As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q3 2016 Issue

THE WINNERS OF THE 2016 CFO INNOVATION AWARDS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Innovators are men and women who make a difference in their chosen endeavors. Through their energy, leadership, identification of opportunities and risks, big thinking, unwavering dedication, and farsightedness, the 12 CFOs being honored this year are bettering 12 companies or tax-exempt organizations. Their bold actions have brought increased resources and/or respect to their employers. We asked each of the winners what they would say about CFOs as innovators. Several spoke about creating or carrying forward the company’s strategy. Others mentioned getting the most from their team. What these CFOs do every day is not unique, but it is highly successful because they have clear goals, leadership agility, and a plan for dealing with risk.

CFO SUCCESS AWARD- STRATEGY

The CFO who has led strategic initiatives that have resulted in significant enhancement of value, operations, realignment, rationalization, and/or financial performance.

MICHAEL DENTICI

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, T&M ASSOCIATES

“T&M is a full-service engineering firm, so innovating and creating strategy for us — and for any service-oriented company — is about evaluating where the industry is going and being at the leading edge of new services and the investments needed to become a top service-provider for whatever market area we’re trying to penetrate. It’s important for a CFO, or any financial executive, to be sure the success of a new strategy can be measured. You have to establish the right KPIs [key performance indicators] for the new strategy, and it often helps to separate the new strategy from the core business and measure it differently, at least at the outset. My mission over the last four or five years is to be sure that the company is positioned financially to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, especially opportunities that require capital from a bank or investment in enhanced benefit programs necessary to attract and retain top talent. The right medical, 401(k), and other executive compensation plans are key in our business, and we are constantly evaluating those to be sure that we have them appropriately structured and financed correctly.”

FINALISTS FOR CFO SUCCESS AWARD- STRATEGY

Barry Lederman, Chief Financial Officer, Halo Pharma

As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q3 2016 Issue

THE WINNERS OF THE 2016 CFO INNOVATION AWARDS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Innovators are men and women who make a difference in their chosen endeavors. Through their energy, leadership, identification of opportunities and risks, big thinking, unwavering dedication, and farsightedness, the 12 CFOs being honored this year are bettering 12 companies or tax-exempt organizations. Their bold actions have brought increased resources and/or respect to their employers. We asked each of the winners what they would say about CFOs as innovators. Several spoke about creating or carrying forward the company’s strategy. Others mentioned getting the most from their team. What these CFOs do every day is not unique, but it is highly successful because they have clear goals, leadership agility, and a plan for dealing with risk.

CFO SUCCESS AWARD- TECHNOLOGY

The CFO who has led technological improvements across the organization that have resulted in significant enhancement in operations, productivity, information, and/or profitability. The judges looked for a CFO who was a big part of his or her organization’s technology transformation.

TALIA GRIEP

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, BENJAMIN MOORE

“To be a CFO innovating with technology is to realize that the focus needs to be on a good implementation and all that entails, but more importantly, it is to be focused on the processes around the new technology and the people who perform those processes. Change management is vital to any good implementation. Continuous process improvement is an area of focus as well. Good and trusted advisers are key. … If you are innovating at any level, then you know that there are no sure things. The implementation could be rough, and you’d then have customer, vendor, and/or employee dissatisfaction. You could have cumbersome processes or a rejection due to poor change management. If you are pushing for change, the status quo will always push back. What makes for success is overcoming the doubt and persevering. …The main deterrent to innovation in a finance organization is that most people and organizations do not like or accept change easily. Many a career has been dashed on the shoals of the status quo. The key is to get buy-in one way or another and to push through the difficult spots. The process is not for the faint of heart, but the outcome is worth it.”

FINALISTS FOR CFO SUCCESS AWARD- TECHNOLOGY

Jorge Garcia, Chief Financial Officer, D&M Holdings

Ryan Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer, Holy Name Medical Center

As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q3 2016 Issue

THE WINNERS OF THE 2016 CFO INNOVATION AWARDS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE

Innovators are men and women who make a difference in their chosen endeavors. Through their energy, leadership, identification of opportunities and risks, big thinking, unwavering dedication, and farsightedness, the 12 CFOs being honored this year are bettering 12 companies or tax-exempt organizations. Their bold actions have brought increased resources and/or respect to their employers. We asked each of the winners what they would say about CFOs as innovators. Several spoke about creating or carrying forward the company’s strategy. Others mentioned getting the most from their team. What these CFOs do every day is not unique, but it is highly successful because they have clear goals, leadership agility, and a plan for dealing with risk.

CFO SUCCESS AWARD- OPERATIONS

The CFO who has led improvements across the organization in culture, process, productivity, and/or operational performance. This CFO has impacted the bottom line and is more strategic in the way he or she operates, says Tim Anglim, lead judge.

BILL BALDWIN

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, KEPNER-TREGOE, INC.

“Through a demonstrated understanding of the company’s operations and strategy, combined with the ability to make balanced decisions that are from a business perspective, not just financial, a CFO can add significant value to a company’s operations. … [However,] most people working in Finance are risk averse by nature, so inherently any major decisions that push the boundaries and create risk will generally create doubt. How CFOs approach these decisions and the related risks is critical and can be the difference between being a valued member of the leadership team or being the person who always says ‘No’ and potentially slows or prevents the business from meeting its strategic, operational, and financial growth objectives. Key business decisions should be made through a well-defined decision-making process, which includes clear objectives through which a series of alternatives can be evaluated based on data, so that the best-balanced choice is made. Even that best-balanced choice will have some level of risk, but if the risks are understood, preventative actions are in place, and corrective actions are planned if those risks come true, the impact on the business can be minimized. If decisions are approached in this manner, a CFO can have confidence that he or she has made the best decision and understands the risks and corrective actions to take if those risks occur.”

FINALISTS FOR CFO SUCCESS AWARD- OPERATIONS

Steve O’Connell, Chief Financial Officer, Lenox Corporation

Vladimiro Sinatti, Chief Financial Officer, Ferrero USA

Rob Weingartz, Chief Financial Officer, Arrow Finance (a Masco Company)