Registration

Welcome and opening remarks

Plenary - Geopolitics

The Cyber arms race continues apace. What are the lessons learned from the most recent breaches and near misses, and how can organisations keep themselves nimble and ready to face the current and next generation of cyber threats amid the accelerating technology landscape.&nbsp;

Cybersecurity – keeping your organisation safe: the now, the next and beyond

Hear from EY&#39;s UK Chief Economist, as he shares his insights and economic forecasts for the upcoming year. This session will explore the latest trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the economic landscape. Drawing on data from the EY ITEM Club, Peter will provide a comprehensive analysis of key indicators and their implications for businesses, giving you valuable perspectives to navigate the evolving economic environment.

Economic outlook

Hear from EY&#39;s UK Chief Economist, as he shares his insights and economic forecasts for the upcoming year. This session will explore the latest trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the economic landscape. Drawing on data from the EY ITEM Club, Peter will provide a comprehensive analysis of key indicators and their implications for businesses, giving you valuable perspectives to navigate the evolving economic environment.&nbsp;

Join us for an engaging session as we explore the evolving landscape of finance and the challenges organisations face in adapting to change. Our speakers will discuss key strategies and best practices for modernizing finance functions to improve efficiency, flexibility, and decision-making as well as examining the impact of technology, data analytics, and process optimization on financial transformation efforts.

Navigating the Future of Finance: embracing change for success

Break

Plenary - Economy

It is hard to read the business news today without reading about the latest AI disruption/innovation and not feel a sense of FOMO. But in reality how are organisations harnessing the benefits today of AI in a safe and secure manner, what are the likely next waves and timelines of AI innovation, and what steps should you be taking today for now and for the future to be ready to safely harness the enormous benefits that AI brings.&nbsp;

AI – the now, the next and beyond

The latest EY Global Climate Action Barometer reveals a concerning gap between climate awareness and action among companies. While 94% report climate-related disclosures, only 41% have transition plans, and just 19% actively mitigate climate risks. Urgent, decisive action is essential for businesses to accelerate decarbonization and meet Paris Agreement goals.&nbsp; 
 
Join us to learn more on leading practices that are shaping effective and impactful climate transition planning as well as hear on the latest in climate reporting (notably IFRS sustainability disclosure standards) and stakeholder expectations.&nbsp;

How will climate transition planning empower you to shape the future?

Hear directly from the FRC&rsquo;s Corporate Reporting Review and EY&#39;s Financial Reporting Group about the CRR&rsquo;s activities and recent findings from their scrutiny of companies&rsquo; annual reports and accounts, what their focus areas will be during the next reporting season and best practices when responding to their enquiries.

Corporate Reporting Review: a Regulator's perspective

Lunch

As technology advances ever faster what should Finance organisations think about when placing their bets on where and how to invest&nbsp; 
 
Businesses are faced with questions over where to adapt and adopt an ever-growing and accelerating list of the latest technologies: AI, Cloud, Quantum, SAP S4, Oracle Fusion, Data Lakes etc, and how to adopt them safely and securely at a time of increasing regulation. What are some of the success stories and some of the lessons learned, and what do we anticipate as the main future disruptors?&nbsp;

Digital Transformation

This session will focus on the practical implications of IFRS 18, other key developments in accounting standards and their implications for the 2025 reporting period. Gain insights into how these developments may affect your financial statements and reporting practices.&nbsp;&nbsp;

IFRS developments

Building your organisation&#39;s muscle memory to thrive amidst the geopolitical turbulence is key. &nbsp;Join EY&#39;s Global Geostrategic Business Group (GBG) Leader who will provide insights on what the key geopolitical developments mean for global business, and how businesses can build systems and processes to help them thrive.

Managing geopolitical risk

Our International Tax and Tax Accounting and Reporting colleagues will discuss the evolving landscape of tax and enterprise accounting. Of interest to whole finance community, this session will explore key topics including the implications of e-invoicing, advancements in data management and the integration of technology within the tax function. We will discuss the strategic approaches to outsourcing tax functions and the impact of these decisions on organisations of varying sizes. You will gain insights into current trends and best practices in tax management, equipping you to navigate the complexities of the tax landscape in today&#39;s business environment.&nbsp;

Tax Matters: Navigating Enterprise Accounting and the Evolving Role of the Tax Function

Plenary - Business and risk

Afternoon break

Join Dr. Victoria Baines for an insightful session on online safety and the importance of protecting you and your family in today&#39;s digital landscape. Dr. Baines will share practical strategies for fostering a safe online environment in an increasingly connected world.&nbsp; 
 
Dr Victoria Baines is a writer and academic and a leading authority on online trust, safety and cybersecurity. Formerly Facebook&rsquo;s Trust &amp; Safety Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, she has also worked in law enforcement.

Online safety: keeping you and your family secure

Join us to learn how to transition from compliance to value creation: effectively integrating non-financial reporting into business for tangible benefits. This session will address the challenges organisations face, including ESG backlash, heightened stakeholder expectations, regulatory pressures and significant reputational risks - all amidst a warming climate and rising social inequity.&nbsp; 
 
As the business landscape evolves, it is essential to effectively integrate sustainability into core practices. Discover strategies that genuinely enhance business resilience and foster positive impact, and explore how to embed non-financial reporting to unlock its full value.

Transitioning from Compliance to Value Creation: effectively integrating sustainability into business

Managing enterprise risk is becoming increasingly complex as new, interconnected risks emerge alongside expanding regulatory requirements. 
 
This fragmentation leads to duplication of effort and rising compliance costs, with functional experts often assuming the role of risk managers and an overreliance on preventative controls. Paradoxically, this can leave organisations more exposed to critical risk than they realise.&nbsp; 
 
This session will draw on insights from our Forensic experts to explore emerging risk management frameworks that effectively identify and respond to risk, while enabling companies to focus on growth strategies.&nbsp;