New
Symposium for cfos and controllers: how to strike a balance between compliance and strategic leadership

Description

Today’s CFOs and controllers need to reconcile their financial reporting duties with their role as a business partner for senior management and the various units within their organization – not to mention meet the expectations of a slew of stakeholders (auditors, investors, regulatory authorities, suppliers and more).

Not only does this require a considerable amount of technical knowledge, it takes high-level soft skills and the ability to rethink the entire finance function and the way it is structured. Bearing this in mind, this symposium will examine the following questions: What do top CFOs and controllers have in common? How are these roles changing in terms of management information and performance management? What are the latest trends in financial structure (Lean financial process optimizationimprovement, big data, business analytics)? How can CFOs and controllers find the right mix between governance imperatives and everyday practices? What are some effective leadership techniques applicable in this capacity?

A panel of seasoned CFOs, controllers, consultants and academics will bring a multifaceted perspective to these questions. This is a joint initiative of the CPA International Research Chair in Management Control, Executive Education HEC Montréal and the Ordre des CPA du Québec. It is an excellent opportunity for you to meet with your fellow senior financial executives to explore and address specific challenges inherent in this role.

Is this for you?

• Financial executives and controllers
• Aspiring financial executives and controllers

Moderator:

Samuel Sponem, PhD (Management Sciences), Chairholder, CPA International Research Chair in Management Control, HEC Montréal

Honorary chair:

Geneviève Mottard, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ordre des CPA du Québec

With:

Stéphane Arsenault (CPA, CA – Chief Financial Officer, Héroux-Devtek)
Hugues Boisvert (PhD, FCPA, FCMA – Professor, Department of Accounting, HEC Montréal)
François Collette (CPA, CMA – Chief Financial and Procurement Officer, Stationnement de Montréal)
Louise Demers (CPA, CA – Director, Financial Services, Polytechnique Montréal)
Jean-Luc Deschamps (CPA, CA – CFOalacarte – Advisor, Fondation Montréal Inc. – Former Senior Vice-President and CFO, New Look Eyewear)
Stéphane Gaouette (CPA, CA, CA-IT – President, DECIMAL)
Nancy Jalbert (CPA, CA – Partner, Strategy and Performance Consulting, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton)
Lambert Jerman (PhD - Assistant Professor, HEC Montréal)
Yvan Joyal (CPA, CA, MBA – Chief Financial Officer, Sobeys Québec Inc.)
Donald LeCavalier (CPA, CA – Senior Vice President, Finance, TC Transcontinental)
Cyrille Sardais (PhD – Associate Professor and Chairholder, Pierre Péladeau Leadership Chair, HEC Montréal)

Program

• Opening remarks by the honorary chair: Geneviève Mottard,
  President and Chief Executive Officer, Ordre des CPA du Québec
• Best Practices of High-Performance CFOs and Controllers
  Samuel Sponem
• Panel: Leadership by CFOs and Controllers
  Panellists: François Collette, Louise Demers, Jean-Luc Deschamps, Yvan Joyal
  Moderator: Cyrille Sardais
• Networking break
• Governance Requirements and Their Impact on CFOs and Controllers
  Stéphane Arsenault and Lambert Jerman
• Panel: New Trends in the Organization of the Financial Function
  Stéphane Gaouette: Organizational Maturity and New Performance Management Practices
  Nancy Jalbert: The Accounting Function and Shared Services
  Donald LeCavalier: Optimizing the Accounting Process
  Hugues Boisvert: CFOs and the Social Challenges Facing Today’s Organizations
  Moderator: Samuel Sponem
• Networking reception