LIBOR has been at the forefront of our attention since 2012, when it was revealed that financial institutions were manipulating the rate for their own gain. The UK Financial Conduct Authority is set to discontinue LIBOR by the end of 2021, and it’s important we are ready for the transition. In this edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Tom Hunt, director of Treasury and Payments Services at AFP, speaks with David Bowman, senior associate director at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Bowman serves as the Board’s senior staff liaison to the Alternative Reference Rates Committee. In this episode, Bowman provides an update on the status of the LIBOR transition, what needs to be done before year end, and advice for corporates approaching their banks about rate alternatives. This episode expresses personal opinions that do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Reserve.

AFP Conversations

226. David Bowman: The LIBOR Transition

Since March 2020, many of us have been operating in crisis mode, leading to quick pivots to embracing new policies and processes on the fly. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, John Gibson, director of Education and Content Strategy at AFP, sat down with Jennifer Moss, who is speaking at the AFP 2021 Wellness Keynote, sponsored by RBC. Moss is globally recognized as an expert in burnout, and just published her newest book, The Burnout Epidemic. In this interview, Moss gives a preview of her keynote, “Preventing A Burnout Epidemic,” where she will provide prevention tactics and strategies to manage burnout during times of stress. Moss will also offer tangible solutions that leaders can implement to improve their employees’ well-being. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the event and register, visit AFP2021.org.

225. Jennifer Moss: Preventing A Burnout Epidemic

In order to be successful, every leader must develop a game plan that accounts for the politics and personalities of everyone involved. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, speaks with DeMaurice Smith, who will kick-off the AFP 2021 Executive Institute, sponsored by PNC. Smith has served as executive director of the National Football League Players' Association since 2009, and prior to his role now, was recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in the country. In this interview, Smith gives a preview of his keynote, “Operational Game Strategy: Managing Plans, Politics, and Personalities,” where he will share insider stories from both his current leadership position and his previous life as a homicide prosecutor that exemplify the importance of strategic planning and contextual decision making. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the event and register, visit AFP2021.org.

224. DeMaurice Smith: Operational Game Strategy: Managing Plans, Politics and Personalities

Being a “backable” person means you are able to rally others around a new idea in a way that inspires action, and great leaders invest in backability because it makes their people more adaptable to addressing complex problems. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, sits down with Suneel Gupta, who is speaking at the AFP 2021 Certification Keynote, sponsored by PNC. Gupta is the author of the bestselling book, Backable, which uncovers how the key to success is in your ability to persuade others to take a chance on you. In this interview, Gupta gives a preview of his keynote, “Backable: Why Some Ideas Catch Fire While Others Get Ignored,” where he will present the surprising truth about why some ideas are embraced while others get ignored, and shares techniques for turning a new idea into an inspiring vision. AFP 2021 takes place November 7-10 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the event and register, visit AFP2021.org.

233. Suneel Gupta: Backable: Why Some Ideas Catch Fire While Others Get Ignored

A leader’s ability to manage difficult conversations can determine their success, whether its dealing with resource allocations, negotiating with a bank or disagreeing with a colleague. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Tom Hunt, CTP, director of Treasury Services at AFP, speaks with best-selling author Sheila Heen, who is one of the keynote speakers at the AFP 2021 Executive Institute, sponsored by PNC. Heen often partners with executive teams to help them work through conflict and repair working relationships. In this interview, Heen gives a preview of her keynote, Navigating Your Most Complex Conversations with Greater Skill and Better Outcomes, where she will provide a framework to understand the structure of having tough conversations. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the event and register, visit AFP2021.org.

232. Sheila Heen: Navigating Your Most Complex Conversations with Greater Skill and Better Outcomes

In order to position employees for career advancement and build a better workforce, organizations must invest in talent development strategies that capitalize on the strengths and abilities of employees. In this edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, speaks with Dennis Carey, vice chairman of Korn Ferry. Carey recruits board directors, CEOs and their direct reports, and has placed and assessed some of the most successful CEOs and directors for more than 75 leading Companies in the Fortune 500. In this episode, Carey discusses how companies must build on employees’ talent to remain competitive as they adapt to the constantly changing environment.

231. Dennis Carey: Talent Development

In a fast-paced world driven by complex and diverse factors, the ability for finance professionals to connect the dots is often more important than developing the dots. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, director of FP&A Practice at AFP, speaks with Vikram Mansharamani, who will appear at AFP 2021 as the FP&A Keynote, sponsored by OneStream Software and Workday. Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher, Harvard Lecturer, author, investor, and regular commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. In this interview, Mansharamani provides a preview of his presentation, The Generalist Advantage: Zoom Out To Anticipate The Future, where he will show attendees how to look differently at their business, spot risks, take multiple points of view, and capture opportunities others miss. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the event and to register, visit AFP2021.org.

230. Vikram Mansharamani: The Generalist Advantage

The importance of this question should be clear—the normal operating environment is full of volatility and uncertainty. CFOs and FP&A seem to have been on every corporate leader’s speed dial and phone favorites list as the need to know where we are now matters, and the need to know where we are going matters more. This is an opportunity for CFOs and their teams to lean into the challenge, and in this episode of AFP Conversations, AFP’s Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, director of FP&A Practice, sits down with Karlo Bustos, vice president of Professional Services at Board International, to address two key questions: What does finance leadership look like across the business enterprise? And what does finance leadership look like in managing the finance function itself?

229. What is Finance Leadership?

In today’s competitive job market, it is now more important than ever to recognize that learning itself is a skill. In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, speaks with Matt Smith, McKinsey and Company’s chief learning officer. Matt is responsible for developing the firm’s learning-and-development strategy and for the execution of learning-and-development programs for more than 29,000 colleagues globally. In this interview, Matt discusses the fundamental skill of learning, how to nurture learning in others, and how companies can create a learning culture. He also discusses his “3x3x3” approach to learning, a practical strategy to continually learn, grow and achieve development.

228. Intentional Learning and the Career Advantage

In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of AFP, speaks with Shawn Kanugo, who will appear at AFP 2021 as the MindShift Keynote speaker. Kanugo is a globally recognized innovation strategist who works closely with leaders to better plan for the opportunities and threats associated with disruptive innovation. In this interview, Kanugo provides a preview of his presentation, Disruption DNA. He presents a roadmap for facing the onslaught of technological disruption impacting finance by exploring how to think and act differently to ensure you remain competitive and relevant. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. The early registration deadline is through June 25, 2021. To learn more about the event and to register, visit AFP2021.org.

227. Shawn Kanugo: Disruption DNA

In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of AFP, speaks with Amy Edmonson, who will appear at AFP 2021 as the Tuesday Keynote speaker. Edmonson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and author of the book The Fearless Organization, which offers practical guidance for teams and organizations who are serious about success in the modern economy. In this interview, Edmonson provides a preview of her presentation, Leading Through Crisis: Leveraging Teaming to Solve Problems and Innovate. She discusses the value of successful teaming in a crisis and provides concrete tools that leaders and their teams can use to innovate in the face of disruption. AFP 2021 takes place November 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C. The early registration deadline is through June 25, 2021. To learn more about the event and to register, visit AFP2021.org.

226. Amy Edmonson: Leading Through Crisis

SkyStem is a leading provider of month-end close automation platforms. Its solution, ART, helps CFOs and controllers shorten the month-end close cycle and time to issue financials by automating balance sheet reconciliations, managing month-end tasks, performing flux and variance analysis, and providing insightful reporting. In this episode of AFP Conversations, Tom Hunt, CTP, AFP’s Director of Treasury Services, sat down with Linda Harris, assistant corporate controller at Ichor Systems, and Nancy Wu, head of sales and customer support for SkyStem, to discuss the month-end close and reconciliation process, potential challenges teams may face, and best practices for adoption. Visit SkyStem’s webiste for more information on month-end close automation platforms.

225. SkyStem: Month-end Close Automation

The common term “implicit bias” refers to attitudes or stereotypes that adversely impact or influence one’s understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious way. But how are these implicit biases manifested and what are their impact on an organization’s culture? In this episode of AFP Conversations, Jenny Okonkwo, president of Transform Consulting and founder of Black Female Accountants Network, a volunteer led professional women's network with membership across Canada, the UK, the U.S., and Europe, discusses the important topic of implicit bias and her experience fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. From a diversity and inclusion standpoint, Okonkwo deeps dives into how individuals can mitigate against implicit or unconscious bias to attract a quality workforce, build quality teams and lower retention as an organization. Okonkwo also provides listeners with tools for managers and leaders to get outside of their bubbles and reflect on their own biases, advice for how organizations can create long-lasting equitable solutions, and ways to develop an organization-wide DEI strategy. Read Okonkow’s article, Implicit Bias in the Workplace, and visit the AFP DEI Resources page for more information.

225. Addressing Implicit Bias in the Workplace

What if financial professionals could have access to information that has previously been unknown, like what others are thinking and feeling? Dan Seidman, Managing Director of Read Emotions, believes that reading hidden emotions is a behavioral science that can be applied to managing, coaching and business partnering. In this episode of AFP Conversations, Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, AFP’s Director of FP&A Practice, is joined by Seidman to discuss how recognizing the emotions others feel during critical meetings is key to increasing empathy and rapport. As finance engages with a variety of business partners with different agendas, priorities, and points of view, sustained success in this area requires the ability to build constructive relationships. Listen as Seidman explains how to apply these skills in the business arena – both in-person and online – to improve emotional intelligence. Seidman will be speaking at AFP FinNext 2021 Virtual for the session, “Read (Hidden) Emotions: The Science Behind a New Skill.” Click here to learn more about the event, taking place March 23 – 25.

224. Dan Seidman: Read (Hidden) Emotions – The Science Behind a New Skill

In 2020, AARP was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. Specifically, the Baldrige committee praised AARP’s Enterprise Dashboard, which enables leaders to sustain a focus on achieving the organization’s key objectives: grow impact, grow relevance, grow revenue and engage workforce, driving down to individual performance objectives. Scott Frisch, AARP’s EVP and COO, was one of the prime drivers of this work. In this episode of AFP Conversations, Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, AFP’s Director of FP&A Practice, is joined by Frisch to discuss the strategy and tactical implementation – including statistical models and organizational staffing – to create a North Star for the entire enterprise. Frisch will be speaking at AFP FinNext 2021 Virtual for the session, “Data Dashboard for Total Impact.” Click here to learn more about the event, taking place March 23 – 25.

223. Scott Frisch: Data Dashboard For Total Impact

Ira Apfel interviews corporate treasury and finance executives about their latest challenges and insights. Topics include blockchain, fintech, cybersecurity, payments, risk, FP&A, career development, and more.

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AFP Conversations

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