June 20th: 2025 Sino-Foreign Controlling Forum - Rising to the Challenges

June 20th: 2025 Sino-Foreign Controlling Forum - Rising to the Challenges

The 2025 Sino-Foreign Controlling Forum aims to provide a platform for information, communication, and experience sharing among finance & controlling professionals as well as non-financial managers in a time, in which good and constantly evolving controlling practice is more important than ever. Besides interesting keynote presentations, the Forum offers, just as in the previous years, breakout sessions dealing with different topics relevant for maintaining and improving business and financial performance in China.

Agenda

Friday, June 20, 2025

830AM-910AM

Check-in, Coffee and Snack, Networking

910AM-915AM

Opening Remarks by DUSA European Association Suzhou

915AM-1000AM

Keynote Speech I: Next level of business partnering to support Henkel’s growth agenda Speaker: Dr. Hendrik Kohleick, Head of Finance Asia-Pacific at Henkel (China) Investment Co., Ltd.

• Efficiency Beyond SG&A: Collaboratively optimize the entire value chain through advanced analytics and automation to enhance productivity and competitive advantage • Acquisition and Innovation: Business partner in growth through strategic acquisitions and accelerate with impactful innovation • Business & Customer Proximity: Acquire business acumen and foster customer-centric mindset, to provide value adding insights and enable tangible progress • Sustainable portfolio transformation: Support the business in boosting sustainability into a true differentiator

000AM-1045AM

Keynote Speech II: The New China CFO Playbook - Agile Transformation for China’s New Economic Reality Speaker: Tom Tian, Regional Head of Finance & Controlling Greater China at tesa Tape (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

• From Process Guardians to Value Architects: Reshaping Finance in a Slowing Economy

• Organizational Agility: Building a Dual-Speed Finance Operating Model

• Data as the New Currency: Strengthening Support & Trust Through Digital Transformation

• The Greater China Advocacy Playbook: Turning Local Complexities into Global Conviction

1045AM-1100AM

Coffee Break

1100AM-1230PM

Workshop Breakout Session I

• Workshop (A): Optimizing Cash & Treasury Management in China

• Workshop (B): Cost Reduction & Efficiency Improvement – Practice and Experience in an Enterprise Growing from Small Business to Billion-Dollar Company

• Workshop (C): Effective Collaboration with Your (German) Headquarter – How to Manage Expectations and Bridge Cultural Differences

1230PM-130PM

Lunch Break

130PM-300PM

Workshop Breakout Session II

• Workshop (D): Digital Transformation and Automation of Processes for Overhead Functions

• Workshop (E): Using Technology for Finance & Controlling - The Experience of BASF China

• Workshop (F): AI Agents for Finance & Controlling

300PM-320PM

Coffee Break

320PM-330PM

Presentation of the Result of 2025 Controlling Survey Speaker: Francesco Ingarsia, CFO at Schaeffler Greater china

330PM-415PM

Plenum Presentation: AI and ChatGPT for Controlling – How to Make It Work Speaker: Florian Bliefert, Manager, Consultant, and Trainer at CA controller akademie AG (Germany)

• Understanding AI: Concepts, Capabilities & Common Misconceptions

• Building the Foundation: What Controllers Need to Leverage AI Effectively

• Where AI Meets Controlling: Key Areas of Application

• Real-World Examples of AI in Controlling

415PM-500PM

Special Feature Presentation: Embracing Digital Twin for Strategic Finance Transformation Speaker: Chun Seong Lim (CS), Vice President Asia at Jedox

• From Manual to Autonomous Finance: Shifting from Excel-based workflows to predictive, AI-powered planning

• Digital Twin of the Business Model: Simulating integrated decisions across fi-nance, operations, sales, HR and ESG

• Natural Language Planning: Leveraging NLP and AI to empower business users to build and explore scenarios intuitively

• Integrated Cross-Functional Planning: Connecting finance, HR, sales, and sus-tainability for end-to-end planning

• Customer Stories:

• EZ-Link (Singapore): Achieved 6x faster forecasting and improved plan-ning agility
• Deutsche Telekom (Germany): Replaced over 300 Excel templates and streamlined planning across the enterprise
• Li & Fung (Hong Kong): Reduced planning cycle time and improved deci-sion support with AI-driven forecasting

500PM-505PM

Closing Remarks

505PM-530PM

Networking and End of Conference