessing specialized talent and building teams that can grow alongside rapidly evolving technology. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to help their organization move from experimenting with AI to realizing its value.
Description coming soon
Description coming soon
9:00 – 9:05 am ET
9:05 – 9:55 am ET
Speaker: Gina Goetter | CFO & COO, Hasbro
Few CFO roles require balancing legacy and reinvention quite like Hasbro—home to some of the world’s most beloved brands and now transforming into a digitally fueled, entertainment-driven powerhouse. As CFO, Gina Goetter sits at the center of that evolution, helping a century-old company modernize its portfolio, simplify its operations, and invest in the future of play.
In this insightful keynote, Goetter will discuss how CFOs can lead large-scale transformation in industries where customer expectations shift rapidly and emotional brand equity matters as much as financial performance. She’ll explore how to prioritize boldly, prune thoughtfully, and allocate capital with precision—while maintaining the trust of customers, employees, partners, and shareholders.
You’ll hear lessons from a career shaped by turnarounds, supply-chain challenges, consumer behavior shifts, and portfolio reinventions—and how those lessons apply to any CFO tackling complexity or preparing their organization for what comes next.
Key Takeaways
9:55 – 10:45 am ET
Speaker: Emily Mandel | Senior Economist & Associate Director, Moody’s Analytics
Headlines suggest growth, but volatility, labor pressures, inflation, and a shifting policy environment tell a more complicated story. For mid-market CFOs making decisions on pricing, hiring, capital investment, and borrowing, separating signal from noise is critical.
In this forward-looking session, Emily Mandel of Moody’s Analytics will translate national economic trends into practical implications for finance leaders. She’ll examine emerging risks, key early warning indicators, and how shifts in monetary policy, consumer behavior, tariffs, and labor market dynamics could impact your 2026 assumptions. You’ll leave with clearer context for stress-testing forecasts, evaluating pricing power, and planning with greater confidence in an uncertain environment.
10:45 – 11:10 am ET
11:10 am – 12:00 pm ET
Speaker: Kate Gulliver | CFO & CAO, Wayfair
Wayfair’s evolution—from startup to global e-commerce leader—drives home a powerful message for modern CFOs: growth today is powered as much by talent and technology as by traditional financial levers. As CFO and Chief Administrative Officer, Kate Gulliver oversees not just finance but also talent, communications, legal, and real estate, giving her an unusually cross-functional vantage point on how companies scale.
In this forward-looking keynote, Gulliver will explore how CFOs can lead in an environment defined by rapidly shifting consumer behavior, rising AI adoption, and intense competition. She’ll discuss how to build finance organizations that influence product, supply chain, customer experience, and strategy—and how to make disciplined, data-driven investments that fuel innovation while protecting margins.
You’ll hear how to strengthen trust with customers, build systems that evolve with the business, and align people, data, and capital around a single North Star.
Key Takeaways
12:00 – 12:10 pm ET
12:10 – 1:00 pm ET
Presented by Brex
Description coming soon
Description coming soon
1:00 – 2:30 pm ET
Speaker: Tim Naddy | CFO, Savannah Bananas
What happens when a CFO joins the most unconventional team in sports—one that sells out stadium tours, breaks every traditional rule, and turns fan joy into its most important KPI? Dr. Tim Naddy of the Savannah Bananas brings an entirely different lens to growth, combining rigorous finance with a culture built on entertainment, experimentation, and unforgettable customer experience.
In this energetic, story-driven keynote, Naddy will show CFOs how to rethink engagement, innovation, and scale by borrowing lessons from a business that reinvented its category. He’ll share how the Bananas measure what actually matters, build loyalty that fuels outsized demand, and use finance as a strategic enabler—not a gatekeeper—in a creative, fast-moving environment.
You’ll hear how to manage hypergrowth without losing your identity, how to build systems that flex instead of break, and how to cultivate teams that aren’t afraid to try bold ideas.
Key Takeaways
2:30 pm ET
10 CPEs offered (12 including the Healthcare Benefits Symposium) pending NASBA approval on final agenda.
The CFO Leadership Council is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org
Instructional method: Group-Live
Recommended CPE Credits: Up to 12 Credits
Experience Level: Basic
Prerequisites/advance preparation: None
For CFOLC CPE credits, one credit hour equals 50 minutes according to NASBA guidelines. Some state boards may differ on how many minutes constitute a credit hour. Contact your state board for more information. Questions or comments? Contact Nancy at nancy@cfolc.com
Spring 2026 CFO Leadership Conference