Centre for Financial Leadership and Digital Transformation
How technology impacts the finance function
The centre is a place where CFOs and senior leaders like you can bring challenges, get ideas – and work in partnership with world-leading finance academics. Together, you drive the future of financial leadership.
You’ll collaborate to explore how technologies – including AI, robotics and blockchain – can deliver on strategy and help the finance function to be an even stronger business partner and decision-maker. You’ll also examine the impact the finance function can have on an organisation’s culture and people. In today’s fast-paced business environment, the centre presents you with a unique opportunity to stay ahead.
How will technology impact the finance function?
Professor Kristof Stouthuysen explains how you can develop a more effective and competitive finance department by embracing digitalisation.
Join a powerful community
When you join the Centre for Financial Leadership and Digital Transformation, you become part of a select group of high-profile leaders that’s actively reinventing finance and its role as a business partner.
The centre is a vibrant, safe space where CFOs and senior finance leaders share insights and develop close working relationships with expert Vlerick faculty. Join them to co-create ground-breaking research into the challenges facing today’s financial leaders – and take part in an active programme of events, networking and roundtables, designed to keep you at the cutting edge.
Research to power your company
Research at the centre is a two-way street. Our members influence the direction of research and participate in it. Join us to begin a unique collaboration that explores areas including:
- Developing digital strategies and AI applications for the finance office of the future
- Working capital optimisation through the use of technology
- Proactively detecting and mitigating global supply chain risks
- Sustainable and integrated reporting
- Building resilient and data driven digital finance teams
- Use of machine learning for performance management
- Explainable AI for CFOs
- Generative AI for Financial Statement Analysis
We specialise in the visualisation and analysis of quantitative and text data. Our machine learning models help finance teams better predict fraud, manage risk, build forecasts, estimate costs, measure long-term performance, predict customer value, design contracts and evaluate supplier relationships.
We explore the role of technology in ESG reporting and how organisations impact society and the planet. And we delve into the DNA of a digital CFO, the democratisation of technology, data ethics and cybersecurity – and budgeting and forecasting.
You can check out our open-source projects on our GitHub page.
Network, explore, deepen your thinking
Join us to dive deep into a full, hybrid programme of specially-curated events that are designed to provoke discussion and creative thinking about the role of technology in finance. From expert presentations and company visits, through to bootcamps, workshops, a residential seminar and a digital finance conference – there are opportunities to network, explore and discover new possibilities. Our international network means we’re also able to share best practice from across the world.
Recent research
AI Barometer
Developed in the centre, this tool scans your finance function’s AI strengths, blind spots and challenges. Covering your company’s culture, knowledge, talent pool and data structure, it allows you to audit and measure progress.
WHICH EXECUTIVES PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN DIGITALLY TRANSFORMING BELGIAN SMES?
Today, every organisation should embark on a digital transformation journey and embrace the potential of new technologies. This white paper shows what pioneering role CFOs can play in digitally transforming their SMEs, and what skillset they need to do it successfully!
What is the DNA of a digital finance leader?
This white paper explores how to develop a digital transformation strategy for the finance function. Read more >
MACHINE LEARNING DRIVES PATIENT SATISFACTION
Using data from the Indian hospital group IndyCare, we wanted to understand factors that drive greater patient satisfaction. This case explores how the group used a predictive model to allow them to identify and prioritise aspects of care for improvement - and through segmented analysis, begin to offer tailored experiences.
TECHNOLOGY IMPROVING FRAUD DETECTION
Earnings manipulation is when businesses adjust financial reports to misrepresent revenues. And it’s something that banks need to know about before they offer loans. This case reveals how MCA Technology developed an ML-powered system to identify earnings manipulation as part of due diligence.
Partners & members
Partners
Members
Expert faculty
Kristof Stouthuysen
Professor of Management Accounting & Digital Finance
Kristof Stouthuysen drives sustainable value creation with management accountancy – and leverages technology to make better financial decisions.
Filip Roodhooft
Professor of Management Accounting
Filip Roodhooft shows you how the finance function can be a valuable business partner for your organisation.
Tim Verdonck
Visiting Professor of Data Science
Tim Verdonck’s expertise lies in data science and statistics – and he is a highly experienced researcher and professor.
Aleksandra Klein
Professor of Management Accounting
Aleksandra Klein’s research explores the relationship between creativity and performance.
Join us
Joining the Centre for Financial Leadership and Digital Transformation as a member means being part of – and shaping – the most advanced thinking in your domain. You’ll develop close working relationships with world-leading academics and CFOs across multiple sectors.
The centre is an active resource, and you input into its direction and activities – so what you get out of it is completely relevant and up to date. Which means you have direct access to ideas, models and information that empowers you to have deep impact in your organisation. And if you want to have even more influence on the work of the centre, then you can do so as a partner.