On Tuesday, March 1, Fairfield University's Dolan School of Business will welcome financial executives from area corporations to a CFO Alliance of Connecticut roundtable to brainstorm about best practices.

Norm Solomon, Ph.D., dean, said the CFO Alliance's choice of the Dolan School of Business as an academic partner is an indicator of the high regard the business community has for the School's programs. "The event will be another terrific opportunity for this exclusive group to engage with our faculty members. This time, Dr. Cathy Giapponi, associate professor of management, will lead CFO participants through a discussion about successful strategic plan implementation and execution."

The topic of the forum - to take place from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the Dolan School of Business Dining Room - is entitled, "Beyond Strategy Formulation: Avoiding the Obstacles and Hurdles of Strategy Implementation." The CFO Alliance, a four-year-old organization with chapters throughout the country, was founded by finance and accounting executives to provide themselves with a peer network to discuss ideas, critical opportunities and challenges. Alliance members serve either in management or executive-level positions in publicly traded or privately held companies.

Discussion will also explore:

• How CFOs can help link strategy formulation to successful implementation.
• What are the key obstacles to effective strategy execution and what are best practices for overcoming these hurdles.
• What CFOs can do to create clear measures of effectiveness by developing financial metrics to guide implementation and motivate employees.

Giapponi has been published extensively, co-writing articles on such diverse topics as "National Culture and Competitive Strategy Disclosure in Global Airline Strategic Alliances;" and "The Legal, Ethical, and Strategic Implications of Gender Discrimination in Compensation: Can the Fair Pay Act Succeed Where the Equal Pay Act Has Failed?"

"I will be discussing the problems and issues involved in strategy execution and will identify factors that contribute to successful implementation," she said. "There will also be a discussion of the CFO's role in all phases of the strategic management process."

According to Rob Cottle, assistant vice president for Development, who is responsible for Corporate Relations at Fairfield, the exclusivity of the forums provide an atmosphere conducive to members freely dissecting, discussing and debating critical issues affecting them at that very moment. He said the ultimate goal is for participants to walk out of the roundtables with real solutions.

First time attendance is complimentary.

For more information about Fairfield and directions, visit www.fairfield.edu/dsb . Pictured is Dr. Cathy Giapponi, associate professor of management.

Posted On: 01-25-2011 10:01 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 176