From Quills to Quantum: AI for Finance Conference

Step into the future of finance at From Quills to Quantum: AI for Finance Conference — a full‑day event bringing together finance leaders, technologists, and AI specialists to explore how artificial intelligence, data, and digital tools are reshaping the finance function.

Designed for accountants, finance managers, CFOs, analysts, and operational leaders, this conference blends visionary keynotes with hands‑on practical sessions. You’ll hear directly from experts in AI, digital transformation, data protection, ethics, and future media — and walk away with actionable tools, frameworks, and use‑cases you can implement immediately.

What to expect:

• Keynotes from leading voices in AI, management accounting, future media, data protection, and digital transformation
• Practical breakout sessions covering management accounting, FP&A, AI agents, scenario planning, and more
• Live demonstrations of “Big 6” AI platforms: Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Grok
• Real‑world insights on data governance, secure finance operations, and responsible AI adoption
• Interactive closing panel featuring all speakers
• Networking opportunities throughout the day

Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or are ready to take your digital strategy to the next level, this event will help you understand what’s possible, what’s practical, and what will truly move the needle for finance teams in 2026 and beyond.

Important information:

Tailor this event to your needs: Please note, breakout sessions will be run in 2 blocks - each attednee will be able to attend two breakout sessions, tailoring their experinece to their needs. We will be in touch around mid-February to ask for your selection.

Refreshments: Throughout the day, you can expect tea & coffee breaks, as well as lunch, all included in the admission price.

Agenda: A full agenda with timings of each session will be published by the end of January 2026.

Info: The "Big 6" AI Platforms: Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google), Perplexity, and Grok — with practical guidance on which to use when, and what each excels at for finance work. Core Content: Why now?; Practical prompting techniques that actually work for finance tasks; 3-5 example use cases shown in action; Ethics, trust, and security; A 5-step action framework: how to get started on Monday morning.

Info: Despite widespread anxiety about mass job losses, the real story for how the workforce is being transformed by AI is less about replacement and more about effective AI entanglement. This talk outlines how AI entanglement can be advanced to secure a clearer vision for AI integration that enhances business security, while also enriching working lives. It dispels the myth that AI is only good for functional tasks or that it can’t do those tasks we typically think of as uniquely human. Instead, it articulates why humanity+ai is a compelling way to think not just about business transformation, but also human evolution and why this meta perspective is crucial to understand when designing an AI response.

Info: Technology and especially AI is reshaping many aspects of business operations - and not least the finance function. Digital and technology transformation programmes have often targeted cost reduction and performance improvements initiatives - but we know that 70% of digital transformations fail to deliver, and 95% of AI initiatives have been unproductive. So, what is the answer? In this session we will discuss the real issues and opportunities for building a high-performance finance function - one that is fully enabled by sensible technology and data solutions, underpinned by strong data governance, secure and reliable.

Info: Strengthen your organisation’s financial resilience with a practical session on data protection essentials for finance professionals. Designed for accountants, auditors, finance managers and CFOs, this session explores how to safeguard financial data, prevent social-engineering fraud, and meet UK GDPR and UK regulatory expectations. Using real-world finance scenarios, it highlights risks in payroll, AP/AR, KYC/AML, cloud accounting, and financial reporting workflows - and provides clear, actionable steps to protect sensitive information and maintain robust financial controls.

Info: Costing, variance analysis, management reporting, KPI dashboards, and performance commentary. Think: transforming how you prepare and explain the monthly management pack. The session includes 5-10 worked examples with practical setup guidance — the specific tools, the prompts, and the buttons to press. Attendees leave with templates they can replicate immediately.

Info: Darren and Kris - Co-Founders, AI Connect - will showcase a selection of real-world AI use cases including client onboarding, internal knowledge access and document processing - illustrating how organisations can adopt AI incrementally and safely, without disrupting existing operating models.

Info: Forecasting, budgeting, planning cycles, scenario modelling, and ad-hoc analysis. Think: accelerating the budget build, automating rolling forecasts, and faster sensitivity analysis. The session includes 5-10 worked examples with practical setup guidance — the specific tools, the prompts, and the buttons to press. Attendees leave with templates they can replicate immediately.

Info: Want to be prepared for a data protection 'mishap'? During this session, you will be presented with an incident scenario, and engage in a discussion to try to choose the best course of action. Beware - these are fluid situations...

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher AICPA & CIMA