CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Download the agenda
The 2015 FMI Financial Executive Conference is a learning experience designed for financial leaders in the food retail industry. Our education program is intended to encourage a collaborative, open environment where like-minded professionals can share ideas and best practices and find solutions to the most pressing problems they encounter in their professional lives. We aim to achieve this through interactive sessions, roundtables and idea exchanges.
AGENDA-AT-A-GLANCE
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SUNDAY, MAY 3 |
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5:00 pm – 7:00 pm |
Cocktails in The Courtyard |
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7:00 pm onwards |
Evening on own |
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MONDAY, MAY 4 |
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7:00 am – 8:00 am |
Breakfast |
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8:00 am – 8:10 am |
Welcome and Opening Remarks |
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8:10 am – 9:10 am |
Never Fly Solo |
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9:10 am – 10:10 am |
The Big Picture: An Update on the Macroeconomy and the Food Retail Strategic Landscape |
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10:10 am – 10:30 am |
Networking Break |
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10:30 am – 11:30 am |
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11:30 am – 12:30 pm |
Relief For Your ACA Headache: Facing Ahead with Healthcare Reform |
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12:30 pm – 1:45 pm |
Lunch |
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1:45 pm – 2:45 pm |
How To Save a Million (or More): Creative Use of Tax Credits and Incentives to Increase ROI |
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2:55 pm – 3:45 pm |
Time is Money: Strategies for Improving the Financial Closing Process |
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3:45 pm – 4:00 pm |
Networking Break |
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4:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
You Too Can Go To Jail! |
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5:00 pm – 7:00 pm |
Cocktail Reception and Vendor Showcase |
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TUESDAY, MAY 5 |
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7:00 am – 8:00 am |
Breakfast |
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8:00 am – 8:50 am |
Mobile Payments: Staying Ahead of The Game |
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8:55 am – 9:45 am |
Accounting Update |
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9:45 am – 10:00 am |
Networking Break |
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10:00 am – 10:50 am |
People-Centric Skills: Emotional Intelligence |
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11:00 am – 12:30 pm |
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12:30 pm – 1:45 pm |
Lunch |
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1:45 pm – 2:35 pm |
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2:45 pm – 3:35 pm |
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3:45 pm – 4:00 pm |
Networking Break |
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4:00 pm – 5:00 pm |
Crossing The Generational Divide |
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6:00 pm – 9:00 pm |
A Night At The Museum (Offsite Social Event) |
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 |
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7:00 am – 8:00 am |
Breakfast |
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8:00 am – 8:50 am |
Social Engineering: Protecting Yourself, Your Assets and Your Brand |
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8:55 am – 9:45 am |
Back Office Outsourcing: Service-Level Agreements That Deliver |
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9:45 am – 10:05 am |
Networking Break |
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10:05 am – 10:55 am |
A View From the Hill: What The 2015 Congress Means For Your Business |
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11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
Leading Excellence
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Session Descriptions
NEVER FLY SOLO
Lt. Col. (ret.) Rob ‘Waldo’ Waldman - "The Wingman"
In "Never Fly Solo", former Air Force fighter pilot Rob "Waldo" Waldman applies the lessons he learned during death-defying combat and explains how to transform ordinary relationships into mutually beneficial partnerships. His message is simple: whether achieving greatness as a fighter pilot or in business, the same qualities that drive success apply: disciplined training, dedicated teamwork, impassioned leadership and most of all...unwavering trust. Join this exhilarating session and gain insight into the Wingman philosophy of peak performance, leading with courage, building trusting relationships, and working as a cohesive team to win your organization’s mission. Visit www.yourwingman.com for more details about this program.
THE BIG PICTURE: AN UPDATE ON THE MACROECONOMY, FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THE FOOD RETAIL LANDSCAPE
Scott Moses, Managing Director-Head of Food, Drug & Specialty Retail Investment Banking, Sagent Advisors
What are the crucial issues keeping food retail CFOs and CEOs up at night in terms of the state of the macro economy, financial markets and the strategic landscape? Review the key macroeconomic factors that food retail financial executives might incorporate into their strategic and financial projections calculus, discuss operational benchmarking and relative valuation and investigate the prospective shifts in the food retail M&A landscape.
IDEA EXCHANGE
Join fellow financial executives in a peer-driven informal discussion on a variety of timely topics chosen by you. This session will give you an opportunity to exchange best practices and take home actionable solutions to your toughest financial challenges. This is arguably the most popular session during the conference!
RELIEF FOR YOUR ACA HEADACHE: FACING AHEAD WITH HEALTHCARE REFORM
Kate Hubben, Client Advocate, Willis Group
Healthcare Reform is a moving target but can become a huge financial burden for employers. What are the best approaches to make sure that you stay in compliance with ACA while compressing costs? What are the key items you need to consider to avoid fines during a DOL audit? How are other grocery stores, small and large dealing with PPACA fees and reporting and what elements should be a priority in plan designs, cost transparency and compliance? Get answers to these questions and as well as an overview of innovative plan designs that will meet regulations while continuing to offer attractive employee benefits.
HOW TO SAVE A MILLION (OR MORE): CREATIVE USE OF TAX CREDITS AND INCENTIVES TO INCREASE ROI
Myriam Sido Simmons, Executive Director, National Tax, Ernst and Young LLP
The efficient use of capital is key to a successful growth strategy, especially when it is allocated for large expenditures such as real estate, equipment or the expansion of existing facilities. As a retail financial leader, do you know how to successfully negotiate and use local, state and federal tax credits and incentives to reduce your company’s use of capital and improve ROI? Knowing which projects may qualify, the types of credits or incentives available and how to present your project to key external stakeholders can mean millions of dollars shaved from your bottom line. Get an overview of the basic types of tax credits and negotiated incentives available (including grants, New Market Tax Credits and abatements), identify which capital expenditures they are best applied to and discover how they can used as a powerful financial tool to improve ROI.
TIME IS MONEY: STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING THE FINANCIAL CLOSING PROCESS
Kristina Rota, Vice President, Accounting and Control, Ahold USA (Moderator)
Dave Hooper, Vice President, Business Development and Marketing, Ahold USA
Gregg Maxwell, Group Vice President NASC, Controller Retail Accounting, Safeway Inc.
Navigating the complicated financial close-to-disclose process remains a time-consuming, headache-inducing process, but it’s a necessary evil. As any financial leader will tell you, there are a plethora of challenges to deal with – complex regulations, potential for human error, timing, automation, intense manual labor and too many spreadsheets to name a few. Join a panel of your peers as they discuss methods and techniques to streamline the closing process with more accuracy and transparency to save time, money and aggravation
YOU TOO CAN GO TO JAIL!
Bill Spoehr, Vice President-Financial Compliance, Safeway, Inc.
Federal regulators continue to focus on financial fraud through comprehensive investigations and enforcement actions. More aggressive enforcement by the SEC and Justice Department, as well as higher levels of scrutiny by outside auditors and the PCAOB, has exposed all levels of management to federal penalties and litigation , and it's no longer just the C-suite at risk. This session will give you an overview of recent financial fraud investigations and penalties and show you how to review your company's internal controls, policies and procedures to help ensure adequate controls exist to minimize the risk mid-level employees may face when things "go wrong" at the top. You’ll leave with a better sense of the financial investigations employees may face and an action plan for reducing company and personal risk.
MOBILE PAYMENTS: STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME
Tony Hayes, Partner, Retail Banking and Payments Practice, Oliver Wyman
Over the past decade, there’s been a dramatic shift in the way consumers conduct payment transactions. The payment technology landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace with the introduction of mobile payments systems such as Apple Pay and MCX, dubbed as “game changers” in the retail world. But, as retailers, how do you separate the signal from the noise and discern what these so-called “game-changers” mean for you and your retail grocery business? Join this informative and interactive session to get an overview of the mobile payments landscape, discuss and evaluate the current options and determine what’s best for you. Discover who the game-changers might be, what game we’re trying to change and whether you, as retailers, can play your own game to drive sales and lower payments costs.
COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND VENDOR SHOWCASE
Build and foster new business relationships and catch up with old friends at this casual cocktail reception with open bar and light hors d’oeuvres. Spend time getting to know the products and services of the conference sponsors at the vendor showcase.
ACCOUNTING UPDATE
Melissa Palmer, Partner, Retail and Consumer, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Loredana C Pfannenbecker, Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Attend this informative session to get crucial updates on accounting and reporting developments and stay current on changes in the regulatory environment, with a focus on the value provided to investors from integrated reporting. Get an overview of recently issued accounting standards, specifically what retailers need to know about adopting the new revenue recognition standard. Discuss the latest changes and trends in abandoned and unclaimed property.
PEOPLE-CENTRIC SKILLS: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Danny Goldberg, Founder, GOLD SRD
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and manage one’s emotions, behaviors, moods and impulses in certain situations. It is also understanding the root causes of these emotions and how using emotional information can help to effectively identify who you are and how you interact with others. Studies have shown that people with a high level of EI enjoy better mental health, exercise greater judgment, perform better on the job and possess stronger leadership skills. Thus, EI is an important factor for companies in the hiring, promotion and employee development process. Join this session to get a basic overview of EI and its importance and learn how improving your EI skills can have a positive impact on your professional and personal life.
These discussions, led by subject matter experts will give you and your fellow financial executive peers the opportunity to ask questions and share best practices. Topics are offered in conjunction with the Internal Auditing Conference and are repeated.
- What’s New on The Hill?
Discuss legislative and regulatory changes that may impact your company in 2015 and beyond. FMI’s government relations team will answer your questions and discuss how FMI represents the retail industry in Washington.
- Current Trends in Inventory Management
Join a facilitated discussion supported by industry data on trends in inventory management, with focus on auditing practices, inventory frequency, post audit reconciliation & inventory accounting methodology. Additional discussion will take place on evolving business practices (Omni Channel), technology (R.F.I.D.) and the impact on inventory practices in the future.
- Risk Management
Bill Spoehr, Vice President, Internal Auditing and SOX, Safeway Inc
This roundtable will focus on defining risk management in a food retail setting and examine how companies are addressing risks with their board or directors, senior management, insurers and auditors. Join your peers to discuss various approaches to comprehensive risk assessment and share ideas and best practices on how to educate employees about risk management. Learn from each other how we can all do better at managing this ever-evolving high-profile issue
CROSSING THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
Curt Steinhorst, The Center for Generational Kinetics
We work in a time of unprecedented generational change. Four generations in the workforce. Five generations in the marketplace. Strategies that work for one generation can be complete turn-offs for others. This divide is a costly challenge or breakthrough opportunity, depending entirely how you and your leaders respond. In Crossing the Generational Divide, Curt Steinhorst entertainingly reveals each generation’s workplace mindset and strengths. He shares surprising statistics, laugh-out-loud stories, and frontline-tested strategies that quickly drive results across generations. You’ll leave motivated to act with ready-to-use tools you can apply immediately.
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Sponsored by RGIS
Join new friends and old for a fun, relaxing social evening at the Musée Conti, New Orleans’ famous historical wax museum. Built in 1890, “The WAX,” as it is known, is a perfect example of turn of the century French Quarter architecture and offers a glimpse into the scandalous history of New Orleans. After your personal tour of the museum, you’ll be invited to dine on a sumptuous feast of traditional Louisiana cuisine in the Legends room while being serenaded by the light jazz sound of a local jazz trio. After dinner you’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at the poker, black jack or roulette to tables for an opportunity to win a special prize.
SOCIAL ENGINEERING: PROTECTING YOURSELF, YOUR ASSETS AND YOUR BRAND
Vince Crisler, Partner, Fortalice Solutions
One of the greatest threats to you and your organization’s information systems and digital assets is the interaction between humans and the systems they use. As professionals who have access to key assets and financial information, financial executives and internal auditors are a strategic target for social engineering. This session will examine the current state of the social engineering threat, explore the latest tactics and methods used by attackers to socially engineer company employees and discuss the unique threats faced by internal auditors and financial executives in the retail industry. Learn how to recognize the early signs of potential attacks, get expert advice on how to protect yourself and your company’s assets and discover which free resources are available to help you prevent and manage social engineering risks.
Back Office Outsourcing: Developing Service Level Agreements That Deliver
Weston Jones, PMP, Ernst & Young Advisory Services
Most financial executives would agree that outsourcing back-office business functions provides significant benefits, such as lower costs, access to leading practice processes , more time for core business activities and the ability to refocus resources. Yet, not all outsourcing initiatives deliver the expected benefits. Their failure can often be attributed to weak management of vendor relationships as well as a lack of service-level agreements (SLAs) with clearly-defined performance metrics and oversight procedures . Designing and documenting an effective SLA requires governance, oversight and alignment of common strategic and financial goals as well as flexibility to address evolving efficiency and innovation opportunities. Discover why not all SLAs are created equal and take home actionable ideas on how to negotiate, implement and manage a successful SLA that delivers desired outcomes.
A VIEW FROM THE HILL: WHAT THE 2015 CONGRESS MEANS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Andy Harig, Director, Government Relations, Food Marketing Institute
Hannah Walker, Director, Government Relations, Food Marketing Institute
Jeff Kummer, Director of Tax Policy, Deloitte Tax LLP
See what Capitol Hill and the Administration have in store for your business and the retail food industry. Get an overview of the current legislative, tax and regulatory changes that will impact your operations in 2015 and beyond.
LEADING EXCELLENCE
Dennis Snow, President, Snow & Associates
Employees watch to see how committed we are as leaders and take their cue directly from us. As customer expectations are at an all-time high and business competition is fierce – exemplary leadership today is critical. Former Disney executive, Dennis Snow, author of the book, Lessons from the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World's Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career, and Your Life helps today’s leaders step
into their multi-faceted role as visionary, facilitator and idea champion. Discover the benefits of leadership that create a culture of accountability among employees, learn how to build organizational commitment to a vision and take home specific “walk the talk” leadership behaviors that reinforce organizational values
COCKTAILS IN THE COURTYARD
Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank
Join us for cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres as we kick of the 2015 Financial Executive Conference. The setting for this welcome reception is the beautiful Courtyard at the Ritz Carlton, New Orleans, reminiscent of those that can be found behind the closed doors of mansions throughout the historic French Quarter