Within this course we will specifically address the Controllers role and pro-active potentials in organization Strategic and Annual Planning.
This course corresponds to our Controllership series. Within this course we will specifically address the Controllers role and pro-active potentials in organization Strategic and Annual Planning. This series of courses dedicated to exploring the traditional controller role and stepping out of the box to identify areas where the controller can continue to add strategic value to their organizations.
Controllers are essential to the day-to-day accounting for organizations. Yet, the role is not often readily understood. In today’s world of acronyms such as CFO, CEO, COO, CAO etc., the controller function may get lost in the shuffle. However, they are a critical group of professionals that will ensure the adequacy and transparency of accounting and financial reporting information.
When it comes to the task of strategic planning, many feel this role is primarily the responsibility of the executive team and board. However, within this course we will delve into the various streps of strategic plan and explore where the controller can add strategic value through providing input and insight.
Strategic planning is a process used to identify goals, the strategies necessary to accomplish those goals and the internal performance management system that will be used to monitor and evaluate progress. A strategic plan is the company’s formal plan for achieving its objectives with policies, strategies and detailed actions. Strategic planning begins with the present and will extend as far into the future as is useful for planning purposes.
Other courses in this series will include: • The controller’s evolving role • The controller’s role in cash and investments • The controller’s role in inventory part 1 – inventory basics and the controller’s role • The controller’s role in inventory part 2 – inventory valuation, physical inventory methods and inventory fraud • The controller’s role in the sales process • Understanding overhead, distribution and direct and indirect expenses • The controller’s role in cash and investment • The controller’s role in operational accounting • The close the books process • The controller’s role in performance measurement, KPI’s and trends
Field of Study: Accounting
Lynn Fountain has over 45 years of experience spanning public accounting, corporate accounting and consulting. 24 years of her experience has been working in the areas of internal and external auditing. She is a subject matter expert in multiple fields including internal audit, ethics, fraud evaluations, Sarbanes-Oxley, enterprise risk management, governance, financial management and compliance. Ms. Fountain has held two Chief Audit Executive positions for international companies. In 2011, as the Chief Audit Executive for an international construction/ engineering firm, she was involved in the active investigation of a joint venture fraud. The investigation included work with the FBI and ultimately led to indictment of the perpetrators and recovery of $13M. Ms. Fountain is currently engaged in her own training and consulting business and is a regular trainer for the AICPA. Ms. Fountain is the author of three separate technical books. “Raise the Red Flag – The Internal Auditors Guide to Fraud Evaluations” was published by the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. -“Leading The Internal Audit Function” and -“Ethics and The Internal Auditor Political Dilemma” were published by Taylor & Francis In addition Ms. Fountain was a contributing author to the certification program exam for the National Association of Accountants. She also has certificate programs on various on-line platforms. Ms. Fountain has performed as an adjunct instructor for the School of Business for Grantham University and developed the first internal audit curriculum for the School of Business at the University of Kansas. Ms. Fountain obtained her BSBA from Pittsburg State University and her MBA from Washburn University in Kansas. She has her CGMA, CRMA credentials and CPA certificate (non-active).
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