Unpacking major global economic trends such as geopolitical shifts, inflationary pressures, interest rate cycles, and supply chain disruptions and their relevance to business planning

Exploring how global economic forces impact regional markets, industries, and business operations in New Zealand and the wider APAC region

Understanding how international economic trends influence local business conditions, operations, and financial decision-making

Exploring how management accountants can interpret economic signals to support business agility, risk management, and strategic direction

Introducing accessible techniques and frameworks to help accountants incorporate economic context into forecasts, budgets, and strategy

Exploring the shift from traditional cost management to a broader, strategic role in driving business performance and innovation

Highlighting how management accountants contribute to areas like customer value, operational efficiency, sustainability, and digital transformation

Understanding how analytics, automation, and digital tools are transforming the accountant’s toolkit and enabling more proactive, real-time decision support

Identifying the evolving skillsets analytical thinking, communication, and strategic foresight that are essential for today’s finance professionals

Sharing case studies of how organisations are redefining the role of management accountants to become value creators and change agents

How integrated planning establishes a baseline economic view of the future

Aligning long-term strategy, budgets, and rolling forecasts to ensure near-term decisions are consistent with evolving economic conditions and long-run objectives

The role of forecasts in enabling collaboration and accountability across finance, operations, and leadership teams

How real-time data, digital tools, and predictive analytics strengthen forecasting, supporting more agile and informed planning cycles

Why moving from static budgets to dynamic, forecast-led planning matters, allowing organisations to adapt to changing economic conditions

Exploring how finance must evolve from a primarily transactional and control-focused function into a strategic partner that helps organisations navigate volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA)

Examining the shifting expectations on finance leaders and teams from protecting value and reporting the past, to shaping decisions, influencing outcomes, and co‑piloting business strategy

Outlining the core elements required to make this shift successful, including clarity of purpose, strong business partnering, commercial acumen, storytelling with data, and the ability to move from insight to action

Drawing on real-world examples to illustrate how modern finance teams balance stewardship and control with strategic influence, enabling better decision‑making, greater organisational agility, and long‑term value creation

Understanding the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in corporate reporting, investor relations, and long-term business resilience

Providing an overview of current and emerging sustainability reporting standards and their implications for finance teams

Introducing key tools and approaches to support consistent, accurate, and meaningful ESG reporting

Sharing case studies of organisations that have successfully integrated ESG into their financial and operational reporting

Highlighting the competencies management accountants need to develop to meet the rising demand for sustainability expertise

Exploring why risk-based thinking is becoming essential for finance teams navigating economic volatility, regulatory pressures, and strategic uncertainty

Defining the principles of risk-based approaches and how they differ from traditional financial decision-making models

Demonstrating how to integrate risk assessments into budgeting, forecasting, and investment decisions to improve agility and resilience and introduce the tools needed

Highlighting the role of finance as a cross-functional partner in identifying, quantifying, and responding to key business risks

Discussing how finance professionals can support growth by evaluating upside potential alongside downside risk

Sharing examples of organisations using risk-based finance to make smarter, faster decisions with greater confidence

Identifying skills and cultural shifts needed to embed risk literacy within finance teams and across the organisation

Exploring how artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced analytics are reshaping the role of management accountants from scorekeepers to strategic enablers

Demonstrating how automation streamlines routine reporting and transaction processing, allowing greater focus on strategic analysis and decision support

Showcasing how predictive and prescriptive analytics enhance budgeting, forecasting, and performance management

Highlighting how real-time data dashboards empower proactive KPI monitoring and agile business responses

Examining how AI-driven insights support scenario planning, risk assessment, and resource optimisation

Addressing governance, data security, and ethical considerations in adopting AI and analytics

Presenting case studies of organisations successfully transforming management accounting through technology

Outlining the skills and capabilities management accountants need to thrive in a tech-enabled environment

Exploring how rising cyber threats impact financial systems, data integrity, and the management accountant’s role

Identifying key cybersecurity cost categories, from prevention tools and training to insurance, incident response, and recovery

Demonstrating how to align cybersecurity spending with organisational risk appetite, compliance standards, and audit requirements

Highlighting essential KPIs and metrics to track control effectiveness, cost efficiency, and return on security investments

Outlining what management accountants need to know about cyber hygiene, phishing risks, access controls, and safe data handling

Examining how finance teams can work with IT to ensure secure systems, encrypted data, and controlled access to sensitive financial information

Addressing hidden and long-term costs of breaches, including reputational damage, legal exposure, and operational disruption

Sharing best practices for reporting cyber risks, controls, and costs to boards and executive leadership

Identifying common grey areas where judgement calls in reporting may impact transparency and decision-making

 Examining the ethical responsibilities of management accountants in balancing stakeholder expectations with factual integrity

Highlighting real-world scenarios where influence can lead to bias, selective disclosure, or omission of key information

Discussing frameworks and guidelines for maintaining ethical standards in ambiguous reporting situations

Addressing the role of professional scepticism and critical thinking in resisting undue influence

Sharing strategies for communicating uncomfortable truths while preserving trust and credibility

Presenting case studies of ethical dilemmas in internal reporting and lessons learned

Identifying the leadership skills needed to drive change, inspire teams, and influence decision-making at all levels

Demonstrating how strong communication and storytelling skills enhance the impact of financial insights

Highlighting the importance of commercial acumen in shaping business strategy and delivering value

Presenting real-world examples of management accountants who have successfully transitioned into leadership roles

Outlining practical steps and professional development pathways to build influence and leadership capability