The global economic landscape is undergoing profound shifts driven by the crumbling rules-based trading system, sustainability concerns, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological disruption. For CFOs, understanding and managing these macrotrends is essential for steering organisations through uncertainty toward sustainable growth.

This session delves into the key forces shaping financial leadership in 2026 and beyond, including:

• The changing dynamics of global trade and supply chains amid geopolitical risks
• Tax reform aimed at facilitating equitable growth
• Emerging technology disruptions transforming business models and finance functions
• Strategies for proactive crisis management and resilience building in volatile markets
• How CFOs can leverage insights on macrotrends to inform strategic planning, risk mitigation, and capital allocation
• Practical frameworks to navigate complexity while driving innovation and stakeholder confidence

Join us for a forward-looking discussion that equips CFOs with the tools and perspectives needed to convert disruption into strategic direction and lead with confidence in an uncertain world.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

As businesses face unprecedented complexity and rapid change, the traditional boundaries between finance and operations are blurring. An emerging trend among forward-thinking organisations is the consolidation of CFO and COO responsibilities into a single hybrid role, which represents a redefinition of C-suite leadership — empowering organisations to thrive amid disruption and complexity by driving agility, operational excellence, and strategic alignment.

This session explores the evolving CFO-COO role, examining how combining finance and operations leadership can address the challenges and opportunities in adopting this dual role within different organisational contexts.

Gain practical insights and real-world examples in this session of how the CFO-COO role is reshaping leadership dynamics to help organisations succeed in an ever-changing business environment.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

The rise and evolving dynamics of the BRICS nations—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—are reshaping the global economic and geopolitical landscape in unpredictable ways. For Singapore, a strategic hub in Asia, understanding these shifts is critical to navigating risks and seizing opportunities in trade, investment, and regional cooperation.

This session will provide CFOs with a deep dive into how the evolving dynamics of BRICS impact trade flows, investment landscapes, and risk management strategies relevant to Singapore’s unique position as a regional financial hub:

• Understanding the shifting trade and supply chain patterns influenced by BRICS economies
• Navigating geopolitical risks and economic policy uncertainties that affect financial planning and capital allocation
• Identifying investment opportunities and financial partnerships arising from increased regional collaboration
• Equipping CFOs with frameworks to integrate macroeconomic insights into agile financial strategies, ensuring resilience and growth amid uncertainty

Join this session to gain actionable insights that empower CFOs to direct their organisations confidently through the unknowns of the BRICS influence on Singapore and the wider region.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

Stay ahead in financial reporting by leveraging crucial takeaways from ACRA’s latest areas of review focus and surveillance findings! This segment spotlights an overview of the geopolitical landscape and its implications for financial reporting, along with other developments such as the new presentation standard – SFRS(I) 18, and interconnectivity between financial reporting and sustainability reporting. The session will include opportunities for interaction between the speakers and the participants.

Speakers:

Ms Kong Lai San, Partner, Deloitte & Touche; 
Ms Low Yen Mei, Partner, EY

SSA 570 (Revised 2024) Going Concern, expected to be issued in Q1 2026, responds to corporate failures that highlighted gaps in how going concern risks are assessed and communicated.

Effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2026, the revised standard significantly strengthens auditors’ responsibilities in evaluating an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Correspondingly, management will now be expected to prepare a robust going concern assessment every year, regardless of risk indicators, with greater scrutiny on assumptions, data reliability, and bias. The extended assessment period and heightened documentation expectations mean preparers must be ready for deeper auditor challenge and earlier coordination.

Key enhancements include:

• Robust and timely risk assessments to identify events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.
• Evaluating management’s assessment regardless of whether such events or conditions are identified, with greater emphasis on management bias, reasonableness of assumptions, and reliability of underlying data.
• Extended evaluation period to at least 12 months from the date of approval of the financial statements, providing more relevant, forward-looking insights.
• Enhanced transparency through clearer auditor reporting and strengthened communication with those charged with governance.

This session will keep auditors and preparers up to date on the critical revisions, equipping them to respond to stakeholders’ heightened expectations on going concern.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

This session will provide an overview of the STR filing regime in Singapore, with a focus on the role of accounting entities in combatting money laundering and terrorism financing. Attendees will gain insights into observations from STRs filed by the sector as well as trends and common red flags to aid in improving the quality of STRs filed.

Speaker:

Ms Karen Seah, Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO), Singapore Police Force

In a complex and fast-evolving financial crime landscape, accountants are increasingly on the front lines of Singapore’s AML/CFT regime. This presentation will feature a senior law enforcement officer from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) to explore the real-world risks, responsibilities, and repercussions facing the accountancy profession today.

Our speaker will share insights on:

• How criminals misuse professional services and where red flags often go unnoticed;
• Case examples of enforcement action and the implications for practitioners;
• Legal liabilities and ethical dilemmas accountants may face in client work;
• And how firms can protect themselves through strong compliance culture, documentation, and early escalation.

Expect practical, straight-talking insights from the enforcement angle — to help accountants stay not just compliant, but confident in high-risk situations.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

With the initial implementation phase of SSQM 1 and SSQM 2 now behind us, firms have moved into a critical period of monitoring, remediation and continuous improvement. The quality management standards have significantly strengthened the assurance landscape. Their objectives go beyond mere compliance – they promote a proactive approach to managing quality, helping firms to adapt to evolving risks, improve consistency in audit quality and enhance overall trust in the assurance process.

In this spirit, firms should make sure that their systems of quality management (“SoQMs”) are scalable, responsive, and sustainable.

This panel discussion brings together regulators and practitioners to reflect on what firms are doing well, where gaps are observed and how firms can strengthen and refine their SoQMs. Expect practical takeaways, real-world stories and insights that firms can use to benchmark their progress.

Panel discussion highlights include:

• Common Gaps and How to Avoid Them – Key observations from ACRA inspections and suggestions for avoiding these pitfalls.
• Best Practices – Success stories and strategies that have led to an effective design, implementation and operation of SoQM.
• Scalability of SoQMs – Learn how SMPs are tailoring their SoQMs to fit their size, complexity, and service offerings.
• Tools and Technology for SMPs – Leverage on practical resources and technology-enabled tools that can reduce manual efforts and improve consistencies in the SoQM.
• Interactive Q&A – Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in an interactive discussion with the panelists.

With Q&A

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

Business Owner Track

2.00pm - 3.00pm

Diversifying and Maximizing ASEAN Opportunities: What Growing Businesses Need to Know for 2026 and Beyond

As ASEAN economies continue to deepen regional integration and expand trade and investment agreements, new opportunities emerge for growing businesses looking to diversify and grow in this dynamic market. Understanding the evolving landscape of ASEAN trade policies and investment frameworks is critical for strategic planning and sustainable growth.

This session will provide business owners and accounting professionals with insights on:

• Key trade and investment agreements shaping the ASEAN region’s economic outlook
• Strategies to diversify markets and leverage new growth avenues across ASEAN member states
• The role of accounting firms in advising clients on compliance, risk management, and financial optimisation related to regional agreements
• Practical guidance on navigating regulatory complexities and maximising benefits from ASEAN’s evolving trade ecosystem
• Preparing for the challenges and opportunities in 2026 and beyond through proactive scenario planning and strategic alignment

Join us to equip your organisation with the knowledge and tools to capitalise on ASEAN’s expanding trade and investment landscape.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

3.00pm - 3.30pm

The Smart Towkay Playbook: All You Need to Know to Survive 2026

As economic uncertainty and market volatility continue to challenge leaders worldwide, navigating 2026 requires smart strategies and resilient mindsets. This session equips leaders with essential insights on managing crises, adapting to shifting market economies, and crafting effective expansion plans. Discover practical approaches to thrive amid disruption and position your organisation for sustainable growth in the year ahead.

Let the expert Towkays share their experience.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

4.00pm - 4.45pm

From Disruption to Direction: Market Opportunities for SME in uncertain times

In today’s competitive and fast-evolving business environment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must be agile and evidence-driven in identifying and capitalizing on new market opportunities. This session equips SME leaders with practical strategies to test, validate, and scale new ideas while minimizing risk.

Join the speaker as he guides participants through a proven framework for assessing business viability from three critical angles:

• Market Feasibility: Understand how to assess market demand, target segments, and competitor positioning before making major investments.
• Real-World Validation: Learn how to pilot your idea in a controlled, cost-effective manner and gather actionable feedback from early adopters.
• Financial & Operational Feasibility: Evaluate the cost, capacity, and sustainability of scaling your solution — from funding needs to internal capability alignment.

This session is ideal for SME founders, business development leads, and innovation teams looking to unlock growth opportunities in a structured, data-informed way.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

4.45pm - 5.30pm

Economic Uncertainty and Business Resilience: How Industry Sectors Are Adapting

In an era marked by global disruptions—from supply chain shocks to geopolitical tensions—business resilience has become a strategic imperative. This fireside chat brings together leaders from diverse industry sectors to share candid insights on how they are navigating economic uncertainty and positioning their organisations for long-term success.

Participants will hear firsthand how different industries are:

• Adapting operations and financial strategies to volatile market conditions
• Leveraging accountants and finance professionals as vital partners in scenario planning and strategic pivots
• Identifying and managing key risks through proactive crisis management frameworks
• Fostering organisational agility and innovation in response to unpredictable challenges

This dynamic conversation highlights the critical role of finance and accounting in enabling business owners to steer through complexity with confidence and clarity.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

Digital Transformation Expert Track

2.00pm - 2.45pm

From Disruption to Direction: Agility of Business Models for Volatility

2.45pm - 3.30pm

Transforming finance with AI: unlocking potential and navigating challenges

4.00pm - 4.30pm

From Hype to Impact: AI Adoption Through a Business Lens 

4.30pm - 5.00pm

To Be Confirmed

The landscape of business risk is fundamentally changing. Climate change, supply chain disruptions, social inequality, and heightened regulatory scrutiny are no longer distant threats; they are immediate challenges that impact a company’s bottom line, reputation, and long-term viability. We will examine how new risk landscapes are shaping these governance frameworks, from the boardroom to daily operations.

Join us to learn how to:

• Integrate ESG into your company's governance structure to build resilience and drive value.
• Understand and navigate the complex, rapidly evolving landscape of sustainability regulations and reporting standards.
• Leverage the expertise of accountants to move from a reactive, compliance-focused approach to a proactive, opportunity-driven strategy that positions your business for long-term success.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

This session examines the importance of connectivity between financial statements and sustainability-related financial disclosures in providing a holistic view of an entity’s performance and resilience. With growing investor demand for transparency on how sustainability risks—particularly climate-related and other emerging uncertainties—affect financial outcomes, the session will share illustrative examples on how such impacts are reflected in areas like asset valuation, impairment, and provisioning. It will also cover the efforts by the IASB and ISSB to promote coherence between financial and sustainability reporting, ensuring relevance and reliability in a rapidly evolving reporting landscape.

Speaker:

 Ms Kok Moi Lre, Partner, PwC Singapore & Member, ISCA FRC Core Sub-Committee

As global businesses increasingly integrate sustainability into their core strategies and operations, the role of finance function is undergoing a significant transformation. This conference segment will unveil the findings of a recent survey exploring the evolving roles of finance professionals in the sustainability space.

The presentation will highlight key insights on how finance professionals are engaging with sustainability initiatives, the challenges they face—particularly in terms of skills and knowledge gaps—and the growing expectations placed on them in this new landscape.

Importantly, the segment will also examine how ISCA can play a more proactive role in supporting this transition. From capability-building programmes to cross-sector collaborations, participants will explore concrete ways to close the skill gap and empower the profession to lead with confidence and credibility in sustainability reporting and decision-making.

Speaker: To Be Confirmed

From FY2025, all SGX-listed issuers will be required to report Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and align their reporting with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards. To strengthen the credibility of these disclosures, mandatory external limited assurance for these emissions will be phased in from FY2027 for listed issuers. Large non-listed companies will follow suit from FY2027 for Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions reporting, with external mandatory limited assurance for these emissions required from FY2029.

This segment examines whether Singapore companies are prepared for this significant shift toward sustainability assurance. Drawing from the findings of a recent survey conducted by ISCA and PwC, we will explore the current state of readiness among listed and large non-listed companies. Are existing reporting processes robust enough to meet assurance requirements? Do companies have the necessary internal controls, data quality, and governance in place? Join us as we discuss the practical realities, emerging gaps, and what organisations should prioritise now to navigate this new assurance landscape with confidence.

Speaker:

Mr. Lee Bing Yi, Partner, PwC Singapore