Oxford Economics Chief U.S. Economist Michael Pearce Joins Fall 2026 CFO Leadership Conference

Pearce Will Give CFOs a Forward-Looking View of Growth, Inflation, Interest Rates, Labor, Policy and AI

DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The CFO Leadership Council (CFOLC), a professional association for senior finance leaders, announces Michael Pearce, Chief U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics, as a keynote speaker at the Fall 2026 CFO Leadership Conference, taking place October 12–14, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.

Pearce’s keynote, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger? The U.S. Economic Outlook in the Age of AI,” will take place Wednesday, October 14 from 9:05–9:55 AM MT, giving CFOs a forward looking view of the economic forces that should be informing their forecasts, budgets, investments, workforce decisions, and growth strategies.

With uncertainty around growth, inflation, interest rates, labor, and policy creating a wider range of possible outcomes, finance leaders need to know which signals should change their plans, and which should not. Pearce will break down where the U.S. economy could be headed, the scenarios CFOs should be preparing for, and what changing conditions could mean for demand, costs, capital, and growth.

“This is an especially important time for business leaders to understand the economic backdrop, as policy uncertainty coincides with potentially transformative advances in AI. I’m looking forward to joining the Fall 2026 CFO Leadership Conference to explore how these forces could reshape the U.S. outlook and what different scenarios mean for the decisions CFOs are making today,” said Michael Pearce, Chief U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics.

At Oxford Economics, Pearce leads U.S. macroeconomic research and forecasting, with his team ranked among Bloomberg’s top forecasters for major U.S. economic indicators. Before joining Oxford Economics, Pearce was a senior economist on the U.S. team at Capital Economics and worked at HM Treasury in the United Kingdom. He holds degrees in Economic History from the London School of Economics and Economics from University College London.

Pearce will also tackle a major new variable entering CFO planning: AI’s potential impact on productivity and economic growth. He will examine how different levels of AI adoption could affect productivity, investment, employment, growth, and what those shifts could mean for the assumptions finance teams are using to plan today.

“CFOs spend so much of their time looking at what’s happening inside their own organizations, but the decisions they make are increasingly shaped by forces well beyond their four walls,” said RD Whitney, President of Chief Executive Group and COO of the CFO Leadership Council. “Bringing an economist like Michael into the conversation gives finance leaders a broader lens – connecting what’s happening across the economy to what it could mean for their businesses. That outside perspective is incredibly valuable as CFOs think about where to invest, where to be cautious, and where opportunity may be emerging.”

CFOs will walk away better equipped to:
• Pressure-test forecasts and budgets against the latest outlook for growth, inflation, interest rates, labor, and policy
• Plan for multiple economic scenarios instead of relying on a single set of assumptions
• Anticipate changes in demand and costs and identify where pressure or opportunities could emerge
• Evaluate AI through an economic lens, including its potential impact on productivity, employment, investment, and growth
• Make better capital and investment decisions when economic and technology assumptions are changing quickly
• Adjust plans sooner across forecasting, capital allocation, workforce strategy, and growth

Pearce’s keynote is part of a broader Fall 2026 CFO Leadership Conference agenda built around the decisions finance leaders are making now. Senior finance executives will come together to tackle AI, transformation, growth, risk, productivity, capital allocation, and organizational performance through executive-level keynotes, tactical sessions, and CFO-to-CFO conversations.

Registration for Denver | October 12-14, 2026 is open with limited-time lowest pricing. Reserve your seat and step out of the day-to-day to operate at the next level of leadership. Learn more at cfoleadership.com/Fall-Conference/

CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE & VALUE
Each pass includes keynote and breakout sessions, two cocktail receptions, full breakfast and lunch, and exhibit hall access. The program is purpose-built to deliver volatility-ready planning, measurable productivity gains across approvals and cash cycles, AI initiatives tied to ROI, disciplined transformation funding, and operating cadences that align finance with R&D, product, operations, and go-to-market.

Fall 2026 CFO Leadership Conference | Denver, CO | October 12-14, 2026
Learn more at cfoleadership.com/Fall-Conference/

About The CFO Leadership Council:
The CFO Leadership Council is a professional association whose mission is to empower senior financial executives to realize success in their careers. Driven “for CFOs, by CFOs,” the company spirit fosters a collaborative and energetic community, which helps members build a trusted professional network of peers, discuss critical issues both in-person and online and deliver pragmatic and tangible insights on business and leadership issues. Owned by Chief Executive Group, the close community includes multiple chapters across the US and Canada with 3,000+ members who actively drive the organization. www.cfolc.com

Stephany Jaramillo
CFO Leadership Council
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn

Media gallery