Q1 Private Company Roundtable: 2026 Priorities
February 18, 2026Join Financial Executives International (FEI) for an exclusive webinar, hosted by Forvis Mazars, as we share the 2026 priorities in our Q1 Private Company Roundtable. Hear insights from industry professionals into anticipated legislative and regulatory developments and what they could mean for private companies in 2026. The discussion will address workforce challenges, working capital management, technology modernization, and the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) in operational and strategic decision making. There will also be an interactive Q&A.
Registration is directly through FEI. For any questions regarding CPE, please contact FEI.
Key Takeaways
Forvis Mazars was invited by FEI to facilitate a roundtable discussion on the key issues and opportunities private companies may face in 2026. Here are the key takeaways:
- Develop a clear technology transformation roadmap at the outset. Understand your challenges before you purchase AI tools, performing an initial gap assessment. Then, form the roadmap to solve those problems with a combination of people, processes, and technologies. Manufacturers are focused on key technology improvements and investments to get better data to drive better business decisions.
- AI adoption is an operating model shift, not a tech purchase. Most companies using AI still can’t show a measurable profit impact because they skip workflow redesign, data readiness, and governance.
- Put governance in place before you scale. Establish cross-functional approval gates, human-in-the-loop rules, and ongoing KPI monitoring so outcomes are measurable and your risk posture is defensible.
- Tariffs are here to stay. Despite their disruptive nature, the approach for implementation needs to be different moving forward. Explore strategies for mitigating tariffs and ensure you maintain appropriate documentation. Manufacturers are looking for tariff stability to help make long-term investment decisions. They are not looking for zero tariffs, just stability.
- Weigh the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3). OB3 impacted many federal provisions, including interest limitation, R&D expensing, bonus depreciation, and international provisions. Modeling these impacts, along with the fallout of state conformity, will be critical.
FEI and Forvis Mazars plan to continue hosting quarterly roundtable sessions focused on the hot topics and priorities that private company leaders will want to explore. If you have any questions, reach out to a professional at Forvis Mazars.