Microsoft, Kansas City Chiefs, OpenAI and More Join Vena Excelerate Summit 2023

Learn how to build the agility and resilience you need to plan for anything

Vena is getting ready to host Excelerate Summit 2023, our fourth annual global virtual conference for finance and operations professionals, business leaders and budget owners. Taking place May 9–10, the virtual live and on-demand conference experience features 30+ speakers, inspiring keynotes and sessions and 20+ hours of CPE/CPD live discussions, workshops and training.

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What’s Different This Year?

Unlike other industry conferences, we’re laser-focused on giving actionable advice finance professionals can use to navigate the current business environment. We’re inviting our community of 5,000+ professionals to come together to learn how to excelerate their planning productivity, agility, resilience and their organization’s financial intelligence so they can plan for anything.

Attendees gave last year’s event 4.4 stars out of 5

Excelerate will offer attendees the opportunity to:

Engage and learn from finance peers, Vena Experts and executives, and finance and business leaders from organizations including Microsoft, Kansas City Chiefs, OpenAI and more
Earn up to 22 CPE/CPD credits through live discussions, workshops and training
Learn Excel and Power BI best practices and access templates for rolling forecasts, what-if analysis, workforce planning and more
Learn how to empower your organization to adapt to current market realities with important strategies, best practices and technological innovations

You can also look forward to insights from Vena keynote speakers, with sessions that have been designed to inspire you to build winning teams, stay ahead of technology innovation and drive growth, resilience and agility within your organizations.

Excelerate Summit’s Exciting Lineup of Speakers

Joining the speaker lineup this year are Austin Wiseman, Finance & Accounting at OpenAI, Nicolas Herman, CFO at Microsoft Canada and Mitch Holthus, Voice of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Other speakers include:

Hunter Madeley, CEO, Vena
Melissa Howatson, CFO, Vena
Purna Duggirala, Chief Excel Officer, Chandoo.org and Microsoft MVP
Howard Dresner, Chief Research Officer, Dresner Advisory Services, LLC
Speakers from 6Sense, BetMGM, Citrin Cooperman Advisors LLP, Fluence Technologies and more

Feedback that makes us blush a little 😊

Attendees can earn free CPE/CPD credits through live conversations, interactive workshops, product demonstrations and training presented by Vena Academy.

Sessions and panels will cover:

Strategies for high-functioning finance teams
The new tech empowering finance-led innovation
Practical applications of AI and automation in FP&A
Latest trends in FP&A, AI, extended planning and performance management
Managing cash flow in complex business conditions
Agile revenue forecasting
Unlocking opportunities with finance systems and operations
The Vena Product Roadmap
Introduction to Vena Complete Planning and Insights
Best practices for workforce planning, cash flow management, Microsoft Excel and more

Excelerate’s jam-packed agenda includes multiple opportunities to learn, connect and grow with Vena Experts and Partners, Microsoft leaders and technology enthusiasts who will all be on hand to help you plan for anything—all while virtually networking in a global community of professionals.

More feedback that makes us blush a little 😊

Save your free seat for Excelerate Summit 2023 today.

For the latest Excelerate Summit 2023 news, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @venasolutions.

Vena Unveils Fall 2024 Product Release Empowering FP&A Teams With Easier Access to AI-Driven Insights and More Seamless Collaboration

Vena’s latest release further elevates FP&A teams and the strategic office of finance with pre-configured AI-powered dashboards in Vena Insights, native Excel integration for ad hoc analysis and collaboration enhancements in Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint Toronto, ON – Nov. 14, 2024 – Vena, the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of Microsoft 365, today announced its Fall 2024 product release, featuring enhanced integrations with Microsoft productivity and analytics tools tailored to meet the needs of modern FP&A teams. This update brings significant improvements to user experience and productivity. Vena Insights now offers faster and easier access to AI-powered data visualizations. A seamless, native integration with Excel enables more advanced ad hoc analysis and reporting by leveraging Vena data and Excel AI-powered analytics. New collaboration features in Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint further enhance workflow and collaboration. Key features of Vena’s Fall 2024 product release include: Fast setup and enhanced collaboration capabilities with Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint, now generally available: Vena for Microsoft PowerPoint now provides an even better integration with Microsoft 365, allowing users to create and refine presentations with ease. With recent enhancements, multiple users can align on real-time insights and collaborate on building powerful data-driven narratives directly within Microsoft PowerPoint, making it easier than ever to work together on creating, perfecting and delivering impactful financial presentations in minutes. Accelerated insights with Enhanced Self Service Capabilities in Vena Insights (open beta): With Vena Insights, powered by Microsoft’s AI and machine learning capabilities through Power BI embedded in Vena, FP&A teams can now access preconfigured dashboards and guided setup tools for creating custom dashboards in just a few clicks. This streamlined experience makes it even easier for users to analyze data and generate actionable insights in real time, further accelerating decision-making with AI-powered visualizations designed to support strategic planning across the organization. Vena Ad Hoc Report now integrated natively with Excel (open beta): Vena Ad Hoc Report allows FP&A teams to conduct and share ad hoc analysis directly within Excel. Using Vena’s intuitive drag-and-drop features, teams can seamlessly compare Vena with external datasets, create custom reports and gain flexibility in decision making with real-time insights. Vena Ad Hoc Report also integrates with modern Excel analytics tools, such as Analyze Data and Microsoft 365 Copilot, further enhancing users’ ability to quickly uncover insights, whether visualizing data, automating tasks or leveraging AI-driven analysis. “At Vena, continuous innovation is at the heart of everything we do. Through our strategic partnership with Microsoft, we are providing finance teams with the tools they need to transform their planning processes and drive strategic business outcomes,” said Hugh Cumming, Chief Technology Officer at Vena. “With our latest product release, we’re making it easier than ever for FP&A professionals to access real-time insights, collaborate across their organizations and make better decisions faster.” Vena’s Fall 2024 product release builds on a year of remarkable achievements. Earlier this year, Vena not only surpassed $100 million USD in annual recurring revenue (ARR), securing its prestigious Centaur status, but also launched Vena Copilot for FP&A, an AI-powered planning assistant that leverages Microsoft Azure’s generative AI technology. The company has also received multiple industry accolades, including being recognized as a CPM industry leader by Nucleus Research for the 11th consecutive year and being named a winner of the prestigious TrustRadius Buyer's Choice Award for Excellence in FP&A Software. Vena’s commitment to innovation, customer success and industry excellence is consistently acknowledged across the sector. Looking ahead, Vena remains dedicated to delivering transformative value to its customers through continuous innovation and strong partnerships. As the company looks to the future, Excelerate Finance 2025 will focus on taking FP&A beyond boundaries, highlighting the critical role of automation in streamlining workflows, advancing strategic planning and unlocking new efficiencies. The event aims to empower FP&A professionals and the broader finance community to collaborate, share insights and shape the future of finance together. About Vena Vena is the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem for FP&A teams and their collaborators. Vena amplifies Microsoft's world-leading productivity tools, cloud technology and AI innovation to make FP&A, operational planning and adjacent strategic processes more flexible, efficient and intelligent. Thousands of the world’s leading companies rely on Vena to power their planning. For more information, visit venasolutions.com. Media Contact  For immediate inquiries or more details regarding our latest company press release, please contact: Jonathan Paul  Vice President, Content Marketing  jpaul@venacorp.com 

November 14, 2024 |

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Spotlight on Families: Celebrating Connections and Communities This November at Vena

November is here, and so is the Vena Families Resource Group (VRG) Spotlight Month! The Vena Families VRG is a volunteer-based community of Vena employees dedicated to amplifying the voices of family caregivers and fostering a supportive network. This November, the VRG will spotlight its initiatives, creating more opportunities for members to share experiences, discuss challenges and celebrate triumphs together. Spotlight months like this are essential for promoting awareness and understanding, helping our employees feel valued and supported in their caregiving roles. The Vena Families VRG committee, which includes chairs Kimia Karbasi, Senior Talent Partner, Monica Iliopoulos, Senior Total Rewards Manager and Pam DeMesa, Team Lead of Executive Administration, have been busy planning the following events to help bring the community together: The annual Take Your Family to Work Day at the Vena Toronto office, where employees can bring their loved ones to experience Vena's vibrant culture and core values firsthand. The Care Café, a virtual monthly gathering where family caregivers can exchange insights and strategies for achieving better work-life balance. A presentation by internationally renowned speaker Paul Davis, focusing on Social Networking Safety to equip families with the knowledge to navigate our digital world safely. As Pam DeMesa, Vena Families VRG Founder, shares, "These gatherings remind us that while the caregiving journey can be challenging, we are not alone. By coming together, we uplift each other and strengthen our community." At Vena, we’re proud to support Spotlight months like this one as they offer invaluable opportunities to recognize and celebrate the diverse experiences within our workforce. By fostering connections and sharing stories, we can continue uplifting one another. "These gatherings remind us that while the caregiving journey can be challenging, we are not alone. By coming together, we uplift each other and strengthen our community." —Pam DeMesa Families VRG Founder

November 6, 2024 |

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Vena Wins TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award for Excellence in FP&A Software

Award underscores Vena's leadership in delivering unmatched capabilities, value and customer relationships based on verified customer feedback Toronto, ON – Oct. 29, 2024 – Vena, the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of Microsoft 365, today announced that it has been named a winner of the prestigious TrustRadius Buyer's Choice Award. This recognition highlights Vena’s continued excellence in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) software, reflecting its commitment to delivering best-in-class capabilities, value for price and outstanding customer relationships—all based on verified customer reviews. The TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award recognizes technology providers who consistently exceed user expectations across three critical areas: product capabilities, value for price and overall customer relationship. With 75% or more of reviewers choosing Vena as the top solution in all three categories, this recognition underscores the company’s unwavering focus on providing its customers with innovative solutions that deliver both immediate and long-term value. Based entirely on vetted, unbiased customer reviews, Vena consistently stood out for the following: Cloud-Based Efficiency: Vena effectively resolves file size issues by storing data in the cloud, allowing for more detailed and scalable financial models that Excel alone cannot handle. Excel Familiarity: The platform’s Excel-based interface enables seamless adoption by users who are already proficient in Excel, facilitating quick transitions and the creation of familiar templates. Automation and Speed: Vena automates budgeting processes and financial reporting, significantly reducing update cycles from once every 30 days to daily, enabling users to see changes in reports almost immediately. Flexibility in Complex Planning: Vena allows for detailed budgeting across multiple departments and currencies, enhancing the ability to manage complex compensation planning and breaking down budgets into manageable pieces. Robust Support and Community: Vena provides excellent customer support and fosters a community where users can share best practices and insights, coupled with valuable webinars featuring industry experts. “We’re incredibly honored to receive the TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award, as it reflects the voice of our customers,” said Hunter Madeley, CEO of Vena. “Customer success is at the core of everything we do, and this award is a testament to the strong partnerships we’ve built and the trust our customers place in us to help them achieve their strategic goals. It’s exciting to see Vena consistently recognized for delivering powerful, scalable solutions that make a difference in the way finance teams operate.” About Vena Vena is the only Complete Planning platform purpose-built to harness the full power of the Microsoft technology ecosystem for FP&A teams and their collaborators. Vena amplifies Microsoft's world-leading productivity tools, cloud technology and AI innovation to make FP&A, operational planning and adjacent strategic processes more flexible, efficient and intelligent. Thousands of the world’s leading companies rely on Vena to power their planning. For more information, visit venasolutions.com. Media Contact  For immediate inquiries or more details regarding our latest company press release, please contact: Jonathan Paul  Vice President, Content Marketing  jpaul@venacorp.com 

October 29, 2024 |

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Microsoft, Kansas City Chiefs, OpenAI and More Join Vena Excelerate Summit 2023

What’s Different This Year?

Excelerate Summit’s Exciting Lineup of Speakers

Recommended

Vena Unveils Fall 2024 Product Release Empowering FP&A Teams With Easier Access to AI-Driven Insights and More Seamless Collaboration

Spotlight on Families: Celebrating Connections and Communities This November at Vena

Vena Wins TrustRadius Buyer’s Choice Award for Excellence in FP&A Software