Strategy, Risk, and Finance: Why We Do What We Do

Overview

This seminar will help participants define their organization’s strategy and particularly their sustainable competitive advantage by helping them understand their organization’s unique value proposition. It will also help you and your organization understand how decisions are made and help improve the quality of the decisions required to execute their strategy. Finally, it will help identify and hopefully mitigate risks to the execution of their organization’s strategy. We will also look at ways to find your company’s unique value proposition and to measure your success at creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. As of April 7, 2025, the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund suspended reimbursements for training costs to Massachusetts businesses. While we don’t have a confirmed timeline for the program to resume, it will likely be sometime this summer. We will continue to monitor this closely and encourage you to visit the state’s Workforce Training website for the most current updates and guidance.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. Firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course. The course code for this program is C-13332. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@masscpas.org.

Highlights

• Why do most strategic plans fail? • Why so many formerly strong organizations have failed • The risks of a poor plan • Why most organizations have a poor strategic plan and how to correct this • The many risks that must be addressed: Financial risk, execution risk, commercial, business, and strategic risks as well as commonly overlooked risks • How we effectively manage risk determines the success of our organizations • How Behavioral Economics will help address the risk • Understanding human nature and our decision-making process • Traps to avoid and improvements we can make so our decisions improve • Several tools and techniques to better prepare for and analyze risk • Why Finance must lead the strategic planning effort

Designed For

Corporate Financial Leaders, Corporate Financial Managers, CEOs, CFOs, Controllers, Board members, accountants, business owners, risk managers, accounting managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, advisors, and the professionals who advise them.

Objectives

We will also look at ways to find your company’s unique value proposition and to measure your success at creating a sustainable competitive advantage.