In this issue
FEISV Chapter Newsletter | September 29, 2026 
Celebrating 50 Years of FEI Silicon Valley!
2026 marks FEI Silicon Valley’s 50th Anniversary! We’re excited to celebrate this incredible milestone with our Members, Partners, and friends throughout the year.
The celebration will culminate in April with a special 50th Anniversary Casino Night, and we’re making it a night to share — significant others are invited! More details will be coming soon.
But we’re not waiting until April to start celebrating! At each Keynote event leading up to our anniversary celebration, we’ll hold a special 50th Anniversary Raffle, with one lucky attendee taking home a $50 bottle of wine.
50 years of connections, leadership, and community — and plenty to celebrate!
FEI Silicon Valley Events
09/29 - People, Payroll, and Profitability
10/20 - Pre-PD: AI and Compliance for Finance Leaders
10/20 - Keynote: How Finance Leaders Can Harness AI Without Losing Control
11/18 - Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards
12/09 - Annual President's Party
04/27 - FEI Silicon Valley 50th Anniversary Celebration: Casino Night - Save the Date!
Partners & Other Chapter Events
09/29 - Why AI Fails In Corporate Finance – and How to Get Ahead (Virtual) | FEI
09/30 - Global Finance Trends Survey (Virtual) | FEI
10/06- 4 Financial Modeling Fundamentals for Quality Outputs in Age of AI (Virtual) | Ramp
10/07 - Beyond SAP BPC: Rethinking Finance for the AI Era (Virtual) | FEI
10/08 - From Information to Intelligence: New Disclosure Signals and How Finance & Legal Leaders Are Putting AI to Work (Virtual) | FEI
10/13 - Private Company Roundtable (Virtual) | FEI
10/15 - Beyond Spreadsheets: Building an Audit-Ready Fixed Asset Process for Complex Lifecycles (Virtual) | FEI
10/15 - Financial Scenario Planning: How to Prepare for Disruption and Make Faster Decisions (Virtual) | FEI
10/22 - Is Your Budgeting and Forecasting Software Built for Where You’re Going — or Just Where You’ve Been? (Virtual) | FEI
10/26 - Private Company Roundtable (Virtual) | FEI
10/28 - 10/29 - AI Update and Use Cases Conference (Virtual) | FEI
11/10 - 2026 Corporate Financial Reporting Insights (CFRI) Conference (Virtual) | FEI
Latest Trends in FEI
Is your finance team ready to put AI to work responsibly? AI is quickly becoming part of finance operations, but using it to monitor compliance, identify exceptions, or review expenses requires more than turning on a new tool. Finance leaders need confidence that the data is reliable, the workflow is controlled, and every AI-generated finding can be reviewed, validated, and supported with evidence.
Join us before the October Keynote for an in-depth discussion on AI and Compliance for Finance Leaders: NetSuite Readiness, Responsible AI Adoption, and an AIVER T&E Case Study. This timely Pre-Keynote session is designed for CFOs, controllers, audit leaders, and finance executives who want to move from broad AI interest to practical, well-governed use.
The panel discussion will examine a question many organizations are now confronting: Where can AI strengthen compliance monitoring without weakening accountability?
Through an AIVER travel-and-expense case study, attendees will explore how AI-assisted anomaly detection can help teams identify unusual activity, while maintaining the documented review, privacy protections, escalation paths, and supporting evidence needed for sound financial oversight. That is especially relevant as AI-enabled finance tools increasingly scan transactions for exceptions and unusual patterns, making the quality of data, review processes, and audit trails central to responsible adoption.
Arrive before the Keynote, gain a practical framework for responsible AI adoption, and connect with fellow finance leaders!
Pre-PD: AI and Compliance for Finance Leaders will be held at Pillsbury in Palo Alto on Tuesday, October 20th, from 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm Pacific.
FEISV Members & Partners: Free | Other FEI Members: $50 | Registration: Here
October Keynote: How Finance Leaders Can Harness AI Without Losing Control
AI projects can move quickly from promising pilot to enterprise priority. But for finance leaders, the more important question is not how many tools the organization can deploy. It is whether each initiative has a clear business owner, a reliable data foundation, measurable outcomes, and a credible path to value.
Join Gargi Ray, VP of Finance at Synopsys, for our October Keynote: How Finance Leaders Can Harness AI Without Losing Control. This interactive discussion will examine AI through the lens of capital allocation: What should finance fund, what should it challenge, and what needs to be in place before an AI initiative earns the right to scale?
Finance teams are under growing pressure to prove that AI investments improve performance—not simply accelerate activity. Yet many organizations still struggle to connect AI spending to measurable results. In a BCG survey of finance executives with AI experience, only 45% said they could quantify ROI from their initiatives.
Drawing on her experience building production-ready AI capabilities, Gargi will share a practical, finance-led approach to turning AI ambition into accountable execution.
Keynote: How Finance Leaders Can Harness AI Without Losing Control will be held at Pillsbury in Palo Alto on Tuesday, October 20th, from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Pacific.
FEISV Members & Partners, and FEI SF Members: Free | Non-Members: $135 | Registration: Here
Witness History As We Honor the Women CFOs of the Year
Join us on November 18th at Green Hills Golf & Country Club in Millbrae for the 4th Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards, an exclusive evening celebrating the women whose leadership is shaping the future of accounting and finance.
This annual tradition honors extraordinary CFOs and finance leaders whose achievements extend far beyond the balance sheet. Through powerful stories, defining career moments, candid anecdotes, and distinctive perspectives, honorees will share the leadership lessons, resilience, and vision that have helped them lead organizations, inspire teams, and open doors for others.
Bringing together an exceptional community of senior financial executives, this year’s awards create a meaningful setting for recognition, connection, and conversation. It is an opportunity to celebrate remarkable accomplishments...and to be inspired by the people driving the profession forward.
4th Annual Woman CFO of the Year Awards Dinner will be held at the Green Hills Golf & Country Club on Wednesday, November 18th, from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Pacific.
FEISV Members & Partners: Free | Non-Members: $275 | Registration: Here
Nominations Are Open: 4th Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards
Nominations are now open for the 4th Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards, recognizing exceptional women whose financial leadership strengthens organizations, shapes strategy, and inspires the next generation of accounting and finance professionals. See the form attached to nominate yourself or another deserving financial executive.
This is an opportunity to spotlight CFOs who bring rigor to the numbers, clarity to complex decisions, and leadership that extends well beyond the finance function.
Honorees will be recognized across five categories:
- Public Company CFOs at organizations with market capitalization of $1 billion or more
- Public Company CFOs with market capitalization below $1 billion
- Private Company CFOs at organizations with revenue of $50 million or more
- Private Company CFOs with revenue below $50 million
- Non-Profit Organization CFOs
Whether she is guiding a public company through change, helping a growing private business scale responsibly, or advancing a mission-driven organization, nominate a leader whose work deserves to be celebrated.
The awards honor women who lead, inspire, and motivate others while making meaningful contributions to their organizations and to the broader accounting and finance community.
Nomination form is attached to this email.
Please submit nominations by the end of the day on October 30, 2026.
4th Annual Woman CFO of the Year Awards Dinner will be held at the Green Hills Golf & Country Club on Wednesday, November 18th, from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Pacific.
FEISV Members & Partners: Free | Non-Members: $275 | Registration: Here
Select Sponsorship Opportunities: 4th Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards
The 4th Annual Women CFOs of the Year Awards will take place on November 18 at Green Hills Golf & Country Club, bringing together an exceptional community of leaders who are shaping the future of finance.
This event is a platform to recognize and elevate women who are driving innovation, strengthening organizations, and inspiring the next generation of financial leadership. Their impact extends far beyond their roles, influencing industries, workplaces, and communities.
Sponsoring this event is a meaningful opportunity for your organization to align with that impact. It positions your brand alongside excellence, leadership, and progress in the accounting and finance space. More importantly, it demonstrates a clear commitment to supporting and advancing women in executive roles—something that resonates with clients, partners, and employees alike.
With a range of sponsorship options available (some with limited availability), now is the time to secure your place and ensure your organization is part of this important evening.
To explore and claim sponsorship opportunities, please download the sponsorship form attached to this email.
4th Annual Woman CFO of the Year Awards Dinner will be held at the Green Hills Golf & Country Club on Wednesday, November 18th, from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm Pacific.
FEISV Members & Partners: Free | Non-Members: $275 | Registration: Here
Meeting the 2027 Standards for Internal Audit: The Strategic Role of Interim Consultants
According to Robert Half research, hiring challenges continue to shape how finance and accounting teams build their workforces. When hiring managers cannot find fully qualified candidates, 45% prioritize hiring high-potential talent and developing them, while 19% continue searching for the ideal candidate.
With fewer graduates entering the field and many experienced professionals retiring or changing careers, the talent pipeline for accounting—and related functions like internal audit—is far from robust. The accountant shortage isn’t just making hiring in the audit field more challenging. It’s leaving many internal audit functions one open role away from falling behind.
Now that the Global Internal Audit Standards have been in effect for more than a year—and continue to converge with the demands of peak audit cycles, resource-strapped teams are expected to do even more. To navigate these demands, many teams are turning to interim consultants for support.
Learn more. Read Meeting the 2027 Standards for Internal Audit: The Strategic Role of Interim Consultants via our Platinum Partners at Robert Half.
FEISV Member of the Week
Linda Diaz is a Controller who specializes in compliance and driving financial integrity. Previous roles include Controller at Golden Valley Industries and Duane Martin Livestock. In addition, Lisa served as a Staff Accountant for Brown Armstrong Certified Public Accountants and Visionary Home Builders.
Linda attended Highline College and earned an Associate of Arts in Accounting. She graduated from California State University, Stanislaus with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
FEISV Partner of the Week
Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers.
They offer contract, temporary, and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing, and creative, legal, administrative, and customer support roles.
Specifically for their finance and accounting specialization, Robert Half provides companies with an alternative to the traditional consulting firm approach and helps them succeed through a variety of financial talent and project consulting solutions. Whether it's one person or an entire project team, Robert Half has a large network of seasoned professionals with experience in finance, accounting, and business systems who are available to step in immediately.
Named to Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies and 100 Best Companies to Work For® lists and a Forbes Best Employer for Diversity, Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti®, a global consulting firm that provides internal audit, risk, business, and technology consulting solutions.
Explore their talent solutions, research, and insights at RobertHalf.com.
CONTACTS:
Jeremy Cole, Client Solutions Director
Phone: 950.292.0431
Email: [email protected]
Rob Bonner, Senior Client Solutions Director
Phone: 415.805.9019
Email: [email protected]
Syed Hussain, Director of Permanent Placement Services
Phone: 650.292.0232
Email: [email protected]
Stephen Hilton, SVP Corp Controller & Treasurer
Phone: 925.913.2638
Email: [email protected]
Special Thanks to Our Strategic Partners
Marquee Partners
Platinum Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
