Finance and Innovation: The Future of Our Profession

John F. Levy, CPA, MBA, Board Advisory

How can so many great companies lose their way and fall into a steep decline or even disappear? Once very successful and profitable companies are now a ghost of their former glory or names we can barely remember. This explores how companies succeed through innovation and fail because they are unable to deal with the next wave of innovation. More importantly, we will discuss how you, your department and your organization can profit from being more innovative.

It's time to network with colleagues and visit sponsor tables.

1. Dream Wide Awake: Overcoming What Limits You in Life

   Sherre L. DeMao, CGS, BizGrowth, Inc.

   With more than 30 years working with entrepreneurs and their employees, Sherré has been able to identify five wishful thinking mindsets and six fearful thinking mindsets that hold individuals back from reaching their goals and achieving their desired level of success in life and at work.
   

    

   Based on her nationally acclaimed book, "Me, Myself & Inc.," this session will help you shift your thinking from can’t-imagine to can-do, inspiring and motivating audiences to take action and shift from daydreaming to dream doing!

 

2. Making Internal Audit an Asset for the CFO

   Charles Silvey, CPA, Executive Education, Inc.

   Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) created a specific deliverable for Internal Audit causing many CFOs to underutilize this important resource by not focusing on the other areas where Internal Audit can improve controls and productivity and reduce cost and risk. In this session veteran Chief Audit Executive Charles Silvey will discuss often overlooked opportunities for internal audit to add value.

It's time to network with colleagues and visit sponsor tables.

1. Accounting Fast and Slow: Thinking About Analysis

   John F. Levy, CPA, MBA, Board Advisory

   Do we really understand why we, and our companies, make the decisions? We may believe that we make decisions only after acquiring all the facts, carefully considering all the alternatives and logically choosing the best option. However, Nobel prize-winner in Economics Daniel Kahneman and his long-time collaborator Amos Tversky have proven in numerous experiments and studies that we make most decisions by intuition and not analysis. We will examine Kahneman and Tversky’s groundbreaking work and its implications on us, our companies and the accounting profession.

    

 

2. 4 Critical Factors to Create Sustainable Growth

   Sherre L. DeMao, CGS, BizGrowth, Inc.

   The world changes rapidly. If your business strategy is not built on this premise, you are already falling behind. Intelligence, emotional acumen, agility and profitability are all critical to growth, and essential amidst constant change.
   

   
   Based on validated research and best practices, this session will introduce you to a Sustainable Growth Model™ to enhance your organization's ability to grow organically through four critical success factors: 1) Intelligence Quotient (IQ); 2) Emotional Quotient (EQ); 3) Velocity Quotient (VQ); and 4) Profitability Quotient (PQ). When all four quotients operate at high levels, you are in the best possible position for sustainable, value-building growth.

 

It's time for lunch and networking with colleagues.

1. Outsourcing Relationships: Enjoy the Benefits, Avoid the Pitfalls

Charles Silvey, CPA, Executive Education, Inc.

Companies are increasingly outsourcing their supply chain’s more complex elements, including selling, manufacturing, distribution, warehousing and customs clearance. This session will focus on the due diligence, contracting, managing, and monitoring of third parties that companies should, but do not always do. The seminar will identify the risks, potential pitfalls and solutions that can help make these relationships less risky and more beneficial. Veteran Chief Audit Executive Charles Silvey will bring practical solutions from 20 years of monitoring these relationships. This topic should apply to businesses of all sizes.

2. Big Data: Modern Data Analysis

John F. Levy, CPA, MBA, Board Advisory

In 1958 if you bought a hammer in a local store you probably paid cash. The owner would know only he sold something and had more cash at day’s end. Today if you buy a hammer from you probably pay with a credit card and the stores know what kind of hammer you bought, your past purchase history, where you live and have approximations of your age, income and much more information. As accountants, we are still recording essentially the same information as in 1957, when our businesses need all the other “big data” to make the best business decisions. Are you and your company ready to benefit from big data? This session will discuss how to get started.

It's time to network with colleagues and visit sponsor tables.

Lessons Learned from 3 Business Veterans

Sherre L. DeMao, CGS, BizGrowth, Inc., John F. Levy, CPA, MBA, Board Advisory, and Charles Silvey, CPA, Executive Education, Inc.

The conference’s closing session will be a panel discussion where the three conference speakers share lessons learned from their decades-long careers.

Don't forget to turn in your CPE form at the registration desk. Look for an event survey; please give us your feedback so we can create a better conference next year!