Franchise Accountants Forum Speakers
/The Franchise Accountants Forum is being held on Tuesday 16th June in Sydney (9am to 5pm). It is our flagship event of the year and will be a fantastic way to build your connections and increase your franchising knowledge. This event is specifically designed for the key decision makers and financial people inside franchisors. This includes CFO’s, Finance Directors, Financial Controllers and CEO’s.
We have some fantastic speakers lined up. Here's who they are, and what they will be speaking about.
Update (19th June) - We've added some additional sessions, including discussion time and a couple of hot topics including Financial Distress in franchise systems and how to handle it. You can view the agenda here Agenda FAN Conference 2015.
Cracking the new Franchising Code: What accountants need to know
Speaker: Dr Michael Schaper, Deputy Chair ACCC
ACCC Deputy Chair, Dr Michael Schaper, outlines the main financial aspects of the new Franchising Code of Conduct. Dr Schaper also provides an insight on the pivotal role accountants play in advising franchising clients.
Get real boss! Unlocking potential through authentic leadership
Speaker: Mark Bilton, Managing Partner, Thought Patrol
Mark Bilton is a “Change Catalyst” with extensive Managing Director and CEO experience. His previous corporate role was Group Managing Director of Gloria Jean’s Coffees’ global business, leading 40 countries.
Mark has an MBA from Auckland University and is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.
Mark has led transformational change in many sectors and is internationally recognized for excellence in ‘Business Transformation’. In 2011 he was awarded the “Young President’s Organization’s’’ prestigious “Terry Plochman Award” for global “Best of the Best”. Last year he received the Michael Page ‘2014 Australian Retail Executive Award’.
Mark has a passion for helping individuals and companies ‘realize their potential’. Currently he achieves that goal as Managing Partner of leadership advisors; Thought Patrol.
Benchmarking Tips and Traps
Speaker: Doug Hutchinson, General Manager Operations, Barry Plant Real Estate
Benchmarking can be extremely helpful for a franchise system, both to stimulate performance improvement and demonstrate the value of the franchise to prospects. But it’s not always plain sailing! If misinterpreted, benchmarks can lead people to draw wrong conclusions and make poor strategic decisions.
Doug Hutchinson was instrumental the implementation of a centralised business intelligence platform for Quest Serviced Apartments. He is now developing information systems for the Barry Plant real estate group.
In his talk, Doug will highlight the tips, traps of benchmarking, and the role an accountant can play in designing and implementing benchmarking in a franchise.
The role of the modern CFO
Speaker: Sean Mura, CFO Anytime Fitness Australia
Sean Mura will explain why the modern CFO is much more than someone who looks after simply accounting and compliance, and what skills are needed to fulfil this role.
The CFO plays a key role in providing information and insights that help a business use resources effectively, make informed decisions, and obtain financing. In his talk, Sean will also explain how experience beyond accounting, communication and leadership skills are vital for accountants who aspire to leadership roles.
Economic Update
Speaker: Katie Hill, Economist, ANZ Bank
Katie conducts research and analysis in relation to the Australian economy, with a particular focus on the household sector and inflation. Prior to joining ANZ she worked in the Australian Economics and Strategy team at Morgan Stanley. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Business degree (majoring in Economics) from the Queensland University of Technology.