Commanding the Future: How CFOs Are Shaping Strategy in an Era of Uncertainty

Commanding the Future: How CFOs Are Shaping Strategy in an Era of Uncertainty

14th October, 2025

Vivanta Pune, Hinjawadi

12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Registration Ended

CFOs | Group Finance Heads | Transformation Leaders

Moderator:

ASHISH NIKUMBH

T&E Expert

Happay by Make My Trip

DIVYA NAGAR

T&E Expert

Happay by Make My Trip

Speakers:

MANISH KUMAR

Vice President

Happay by Make My Trip

PRASHANT KUMAR

Associate Director

Happay by Make My Trip

Agenda:

Time	Session
12:00 PM to 12:10 PM	Welcome and Strategic Framing Welcome to Pune’s community of finance leaders, the custodians of resilience in industries that anchor India’s economy. In this room are the architects of transformation who balance the volatility of global markets with the responsibility of national growth. The role of the CFO has moved beyond managing numbers. It is about interpreting global forces, orchestrating strategy, and commanding control across the organization. From navigating tariffs and regulatory shifts to anticipating talent mobility challenges and optimizing every lever of cost including travel and expense, this conversation is about leading with foresight, not hindsight. This forum is not a product showcase. It is a boardroom dialogue where perspectives are sharpened and strategies are elevated.
12:10 PM to 12:20 PM	Menti Poll – Pulse of the Modern CFO Objective: Capture insights, establish shared context, and spark energy with a touch of humor. Poll Questions: 1. Which external force has the most immediate impact on your business outlook? Global tariffs and trade policy shifts H1B visa regulations and cross-border workforce constraints Currency volatility and capital flows Regulatory compliance and ESG mandates 2. How strategically mature is your current expense governance including travel and employee mobility costs? Manual and fragmented Partially automated and policy-driven Data-backed and predictive A strategic enabler of business decisions 3.If you could redesign one finance process for the future, which would you prioritize? Budgeting and forecasting Cross-border compliance and taxation Workforce and travel expense management Audit and risk oversight 4.In one word, how would you define the CFO of the future? 5.Which lever will define finance leadership in the next two years? Real-time decision-making Risk foresight and geopolitical agility Intelligent automation and data fluency Expense governance as a business enabler 6. Fun Check: What is the most “mysterious” line item you’ve ever seen in an expense claim? Coffee that cost more than the airfare "Client entertainment" with no client listed Taxi rides longer than international flights Other 7. Quick Laugh: If your T&E policy could talk, what would it say most often? "Not again…" "Nice try" "Approved, but with tears" "Please, just keep the receipts straight”
12:20 PM to 1:00 PM	Roundtable Discussion Segment I: Navigating Uncertainty and Control How do tariffs, trade realignments, and political cycles influence your financial planning frameworks With tightening H1B norms and increasing costs of workforce mobility, how are you balancing global talent strategies with financial discipline Which levers from capital allocation to supply chain efficiency to disciplined travel and expense governance are helping you remain resilient in volatility Segment II: Digital Finance and the AI Mandate How are you deploying AI not only for automation but for decision intelligence at the highest level To what extent have you integrated ERP, compliance, and expense management into a unified foresight-driven layer How are you protecting governance, security, and compliance while enabling speed, agility, and access to data Segment III: The CFO as Enterprise Leader How do you assert finance as the strategic conscience of the organization amidst competing C-suite priorities Where are the most difficult points of friction with HR in workforce deployment, with Operations in supply chain volatility, or with Sales in discretionary spends such as travel, and how are you resolving them How do you ensure that expense governance policies are applied consistently across functions without becoming barriers to growth Segment IV: Redefining the Finance Function Is finance still a gatekeeper or has it become the architect of growth and resilience What mindset shifts or skill sets will define the CFO of the next decade If you could permanently retire one legacy process such as manual travel claims, what would you replace it with and why
1:00 PM to 1:05 PM	Leadership Perspectives Video Film: “Commanding the Future: Finance at the Center of Strategy” Travel and expense governance is positioned as one of several strategic levers alongside capital allocation, regulatory foresight, and technology.
1:05 PM to 1:20 PM	Insight Session: CFO Challenges in Practice
1:20 PM to 1:30 PM	Wrap-Up and Executive Close Finance leaders in Pune are navigating global volatility while building resilience at home. Tariffs, workforcemobility, regulatory complexity, and intelligent cost control are not just challenges, they are definingopportunities for leadership.The takeaway is clear. The CFO of today must deliver real-time foresight, geopolitical agility, and organizational command. Even the most tactical levers such as travel and expense can become instruments of strategic advantage when reframed with intelligence. The CFO of tomorrow does not simply respond to change. The CFO commands it.