AI, decision intelligence and modern planning are changing what finance teams can deliver. The question is what that looks like in practice, and where to start.
The Finance Think Tank is a half-day executive event, hosted by Workday, for finance leaders interested in finance transformation and acceleration.
Last year more than 180 finance leaders left with a roadmap for AI-powered finance.
In 2026, join 150+ of your peers for breakfast, the latest CFO insights, a hands-on masterclass in finance AI and Agentic AI, and peer-led conversations.
Why attend
Insights from Australia's finance leaders. Join us for breakfast as ADAPT shares research from 150+ of Australia's leading CFOs and finance leaders on putting AI to work in finance.
The latest global thinking. Get updates straight from Workday Rising in the US, and see what's new before it lands here.
Get hands-on in a masterclass. Join your peers in a Finance or FP&A masterclass and work through real use cases for your finance function
Join leaders from some of Australia’s fastest-moving organisations. Last year's Think Tank brought together finance leaders from organisations including MECCA, SEEK, nib, BDO, TAL, Aurecon, Nando's and Tennis Australia.
What's on the agenda
8:15am – Registration and coffee
8:45am – CFO insights and seated breakfast. AI Economics: Rethinking Metrics and Operating Models Joey Meynink, Head of Strategy at ADAPT (Official Research Partner), shares data from ADAPT's latest Australian CFO research on what separates organisations already proving AI's value from those still funding pilots: the state of AI maturity in Australia, what top performers do differently, and how operating models, funding and governance are changing.
9:15am – The Always-On CFO: How Agentic AI Redefines Finance at Scale Luke Bebbington and Esther Monks, Strategic Industry Advisors at Workday, on agents that anticipate, advise and act across accounting, FP&A and procurement, all within the controls and guardrails of Workday.
9:55am – Customer Panel - Tennis Australia: What's Really Happening in Finance Today Kevin Chandler, Director of Finance at Tennis Australia, joins a panel of senior finance leaders sharing real stories of moving off manual spreadsheets towards streamlined processes, stronger data confidence and more agile finance teams.
10:25am – Morning tea and networking
11:00am – Masterclass breakouts and wrap-up (finishes 12:00pm)
Choose your masterclass (FP&A or Finance)
FP&A Masterclass: The Anticipatory Plan – turning insight into outcome with decision intelligence. Live demonstrations and peer-to-peer discussion on how FP&A teams can:
Turn strategic foresight into measurable business outcomes
Automate complex modelling and predict trends with Adaptive from Workday
Use AI-powered decision intelligence to plan faster and with more confidence
Evaluate scenarios, anticipate change and help business leaders act
Finance Masterclass: AI Agents in Action – AI maturity, finance agents, and how trusted data supports faster, sharper decisions while people stay in control.
Who should attend
CFOs, Finance Directors, Financial Controllers, Heads of FP&A and finance managers at mid-sized and large organisations, across all industries.
Places are limited
Capacity is limited and priority goes to finance leaders. Register early to secure your place.
Win a Garmin smartwatch. Everyone who registers and attends in person will go into the draw to win a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar, drawn live on the day.*
*Conditions of entry apply. See the Workday event page.
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Executive half-day · Melbourne · Limited places
Conversations shaping the future of finance. Join 150+ Melbourne finance leaders for research, real customer stories and a hands-on FP&A masterclass on decision intelligence.
Date Wednesday 18 November 2026
Time 8:15am – 12:00pm AEDT
Location Level 1, Rydges Melbourne, 186 Exhibition Street, Melbourne VIC
Format In-person, half-day
Speakers Joey Meynink (ADAPT), Kevin Chandler (Tennis Australia), Luke Bebbington and Esther Monks (Workday), Vince Randall (Vice President of Sales, Adaptive Planning, Workday)
Cost Complimentary
You will be automatically added to the waitlist and Workday will confirm your attendance via email.
Questions about this event or Adaptive from Workday? Book a time to chat with us here.