2003 Virtual Education Seminar Series

Session Details
Complete session descriptions and speaker names will be available one month prior to the series.

The 2003 Virtual Education Seminar Series will consist of 14 cyberconferences related to AFPs most popular conference tracks. Seminars will cover critical finance topics such as optimizing working capital, expediting accounts payable processing, improving revenue management processes and managing foreign exchange risk.

All sessions are from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. ET and are broadcast by teleconference and corresponding visual presentation via the Web. Earn Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and Certified Cash Manager (CCM) recertification credits (except from career development sessions) without leaving the privacy of your office.

These cost-effective seminars are available for only $50 per session for members and $75 for non-members until one week prior to the session. Late registration fees are $80 for members and $105 for non-members.

HOT TOPIC SESSION

Mutual Fund Trading Scandals: The Prudent Fiduciary Response

Description:
The New York Attorney General, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory agencies are investigating allegations of improper trading practices at a number of mutual fund companies. Some civil securities fraud charges have already been brought and there are even threats of criminal charges. Plan fiduciaries (e.g.,administrative or investment committees members) should be taking action to investigate if their retirement plans are invested with these mutual funds or  use affiliates of these funds as record-keepers, advisers or consultants. During these uncertain times, it is critical that plan fiduciaries employ a sound process in monitoring plan investments.

Objectives:

• Understand what the alleged trading violations are and which managers are under investigation
• Identify the steps a prudent fiduciary would take to investigate
• Understand potential personal liability if the fiduciary fails to do so
• Examine potential responses if the plan's advisers or managers are involved
• Identify considerations in changing investment options or record-keepers in 401(k) plans
• Understand the possible impact of pending legislation.

Speakers:
Nell Hennessy, President, Fiduciary Counselors Inc.
Scott Fisher, CFA, Investment Consultant, Aon Investment Consulting
William Schmidt, Partner, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart, LLP
Judy Schub, Managing Director of Government Relations & Pension Policy, Association for Financial Professionals

Working Capital Management

Optimizing Total Working Capital: Improve your balance sheet, P&L and service quality
This session will discuss how Best Practice Management of working capital reduces costs, releases cash from the business, and enables companies to accelerate their strategic objectives, while improving service quality.

Speakers:
Stephen M. Payne, President, REL Consultancy
Andrew Ashby, Account Director, REL Consultancy

 

Expenditure Management Processes: The Processes of the purchase to pay SM (P2P) cycle, covering the purchase of goods and services, and accounts payable processing for all expenditures
This session will discuss best practices including: sourcing strategies with vendor evaluation programs; controlled spend through center of excellence (shared service concept); coordinated vendor management (purchasing, receiving, AP); defined purchasing channels by value and commodities, etc

Speakers:
Mark Tennant, SVP and Account Director, REL Consultancy
Doug Delong, Project Director, REL Consultancy

 

Supply Chain Management Processes: The cross-functional processes of the Forecast to Fulfill _SM (F2F) cycle that deliver product to customers, the primary focus being to reduce inventories and process times, while improving customer service
This session will discuss best practices including: structured stock strategy at SKU level; make-to-stock and assemble-to-order; shared forecasts with strategic suppliers (i.e., operating across the extended enterprise); metrics linking inventory to process causality.

Speakers:
Mark Tennant, SVP and Account Director, REL Consultancy
Doug Delong, Project Director, REL Consultancy

 

Revenue Management Processes: The processes of Customer to Cash _SM (C2C) cycle covering order entry through to the collection of the accompanying accounts receivable.
This session will discuss best practices including: policies and processes based on customer segmentation; automation/outsourcing of small value, high volume; cross-functional dispute management process; cash metrics from sales to collection.

Speakers:
Josh Rogowsky, Regional Operations Director, REL Consultancy
Robert Smid, Project Director, REL Consultancy

 

Hedging Your Bets: Managing Interest Rate and Foreign Exchange Risk Using Derivative Instruments
Ever worry that interest rate charges on floating rate borrowings will increase and hurt your earnings projections? Or that supplies from Germany are unexpectedly more expensive because of the shift in the Euro exchange rate? Join us for a hands-on practical session about hedging interest rate and foreign exchange risk in corporate America. Learn about risk management instruments and useful business strategies that help financial managers better predict the bottom line.

Speakers:
Jeffrey Kutz, Senior Consultant, Chatham Financial
Clark Maxwell, Chatham Financial
Glenn Cohen, Treasurer, Kimco Realty Corporation

 

Evaluate Liquidity and Solvency Using Financial Statements and Ratio Analysis
With the current economic environment of stringent financial analysis and disclosure, the financial statements and ratio analysis that borrowers, lenders and investors use to project trends and identify potential solvency issues in the corporation is at the forefront.  This session will look at the value and dangers of these types of analysis, as conversely, companies are coming back to the realization that cash is still "king." The session also will review select measurement tools that are used by borrowers, lenders and managers alike, and tie together the impact of a strong cash focus to those measurements and tools.

Speakers:
Jacquel Clark, CCM, Assistant Treasurer/Secretary, Hughes Supply, Inc.

 

GE Capital Develops a "World Class" Bank Compensation System
GE has saved millions of dollars in bank fees as a result of a process redesign in bank compensation. The mystery of bank account analysis has been dissolved. Utilizing a Six Sigma approach a formally broken process has become world-class. The entire process has been automated: from receipt, through error identification, verification, and payment! Learn how the company partnered with its banks and software vendor to produce these fabulous results. Best practices will be shared.

Speakers:
Terence Devine, Manager-Treasury Consulting, GE Capital
Stephen Weiland, Chairman, Weiland Financial Group
Dan Gill, Director of Customer Support & Training, Weiland Financial Group

 

Career Services

Key Lessons in Creating a Best Workplace for Finance Professionals
This insightful session will take attendees inside top Finance departments to explore best practices in human capital management. Key dimensions that will be discussed include: quality of work life, personal and professional development, employee job satisfaction, technology and tools, and innovation. Learn what it takes to be a top Finance department from the 2001 and 2002 Best Workplaces for Finance Professionals programs' supporting data.

Speakers:
David R. Thompson, Manager, The Hackett Group, an Answerthink company
Shannon L. Hatfield, Recruiting & Compensation Coordinator, AFP

 

Career Strategies for Financial Professionals: Career Planning, Development and Management
This presentation is designed to provide financial professionals with critical strategies and tactics for effective career management and advancement. During the discussion on Career Planning a proven methodology is presented to serve as a guide for career goal setting and for evaluating opportunities, both internal and external. Career Development focuses on how to reach the career goals and objectives once established, and Career Management considers how a professional stays on track and thrives at work. Topics will include: Career Ownership, Career Success Factors, Career Planning Model, Assessment Guidelines, Career Information Sources, Initiatives and Activities for Career Development, Career Management Principles, Relationship Management, the Principle of Reciprocity, the Principle of Contribution, Attitude Management, Emotional Intelligence, and Work/Life Balance.

Speakers:
Suzanne Miller, Director of Counseling Services, Spherion Human Capital Consulting
Mark Schor, Ph.D., Director of Counseling, Spherion Human Capital Consulting

 

Financial Accounting and Reporting

Charting Your Course through the Avalanche of Sarbanes-Oxley Regulations
While the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is becoming known as SOX, you really need hiking boots to find your path through the many final SEC rules mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Rather than summarizing SOX (you've heard the long list before), this seminar will give you practical solutions for: empowering your CEO to review and certify financial statements; working with your Audit Committee as it scrambles to comply with SOX ; effectively using non-GAAP financial measures (SEC rule effective at the end of this first quarter) to really tell your company's story.
 

Speakers:
Joanne Hindman, CPA, Financial Standards, Inc. and Round Table Advisors
Margaret V. Hathaway, Senior VP for Corporate Governance, Financial Standards, Inc.

 

Payments

Best Payments Practices: Without a Strategy, You May Be Out of Control
Payments are the core of cash and liquidity management. Every company should have a payments strategy and a policy that defines the objectives for controlling and optimizing this critical function. AFP Payments Advisory Group members will present a framework for establishing a corporate payments strategy and policy to guide the payments process. Key components of the payments policy will be addressed, including bank account control, payments authority and account reconciliation, as well as the payment process itself. Speakers will also identify best practices and provide practical advice on how to gain control of payments.

Speakers:
G.M. Stetter, Treasurer & Director of Strategic Planning, Fundtech Corporation
Ralph R. Joy, Senior Vice President, PNC Bank

 

ACH Beyond Direct Debit and Deposit
With automated clearing house (ACH) transactions growing by some estimates, an astonishing eight to nine percent year over year, this payment mechanism has substantially moved from Social Security payments and direct deposit of payroll to a mainstay of low- and middle-dollar consumer-to-corporate and corporate-to-corporate transactions. This session not only outlines how to effectively and securely utilize ACH, but new applications like point-of-purchase (POP), Web-based entries and telephone initiation will be covered in detail, with emphasis on the governing rules, the best technology, and the proven methods for implementation


Speakers:
Deborah Hickok, AAP, President, ACH Commerce LLC

 

Checks and Your Liability: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Uniform Commercial Code
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) governs liability and responsibility for check payments, but many corporations are uncertain about their rights and duties under the law. This session will identify the most frequently asked check questions and explain how they are handled under the laws governing checks (UCC Articles 3 and 4) so that you will be in a better position to understand the risks and control potential losses. Learn about signature requirements, when a stop payment order doesn't work, use of check images, rules governing check fraud, etc.

Speakers:
Karen Nash-Goetz, Esq., VP and Associate Legal Counsel, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

 

Treasury Operations

The Anatomy of an Implementation
Change is inevitable: new services, new systems, new bank accounts. When it comes to changes in your financial services, treasury plays a key role and must take the lead.   Adequate project planning and control will lead to a successful implementation with satisfied internal and external clients. This session will take the participant through a new bank implementation (including new bank accounts, disbursement services, payroll, lockbox, wire transfer, ACH and information reporting), identify key points to the project planning and help avoid the pitfalls.

Speaker:
Sandra Obelsky, CCM, Principal, Treasury Assist

 

Making Your Treasury Re-Engineering Initiatives Work
Optimizing the management of corporate liquidity through an ongoing effort to re-engineer the treasury function is a primary treasury management function. Yet, the best "ideas" frequently deteriorate into an open-ended resource-consuming process that at the best delays the realization of potential benefits and at the worst never fully achieves the operational objectives of the re-engineering initiative. Participants will learn strategies and techniques that will enable them to have their re-engineering initiatives operational in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Speakers:
George Schilling, Principal, Schilling and Associate

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Pensions and Benefits Administration

An Insider's View on Washington and Retirement Issues
Right now, Congress, regulatory agencies, and the Administration are dealing with an almost overwhelming variety of retirement and compensation-related issues - and at what remains one of the worst times in economic history.  Some issues are leftovers from the year before; others have recently arisen.  It's not clear that the agencies or the Congressional committees are able to take in the big picture of all that's up in the air - but employers and employees will have to!  Find out what's hot on defined benefit plan funding, 401(k) reform, and other emerging retirement issues, and how they affect you.

Speaker:
Leslie Kramerich, Mercer

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