We're heading to Austin for SIA Executive Forum North America – the industry's premier gathering for CEOs, founders, and senior staffing leaders. With dozens of concurrent sessions, having a game plan isn't optional. It's essential.
After combing through the packed agenda, a few clear themes emerged: the firms leading right now are treating operations as a strategic asset, rethinking how they make decisions under pressure, and getting serious about what AI actually demands of their leadership and organizational structure, not just their tech stack.
These are exactly the conversations we're most excited to be in the room for. Here's our shortlist, all connected to what we think is the defining challenge of 2026: turning operational drag into a genuine competitive edge.
Need to know info:
When: Wednesday, March 25 · 10:45–11:30 AM CT
Track: Tech & Innovation
Room: JW Grand 1–2
Why we're going →
We’re looking forward to hearing Kevin O'Neill, Novo Constare, April Hansen, Tommy Hickey, and Odell Tuttle · share frank observations and experiences on what AI transformation actually requires. They’ll dig into a critical sticking point of the AI shift – that it's easy to deploy a tool but hard to re-architect decision-making across the entire operation, including the back office. For anyone evaluating where AI and automation belong in billing, reconciliation, or cash flow management, the change management framing here is exactly the right lens.
Need to know info:
When: Tuesday, March 24 · 11:30 AM–12:15 PM CT
Track: Leadership, Vision & Strategic Execution
Room: JW Grand 8
Why we're going →
You can't optimize what you don't understand. Every operational decision — where to invest, how to price, where to focus efficiency improvements — needs to be grounded in where the market is actually heading. We’re looking forward to the distilled insights that this panel of economists and industry veterans (Michael Schultz, Daniel Culbertson, Tom Gimbel, and Kory Kantenga) will share. We're especially tuned into what the data says about margin pressure and where resilient firms are finding operational leverage.
Need to know info:
When: Tuesday, March 24 · 4:15–5:15 PM CT
Format: Keynote Panel
Room: JW Grand Ballroom 5–6
Why we're going →
This is the kind of conversation you don't often get on the record — sitting CEOs (Ursula Williams, Teresa Creech, Janette Marx, Art Papas, Mike Small, Michael Smith) from firms like Employbridge, Bullhorn, and Randstad Enterprise talking honestly about how they're navigating sustained disruption. When the biggest operators in the industry share how they're positioning for resilience, the rest of us should be listening closely. And if history is any guide, the subtext of every decision they're making runs straight through the back office: cash visibility, operational efficiency, and the ability to move fast without losing control.
Need to know info:
When: Tuesday, March 24 · 10:30–11:15 AM CT
Format: Ideas in Action
Room: 301–302
Why we're going →
The framing of efficiency and technology investment, even in a slower-growth environment, is exactly what we think about every day. Firms that solve their back-office friction now are building a structural cost advantage that will matter enormously when volume returns. Jennie Dede and Kara Harrell will share LinkedIn's research on what decision-makers are actually doing (not just saying they're doing) makes this a smart session to kick off your week with.
Need to know info:
When: Wednesday, March 25 · 2:00–3:15 PM CT
Room: JW Grand Ballroom 5–6
Why we're going →
I’m looking forward to the energy and momentum these fast-paced, high-impact talks will bring to the day. Each covers a distinct challenge, but taken together, they build a compelling picture of what leadership looks like when the stakes are real.
Looking across these five sessions, the same theme keeps surfacing: the firms that will lead coming out of this period of recalibration are treating operations as a strategic asset, not just an administrative function. Whether it's using AI to rewire decisions end-to-end, reading the economic signals early enough to invest confidently, or building the kind of leadership culture that can absorb change without losing momentum — it all flows through how you run the business beneath the client-facing layer.
That's the work we do at Cartwheel. Accounts receivable automation that doesn't just save time, it gives your leadership team the clarity to act strategically when it matters most. Events like Executive Forum are a reminder of exactly why that work is worth doing.
If you're heading to Austin, come find us at booth 907. We'd love to compare notes on these sessions and hear what's top of mind for your firm. Which session are you most looking forward to? Let me know on LinkedIn — or come say hello at the show.
Can’t make it to Austin? Schedule time with us before or after the show.