Future Uncertainty Stressful? Here’s One Way to Avoid Corporate Anxiety.

We can’t predict what comes next, but one expert says organizations can be “future ready” now. A book author and popular speaker explains how corporate finance strategies can reduce stress.

Whether it’s COVID-19, political and social unrest, or market volatility, the future is anything but certain. However, one CPA says corporate finance professionals can lead their organizations with confidence with a few key principals.

Steve Player, CPA, CGMA, is the managing director of Future Ready Finance and the co-author of “Future Ready: How to Master Business Forecasting,” as well as five other books. He also leads the Beyond Budgeting Round Table North America, working with companies to implement continuous planning processes.

“We’ll cover over 25 topics in areas from planning, performance management, cost control, profitability and more,” Player said. “We can help your organization truly be ready for whatever comes in the future.”

This webinar series, hosted by the Center for Accounting Transformation, are organized where there’s an overview offering the basics followed by intermediate topics and advanced topics. Additionally, each module has a short discussion to provide framework, followed by some first-hand application of the concepts. “We find those hands-on exercises help you really understand more deeply,” Player said. “We’ve also designed a number of takeaways, so when you walk away from the class, you not only have learned things, but you’re also able to immediately go back to your work and apply what you’ve learned.

Join Player for the following leading-edge topics in corporate finance:

• Agile Planning for Growth Through New Investments (webinar, 1 CPE) October 18, 12 pm – 1 pm (EST)
  Annual budgets often feature key negotiations of authorization for capital expenditures. While much has been written about different approaches to this process, it often resembles a pitched battle to make sure your division gets its share. Yet, in the real world, investment opportunities come and go on an irregular schedule. The shift to agile planning focuses on how to create processes that make sure the organization is always ready to evaluate growth investments. 

• Using Agile Planning to Improve Operations (workshop, 4 CPE) October 28, 1 pm – 5 pm (EST)
  The move to agile planning begins by focusing on continuing operations because an ongoing business provides a stable base from which to build. By shifting the planning process to a continuous approach, finance organizations can eliminate many of the pitfalls of current practices. Agile planning integrates your selected approaches to help create a coherent management model, helps identify ways to fund improvements without the need for additional investments, and helps teams understand their current financial capacity and how to improve. 

With more than 30 years of experience in improving performance management, Player brings a plethora of expertise, but, more importantly, offers accountants thought provoking and insightful advice to apply in their organizations and make them future ready.

The Center for Accounting Transformation provides professionals with a framework for utilizing innovations that are ready for adoption, the training and resources necessary to apply the innovations, and an opportunity to engage the talent and community needed to further the pursuit of innovative accounting practices that drive responsible and mindful business performance.

View additional courses to help #EnableTransformation.