Agenda – 2025 August Forum & EXPO

Mastering High-Risk Accounts & Bankruptcy Protection in Receivables Management: Certificate Course

Session 1: Identifying High-Risk Accounts

Presented by Taylor Ricketts, VP, RetailStat

Learn how to systematically identify high-risk accounts using data-driven methods and qualitative insights.

SAP Best Practices Discussion Session

Presented by CRF

This is an interactive peer-to-peer informal discussion session that encourages participants to ask questions, share lessons learned, discuss internal and external resources and address process wins and issues remaining. Find out what your colleagues are experiencing.

The following topics will be discussed:

• Implementation & Migration to S4/Hana
• Bolt-on solutions that are working or NOT working
• What SAP modules participants are currently using
• IT resource concerns
• External consultants
• And more!

Mastering High-Risk Accounts & Bankruptcy Protection in Receivables Management: Certificate Course

Session 2: Mitigating High-Risk Accounts and Gaining Company Alignment

Presented by Conrad Ragan, Director, Alvarez & Marsal

Explore strategies to mitigate risks associated with high-risk accounts and develop a compelling rationale to secure company-wide support for risk management initiatives.

EXPO & Lunch

The exhibit hall will officially open at noon. Join us to network with some of the top service providers in the industry, as well as your peers, and fuel up with lunch before the Forum sessions begin!

Welcome/Opening Comments

Opening comments and reminders from CRF President, Matt Skudera, and Chief Content & Education Officer, Mike Bevilacqua.

Choosing Wisely: Making Your AR Software Decision a Career-Defining Move

Presented by ​Billtrust

In today’s high-stakes financial landscape, selecting the right accounts receivable (AR) software provider is more than just a tech decision—it’s a career-defining moment. The wrong choice can lead to operational chaos, missed revenue, and reputational risk. The right one? It builds credibility, drives performance, and positions you as a strategic leader.

This session explores how to navigate the complex vendor landscape, what red flags to avoid, and how to identify a partner that fits into your “circle of trust.” Learn how to assess long-term value, technology fit, customer alignment, and service excellence to ensure your AR software decision secures not only business success—but your professional legacy.

Dude Where’s My Debtor? Lessons Learned from DRF Logistics, a Case Study in Really Knowing Your Customer

Presented by Gianfranco Finizio, Partner, and Kelly E. Moynihan, Counsel – Bankruptcy & Restructuring Department, Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Do you know who you are really doing business with? While you may think you are providing credit to a well-capitalized entity, what does your agreement say? Does the agreement also include affiliates? Who signed it? All of these issues came to a head in the chapter 11 case of DRF Logistics, a former subsidiary of Pitney Bowes, Inc. Many vendors were shocked to learn that Pitney Bowes was not their real customer. This retrospective case study highlights the importance of knowing and monitoring who your actual customer is. Attendees will leave with the tools needed to monitor customer relationships and maintain contractual privity with well-capitalized customers—as opposed to their distressed affiliates—and avoid surprises

 Break

Provided by CRF and CRF Solutions

Keep Risk Weird – Adapt to Changing Times

Presented by Rhonda Buras, Dun & Bradstreet

Rhonda Buras will discuss what credit leaders need to do to mitigate risk in light of changing macroeconomic risk and geopolitical risk and the downstream impact. Learn how these rising risks, coupled with a shifting trade landscape, are creating new challenges in credit management, accounts receivable, and cash flow protection.

Rhonda will cover industry-specific examples involving tariff impact as they relate to impact on customer and supplier risk, and she will discuss strategies for risk mitigation, including best practices for adjusting credit policies, managing receivables, and ensuring business continuity in volatile times.

EXPO & Reception

Join us for a reception in the exhibit hall – grab a drink and some appetizers as you take another spin around the EXPO and discuss your needs with the industry’s top service providers!

Breakfast

Fuel up with coffee and breakfast before heading into the morning sessions! This is also a great opportunity to chat and network with other attendees.

Opening Comments

Opening comments and reminders from the Board and CRF team.

Get Off the Starting Blocks & Into the Race: Real-World AI Use Cases from Cadex

Presented by Cadex

Join Cadex for a practical session on Real AI Use Cases in the order-to-cash space.

We’re leading the conversation on how to move from pilot to payoff, sharing real examples of how AI-powered virtual agents can protect customer relationships while increasing both efficiency and efficacy across the O2C lifecycle.

Most organizations are still early in their journey—according to a recent CRF survey, only 19% have implemented AI-driven collection tools, and just 4.26% have launched a virtual agent for collections or customer interactions. This session explores what’s working today and how to close that gap.

Whether you’re early in your AI journey or looking to scale, this session will offer actionable strategies to help your team Get Difficult Done.

How to Go Beyond Digitization with Verified Data and AI to Minimize Fraud and Solve the Real Bottlenecks in Credit Approvals

Presented by Nuvo

Digitizing credit workflows is a start, but it doesn’t fix the root causes of slow approvals.

In this session, we’ll walk through the biggest reasons credit approvals get delayed and how leading teams are using AI and automation to address them directly — from incomplete applications to missing insights.
We’ll cover how to:

1. Get complete and accurate credit applications

• Verify business and personal identities with authoritative data
• Detect fraud by analyzing domains and physical addresses
• Classify tax exemption certificates in real-time to ensure correct documentation the first time

2. Access the insights needed to make sound decisions

• Pull risk data from bureaus, banks, and references
• Automate retrieval of trade and bank references
• Analyze financial statements for better risk evaluation

You’ll also see how Nuvo applies AI to speed up these steps without replacing your team’s expertise. We’ll explain how privacy and data security are handled so your team can adopt AI responsibly and with confidence.

If your team is still spending hours chasing documents and waiting on references, this session is for you.

 Break

Provided by CRF and Altus Commercial Receivables

The Key to Faster Payments: A Smarter Customer Portal

Presented by Michael Koehler, Principal Solution Architect, O2C 

Getting paid faster starts with one thing: making it easier for customers to pay you. When customers face barriers like unclear invoices, limited payment options, or delayed support, it slows everything down. That’s where customer-facing technology, like a customer portal, can make a measurable difference.

In this session, we’ll explore the role of the customer portal as a key enabler in a high-performing collections strategy. You’ll learn how customer-centric design and automation can streamline workflows, reduce support tickets, and drive faster payments without sacrificing oversight.

Discover how modern portals contribute to a smarter collections process by enabling:

• 40% fewer support tickets with 24/7 invoice access, digital payments, and dispute resolution.
• 25% faster payments via integrated digital payments, reminders, and auto-matching.
• More efficiency through automation that reduces manual work.
• Stronger compliance with PCI-ready infrastructure and built-in audit trails.
• Better visibility for internal teams and customers alike.

Join us to understand the core capabilities and proven strategies behind portal-driven collections success.

Overcoming Barriers to AI Adoption: Building Trust & Delivering Business Value

Presented by Deloitte

Despite the transformational promise of AI, many organizations face resistance, skepticism, and inertia when attempting to implement it at scale.

In this session, the Deloitte AI team will explores the critical path to AI adoption by addressing the core obstacles—ranging from data quality concerns and legacy systems to fear of job displacement and lack of stakeholder buy-in. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to foster organizational trust, build cross-functional alignment, and demonstrate tangible ROI through strategic AI initiatives. Real-world case studies and expert perspectives will illustrate how leading companies have turned AI from a buzzword into a business-critical driver of efficiency, agility, and growth.

Lunch

Provided by CRF and Handle.com

Join us for a delicious lunch! A well-deserved break and an opportunity to network with attendees while you fuel up for the afternoon sessions!

Staying Safe with ACH: Risk Mitigation Best Practices

Presented by Leah Huey, AAP, Director of ACH Network Development; Olivia Maciel, AAP, APRP, Senior Director of ACH Education & Corporate Outreach, Nacha

ACH payments are efficient, cost-effective, and reliable. As with any payment type though, payment safety is critical and preparedness is key. Join us to learn ways to stay safe with ACH, how to spot potential risks, and other risk mitigation best practices.

Supply Chain Finance: Key Trends and What You Need to Know

Presented by FIS

In today’s volatile global economy, supply chain finance (SCF) is evolving from a tactical liquidity tool to a strategic lever for resilience and growth. This session unpacks the latest trends shaping SCF—from shifting regulatory scrutiny and ESG-linked financing to dynamic discounting, receivables programs, and fintech-driven innovation. Attendees will gain clarity on what’s working, what’s under threat, and how to evaluate SCF structures in light of working capital goals, counterparty risk, and supplier relationships.

Whether you’re refining existing programs or exploring new models, this is your roadmap to smarter, risk-aware supply chain financing.

Break

Provided by CRF and Altus Commercial Receivables

Grab some coffee, tea, water or soda and a TREAT…chat with attendees…then return refreshed for the final sessions!

2025 Risk Profile Deep Dive: Key Trends Shaping the Second Half

Presented by Alvarez & Marsal

As economic volatility persists and pressure mounts across supply chains, credit, and consumer sentiment, understanding your risk exposure in real time is more critical than ever. In this session, experts from Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) will dissect the evolving 2025 risk landscape—highlighting the macroeconomic signals, sector-specific stress points, and behavioral shifts that should be on every finance leader’s radar.

From interest rate movements and insolvency spikes to tightening credit access and shifting buyer payment trends – this will be a data-rich session!

From Manual to Modern: Technology in Lien Waiver Management for Credit Departments & Rethinking How Lien Rights Might Apply to You

Presented by NCS Credit

In the construction industry, lien waivers are a tool of both assurance and exposure. As credit departments face growing demands with limited resources, automating the waiver process has become essential to improving efficiency and reducing risk.

This session will provide a clear overview of how credit teams can leverage technology and legal tools to safeguard assets, reduce manual workload, and strengthen recovery efforts. Attendees will gain practical insights into the strategic use of lien rights, the importance of knowing who has lien rights, recent legal developments, and how modern technology is reshaping credit operations for long-term resilience.

Mastering High-Risk Accounts & Bankruptcy Protection in Receivables Management: Certificate Course

Session 3: Preference and Bankruptcy-Proofing Your Actions

Presented by Jeremy Kleinman, Partner, Burke Warren Mackay & Serritella PC

Understand how to protect your organization from preference claims and bankruptcy risks by implementing proactive legal and financial strategies.

Breakfast

Join us for coffee/tea and breakfast to fuel up for the final day of the Forum!

Economic Update

Presented by Steve Isberg, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow, Credit Research Foundation

Steve Isberg, PhD. will share his insights and observations on economic indicators and TARIFFS.

Open Forum

The Open Forum is often one of the most highly rated sessions at our live events. This is an open discussion session giving all attendees a chance to participate – ask questions and/or provide answers to others. As always, this Open Forum session allows for immediate feedback from your peers on the questions/topics that are important to YOU!

Please be sure to submit any questions or topics you would like to discuss on the registration form or email them to Angela.

Mastering High-Risk Accounts & Bankruptcy Protection in Receivables Management: Certificate Course

Session 4: Protecting Post-Bankruptcy and Building Resilience

Presented by Jeremy Kleinman, Partner, Burke Warren Mackay & Serritella PC

Develop strategies to protect your organization’s interests after a customer files for bankruptcy and build long-term resilience against financial risks.

National Building Materials Wholesale Best Practices Group Meeting

This is an independent, members-only group for senior level Credit & A/R professionals to engage in best practice processes and benchmarking conversations in an anti-trust compliant environment. The meeting includes an Economic overview presentation focused on the Construction and Building industries delivered by Macro-Economist, Richard Hastings.

For information about this group, to become a member or join this meeting as a first-time guest, please contact Matt Skudera.