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SPOTLIGHT: Audit and Advisory–Beyond the Numbers
Turning Audit Insights into Action: A Strategic Guide for Privately Held Businesses
ANCHIN ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS: For privately held businesses, the annual audit is more than a compliance exercise—it is a strategic tool for enhancing financial transparency, operational effectiveness, and long-term value. This article explores…
The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Smart Audits and Advisory Powered by AI
As a Senior Financial Executive with experience in Public Accounting and the ability to leverage data to drive insights, I see a great entrepreneurial opportunity to underscore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming audit and advisory services driving innovation and efficiency to unlock new insights. AI is increasingly being integrated into nearly every aspect of our lives and industries. So, it should not come as a surprise that AI has weaved itself into both audit and advisory platforms to significantly enhance and improve efficiency, accuracy, risk detection, and the delivery of strategic insights. This article explores some of the ways that AI can be used as a tool to elevate the audit process to deliver both operational value and strategic guidance.…
10 Business Strategies to Navigate Tariffs and Tax Uncertainty
PKF O'CONNOR DAVIES: In an environment marked by fluctuating tariff negotiations, ongoing debates in Congress over tax proposals that could significantly impact businesses and divergent views on whether a V-shaped recovery or a potential recession lies ahead, businesses are navigating considerable uncertainty. Regardless of what the future holds, it’s crucial for businesses to strategize and plan proactively. While factors like tariffs, tax policies and broader market dynamics may be beyond a company’s control, there are actionable strategies to position your business for resilience and potential growth. Here are 10 strategies to position your business for a recovery and mitigate the impact of potential economic downturns…
CFO & Leadership Catalyst
Gamification as a Strategic Lever: Driving KPI Impact Through Engagement
What if your next earnings call success started with a leaderboard? You know, the kind of visual graphic that ranks progress, sparks friendly competition, and keeps people coming back for more. What if similar mechanics that drive engagement in games could also drive the KPIs that matter most to business? Recently, the CEO of one of our customers was on an earnings call getting push back from investors on Free Cash Flow (FCF) which had dropped to about 50% coming out of their first big challenge with a major post-acquisition corporate integration. For a company that focuses on R&D, it was critical to be able to reinvest in their business and also in their people who create their ‘next best innovations’. With Wall Street watching closely, the CEO set an ambitious goal to increase free cash flow conversion…
The Game-Changing Power of a CFO with Business Development Skills: Bridging Finance and Strategic Growth
Traditionally, the CFO’s role has been centered around core financial responsibilities such as reporting, budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and ensuring regulatory compliance. While these responsibilities remain crucial, today’s CFOs are stepping into a more strategic, forward-thinking role that drives business development, fosters growth, and fuels innovation. This article explores how combining financial expertise with a business development acumen can drive growth, optimize strategic investments, and align a company’s financial strategy with its long-term business goals.…
Shedding the Shadow Skin: An Open Dialogue on Executive Growth and the Modern CFO
We all carry a shadow skin. Not physically, of course, but mentally and emotionally. It is the version of ourselves built over time by pressure, disappointment, fear, and misinterpreted success.…
Positioned to Win: Fractional CFO and Investment Banker Collaboration for Successful Exits
When entrepreneurs set their sights on an exit, the caliber of talent they bring to the table can make or break the outcome. One of the earliest and most critical…
Every CFO Falls into One of Two Camps
1. The Defensive CFO This CFO sees change as a threat. They stick to old objections: They view AI as a risk to be managed, not an advantage to be…
Why SOC 2 Compliance Is Critical in the Age of AI
A Financial Perspective on Risk, Trust, and Controls The rise of generative AI has ushered in an era of extraordinary opportunity, and equally significant uncertainty. Financial executives are now tasked with walking a tightrope: enabling innovation while protecting against emerging risks. Amid the buzz around productivity gains, automation, and competitive edge, it’s easy to overlook the core governance structures that quietly enable responsible AI adoption. But we can’t afford to forget them. As AI becomes more deeply integrated into customer-facing platforms and decision-making tools, frameworks like SOC 2 are more important than ever. Not just for IT teams or compliance…
Tinker, Evers, and Chance: The Triple Play of AI—Humans, Process/Systems, and Artificial Intelligence
The crack of the bat, the dust rising off the diamond, and a flurry of movement as three infielders—Tinker to Evers to Chance—execute one of baseball’s most iconic double (and sometimes triple) plays. For more than a century, this trio from the early 1900s Chicago Cubs has signified seamless cooperation, strategic execution, and legendary efficiency. In the age of artificial intelligence, their names serve as the perfect metaphor for understanding…
The Future of Finance Operations: Agentic AI and Evolving Service Models
Financial Operations are entering a new transformative era driven by artificial intelligence and automation. At the center of this transformative era is agentic AI. Eventually this will lead to autonomous, “self-driving”…
How AI is Rewriting the CFO Playbook
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way from back-office automation. Far surpassing number crunching, it actively shapes strategy, influences boardrooms, and helps financial executives lead with insight, speed, and…
The AI Enabled Finance Organization of 2028
If Part I – How AI is rewriting the CFO Playbook opened your eyes to what’s working now, then Part II is about widening your field of vision. Because what…
The Financial Core of the Media Model – Content is King
In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, content is not just king—it’s the entire kingdom. As industries across the board adopt subscription-based revenue models, the financial strategy behind content distribution becomes a key driver of success. This article breaks down, in shortform, the financial pillars, key revenue streams, and considerations for building a robust strategy that ensures sustainability in a competitive and rapidly changing market. The Power of Subscription-Based Revenue The subscription model is not just thriving—it’s thriving across industries. At the core of this model is one thing: Content. The content you deliver to your audience is not only the…
Steering from Tactical to Strategic for Long-term Success
You can’t escape the reality of large-scale layoffs, hiring freezes, budget cuts and delayed implementation of initiatives – companies scaling back to meet earnings targets. One cannot help wondering why…
Going Beyond EBIDTA: Building an Effective Cash Management Culture in 2025
Building a cash culture is difficult and requires team effort. Achieving this cultural change should be considered a worthy goal, especially when a company is facing an uncertain business or…
Strengthening CMO-CFO Collaboration
In an important session of The Financial Executives Networking Group (FENG), two notable thought leaders, Mark Sue and Reed Berglund, unraveled transformative insights on fostering synergy between CFOs and CMOs.…
Acing the Financial Game in Manufacturing
At a recent gathering of the Manufacturing Special Interest Group (SIG) of The Financial Executives Networking Group (The FENG), financial virtuosos Mark Sue and Scott Meyers dispensed some valuable wisdom…
Navigating Philanthropy: Strategic Insights for Finance Executives
Financial advisor Juan Ros recently addressed The Financial Executives Networking Group, sharing his wisdom on aligning charitable giving within business exit strategies. Ros, well-versed in financial management and philanthropy, shed…
The Future of Treasury Management Systems and its Role in Cash Forecasting
In the beginning, the bank account was created. As companies grew, they started using many accounts at many banks. To manage/ account for this valuable asset (i.e., cash), companies relied…
Professional Development
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