IN PARTNERSHIP WITH IBM

November 10, 2026 · Chicago, IL · BY INVITATION · 20 SEATS

Turn uncertainty
into your
advantage.

A complimentary Executive mastermind on AI, alignment, forecasting, and the plan you can defend when the board asks how AI is actually performing.

Date

Tuesday,

November 10th, 2026

9:30am-3:30pm CT

Full day participation expected

Venue

IBM Chicago Office ·

71 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606

Room size

20 CEOs and CFOs

CPE CREDIT

Up to 5 Hours

THE PROBLEM

Your strategy changed. Did the plan?

Most finance leaders are not short on ambition. They are stretched across too many priorities to plan, forecast, or align well — and the fix isn't a better template. It's the discipline to say no to what doesn't serve the strategy, and a model that can answer a board question in the meeting rather than the week after it.

These are the numbers your peers are reporting right now:

82%

of FP&A teams still run on spreadsheets even with an EPM tool already in place.

AFP, 2025

21%

of fully deployed finance AI efforts show real, measurable value — against 87% who call AI critical.

Deloitte CFO Signals, Q2 2026

37%

of CFOs plan to increase C-suite collaboration on planning. The alignment gap is nobody's line item.

PwC Pulse Survey

108%

year-over-year growth in AI spend, with $300K+ in untracked shadow AI at the average company.

Zylo / FinOps Foundation, 2026

AI is now a line item on your P&L. Almost none of you can say what it returned.

WHAT YOU LEAVE WITH

One Day. Six Things You Keep.

01

A strategy that's been pressure-tested against reality. The Strategy-to-Plan Gap diagnostic, followed by a live, multi-scenario run through Base, Upside, Downside, and Management-Action, including watching a real curveball get modeled on the fly.

02

A framework for closing the Alignment Tax. A three-tier self-assessment for whether finance, sales, and operations are actually working from the same numbers, the same drivers, and the same calendar, or paying a hidden cost every time they aren't.

03

A live look at IBM Planning Analytics. Handling scenario planning, cross-functional alignment, and AI-assisted forecasting, demonstrated live inside each teaching moment throughout the day, including a full 50 minutes dedicated to AI budget governance alone.

04

A way to put AI spend inside the planning model. The AI Initiative Ledger, treating every AI initiative as a tracked object with a defined cost, an expected return, and a named owner, instead of a shadow spreadsheet nobody reconciles.

05

A completed 90-day roadmap. One high-value planning process chosen, a trigger for revisiting it named, and an owner assigned, before they leave the room.

06

Real relationships with 20+ Chicago-area CFOs and finance leaders, plus 5.0 hours of CPE credit in a peer-oriented executive setting rather than a lecture hall.

Attendees at last year's mastermind discovering live scenarios in IBM Planning Analytics and working through their own AI initiatives.

Group Photo taken at 2025 Lodestar Solutions Mastermind in Tampa, FL

FIT ASSESSMENT

Who belongs in this room

This is built for you if:

  • You're a CEO, CFO, or senior finance leader with real authority over the plan.

  • Your forecast is accurate right up until something changes.

  • You've bought planning technology and your team still rebuilds it in Excel.

  • AI is now a budget line and nobody has told you what it returned.

  • You'll bring one live challenge and let the room work on it.

This is the wrong room if:

  • You're looking for a vendor demo and a swag bag.

  • You want to observe rather than participate — every session is worked, not watched.

  • You're sending a delegate who can't commit the organization to anything.

  • You can only make part of the day. The afternoon work builds on the morning, and tables are set for the full session.

The content is worth your time. The people beside you are worth more.

This mastermind is built for CEOs and CFOs, the people who own the number and answer for it. Every application is reviewed by hand, and we accept 20. We decline more than we accept, not to be difficult, but because one mismatched seat changes what the other 19 people are willing to say out loud. Peer-level candor only happens between actual peers.

We reserve the right to decline any application.

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

What Past Attendees Say

"Attending the mastermind was a turning point for me. The program didn't just sharpen my financial strategies, it gave me organization clarity that transformed the way I approach my business and personal goals. If you're considering joining, know this: you won't just walk away with tools and knowledge, you'll gain a network of peers who are invested in your success. Future participants should take part because the clarity, confidence, and community you'll gain are invaluable."

michael day, president of canyon strategies

"You can't do the CFO role alone. The people I have had an opportunity to connect with at this mastermind has been profound. To have a group of individuals that have a similar drive as you will go an extremely long way. If you have the opportunity to attend a mastermind, I absolutely would encourage any CFO or other financial professional to take advantage of that opportunity."

shauna gnorski, executive president and chief financial officer

"If you are a CFO, you need to be in this room. Not only was this powerful, it gave me clarity. What Heather and her team have set the stage for is us attendees to feel comfortable, to feel confident, and to feel protected enough to share whatever we need to help move the needle."

Twyla Garrett, Chief executive officer

"I can't recommend attending this mastermind enough. If you're interested in expanding your growth as an entrepreneur in business and even personally, I would highly recommend coming out and making sure you attend Lodestar Solutions' masterminds. It is going to deliver 10x the value of what you are coming for."

Chris Orlando, President of VOC Associates

Chicago-area CFOs, CEOS & finance leaders!

WHY THIS ROOM FILLS

  • Capped at 20 CEOs, CFOs and senior finance leaders, by invitation only.

  • Co-hosted with IBM

  • Every session is worked in small groups — five to five tables of four or five.

  • Peer coaching, not panel discussion. You will be asked to contribute.

  • Prior cohorts rate relevance to their real challenges as good to excellent.

Facilitated by Heather Cole

Heather Cole is the founder and CEO of Lodestar Solutions, an IBM analytics consultancy that has spent 25+ years helping finance organizations move from reporting what happened to deciding what to do next and now, where AI belongs in that decision and where it doesn't. Heather is one of only 32 IBM Worldwide Lifetime Champions. She is the host of the Financial Executives International podcast and a best selling author.

Heather is also an executive advisor and coaches CFOs and CEOs in Strategy and Leadership, under her company Heatherized.

She has facilitated this mastermind format with CEOs and CFOs for years, and combines it here with the technical depth to build a scenario live, answer the follow-up question, and keep the room out of the weeds while doing it.

Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Certified Executive Coach, IBM Lifetime Champion

CPE Credits

5 CPE Credits in one day

Group-live instruction. Registration, breaks, meals, and social time are excluded from credit.

Total Credits Available

Up to 5 CPE Credits

Delivery Method

Group Live

Field of Study

Finance & Management Services

Prerequisites

None

Compliance Note: The Lodestar Mastermind is designed and structured to qualify for continuing education credits under NASBA standards. Exact credit allocations are determined based on verified attendance logs per 50-minute session hour. Certificates of completion will be distributed electronically within 30 days following the event conclusion.

NASBA Sponsor ID: 167915

CLARITY & LOGISTICS

Before you apply

Is this a sales pitch for IBM Planning Analytics?

No. The frameworks are the content, and they work regardless of what you run on. Planning Analytics is how we demonstrate them live rather than in the abstract, because a scenario you watch get built lands differently than one described on a slide. Nobody will be pulled aside for a quote.

Do I need to be an IBM customer to attend?

Absolutely not. This is a private mastermind environment focused entirely on peer-to-peer strategy and problem-solving.

Who else will be in the room?

Twenty CEOs, CFOs, and senior finance leaders, screened for seniority and fit.

What does it cost?

Attendance is complimentary. IBM and Lodestar cover the program, the venue, and your materials. You are responsible for your own travel and lodging.

Can I bring my co-founder or leadership team?

Yes. Some of the strongest outcomes come from leaders who work through this alongside the people they make decisions with. Just let us know who you are bringing on your application so we can hold their seat. Seating is capped at 20, so the sooner we know, the better.

Are there any restrictions on who can attend?

Yes. This event is co-hosted with IBM and follows IBM's business conduct guidelines for hospitality. Those guidelines exclude employees of government-owned entities from events of this type. It is not a reflection of fit, it is a compliance requirement we take seriously on both sides.

Will we talk about AI?

Yes. Not AI hype. We'll work through how to evaluate whether an AI investment in forecasting or planning is actually paying off, and how to keep the model aligned to the strategy it's supposed to serve.

Can I come for part of the day?

Participation in the full day is expected. Every session is worked in small groups of four or five, and a chair that empties after lunch changes the conversation for the three or four people still at that table. It also affects your credit, since CPE is logged per verified 50-minute session. The day runs 9:30 to 3:30 with breaks and lunch built in, and we end on time.

APPLICATION

Twenty seats. One plan you can defend.

Tell us who you are and what you're working on. We review every request personally and respond within two business days — this is a small room, and fit matters.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
OCTOBER 31st · or when the 20th seat is confirmed

Best number to reach you during the event. Building access is secure, and this helps our team get you in smoothly if anything comes up.