LIVE EXECUTIVE BRIEFING · SYDNEY

Financial Close & Forecasting
Re-engineered with Agentic  AI
Powered by: IBM Planning Analytics | watsonx Orchestrate

See how enterprise finance teams are embedding Agentic AI directly into close cycles and forecasting workflows to reduce manual effort, compress reporting timelines, and produce decision-ready insight faster.

📅 Thursday, 26TH March 2026

⏲️ 11:30 AM to 02:00 PM AEDT

📍 The Commons, 388 George St, Sydney

Seats: Limited to 30

Working lunch provided · Invite-only · Limited seats

 

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AI in Finance is no longer theoretical.

Most finance leaders understand the potential of Agentic AI. Far fewer have seen what happens when Agentic AI is embedded directly into core finance operations, where close, analysis, and forecasting are executed.

This executive session is designed to demonstrate exactly that.
No conceptual slides. No future-state visioning.
Only working on finance workflows.

Why financial close and forecasting remain stubbornly manual

Despite major investments in ERP and planning platforms, finance teams still experience:

  • Close cycles dominated by reconciliation and validation efforts

  • Reporting delays driven by data preparation bottlenecks

  • Forecasting processes dependent on spreadsheet stitching

  • Manual variance investigation and commentary creation

  • High-value finance talent absorbed by low-value tasks

The constraint is rarely the system capability.
It is workflow design.

Where enterprises are now seeing measurable value from Agentic AI

Leading organisations are shifting Agentic AI from experimentation to execution by embedding intelligent agents directly into finance activities that historically consume disproportionate effort.
The greatest gains are emerging in:

  • Financial Close & Control Processes
  • Forecasting & Scenario Modelling

Because these areas concentrate repetitive logic, structured data, and predictable decision patterns, ideal conditions for AI-driven orchestration.

What you will see live

This briefing walks through an integrated finance operating model where AI participates directly in close and forecasting workflows.

What you'll see live: AI-Driven Financial Close

  • Automated reconciliation across multiple data sources

  • Intelligent exception detection and anomaly signalling

  • AI-assisted adjustment and journal workflows

  • Continuous validation and audit visibility

  • Variance analysis and management narratives are generated instantly

Instead of finance teams chasing discrepancies, exceptions surface.
Instead of assembling reports, insight is generated at source.

AI-Enabled Forecasting & Planning

  • AI-assisted forecasting embedded inside planning models

  • Dynamic scenario modelling without spreadsheet rebuilding

  • Driver-based projections updated in near-real time

  • Rapid sensitivity testing and assumption analysis

  • Finance, operational, and commercial signals are aligned

Forecasting shifts from periodic exercise to continuous intelligence.

This is an invite-only executive session designed for high-value discussion, not a large seminar.Seats are strictly limited.

Reserve your Seat

Agenda

12:25 PM – Live Demonstration
A Day in the Life of a CFO: Accelerating Month-End Close with Agentic AI, using IBM watsonx Orchestrate
A focused walkthrough showing how governed AI orchestration reduces workflow debt, compresses close cycles, and embeds compliance into finance operations.

1:15 PM – Live Demonstration
A Day in the Life of a Supply Chain Leader: Driving Integrated S&OP with Planning Analytics
Demonstrating how real-time orchestration and Planning Analytics enable integrated demand planning, scenario modelling, and faster cross-functional decision execution.

Who Should Attend

For executives accountable for enterprise performance, capital allocation, and risk oversight,  not AI experimentation.  

  • 👨‍💼 CFOs and Finance Executives: Seeking measurable ROI, controlled AI spend, and defensible governance. 

  • 👨‍💼 CIOs and Technology Leaders:  Scaling AI beyond pilots into secure, enterprise-wide execution.

  • 👨‍💼 COOs and Operational Leaders: Eliminating cross-functional bottlenecks and accelerating operational throughput. 

  • 👨‍💼 Digital and Transformation Executives: Driving AI modernisation aligned to financial outcomes. 

Hosted By

 

Amendra-1

Amendra Pratap
Managing Director, Octane

Managing Director of Octane. Octane is  IBM Gold Partner specialising in Planning Analytics, Automation, and AI. Amendra is a 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 (1)


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.

 

 

 

 

Zachyi (2)

Zachyi Lim
AI GTM,
IBM

As IBM’s AI Go-to-Market (GTM) Lead, Zachyi works with organisations across New South Wales and Queensland to accelerate the adoption of agentic AI, translating strategy into scalable, revenue-driving outcomes.

 

 

Stephen Du

Stephen Du
AI Solutions SME
IBM

Stephen Du is an AI Technical SME focused on delivering trusted, scalable enterprise AI that drives measurable ROI while keeping budgets and risks manageable. He helps organisations cross the POC to production chasm with a clear mission: delight customers by converting AI innovation into practical, sustainable value.

 

octane_logo_black_rgb-1


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.