Afp Conversations

Stacey Vanek Smith is a longtime public radio reporter and host, highly regarded for her insight and journalism on work, business, and economics; I mentioned her Indicators podcast, she is also a correspondent and host for NPR’s Planet Money and Marketplace, and her work has appeared in Time Magazine, The New York Times, and People Magazine. Vanek Smith is also the author of Machiavelli for Women: Defend Your Worth, Grow Your Ambition, and Win the Workplace. Stacey is also the FP&A keynote speaker at AFP 2022 coming in October; the title of her keynote presentation will be Numbers and Narratives: Seeking a Story Among the Indicators.

We are experiencing a historic acceleration in the pace of change in our world. Artificial intelligence, digitization, robotics, 3D printing, and the rise of purpose-driven enterprises are reconfiguring how industries operate. These changes divide us into two camps: the “Disruptors” and the “Disrupted”. AFP CEO & President Jim Kaitz recently sat down with 2022 AFP Annual Conference MindShift Keynote Kaihan Krippendorff to discuss what makes companies and individuals thrive in the face of disruption. Krippendorff is an entrepreneur, author, consultant and CEO who is is known for his ability to turn difficult concepts into easy-to-understand ideas that drive meaningful outcomes and actions. In his MindShift Keynote at AFP 2022, he'll break down the underlying patterns of disruption and with compelling stories of successes, failures, and yet-unknown innovations, teaches practical tools to help you take action and become a Disruptor. 

In this episode of AFP Conversations, AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz sits down with Laila Ali, an undefeated world champion boxer, entrepreneur TV, personality, author, and wellness advocate. Ali is also the Sunday Keynote at AFP 2022, October 23-26 in Philadelphia.  As the youngest daughter of Muhammad Ali, Laila Ali has developed the values of hard work, determination, courage, and self-belief that have guided her throughout her unique career. Listen in to hear how Ali's career has evolved and how all of us can adopt an all-in attitude like hers to successfully navigate our own careers. Learn more about Ali and register for the conference at AFP2022.org.

What makes some companies succeed at creating an analytics hub within finance, while others fall short?  Larry Maisel, President of DecisionVu, joins AFP's Director of FP&A Practice Bryan Lapidus to discuss how to navigate the challenge that digital transformation presents.  They discuss the role of executives in project success and provide lightning-round definitions of often-confused terms.

In this episode, AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz and AFP 2022 Keynote Speaker Adam Grant discuss how to change our thinking to evolve the way we work—both on the individual level and at the organizational level. 

In this episode of AFP Conversations, AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz chats with Shawn Kanungo, innovation strategist, on how financial professionals can be disruptors.  Kanungo was the MindShift keynote speaker at AFP 2021.

In this episode of AFP Conversations, AFP’s Glenn Douglas chats with Brooke Lazizi, senior destination services manager for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ahead of AFP 2022, October 23-26 in Philadelphia, we wanted to hear about all the fun things to see and do in the city. Philadelphia is full of life—from the murals painting the sides of buildings, to the cutting-edge research happening at Penn—the city of brotherly love is a fantastic gathering place for curious people with a zest for learning something new. Listen in to hear about what made Philadelphia land a top spot on National Geographic, Condé Nast, and Travel + Leisure must-see lists, what’s going on in the arts scene and food scene, what’s off the beaten track—and whether Brooke has ever run up the Rocky steps.

The notion of creating digital payers out of B2B buyers can be intimidating to corporations. But as many companies learned the hard way during the pandemic, steering their B2B buyers away from paper checks and other outmoded payment methods, although challenging, is necessary for survival.  In this episode of AFP Conversations, Tom Hunt, AFP’s director of Treasury and Payments Services, speaks with Flint Lane, the CEO and founder of Billtrust. Flint has set the strategic direction of the company since its founding in 2001. Under his leadership, the company has enjoyed significant growth providing invoice-to-cash services to companies throughout North America.  Listen in as Flint and Tom discuss how accounts receivable teams can lead the charge for transitioning B2B buyers into digital payers. 

Treasury departments grapple with RTP, or Real-time Payments, every day. How are your fellow treasury professionals dealing with RTP now, and what will the landscape look like in the future? In this episode of AFP Conversations, Tom Hunt, AFP’s director of Treasury and Payments Services, speaks with payments industry expert Steve Ledford from The Clearing House. Steve has advised leading banks, financial services firms, and payment organizations in the US and globally for more than 30 years. His work has focused on payments, advising clients on business strategy, product development, IT and infrastructure planning, operations and the deployment of new payment systems. Listen in as Steven and Tom discuss use cases, volume, and Request for Payment, to get a full picture of the current RTP landscape.

Kevin Belli thinks that great data is only great when it adds value, improves decision-making and resource prioritization, and enhances an organization’s financial health. The ability to promote the FP&A discipline and partner with internal customers are among a host of skills that are key to the development of that next finance rockstar. In this edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Kevin Belli SVP, Financial Planning + Analysis at AARP joins AFP’s Director of FP&A Practice, Bryan Lapidus, FPAC to talk about the key differentiators that set the finance rockstars apart. As technology advances, everyone from the CFO to first-year financial analysts and treasury specialists has had to keep pace with that change. Kevin and Bryan discuss how the role of finance professional is changing the importance of data literacy. Finance teams must not only leverage complex data sets but—more importantly—demonstrate the necessary skills to transform this data into meaningful and strategic guidance for the organiz

LIBOR is set to be discontinued by the end of this year, and it’s important that corporates are ready for the transition. Libor is written into over 220 trillion dollars in contracts around the world. Most of those are set to mature before mid-2023. That being said, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee has estimated that about a third won't mature by that timeframe. In this edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Tom Hunt director of Treasury and Payments Services at AFP, speaks with Nathaniel Wuerffel, a Senior Vice President in the Markets Group of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Deputy Head of MOMA—the open market trading desk—for Domestic Markets. Listen in as Nathaniel recommends actions you can take both before year-end and before mid-2023.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?