Fairfield University will hold a roundtable discussion here next week on how chief financial officers can help put their companies back on a growth path without taking inordinate risk. The roundtable, taking place on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 a.m. in Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business Dining Room, will provide area CFOs with practical advice for regaining the initiative at a time when many companies are content to let cash build. This event promises to be an enlightening opportunity for these business executives who are charged with managing the financial responsibilities of their respective corporations. It will be co-hosted by the Connecticut Chapter of the CFO Alliance, a national association of 1,500 senior corporate finance executives.

Patricia Glassford '85, vice president and CFO of GE Capital Restructuring Operations, will lead a presentation during the roundtable that will help chief financial officers discuss, debate and dissect tactics, techniques and practical tips they can use to evaluate their current businesses, re-focus on their core and plan for future growth and profitability. In interactive discussions following Glassford's presentation, the CFOs will describe and assess their current approaches to growth.

More specifically, the roundtable will address how chief financial officers can use market intelligence to assess their companies' competitive advantage, re-focus on their core businesses while effectively deploying cash to exploit new opportunities for growth, and apply the planning and innovation processes and techniques that GE uses for its own growth initiatives.

The ticket price to attend the roundtable is $30 for non-members and basic CFO Alliance members. There is no charge for CFO Alliance all-inclusive members and first-time attendees.

Fairfield became an academic partner of the CFO Alliance in 2009. Norm Solomon, Ph. D., dean of the Dolan School of Business, sees the partnership as a great opportunity to engage with regional corporations. "These roundtables have proven to be dynamic forums for business leaders in the community to engage with their peers and gain valuable insights on issues that are vital to the success of their corporations."

The partnership with Fairfield comes as the CFO Alliance expands its organization within the Connecticut area. It was founded by finance and accounting executives to provide themselves with a networking platform to discuss critical opportunities and challenges. Alliance members serve either in management or executive-level positions in publicly traded or privately held companies around the globe.

About The CFO Alliance
Founded in 2007, The CFO Alliance provides CFOs with an exclusive live events network and a knowledge based, online community where members can collaborate, discuss critical issues and share knowledge among their peers. The CFO Alliance, powered by relationships with best-in-class Academic, Media, Industry, and Sponsor Partners, produces bi-monthly, interactive, discussion-oriented Breakfast Roundtables in each of its markets. CFO Alliance Contact: Lindsay Kershner, lindsay.kershner@thecfoalliance.org , (484) 354-6767.

About Fairfield University
Fairfield University, founded by the Society of Jesus, is a coeducational institution of higher learning whose primary objectives are to develop the creative intellectual potential of its students and to foster in them ethical and religious values and a sense of social responsibility. Jesuit Education, which began in 1547, is committed today to the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.

The Dolan School of Business was established in 1978, and received full accreditation of its graduate and undergraduate programs by the AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business on March 6, 1997. In 2000, the School's advancement was further recognized: It was named the Charles F. Dolan School of Business in response to a very generous gift of $25 million from Charles F. Dolan, founder and chairman of Cablevision Systems Corporation and long-time friend and trustee of the University.

The School is housed in a state-of-the-art facility with eleven classrooms, three computer labs, eight group workrooms and outstanding media and technology equipment. The building has extensive lounge and meeting areas for student activities and unrivaled offices for faculty and staff. The School faculty are dedicated to teaching excellence and they have the unique ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice because of their business experience and strong academic backgrounds.

Posted On: 10-29-2010 10:10 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 95