An excellent event that combined the chance to meet with suppliers, network and learn new skills and techniques.
Finance Director
Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water
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Conference
The conference programme is drafted following consultation with key senior finance professionals.
Facilitated discussion groups enable delegates to explore issues and share best practice with others in the finance industry.
Outstanding keynote speakers help delegates access the latest thinking. As the speakers and sessions are confirmed they will be posted on here.
Contact us if you would like to contribute to the programme, either with ideas for content or as a discussion leader.
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Opening Keynote Address 2010
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| The upside of turbulence |
| Dr. Donald Sull - London Business School |
As volatility dethrones incumbent leaders, it also creates untold possibilities to create economic value. Turbulence has an upside, and managers who know how to seize the opportunities arising out of seething markets will become tomorrow's champions. Based on a decade of research, historical case studies, and intensive work with established enterprises and start-ups, Professor Sull will draw lessons from companies that have consistently spotted and exploited opportunities that rivals have missed, lays out the fundamental logic of opportunity, and provides a series of practical steps to translate insight into action.
Dr. Donald Sull, Professor of Management Practice in Strategic and International Management, and the Faculty Director of Executive Education at the London Business School.
Sull is a global authority on how companies compete effectively in turbulent markets. He has been identified as a leading management thinker by The Economist, the Financial Times, and Fortune which named him among the ten new management gurus to know. The Economist listed his theory of active inertia among the ideas that shaped business management over the past century.
As a consultant and management educator, Sull has worked with companies including Mars, Oracle, Nokia, Royal Bank of Canada, Standard Chartered Bank, Emirates Airline, Baker & McKenzie, Burberry, and Schneider Electric.
Sull received his AB, MBA, and doctorate from Harvard, where he taught entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School before rejoining the London Business School faculty. He directs a week-long course on thriving in turbulent markets and teaches on the Senior Executive Programme. Sull has won teaching awards at both London Business School and Harvard.
Prior to academia, he worked as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, and a management-investor with the leveraged buyout firm Clayton & Dubilier on the Uniroyal-Goodrich Tire Company deal. He remains active in private equity as an investor and advisor to start-up companies.
Delegates are invited to read more on Dr Sull's views at: http://blogs.ft.com/donsullblog |
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Closing Address 2010
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| The rise & fall & rise again of Gerald Ratner |
| Gerald Ratner |
Gerald Ratner was the millionaire chief executive of the British jewellery chain Ratners Jewellery, which he built into the world’s largest jewellery retailer business consisting of 2500 shops, making £125m, with a turnover £2billion. After some uncomplimentary remarks Gerald made at the Institute of Directors regarding product quality, the company suffered financial losses, and was renamed Signet Group in 1993.
Gerald has now gone on to re-launch his career in the jewellery sector with an online company. Come and hear his story about how he rose and fell and has now managed to rise again, a true tale of succeeding against the odds.
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The skills you need to take you to the top as a finance professional
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| Industry Focussed Session |
| Mark Freebairn, Head of Financial Management Practice, Odgers Berndtson |
A session looking at the career paths of some of the most senior FD/CFOs, how they got to where they are and what options are open to finance professionals to enhance their own personal and professional development.
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Risks and opportunities for companies as they exit the recession: the UK and global economic view
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| Industry Seminar |
| Andrew Milligan, Head of Global Strategy, Standard Life |
| Andrew Milligan, the head of global strategy at the global fund manager Standard Life Investments, will outline the key economic, political and regulatory changes in the UK and other major economies as we exit the recession and financial crisis. A world of reordering priorities amongst companies, households, and governments provides many opportunities for those businesses or investors who are fleet of foot; however, there are considerable risks from policy errors and structural overhangs, such as the build up of debt, which will make this recovery very different from the past and potentially more volatile. |
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21st century finance and shared services - are they good bedfellows?
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| Industry Seminar |
| Dan Foley, Award Winning Leader in Shared Services, Business Transformation/Change & People Management |
With the economic conditions fostering new financial challenges on all, is Shared Services/Outsourcing the answer to many of these challenges?
This session will review the current trends on Shared Services and Outsourcing in the context of these changed times, noting where leading organisations are succeeding in the people, process and systems fields. It will also consider whether there are opportunities out there which will drive and deliver benefits quicker than expected.
Finally, the session will conclude with a more realistic up-to-date review of the role of the accountant in this arena, noting a case study which concludes that 21st Finance is about People more than Process and Systems.
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The power of executive presence: how to make yourself less remote by developing the art of storytelling
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| Professional Development Session |
| Roger Edward Jones, Business Coach & Author |
The art of storytelling is something few business people employ to best effect. Too often they use logic alone to try to persuade others’ and rarely succeed. Others’ struggle to have the impact they deserve due to their lack of personal presence.
In this session you will learn the key techniques that storytellers have used for centuries to effortlessly engage, enthuse and motivate others.
You will gain valuable insights into how to:
• Confidently influence others.
• Lead with passion and clarity.
• Bring logic to life.
• Deliver authentic and engaging communication with impact.
• Increase your personal presence.
• Become more authentic.
• Effectively motivate others into action.
• Bring your communications to life and become less remote.
We will explore effective ways to tell stories and the types of stories to use in business, how to structure stories, when to use stories to embed your key messages and how to bring them to life using key senses.
This session is designed for leaders who want to become more inspirational and encourage their organisations to achieve their goals by engaging hearts & minds.
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Communicating in turbulent times
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| Professional Development Session |
| Steps Drama Learning Development |
Combining clear, decisive leadership with good communication skills is considered a great asset of any leader. It’s more challenging when the decisions and the messages are difficult ones. This workshop, delivered by Steps Drama Learning Development, the behaviours specialist, will offer delegates a chance to explore the common pitfalls, and discuss and debate best practice in a practical, engaging session.
Steps is one of the leading practitioners in facilitated learning. Using drama to bring situations and discussions to life, Steps’ techniques encourage delegates to explore their skills and choices through interactive case studies. But do not worry, delegates will not be asked to roleplay!
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Highlights from Past Conference Programmes
Highlights from the 2009 Conference Programme
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| Keynotes & Forum Sessions |
| Sessions & Speakers |
Keynote Addresses:
- Opening Address: The Credit Crunch: financial stability in the banking sector - Angela Knight CBE, Chief Executive Officer, British Bankers’ Association
- Closing Address - General Sir Mike Jackson GCB CBE DSO, Senior Advisor at PA Consulting Group and former Chief of the General Staff
Industry Sessions:
- The Economic Overview for the UK: Professor Charles Goodhart, Professor (Emeritus) of Banking and Finance, Financial Markets Group, London School of Economics
- What are Boards expecting from today's CFO? - Suzzane Wood, Managing Partner, Heidrick & Struggles
- Enterprise of the future: How technology will affect the future of business and the way we work - David K. Henderson, Technology Strategy Partner & Capability Development Leader, IBM Global Business Services
Panel Sessions:
- Stuck in the middle with you: the relationship between PE & FDs in a challenging economic environment
- Light at the end of the tunnel: strategies to cope with an economic downturn
Professional Development Sessions:
- The art of effective communication in these difficult times - Claire Howell, Chief Executive Officer, The Really Effective Development Company
- Incident management - protecting your reputation and bottom line - Eddie Bensilum, Director, Regester Larkin
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