Agenda

Wednesday, February 18 | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm Eastern

11:00 am – 12:30 pm Eastern

Q1 Private Company Roundtable: 2026 Priorities
Presented by Forvis Mazars
1.5 CPE credits | Field of Study – Management Services
As private companies look ahead to a pivotal 2026, this 90-minute session brings together tax policy experts, industry leaders, and an invited client to unpack the issues shaping the year ahead.

The first half of the session features a forward-looking panel from the Forvis Mazars Washington National Tax Office. They’ll break down the key legislative and regulatory developments expected out of Washington and what those changes could mean for private, middle market businesses navigating an already complex environment.

In the second half, a panel of Forvis Mazars industry leaders, joined by a private company executive, will shift the conversation to on the ground priorities. Topics covered may include workforce pressures, working capital constraints, technology modernization, and the growing influence of AI on operations and decision making. Together, they’ll explore how private companies are recalibrating their strategies and where leaders are focusing their attention as 2026 approaches.

The session will wrap with an open Q&A, giving attendees the chance to engage directly with all panelists and dig deeper into the issues most relevant to their organizations.

12:30 pm – 1:00 pm Eastern

Break

1:00pm – 2:00 pm Eastern

Leading Digital Change in Finance: Lessons from Private Companies
Presented by KPMG
1 CPE credit | Field of Study – Management Services
Learn best practices regarding digital transformation in finance for private companies. This course will explore practical use cases and examples that provide lessons and offer valuable insights as you navigate the evolving tech and regulatory landscape. You'll get perspectives into what drives success, how to address common challenges, and the most effective ways to maximize returns. Attend to benchmark against – and learn from – your peers and find proven methods for successful change.

Presenter:
Alexander Hanhan | Tax Principal, Business Tax Services | KPMG
Erika Whitmore | Office Managing Partner, Audit | KPMG

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern

How Corporate Tax Teams Are Leveraging Transferable Tax Credits: Benchmark Data, Market Trends, and Practical Guidance for 2026
Presented by Crux
1 CPE credit | Field of Study – Finance
Corporate tax leaders are rapidly incorporating transferable tax credits into their annual planning as a reliable, repeatable tool for lowering federal tax liabilities and improving cash efficiency. Participation has surged across industries and company sizes, with nearly one in four Fortune 1000 companies engaging in the market in 2025 — a 60% increase from the prior year. Buyers continue to report meaningful reductions in their effective tax rates, with average ETRs nearly three percentage points lower than non-buyers This session will share Crux’s latest insights based on the recently released 2025 Buyer Benchmarking Report, which profiles how leading companies are approaching tax credit purchases, and the forthcoming 2025 Market Intelligence Report, which aggregates billions of dollars in transaction data and market activity.

Attendees will gain an up-to-date view of pricing, supply dynamics, insurance and diligence trends, and how tax teams are establishing internal processes to participate efficiently. The discussion will focus on practical takeaways for corporate buyers evaluating whether and how to integrate tax credit purchases into 2026 planning, including implications of evolving tax liability patterns, expected deal structures, and best practices emerging among mature participants.

Presenters:
Stephanie Deterding | Managing Director and Head of Tax Investor Coverage Team | Crux
Ted Lee | Principal | Crux

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern

AICPA Auditing Standards Board
Presented by AICPA
1 CPE credit | Field of Study – Auditing
A presentation by an AICPA Auditing Standards Board (ASB) member about the process for setting private company auditing, attestation and ethics standards for the US, covering the ASB strategy, standard setting process and current projects. We will discuss the opportunities for FEI members to provide valuable input to the standard setting process as part of the common objective of high-quality financial reporting.

Presenter:
Michael Manspeaker | Member Auditing Standards Board | AICPA

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