Powered by IBM Planning Analytics and watsonx Orchestrate · Executive Lunch · Melbourne    Invite-only · 30 seats
Executive Lunch · Melbourne · Invite-only

Financial Close & Forecasting
Re-engineered with Agentic AI

Close faster. Forecast smarter. See AI do it live, not on a slide deck.
What makes this different No conceptual slides. No future-state visioning.
Only working finance workflows — demonstrated live.
Thursday, 30 July 2026 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM AEST IBM Office, 60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006 Limited to 30 seats
Finance leaders from these organisations have already partnered with Octane Macquarie Westpac Coates Hire Tyro McPherson BlueScope
Working lunch provided · Strictly Limited Attendance

Claim your seat at the table

Melbourne Roundtable
The problem

Why financial close and forecasting remain stubbornly manual

Despite significant investment in ERP and planning platforms, most finance teams still face the same structural bottlenecks. The challenge is rarely system capability — it's workflow design.

Close cycles dominated by manual reconciliation and validation
Reporting delays from data preparation bottlenecks
Forecasting dependent on spreadsheet stitching
Skilled finance professionals spending time on low-value admin tasks
What you'll gain

What you'll leave with

See AI eliminate reconciliation and exception-chasing — live in the room, not on a slide deck
Understand where organisations are achieving measurable close cycle reductions right now
Learn how to cut manual effort without sacrificing governance or audit trail
Take away a practical AI readiness checklist for your own finance function
Accelerate reporting, planning and decision-making with AI that's already in production
Hear directly from peers navigating the same transformation decisions as you
"Forecasting shifts from a periodic exercise to continuous intelligence."
Live demonstrations

This isn't a product pitch. These workflows are running live.

Demo 1 · Financial close
AI-driven month-end close
  • Automated reconciliation across multiple data sources
  • Intelligent exception detection and anomaly signalling
  • AI-assisted adjustment and journal workflows
  • Variance analysis and management narratives generated instantly
  • Continuous validation with full audit visibility
Demo 2 · Integrated planning
The CFO's view of integrated planning
  • Connecting finance to supply chain in real time
  • Real-time orchestration for demand planning and scenario modelling
  • Faster cross-functional decision execution
  • Planning Analytics driving integrated S&OP from the CFO's seat
Agenda · 30 July 2026

How the session runs

11:30 AM
Registration & arrival
Guest check-in, welcome and informal introductions as attendees arrive.
11:45 AM
AI in Finance — Octane
A 60-minute session covering how Agentic AI is being applied across financial close and forecasting processes — with live demonstrations, real-world examples, and open Q&A.
12:45 PM
Working lunch
Lunch provided. Informal networking with fellow finance leaders over a relaxed working meal.
2:00 PM
Close
Session ends. Networking continues for those who wish to stay.

Hosted By

Amendra Pratap

Amendra Pratap

Managing Director, Octane

Managing Director of Octane, an IBM Gold Partner specialising in Planning Analytics, Automation, and AI. Amendra is an IBM champion and advises senior executives on scaling enterprise AI, modernising decision platforms, and bridging the gap between pilots and production, drawing on extensive real-world transformation and governance experience.

Steny Sebastian

Steny Sebastian

Principal AI and Data, Octane

Steny leads enterprise Data, AI, and Automation programs, focusing on practical adoption, governance, and measurable outcomes. He works with executive teams to move Agentic AI from experimentation to disciplined, production-scale deployment in partnership with IBM.

Octane Software Solutions IBM Gold Partner

Octane Software Solutions is a global enterprise technology specialist and trusted IBM Gold Partner, helping organisations accelerate analytics, automation, and AI-driven decision-making. With deep expertise in IBM Planning Analytics, automation and agentic AI, Octane works closely with finance, IT and business leaders to turn experimentation into operational outcomes that drive measurable business value. Built on a foundation of real-world transformation experience and cross-industry delivery, Octane combines strategic advisory, execution excellence and governance frameworks to support scalable AI adoption across complex enterprises.

Octane's leadership has been recognised by IBM and industry peers alike, including winning the 2025 IBM Partner Plus Award (APAC) for AI and being named a Top 3 finalist in the IBM TechXchange Awards 2025. Octane's approach blends innovation, practical frameworks and governance to de-risk AI investment and unlock sustained competitive advantage. Some of the clients that trust Octane are : Macquarie, NewsCorp, Tyro, Western Power, GrainCorp, Pepsi, Wisetech.