2023 - ISCPA's CFO Series

The CFO Series provides a convenient, one-stop way for CFOs and those who aspire to be CFOs, to choose an entire year's worth of CPE with a single decision! The CFO Series consists of a year's worth of CPE including 20, brand new two-hour topics presented by different speakers spread over three months. Arrange all 40 credits you need by signing up for just one series. 

Each day is offered in-person or virtually for your convenience and run from 8am to 3:45pm MT. You can register for one, two, three, four or five days - whichever works best for you. Sign up for the series and save up to $425!

If you are not sure about making a five-day commitment, sign up for just a single day. We think you will come back for more!

August 24 - CFO - Big Picture Mega-Trends and Risks

• Big Picture Mega-Trends, Big Data & World We Now Face
• Deceit & the Whys Behind the Lies: Understanding Ethics
• Office Politics: Navigating the Minefield
• Big Four Reasons Why CPAs are Fired

October 25 - CFO - Planning for the Long-term   

• Strategy & Implementation, Foundations for Success
• Best Practices EVA/RCE: Metrics to Gauge Real Performance 
• Innovation for Continued Success: Sustaining the Organization 
• Accounting for Lean & Agile: Staying in Step with Lean Operations

October 26 - CFO - Skills for 2023 and Beyond   

• DEI Done Right - Lessons from Change Agents
• Accomplishments Follow Failures: Success Through Experimentation
• Getting the Most When Selling a Business
• Measure What Matters: Identify the 'Right' KPIs & Metrics

December 4 - CFO - Staying Ahead in a Dynamic Economy 

• Cybersecurity for the CFO: Ransomware & Beyond
• Detecting Internal Fraud - Expect the Unexpected
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Tips & Speed Bumps to Avoid
• Transition Smoothly in Business: Success & Fun in Your New Role

December 5 - CFO - Today's Staff Retention and Accounting 

• Staff Retention: Attract & Keep the Best People
• Accounting for Equity Compensation Plans: Beware of the Pitfalls
• Inventory Accounting: GAAP, Software & Variance Recognition
• Awesome Business Lessons from the Past: Learn from the Best!

August 24 - CFO - Big Picture Mega-Trends and Risks

• Big Picture Mega-Trends, Big Data & World We Now Face
  • It is easy for us to get caught up in our work, but it is better to examine the 'big picture' by studying the outside factors that impact our business beyond our internal processes and day to day responsibilities. We are sometimes so busy with our tasks that we miss new developments until the developments have a profound impact on us and the organization. This session is designed to review many of these current trends, while thinking and discussing how these trends can impact our organizations and us. This is a fun and lively session that is intended to be interactive with participants either live, virtual or both. Our ever-changing world is evolving more than many realize.
• Deceit and the Whys Behind the Lies: Understanding Ethics
  • Our guidance on ethics comes from the AICPA and other groups, but it does not fully address the "why" behind ethics. This session will examine and define what ethics is and what it means to varying people in the workplace. Understanding what motivates people and understanding those people are key to both solving ethical dilemmas and workplace issues that can lead to greater job satisfaction and efficiency. To correct an issue, you need to delve into the root cause - the why?
• Office Politics: Navigating the Minefield
  • Office politics can derail careers and destroy organizations. It exists, and we will provide solutions towards improving the workplace dynamic. Using office politics for good can be constructive. This session will cover the core elements of office politics and ways in which they may be solved, so the organization can thrive. If you have seen first-hand the destructive power of negative office politics, this seminar will be enlightening.
• Big Four Reasons Why CPAs are Fired
  • Whether you are in public practice, a consultant, or in industry - no one wants to lose their clients or their job. But why do so many CPAs treat their clients badly? Result - the client fires that CPA. What are the four (4) leading reasons why clients fire their CPA or consultant? Why do these actions alienate clients? Agreed, some of these actions may be unintentional, but the result is the same, the client moves on. Frustrating because it takes a long time to cultivate good clients.
  • The discussion focuses on over forty (40) recommendations to strengthen the relationship with the client, to hopefully prevent the client from moving on. You may not practice the Big Four Reasons Why CPAS are Fired, but you probably know others who do. What are the lessons learned? We will discuss proven techniques to effectively retain existing clients, keep you employed and help you gain new clients! 

October 25 - CFO - Planning for the Long-term

• Strategy & Implementation, Foundations for Success
  • Does your business have an effective strategy? If you do - how well has it been implemented? This seminar will focus on developing an effective strategy and more importantly on effectively implementing the strategy so that everyone in the organization, from top to bottom, is aligned and working towards its overall success. Organizations that succeed are not accidents, they are not lucky. Every successful organization plans well and executes their strategic plan well. Come and learn how.
• Best Practices EVA/RCE: Metrics to Gauge Real Performance
  • How much profit is enough? Answering this question requires an understanding of the true risk involved and what the market requires of investments of similar risk. Learn why GAAP accounting measures can lead you astray when trying to evaluate the true economic performance of an enterprise. The measurement of economic costs and revenues requires the inclusion of opportunity costs that GAAP does not measure. The seminar looks at how this required return is established and provides hands-on guidance on two state of the art techniques for measuring true economic profit. If you are in leadership, or want to be, this seminar will provide practical, new insights. 
• Innovation for Continued Success: Sustaining the Organization
  • Disruptive innovation has ended many businesses and led others to take their place. Learn why previously successful companies failed to innovate. We will discuss the four types of innovation that can lead to success. We will learn why and how our expectations can help or hinder innovation. We will discuss strategies to encourage innovation and how an enterprise can structure its activities to foster innovation. Successful organizations thrive, while organizations that do not innovate are on the path leading elsewhere. 
• Accounting for Lean & Agile: Staying in Step with Lean Operations
  • The plodding accounting conventions of yesterday can inhibit the quickly adapting operations of today. As business processes become faster, scheduling, inventory management, and data collection must change to reflect your organization’s new reality. This session will help you adapt your accounting methods as the world is changing around you.

October 26 - CFO - Skills for 2023 and Beyond

• DEI Done Right - Lessons from Change Agents
  • Why is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) so important for businesses? What is the business case for DEI? What are the economic benefits of DEI activities? What are the ethical considerations for DEI? What can business executives do to encourage Diversity? What can executives do to ensure inclusion of diverse employees, shareholders, customers, and other stakeholders? DEI is not a fad. In 2022, more than half of the Fortune 500 published DEI metrics. Don't be left behind. 
• Accomplishments Follow Failures: Success Through Experimentation
  • Every success is the result of numerous experiments that failed. Every scientific advance was preceded by failures. To be direct, failures lead to success. Every failure is temporary, merely an opportunity to improve. Why are failures feared? Successful organizations continuously experiment, e.g., QVC, so they can learn and stay ahead of the competition. Recall the maxim - if you keep doing what you have always done, then you always get what you always got. We will demonstrate the advantages of embracing experiments as a method to improve the organization and fuel growth. 
• Getting the Most When Selling a Business
  • Every business will be sold eventually. When you have built a great business and decide to move on – you want the most you can get for that terrific organization! What are the steps to take to maximize the value realized? What do buyers really want? What are the three levers to achieve maximum value? If you want top dollar, preparing to sell takes years of planning. This seminar helps CEOs, entrepreneurs, CFOs, Board members, controllers, and their advisors prepare for a successful sale of the organization to maximize shareholder value. We will outline the process to get the most bang for the buck. Proper exit planning demands planning and time. 
• Measure What Matters: Identify the 'Right' KPIs & Metrics
  • With all the data available today in our organization, industry, economy, and globally, how do we identify what to measure and how? Each organization has their own needs. Often, we focus on the same old metrics. Metrics from other industries may be applicable to your industry that we never thought of. Metrics are not only for managers; they are for employees at all levels. Effective dashboards help achieve organizational goals and objectives. We have too much data and this seminar will show you how to turn data into useful information.

December 4 - CFO - Staying Ahead in a Dynamic Economy

• Cybersecurity for the CFO: Ransomware & Beyond
  • Cybercrime increased by over 500% during the pandemic. Many financial leaders are tasked with overseeing computer security, which is typically outsourced. Recall the maxim, trust but verify. Why do we not inspect those we pay to manage our cybersecurity? How many backup plans should we have? Verizon reports that 44% of all data breaches by companies with less than 1,000 employees were caused by malicious employees. How to test for security? Is insurance enough? What is the 'worst thing that could happen' and how to prepare for it? We will review a multi-step plan on how to enhance your data integrity. Be prepared, because at the end of day - you will be held accountable and responsible for cybersecurity.
• Detecting Internal Fraud - Expect the Unexpected
  • Two-thirds of small businesses will experience some form of employee fraud according to the Better Business Bureau. 30% of business failures result from employee fraud. Current estimates indicate businesses lose 5% of their revenues to occupational fraud. Small businesses incur higher median losses when fraud occurs. Many businesses do not have adequate controls in place to prevent and detect fraud, often because of time, staff, or financial constraints. This session will discuss common frauds and fraudsters and identify realistic ways for businesses to take steps to prevent becoming the next victim.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Tips & Speed Bumps to Avoid
  • Mergers, acquisitions, and alliances have been - and will continue to be - major paths to organizational growth and increased competitive advantage. Despite the great initial promise of many mergers and alliances, few seem to yield the anticipated results. Numerous studies indicate that between 55% and 77% of mergers fail to accomplish their intended purpose. This course helps financial professionals, and their advisors identify, execute, and consummate mergers and acquisitions that create shareholder value while avoiding the many traps that can cause post-acquisition failure.
• Transition Smoothly in Business: Success & Fun in Your New Role
  • Every professional will change roles many times. Is your position changing, e.g., a promotion, a new job, retirement, joining a Board, or a fresh college graduate? How to transition smoothly and understand those who you will work with? How do I fit in? How do I learn what to do and what not to do? Do not forget your life outside of work. It is a job, not there for your personal convenience to work when you want to. Can you have it all? How do I work with older/other/younger people? Everyone will move on to new opportunities, this seminar will prepare you on how to move on and be successful!

December 5 - CFO - Today's Staff Retention and Accounting

• Staff Retention: Attract & Keep the Best People
  • Why do your best employees leave? Does it seem like you spend far too much time recruiting? Do your people leave just as they become productive? If you think your turnover is because the younger generations are different from earlier generations, you probably are not looking at the real source of the problem. We will review the facts and research about why people leave. Learn the changes you should make now.
• Accounting for Equity Compensation Plans: Beware of the Pitfalls
  • In today's business world, there is a war for talent and organizations with the best talent will win. We clearly need to motivate talented personnel. Equity compensation plans are useful to retain, reward and recruit. The GAAP and tax accounting for equity compensation plans is not static and decisions that you make during plan set-up can have major consequences to your organization's bottom line and your management team's personal tax situations. We will review nuances and details that impact proper accounting. Whether you are the CFO or CEO who has not been happy with prior equity compensation plans or the accountant who performs the intricate analysis and detailed accounting for these plans - this session will help you understand the issues and get it right the first time.
• Inventory Accounting: GAAP, Software & Variance Recognition
  • Proper inventory accounting is deceptively complicated. Do you have the required accuracy? Do you desire to become more thorough in inventory accounting, or need to refresh, or strengthen your inventory accounting skills? This session will help you get there quickly! The session focuses on the crucial components: GAAP inventory, inventory software, and methods for dealing with variances.
• Awesome Business Lessons from the Past: Learn from the Best!
  • Why not learn, or re-learn, some amazing business lessons from the past that are still effective today? What did Henry Ford do when annual employee turnover was 370% and workers demanded more pay? Sound familiar to today’s world? Ford's solution worked! We see today's problems and believe that these problems have never occurred before. Not true. We will discuss timeless business lessons that are as practical today as when they were written decades ago. We will review; 'How to Win Friends and Influence People,' 'Today and Tomorrow,' and 'The Art of War.' Let's learn from the very best, as these lessons have been battle tested and proven over time.