Financial Executive back issues from January 2009:
Missing from corporate lexicon: 'growth'.(president's page)(Editorial)
Jan 01, 2009; ... As we begin a new year, it is hard to comprehend all that has taken place in a relatively short span of months--the result of which has been the virtual elimination of what was previously a very common word in the American business lexicon ... growth [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Thinking, then acting.(editor's page)(Editorial)
Jan 01, 2009; ... An adage I recall from my early career days producing audiocassette tapes with business, finance and motivational authors goes, "You are what you think about all day." The expression has come to mind recently as I'm feeling bombarded 24/7 with negative news--economically speaking. I'm ...
Nearly half of U.S. companies unprepared for IFRS conversion.(FINANCIAL REPORTING)(International Financial Reporting Standards)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Many United States companies have not begun preparations for the possible transition from generally accepted accounting principles to International Financial Reporting Standards. Among the challenges companies face in making the conversion--in addition to the expense of upgrading ...
Communication with staff: morale-lifter.(HUMAN RESOURCES)
Jan 01, 2009; ... In the current uncertain economy, there's an inexpensive and results-driven way to keep employees' spirits up: dialogue frequently. In a recent survey, nearly half (48 percent of executives cite better communication as the best remedy for low morale. Not surprisingly, one-third ...
Controllers' panel at FEI conference tackles talent development, more.(RECRUTING)(Conference news)
Jan 01, 2009; ... When it comes to attracting and developing top talent, Panelists on the "Controllers' Roundtable" session at FEI's Current Financial Reporting Issues conference in Novermber had some advice. Nick Cyprus, controller and chief accounting officer of Detroit-based General Motors ...
Interests and challenges of tax professionals.(TAX)(Conference news)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009; ... At a recent Ernst & Young international tax conference, 285 international tax professionals were queried on their top concerns, challenges and interests. Among their responses: United States Tax Legislation. Ninety-five percent say that are concerned about legislation that may ...
Top 5 retirement challenges worldwide.(BENEFITS)
Jan 01, 2009; ... The fact that employers in 48 countries face common challenges in providing retirement, health and welfare benefits to employees underscores the need for global governance, notes Introduction to Benefit Plans Around the World: A Guide for Multinational Employers, a new Mercer survey of ...
In quotes.(in brief)(Quotation)
Jan 01, 2009; ... "Two years ago, I came to the SEC in a crisis [backdating]; I'll be leaving in a financial crisis [he left in December]. We're in a fast-changing accounting and ...
Business travel trends.(TRAVEL)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Faced with continued turbulent economic times, companies are eyeing business travel budgets more diligently than ever. In its annual forecast of business travel trends, Egencia, a division of Expedia Inc., captured opinions of travel manager and travelers during tumultuous weeks in ...
The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management.(Book review)
Jan 01, 2009; ... The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management. By Art Kleiner. Second Edition. Jossey-Bass, 391 pages. $29.95. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The heretics Art Kleiner writes about here aren't corporate malcontents or renegades who ...
Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk.(Book review)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Nice Guys Can Get the Corner Office: Eight Strategies for Winning in Business Without Being a Jerk. By Russ C. Edelman, Timothy R., Hiltabiddle and Charles C. Manz. Portfolio, 284 pages. $23.95. It's cliche to assume that every chief executive is overbearing or ...
Wargaming for Leaders: Strategic Decision-Making from the Battlefield to the Boardroom.
Jan 01, 2009; ... Wargaming for Leaders: Strategic Decision-Making from the Battlefield to the Boardroom. By Mark Herman, Mark Frost and Robert Kurz. McGraw-Hill, 262 pages. $27.95. War games aren't all Civil War reenactments or military exercises; they can also be extrapolated to business ...
FEI CEO's 2009 Top Challenges for financial executives.(financial reporting)(Industry overview)
Jan 01, 2009; ... As financial executives of both public and private companies absorb the events of 2008 and look ahead at what's in store this year, Financial Executives International CEO and President James J. Abel has compiled the following list of the Top Challenges for 2009--in no particular order: ...
Lessons learned from Europe's IFRS conversion.(International Financial Reporting Standards)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Many United States companies are waiting for a "date certain" before investing significant time and resources toward possible adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards. Now that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has released its IFRS roadmap for public Comment, that ...
Actions to survive the volatile economy.(private companies)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Companies of every size and in every industry--both private and public--are facing one of the most challenging business environments in history. Contributing to the turmoil: unprecedented levels of market volatility, declines in consumer confidence and spending and a new presidential ...
You need urgency now!(LEADERSHIP)(Prof.John P. Kotter)(Interview)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Prof.John P. Kotter says the thing that organizations struggle with most and find the most difficult is developing a sense of urgency that filters throughout the firm. And, he's been studying, teaching and writing about leadership for more than 20 years. As the Konosuke ...
Looking forward: insights from top executives on managing through the crisis.(business outlook)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Who knows what the year ahead will bring for your business and what critical issues you--the senior finance executive--will face. And, even if you had a crystal ball at the beginning of last year, would you have predicted the actuals? For the year just beginning, what would you advise ...
Active corporate and business tax agenda expected.(tax)(Barack Obama)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Although it is easier to make promises on the campaign trail than to actually pass legislation once elected, recent history indicates that new presidents have been surprisingly successful in getting at least a significant part of their tax proposals enacted early in their first year in ...
The new world of financial risk.(Cover story)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Risk is an ever-present condition of human endeavor and of all financial and business activity. Business-people have been struggling to manage risk for millennia. Insurance contracts date back to multiple ancient civilizations. Contract and tort law developed, in part, as mechanisms for ...
Moving boldly to stem health-care spending.(health care)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Health-care costs that have been increasing at rates well above the consumer price index for more than a decade pose a risk to employer's balance sheets and bottom lines--even in good times. In the current economic storm, they stand as a lightning rod for heightened financial scrutiny, In ...
How will insurance industry changes affect client services?(insurance)
Jan 01, 2009; ... The insurance industry is now in uncharted territory. A perfect example is American International Group Inc., one of the world's largest firms. A year ago, it would have been difficult to believe that AIG would require a massive bailout from the federal government. Now U.S. taxpayers own a ...
Bies and Ruffle inducted into FEI's Hall of Fame.(Financial Executives International)(Susan Schmidt Bies and John F. Ruffle)
Jan 01, 2009 ... In a gala event at the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 17, FEI inducted Susan Schmidt Bies and John F. (Jack) Ruffle into the Financial Executives International Hall of Fame. The event--co-sponsored by Microsoft Corp., several other major corporations and FEI chapters (see box on next ...
What's new in research?(Financial Executives Research Foundation)(Report)
Jan 01, 2009 ... The Financial Executives Research Foundation mission is simple, according to Jim Wail, a FERF trustee and an active member of the FERF Research Committee: It should focus on the practical needs of senior financial executives. Indeed, according to Wall during the FERF Research ...
IFRS reports.(Financial Executives Research Foundation)(Report)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... As the move toward convergence of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles with International Financial Reporting Standards looms large, FERF is launching a series of reports that will examine IFRS from a number of different perspectives: * IFRS: How U.S. Companies Can Get ...
Trustee spotlight Mary Jo Green.(Financial Executives Research Foundation)
Jan 01, 2009 ... "These financial markets are very stressful," says Mary Jo Green, senior vice president and treasurer of Sony Corp. of America. FERF spoke with Green on a brisk morning in late October, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down 500 points, and the U.S. dollar had dropped 3 percent ...
FERF research by the numbers.(Financial Executives Research Foundation)(Report)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Did you know FERF tracks the number of title downloads to help shape our research agenda? During the past 18 months, there have been almost 10,000 downloads. The top five most popular recent titles are: 1 869 downloads 2007 Financial Executives Compensation Survey 2 ....
Assesses the effectiveness of board and audit committees.
Jan 01, 2009; ... In today's volatile economy, nothing is more important than integrity and trust in corporate governance. And that means accountability, transparency and independence. A recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found 79 percent of directors believe that an effective board evaluation process ...
Don't forget: to fix the top line.(RESTRUCTURING)
Jan 01, 2009; ... With the United States suffering historic economic turmoil, there are likely many companies struggling for ways to stay afloat. A revamp of the entire business--through restructuring--may be the way to save many firms. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most turnarounds follow a ...
These fortune cookies are outdated.(Cartoon)
Jan 01, 2009 ... "THESE FORTUNE COOKIES ARE OUTDATED. THEY QUOTE GREENSPAN INSTEAD ...
Diversity & inclusion: insights from American Express, Cargill and Prudential Financial about internal programs and what works.(DIVERSITY)(panelists Cheryl H. Reese and Patricia Rowell)(Discussion)
Jan 01, 2009; ... The subject of diversity and inclusion remains a "hot-button" issue, as study after study show that women and minorities are still not being compensated as highly or treated similar to white male counterparts. While there is "inclusion" to some degree, diversity expert and author of ...
Frozen credit provides opportunities in commercial real estate.(QUICK STUDY)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Rather than focus on the negative of the dismal global economy and its impact on businesses and consumers, here's a suggestion: Consider finding a silver lining--and specifically focus on creating the most advantageous occupancy solutions for users of commercial real estate. ...
COSO's new guidance for monitoring internal control: a new COSO publication is designed to leverage the monitoring function to make internal control more efficient and effective.(REGULATION)(committee of sponsoring organizations)
Jan 01, 2009; ... If you're a finance executive for a public or private company, you're likely familiar with the COSO internal-control framework. COSO, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, is an organization that was convened in the 1970s to study how to combat fraudulent ...
Treasurers can protect cash flow during the crisis.(treasury)
Jan 01, 2009; ... With the global economy apparently headed toward a deep and protracted recession, treasurers in American companies must take extraordinary measures to ensure they have the appropriate resources to weather the crisis. To complicate matters further, many banks are either ...
Industry trends in treasury software.(technology)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Over the past few years, enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors have invested in expanding and deepening treasury functionalities. In turn, these solutions have become more viable contenders in requests for proposals for treasury-management systems (TMS). Despite these ...
FEI reaches out to key U.S. policymakers.(ON THE HILL)(inancial Executives International)(Conference news)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... As a part of ongoing outreach efforts with key national policymakers, Financial Executives International met with numerous congressional staff in their offices late last year. FEI met with senior staffers from Rep. Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) office, who was recently elected minority ...
Are you LinkedIn? Join FEI'S group to network, more.(CAREER SERVICES)(Financial Executives International)(LinkedIn Corp.)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... More than ever, in this uncertain economy, financial executives in transition and/or managing their careers, rely on the value of professional networking. To that end. Financial Executives International has joined LinkedIn to create an exclusive group for FEI members to add to their ...
New webcast format welcomes all members.(MEMBER SERVICES)(Financial Executives International)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Financial Executives International now offers webcast orientations every month to welcome new members. During the live call, various FEI staff explain the benefits their departments provide. Previously, FEI had introduced the Web site and services through a scripted PowerPoint ...
Silicon Valley.(chapter focus)(Company overview)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Area Covered: Silicon Valley, including the South Bay/San Jose, Calif.; the East Bay/Oakland, Calif.; and the Peninsula region within the San Francisco Bay Area Year founded: 1976 Members: 561 Companies Represented: Adobe Systems Inc., Autodesk Inc., ...
January/February.(crossword)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Across 1. Energy drink for investors? (2 words) 5. Tough love from a pessimist? (2 words) 9. Herd followers, sometimes 11. Ledger entry 13. Campaigned 14. "Baloney!" 15. Place to play 16 ....
Graham Baker.(names in the news)(AstraZeneca North America)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Graham Baker has been promoted to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of AstraZeneca North America, in Wilmington, Del. FEI ...
Elaine K.M. Bennett.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Elaine K.M. Bennett (Vancouver Chapter) was appointed Vice President Finance and CFO ...
Frederick Boyle.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Frederick Boyle (Dayton Chapter) has been promoted to Senior Vice ...
Allan Cleiren.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Allan Cleiren (Edmonton Chapter) has been named CFO of CV Technologies Inc., ...
David Elkins.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... David Elkins (Delaware Chapter) is the new CFO of Becton, Dickinson ...
Gregory P. Francis.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Gregory P. Francis (Toronto Chapter) has been appointed CFO at Cineflix, a Montreal-based ...
Benoit Gagnon.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... BenoitGagnon (Quebec Chapter) is now Executive Vice President of Global ...
Thomas L. Garrett.(names in the news)(PRC LLC)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Thomas L. Garrett (Charlotte Chapter) has been appointed CFO of PRC LLC, a Plantation, Fla.-based firm ...
Christopher J. Hayman.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Christopher J. Hayman (Edmonton Chapter) is now CFO at Emeco Canada Ltd., an ...
David M. Johnson.(names in the news)(Federal National Mortgage Association)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... David M. Johnson (Connecticut/ Westchester Chapter) was appointed CFO of the Federal National ...
Ross Kari.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Ross Kari has been named Executive Vice President and ...
Kenneth J. Kay.(names in the news)(Las Vegas Sands Inc.)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Kenneth J. Kay (Los Angeles Chapter) was hired as CFO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., a hotel, gaming and resort-development company ...
Tim Onciul.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Tim Onciul (Edmonton Chapter) has been appointed CFO at ...
Domenic Delia Penna.(names in the news)(Timothy's Coffees of the World Inc.)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Domenic Delia Penna (Toronto Chapter) is the new CFO of Timothy's Coffees of the ...
Michel Piche.(names in the news)(Central Wire Industries Ltd.)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Michel Piche (National Capital Region Chapter) is the new CFO at Central Wire Industries Ltd., a Perth, ...
Jim Screaton.(names in the news)(Strategic Oil & Gas Ltd.)(Brief article)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Jim Screaton (Calgary Chapter) has been named CFO of Strategic Oil & Gas Ltd., a Calgary, ...
John M. Stevens.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... John M. Stevens (Edmonton Chapter) has been promoted to President and CEO of Northern ...
Paul Tufano.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Paul Tufano (Silicon Valley Chapter) is now CFO of Alcatel-Lucent, the Paris-based global ...
Karin Zabel.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... Karin Zabel (National Capital Region Chapter) has been promoted to Vice ...
FEI member.(names in the news)
Jan 01, 2009 ... denotes ...
Ken Drossman.(balance sheet)(Lakeview Business Consulting LLC)(Editorial)
Jan 01, 2009; ... Ken Drossman's worst job experience occurred when he was a college student employed as an accountant for a CPA firm that specialized in write-up work for funeral homes. He often found himself sitting--literally--next to a recently deceased "customer" of his latest client. But ...