Editor's Department

Confessions of a CFO, Interview with Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hoffman Media, LLC.: May 2010—A leading figure in the publishing industry, Phyllis Hoffman DePiano is president and chief executive ooficer of Hoffman Media, LLC. A native of Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham, she began her career as a Certified Public Accountant with a nationally known firm before founding a special-interest publication company in 1983 that is now known as Hoffman Media, LLC.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Requesting a Pay Increase in Uncertain Times: May 28, 2010—Robert Half, International—Negotiating salary is always tricky, but it can be especially challenging in today’s business climate. While some industries are expanding again, managers are still watching budgets with a close eye. That said, companies are concerned about retaining top performers as the economy rebounds. In fact, 48 percent of hiring managers surveyed by Robert Half said that offering raises will be their primary method of keeping their best employees when...
View From The C Suite- Myles Wright: February 10, 2010—How long have you been CONTROLLER of your company? I have been with Turenne Pharmedco for 8 years and controller for the last 4. The controller is the top account position in our divisional structure. Our parent company Turenne and Associates owns Nursing Homes and the corporate accounting roles are focused on Cost Reporting, Compliance, and Medicare Reimbursement. What is your background? I owned a landscape company for eight years and when the shovel got...
Crisis Financing – Finding Capital Resources During the Great Recession: February 9, 2010—Ron Box—Are you struggling with diminished cash flow and a limited (or reduced) working capital line from your bank? Is your company in need of capital improvements or repairs and, despite a record low federal funds rate, you are unable to obtain the financing to begin projects or maintain a comfortable cushion for payroll? Why is bank financing so difficult to obtain for so many businesses and what can you do about it? For those responsible for the financial issues of...
Combating Insider Fraud: November 19, 2009—Ron Box—In these times of great uncertainty, it can appear that threats march toward your business in great numbers. It is easy to believe that the risks facing your business all come from the outside. However, the biggest threat to your business could be inside your business, working a few yards away from your office. That threat could be the very employees that you trust the most. That position of trust, sometimes earned by years of apparently loyal service, can...
Confessions of a CFO—Boyd Busby: November 19, 2009—Originally from Irvington/St. Elmo, AL, a small town south of Mobile, Boyd graduated from Theodore High School in 1989. His first job was as a copier repairman in Mobile and then as a car salesman. "I refer to my time selling cars as “The University of Joe Bullard Oldsmobile”. His next stop was at Troy University in 1996, where he enrolled to study environmental science. Chancellor Hawkins saw that accounting was a better fit for Boyd and referred him to Dr. Tom Ratcliffe,...
A Proactive Approach to an Epidemic: November 19, 2009—Jennifer Oleksa—Although the media is reporting that there is a decline in confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, the CDC says that the virus remains widespread. In addition to these concerns about the H1N1 virus, flu season is approaching. Do you have a plan in place for your staff?
Maintain Continuing Professional Education Credits: November 10, 2009—You started your professional life in public accounting and accumulated 40 hours of CPE every year in order to qualify for your permit to practice. Then you moved on to a job in industry. Limited budgets, limited time, and the knowledge that you had no CPE requirement caused you to skip CPE classes. The next thing you know, your permit to practice has expired You think that it’s no big deal. You will catch it up next year, but you don’t for the same reasons that you...