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What Is My POB?

As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q1 2017 Issue

Like it or not, most of us have and need an online brand

-BY JOHN MOSKONAS, President, The ARGroup of Search Companies

Here’s a new acronym to learn: POB. It’s shorthand for Personal Online Brand. Many people you meet as you network will search online to view your POB. So, although you won’t find this word in a dictionary, it’s extremely important. Your POB is the snapshot of who you are. It includes your online friends, points of view, and professional accomplishments. If you haven’t thought about how your POB stacks up, now might be a good time to work on it. After all, year-end and the beginning of the year are the best times to assess, start anew, and focus.

But before you do that, why do you want an online brand at all?

A strong POB mitigates your risk. Let’s face it, the work environment is uncertain. You want to be seriously considered for any potential career opportunities that may arise. You should have a solid online brand presence that highlights who you are professionally and personally. This way, you’ll be found if a hiring manager or recruiter is looking for someone like yourself; you’ll be taken seriously when your accomplishments are being assessed; and your POB will support the message you are trying to convey about yourself, your expertise, and the value you can deliver. The best part is that your POB, your online brand, is mobile, so you don’t have to start over each time you begin a new job. Now, when you decide to strengthen/focus your POB, you should keep one thing in mind:

A strong POB provides consistent messages about you. If you go to a fine restaurant that was recommended by a friend, you can expect a certain experience. As a matter of fact, that experience is what makes you come back or not. If you go back a second time and you have that great experience again, you’ll solidify your feelings about the restaurant and you’ll keep going back. Why? Because you’ll know what to expect.

How does this translate to your POB? People want consistency when they think about you and your brand and when they consider engaging you for an executive position, project, or otherwise. So, be consistent in your POB and cognizant of the messages you send when you highlight your accomplishments when posting to your online accounts, because those who will consider engaging you like to know what to expect.

If you’re unsure of how your POB reads right now, just google yourself and you’ll find out pretty quickly. The online world is transparent, so the consistency of the message you send about yourself should carry through to your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other online brand platforms.

Create a strong POB yourself, or get help with it. When you do decide to strengthen your POB, you can do it yourself or you can hire a professional online marketer who can do it for you. If you decide to do it yourself, you can get tips online and/or, since imitation is the best form of flattery, you can certainly see how peers in your industry are building their POB, and then replicate their approach.

Whichever way you choose, however, keep asking yourself: What is my POB and how well is it working for me?

The Power of Passion

As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q4 2016 Issue

IGNITING PASSION IN YOUR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES CAN CREATE A WINNING BUSINESS

Most diehard sports fans will tell you they “eat, sleep, and breathe” their teams, but that’s not something you usually hear a finance executive say about his or her job. But for Frank Gumienny, CFO of the Philadelphia Eagles, it would be an understatement.

Mr. Gumienny attends all events at Lincoln Financial Field, the team’s home stadium, from each concert, lacrosse, and soccer match to every Eagles game. He even goes so far as to visit tailgate parties in the parking lot. He explained this, saying customer service is at the very heart of what he does. “Game days are very special to me because it’s an opportunity to spend quality time with those who are tied very closely to the organization.” He continued, “The fans are our customers, and they all come for the same reason. I take advantage of this time and use it in a way where I can engage and connect with them before the festivities start.”

Mr. Gumienny has been with the NFL franchise for 19 seasons, four as CFO, and every single day, with everything he does, he tries to build the passion for his team. “We are creating and cultivating a culture where everyone is an Eagle. Not an Eagles fan, an Eagle.”

He made these remarks on “CFO Leadership in Managing Operations, Finance, and Risk…69,000 Customers at a Time!” at a Middle Market CFO Dinner, part of CFO Studio’s Executive Dinner Series, held recently at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Those in attendance were surprised to learn that the CFO would be so involved with drumming up team spirit. “My whole job, this whole business, is about experience,” Mr. Gumienny said. “What we sell is passion and experience. I sell it, we all sell it.”

That resonated with Dominique Bernardo, CFO of Congreso de Latinos Unidos, a nonprofit organization that aims to strengthen Latino communities. “The personal touch of a CFO can make the difference in the experience of the consumer,” she said in an interview after the dinner. And she cautioned: “The CFO cannot afford to sit in the office and not be seen or not interact with staff and even customers.”

Mark Quinn, CFO of the Advertising Specialty Institute, a membership organization supporting the success of suppliers and distributors in the promotional products industry, said that he and his fellow CFOs need to recognize that they are in business to make their customers successful. “If you are committed to the success of your customers, it will be evident to them and your company will, in turn, be a success.”

This similarity with other businesses having been acknowledged, Mr. Gumienny made note of how unique his industry is: “Not many companies get their customers to show up on one day and share the same passion that others are showing,” he said. “They come wearing your colors, painting their faces, investing time and energy in what you do.” So part of the passion is already there, he said, but, “Our job is to continue that, to just keep fostering that passion, and above all, to show we care.”

Inside Out

To do that, he advised — and this can be done in any business — you start from within and work your way out. “Our staff members don’t just work for the organization, they are becoming it.” Mr. Gumienny added, “We do everything we can to instill that in the people we hire, making sure they come in with that attitude.” At the end of the day, “It’s just the mentality that every single one of us must have at all times and live out in every move we make.” To put it simply, he said, “Everyone inside the building has to feel the passion before anyone on the outside can feel it.”

This will only work, Mr. Gumienny pointed out, if employees are empowered. “I don’t believe that when you give people power, they abuse it. Most people want to do what’s right, and the right people are going to do the right things. If someone is going to abuse their power, you’ve got the wrong person.”

Mr. Gumienny continued, “When someone calls the stadium to see if they’re allowed to bring in an umbrella on game day, they are not talking to an operator, they are talking to the Eagles. So every staffer has to be empowered in the same way.”

Mr. Gumienny told the story of a stadium usher who went to his boss upon learning that a longtime season ticket member —whom he had seen at every home game for years — had died. The usher’s concern resulted in a memorial gesture for that fan’s loyalty to the team: “We removed the seat he had sat in and gave it to the family.” After all, said Mr. Gumienny, “that was not our seat, that was Grandpop’s seat.”

Mr. Gumienny said the usher was celebrated for knowing that this was something that should be brought to the attention of management, “which is impactful.” At the same time, the family will be fans forever. “We did this because it was the right thing to do, but the by-product is that they are fans for life. They’ll never forget it, and they’ll never let their kids forget it.”

William Curnan, CFO/COO of Advancing Opportunities, a provider of services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, attended the dinner and in an interview afterward said he was genuinely impressed with the way the Eagles organization thinks of themselves and their fans as part of the team. “They build a home for them and they treat them like family, with respect and with pride to have them as fellow Eagles.”

Also in an interview, Curt Allen, Vice President and CFO of Subaru of America, made a comparison between his company and Mr. Gumienny’s Eagles. “The passion that the Eagles organization shows to their fans is what Subaru calls the ‘Love Promise.’ Subaru builds relationships with its employees, business partners, and customers by treating them the way we would want to be treated in order to create a culture with a sense of belonging.”

Close Encounters

This is something any business can do, Mr. Gumienny said in response to Mr. Curnan’s and Mr. Allen’s points: “Get your customers to feel that they are a part of the organization, to really be a part of it, and to get them on the inside, not just operating as a fringe player.”

Mr. Gumienny said generating devotion to the team is practically a mantra among his colleagues, “always on our minds as we go about our day-to-day,” and they take every chance they get to touch the fans and ignite the passion, be it on a grand scale or a very small one. “We might invite 500 season ticket members to the stadium to meet the new coach, or just one kid with autism to get an autograph from his favorite player.”

He said there are hundreds of opportunities to get tight with the fans and to bring them in closer to the Eagles, and “we go above and beyond at every turn, whenever we possibly can, to give them that ultimate connection to the team.”

This may sound minor, said Mr. Gumienny, but “guest services” at the stadium is now referred to as “fan services.” But that’s actually a big deal because “they really are fans, not guests, and we want them to feel at home when they come to a game.”

In an interview, Arlen Shenkman, CFO of SAP North America, the world’s largest enterprise application software company, expressed fascination over Mr. Gumienny’s varied and unique role: “his focus on the experience of the customer and how that experience weaves through everything the organization does, from finance to operations to game day.” He noted that every core operation within the organization relates to the customer experience. “It’s amazing to me that even the CFO is responsible for the quality of the experience a fan, a ‘customer,’ has on game day. But it makes sense.”

Mr. Gumienny said every single person who works for the Eagles is responsible for that experience, though he recognized that you can’t make all of the fans happy all of the time. “But if we continue to try to do what’s right, when we can get a win and make an impact, we definitely do it.” And that goes a long way, he added. “This kind of customer service really becomes who you are as a company. And we’re always mindful that each and every one of us within the organization has different powers to do that.”

The Business of Football

In addition to building the passion for the team and reinforcing a fan’s loyalty, “the goal of everyone on staff is to win,” he said, of what drives the organization and how it is ultimately perceived by its customers. “All decisions tie back to winning.”

He acknowledged that, “For most businesses the goal is to make money, but our primary goal is not to drive revenue and make money, it’s to win.” He pointed out that, in some ways, “You need to drive revenue and make money in order to win,” and that sometimes those two things are at odds. “Decisions to make you better on the field aren’t necessarily the same decisions that will make you money,” he said, citing an example: “We traded up to become the second pick of the draft, which comes with a much higher price tag than if you were 10th.”

In an interview, Anthony Conte, CFO of EPAM Systems, a provider of software product development services, commented on the business goals of Mr. Gumienny compared to those of his fellow CFOs. “At the core, we are all trying to accomplish the same thing, which is to make our companies the best in our respective industry. Obviously, we all go about that slightly differently, but that’s probably the one thing we have in common.”

Peter Miller, Executive Vice President and CFO of Binswanger Management Corporation, an international real estate firm, agreed: “As businesspeople, we are all trying to do one thing —more business.” He went on: “Even though the Eagles are a larger-than-life brand, it is still a business. And, like most of us, it fits the profile of a ‘big’ small business.”

In response to that, Mr. Gumienny said: “We’re not a business, but we’re almost a business.” He explained: “It’s the challenge that we’re faced with in dealing with the business side” of a sports franchise. “As CFO, you just have to balance conflicting needs and keep things moving in the right direction, which allows us to do whatever the owner and the head coach want, giving them every opportunity to win and be successful.”

Corey Smith, CFO of Dechert LLP, a global specialist law firm, attempted to sum up the discussion. “While Mr. Gumienny is in a unique industry and position, it’s clear that the role of an organization’s financial executive is ever evolving. CFOs becoming more involved outside the financial suite is critical and adds value to the organization, regardless of the industry or client base.”

Elaine Cheong, Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and a CFO Studio Business Development Partner, echoed that. “We have observed over the years that the role of the CFO has evolved dramatically.” She added, “In the 25 years that I have been in the industry, CFOs are now acting very much like COOs. They’re no longer just the finance folks. The industry, and the world, really, is moving and changing very quickly.”

Not as fast as Eagles fly, but perhaps close.

Teamwork is Key to Success

As Seen in CFO Studio Magazine Q4 2016 Issue

FOR T&M ASSOCIATES’ CFO, WORKING TOGETHER KEEPS HIS COMPANY AT THE TOP

-BY MARTIN DAKS-

With clients ranging from small, local municipalities to large, multinational corporations, T&M Associates’ CFO Michael Dentici has spent the last decade helping the national consulting, environmental, engineering, and construction management services firm stay on target and be poised for growth in the ever-changing architecture/ engineering/consulting (A/E/C) market.

As CFO and a Board member, Dentici, 62, finds himself involved in a wide range of activities spanning numerous functions of the Middletown, NJ–based company, which posted $64.7 million in revenue in 2015. From expanding the firm’s geographic footprint to helping with financial software decisions, Dentici credits T&M’s collaborative culture for being able to actively engage and offer his expertise.

“T&M is more collaborative than other companies of its size or type,” says Dentici. “I am able to work with interdepartmental teams on a regular basis, reevaluating our company programs to ensure we have the right processes in place.”

As an example, Dentici cites routine review of T&M’s benefit programs that he conducts with the human resources department. “The frequency, combined with the perspectives of inside experts and outside consultants, ensures our employees are provided the best programs at a competitive price,” he says. “I also collaborate regularly with other departments to find faster, more economical solutions to a wide array of issues, from developing internal operational reports to contract reviews.”

Currently with about 400 employees, the company operates in a non-hierarchical, flat business model and is led by a four-member operating committee of top executives, including Dentici, which meets weekly to discuss strategy and current issues. The committee and three other officers from across the company compose the Board of Directors, ensuring that those who are setting company policy have an intimate understanding of the business. Dentici also routinely huddles with operational executives to review billing, collections, operational reporting, and other enterprise processes. This operating structure gives Dentici tremendous insights and the opportunity to impact a wide range of strategic decisions and programs.

“I work with a hard-working team to serve our company’s strategic financial and growth needs,” Dentici says. “The success of our collective efforts depends on teamwork, and cross-functional communication is enhanced with monthly meetings that include regional leaders from throughout our operations.” By encouraging teams from different departments to develop cross-functional skills and by promoting a deeper understanding of the company’s capabilities across geographies, collaboration enables T&M to better anticipate situations and respond in a timely manner.

“The validity of this kind of sharing has been vetted in studies, including one by the IBM Center for Applied Insights and the IBM Institute for Business Value,” he says, noting that “collaboration in the C-suite is linked to higher enterprise performance.”

Share and Share Alike

A flexible, team-based approach has enabled T&M to handle an array of challenging projects, including one that’s currently in progress for Holtec International, an Evesham-based power plant supplier. It involves building a 600,000-square-foot nuclear reactor manufacturing complex, test loop facility, and corporate engineering facility near the Walt Whitman Bridge on Camden’s Delaware waterfront. The project broke ground in July 2015 and is expected to be complete by the middle of 2018.

“On the finance side, we have to be accountable to our client while staying on budget,” Dentici reports. “In the case of this project, this meant working with operations leaders, project managers, and others to develop budget and cost controls. With the flexibility to provide customized management reports, we were able to deliver what the client wanted, and helped our front-line teams do their jobs in a timely manner.”

A Sense of Passion

As Dentici talks about his responsibilities, it’s easy to see the passion and enjoyment of accomplishment that he brings to the table. “To be successful, a CFO has to be flexible,” Dentici says, adding that he and his team also get involved in acquisitions, like the company’s 2015 purchase of a smaller engineering and planning firm. In that project, Dentici was tasked with due diligence, financial, and other responsibilities.

Dentici says his ability to stay calm while jumping from one issue to the next comes from experience. In 1976, after graduating from Thiel College, a small, liberal arts institution in Greenville, PA, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration, he joined international CPA firm Touche Ross & Company (now Deloitte). “I eventually left Touche and commenced my extensive career in the engineering and construction industry.”

His current position fulfills Dentici’s natural curiosity, letting him get involved daily in a wide range of issues like project analysis, team management, financial systems and reporting, and other operational matters. Dentici is also called on to help in evaluating software to process management-level information.

He is quick to point out that the job is about more than just producing financial statements and analyzing cash-flow needs. “You have to be able to work closely with other departments, clients, and strategic partners,” he says.

Long-term Relationships

Even when the subject is debt financing, terms like “teamwork” and “collaboration” keep popping up in a conversation with Dentici. For example, while some companies shop around for financial partners, moving from one institution to another, T&M Associates has worked with one bank, TD (formerly Commerce Bank) for more than 15 years.

“Financing is important for our short-term working capital needs and long-term growth,” he explains. “So [we wanted] to establish a long-term, close relationship with an institution that understands our company and our needs.” This attitude of collaboration also extends to T&M’s other key business partners, including Aon, UBS, Conner Strong & Buckelew.

Dentici negotiates with TD on such issues as T&M’s line of credit, noting that although he’s not happy with any debt at all, “having access to credit and capital is just part of our business and the challenges of collections that can accompany work for local, municipal, and county agencies, a big component of T&M’s client base.”

The beat and the teamwork go on. Dentici recently participated on an eight-member team who prepared a strategic growth plan that will guide T&M through 2020, a task that involved input from just about every component of the company and took nearly nine months to complete. “Making a company successful is a long-term endeavor, and I’m pleased to be surrounded by other leaders who can link arms and create a vision that inspires employees and motivates them to follow.”

“I love working with people, especially my team,” he says. “But communication is vital, and a CFO has to be able to wear multiple hats. You have to enjoy being a generalist if you want to do this job.”