Table of Contents

REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

·        PCAOB Chairman Wants Reconsideration of Audit Firm Rotation, More

·        SEC Seeks Comment on FASB’s Role for Incorporating IFRS Into U.S. GAAP

·        AICPA Proposes Principles, Criteria for XBRL-Formatted Information

·        SEC Extends Comment Period on Risk Retention Proposal

·        PCAOB Standing Advisory Group Nominations Due June 16

·        Additional SEC, PCAOB News

·        Debt Ceiling to Remain at its Limit

·        Austan Goolsbee to Leave White House

·        Is Keynesian Economics the Path to Recovery?

·        Today’s FASB Board Meeting

·        Last Week’s FASB, FASB-IASB Board Meetings

·        Sidwell on IFRS Foundation’s Due Process Oversight

·        Update on IFRS Foundation Financing

·        IFRIC Announces Appointments, Reappointments

·        IFRS Taxonomy Enhancements Proposed

·        Additional FASB, IASB News

NEWS TO USE

·        FEI in the News - FEI in the FT!

·        Do You Work For a ‘Unique or Unusual’ Company?

FERF UPDATE

·        2011 Financial Executive Compensation Survey

·        Goodwill and Asset Impairments Survey

·        Thank You to FERF Corporate Contributors!

WEBCASTS

·        What You Need to Know About XBRL Reporting and Disclosure Management

·        IFRS: What Does the Latest SEC Announcement Mean for You?

·        Cloud Computing: Real Advice from Financial Executives in the Trenches

·        SEC Division of Corporate Finance Update on Financial Reporting Matters

·        High Growth Markets Webcast - China’s 12th Five-Year Plan: 2011-2015

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

·        Executive Enterprise Institute (EEI) Events

·        Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit

·        Enterprise Risk Management in the Banking Industry Conference

·        Washington Policy Conference - MARK YOUR CALENDARS

·        30th Annual Current Financial Reporting (CFRI) Conference

·        6th Annual Hall of Fame Gala

FEI Committee Meetings

June

·        Committee on Corporate Reporting (CCR)

·        Committee on Benefits Finance (CBF)

·        Committee on Taxation (COT)

FEI JOB LISTINGS

·        Job ID: 21654 – Vice President of Finance

WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!

RESOURCES

REGULATORY AND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

PCAOB Chairman Wants Reconsideration of Audit Firm Rotation, More

In a speech last week entitled Rethinking the Relevance, Credibility and Transparency of Audits, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Chairman Jim Doty called for a reexamination of whether there should be a move to mandatory audit firm rotation. He indicated a concept release and other potential means to reinforce auditor independence and skepticism would be forthcoming, and was expected to be issued at the same time as PCAOB’s upcoming concept release on the auditor’s reporting model.

FEI’s Committee on Corporate Reporting (CCR) will be closely following these issues as they can impact the cost and quality of a company’s audit. (CCR is also closely following the SEC IFRS proposal described immediately below.) Read more in this FEI Summary.

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SEC Seeks Comment on FASB’s Role for Incorporating IFRS Into U.S. GAAP

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently released a Staff Paper seeking comment on a relatively new idea not previously proposed as part of the SEC’s ‘IFRS Roadmap.’ That idea is the concept of the Financial Accounting Standards Board potentially, at a future date, ceasing its current responsibility of directly drafting U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, and instead serving as the endorsement mechanism to bring International Financial Reporting Standards into U.S. GAAP. Additionally, the FASB would participate in supporting the International Accounting Standards Board’s standard-setting process, as other national standard-setters currently do. Read more in this FEI Summary.  

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AICPA Proposes Principles, Criteria for XBRL-Formatted Information

Last week, the AICPA’s Assurance Services Executive Committee – XBRL Assurance Task Force released for public comment an Exposure Draft on Proposed Principles and Criteria for XBRL Formatted Information. The comment deadline is July 15.

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SEC Extends Comment Period on Risk Retention Proposal

The SEC announced it is extending the comment period – previously scheduled to close on June 10 – on its proposal to implement the credit risk retention requirements of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. As noted in the SEC’s press release, the new comment deadline is Aug. 1.

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PCAOB Standing Advisory Group Nominations Due June 16

As a reminder, nominations are due to the PCAOB by June 16 for those interested in being considered as a member of the PCAOB’s Standing Advisory Group. Read more in the PCAOB’s press release.

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Additional SEC, PCAOB News

Read FEI’s SEC, PCAOB News Roundup for additional SEC, PCAOB news.

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Debt Ceiling to Remain at its Limit

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted on proposed legislation to increase the debt ceiling. The government has recently maximized the allotted debt amount at $14.3 trillion and has requested more money to continue operations. When the legislation came before the Republican-led House, it was defeated by a 318-97 vote. Read more on the vote here.

The effects of this vote could eventually be felt worldwide. If Congress does not allow an increase in the debt ceiling, officials expect that they will eventually default on the debt. If this were to happen, the government could stop paying interest on bonds, the stock market could crash, interest rates would rise throughout the country and the U.S. governmental credit rating would plummet. To learn more about the potential effects, click here.

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Austan Goolsbee to Leave White House

President Obama’s top economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, is leaving the White House to return to his position as Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. Goolsbee is just one in a string of advisors that have left Washington to return to academia. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is the only senior official remaining from the economic team formed when Obama took office. National Economic Council Chairman Larry Summers left the administration at the beginning of the year, and Jared Bernstein, Vice President Biden’s Chief Economic Adviser, left last month. As Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, Goolsbee has led the CEA to focus on policies related to small business, education, innovation and competition, which are essential to ensuring long-term economic growth. Goolsbee will leave the White House in time to return to Chicago for the upcoming fall semester. Read for more on the story here.

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Is Keynesian Economics the Path to Recovery?

According to the most recent jobs report released by the Labor Department, the unemployment rate is still high at 9.1 percent. Most of the jobs have been lost in the professional and business services. By the end of May, the average ratio of people applying for a job to the number of vacant jobs was 4.6 to 1. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke is suggesting that the central bank use monetary stimulus to speed up the process of economic recovery. However in an article on Forbes.com by Charles Kadlec, author of Dow 100,000: Fact or Fiction, there are statistics that suggest this is not an effective method for stimulating job creation.

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Additional SEC, PCAOB News

Read FEI’s SEC, PCAOB News Roundup for additional SEC, PCAOB news.

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Today’s FASB Board Meeting

Earlier today, the FASB board met to discuss its projects on revenue recognition (specifically, rate regulated activities, and whether nonpublic entities should be exempt from some of the proposed disclosure requirements), financial instruments (specifically, initial classification and measurement, and the fair value option) and investment companies (specifically, how an investment company should account for its investment in another investment company or an investment property entity). Details are in today’s board handout. Results of FASB board meetings are generally posted same day or next day in FASB’s News Center.

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Last Week’s FASB, FASB-IASB Board Meetings

The FASB board met last week to discuss Disclosures About an Employer’s Participation in a Multi-Employer Plan, and it’s Financial Instruments: Classification and Measurement project. Details are in FASB’s Summary of Board Decisions.

Separately, the FASB and IASB boards met jointly last week via videoconference on the following topics: Insurance Contracts, Revenue Recognition, Balance Sheet Offsetting, and Leases. See the Summary of Board Decisions.

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Sidwell on IFRS Foundation’s Due Process Oversight

IFRS Foundation Trustee David Sidwell, a former member of FEI’s Committee on Corporate Reporting and chairman of the IFRSF’s Due Process Oversight Committee, was recently interviewed by journalist Robert Bruce. See Sidwell on IFRSF due process oversight.

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Update on IFRS Foundation Financing

An article was recently published by the IFRSF on IFRS Foundation Financing.

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IFRIC Announces Appointments, Reappointments

FEI member Peggy Smyth, Vice President, Finance & CFO, Hamilton Sundstrand - A United Technologies Company, is among those recently reappointed by the IFRSF to serve on the IFRS Interpretation Committee. Others reappointed, as noted in the IFRSF press release, include Scott Taub, Joanna Perry, Luca Cencioni and Jean Paré. Additionally, new members appointed to IFRIC include Charlotte Pissaridou of Goldman Sachs and Kazuo Yuasa of Fujitsu, Limited.

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IFRS Taxonomy Enhancements Proposed

Last week, the IFRSF published for public comment an exposure draft of the IFRS Taxonomy 2011 interim release: common-practice concepts. As detailed in this IFRSF press release, an interactive webcast will be offered on June 28 providing additional information (registration information for the webcast is in the press release). Public comment on the proposed IFRS taxonomy enhancements is due by Aug. 2.

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Additional FASB, IASB News

Read FEI’s FASB, IASB News Roundup for more news.

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NEWS TO USE

FEI in the News - FEI in the FT!

In the month of May, FEI President and CEO Marie Hollein, CTP was quoted in the FT.com in an article on the growing trend of CFOs transitioning into the role of CEO. In the article, entitled “Finance Directors Step On To Centre Stage,” Hollein commented that “a CFO is now much more like a partner with the CEO than at a lower place in the hierarchy.” The article also appeared in print in the UK edition of the Financial Times, and can be found here.

We also want to spotlight a few other mentions of FEI in mainstream media over the past few months. We encourage you to regularly visit the FEI press room, which is updated periodically with news releases and media coverage that spotlight our organization:

·        Marie Hollein was interviewed by Dow Jones Newswires in early spring for an article discussing how companies are exploring ways to finance their operations abroad with debt denominated in local currencies in order to try to hedge against exchange-rate movements. The article includes commentary from Hollein on the complexity of this strategy.

·        Marie Hollein was quoted in a Compliance Week article on the debate surrounding over-the-counter derivatives, which ran in April.

·        A FEI study conducted by the Committee on Corporate Reporting (CCR) was referenced in a Thomson Reuters article on regarding the usefulness of XBRL, which appeared on May 2.

·        On May 5, FEI and Baruch College released the findings of the Q1 2011 CFO Outlook Survey, which polls CFOs of public and private businesses in the U.S. and Europe (Italy and France) on their economic and business confidence and a number of timely issues. Media coverage has appeared in BNA Daily Report for Executives and CFO World.

·        On May 19, FEI released its fifth annual “Executive Compensation Study.” Stay tuned for additional updates on media coverage!

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Do You Work For a ‘Unique or Unusual’ Company?

Does your company have a product or service that is unique or unusual? If so, we want to feature your company – and you as the financial executive – in an upcoming issue of Financial Executive in the new “The Office” column. To be considered, please contact Editor-in-Chief Ellen Heffes at 973.765.1050.

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FERF UPDATE

2011 Financial Executive Compensation Survey

The survey conducted by Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) reveals that executive compensation among financial executives is showing signs of improvement from the previous year, with significantly fewer executives reporting a pay freeze in 2011. The fifth annual Financial Executive Compensation Survey offers a year-over-year comparison of compensation for finance professionals.

The study examines salaries, bonuses, long-term incentives and retirement benefits of more than 1,000 financial executives from both public and private companies, nearly half of whom are CFOs. Completed solely by the financial executives themselves, rather than human resources or executive search firm executives, the survey results provide a unique perspective on compensation trends in the finance function.

Some of the key 2011 survey findings include:

·        The estimated average base salary increase of all respondents is 3 percent – an increase from the 2.1 percent reported in 2010, which was an all-time low for the history of the survey.

·        Only a third (34 percent) of respondents report not receiving a salary increase in 2011, compared with 57 percent of respondents who experienced a pay freeze in 2010.

·        26 percent of public company respondents and 19 percent of private company respondents indicate they use discretionary performance measures to determine compensation.

More than half (52 percent) receive some form of stock-based incentive compensation, with the most cited type of award being stock options (39 percent), followed closely by restricted stock/units (27 percent).

>> Download the full report here.

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Goodwill and Asset Impairments Survey

Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB’s) standard for the accounting for goodwill, Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 350, specifies that goodwill and other intangible assets must be periodically tested for impairment.

This is the third annual survey that Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) has conducted to examine how FEI member companies have responded to the aftermath of the recession with their recognition of goodwill impairments. We want you to be a part of it!

·        Five minutes to complete: The survey should take no more than five minutes and all responses are strictly confidential and anonymous. If a question does not apply to your company, or asks for information that you do not have, please skip it.

·        Get exclusive advance access to the results: All FEI members who complete the survey will be invited to a special, complimentary webcast to analyze the results and answer your questions. You will not want to miss this!

The FERF Executive Report analyzing the results of this survey will be available at the 30th Annual Current Financial Reporting Issues (CFRI) conference Nov. 14-15 in New York City.

If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to contact Bill Sinnett, Director of Research at bsinnett@financialexecutives.org or 973.765.1004.

>> Take survey here.

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Thank You to FERF Corporate Contributors!

Our utmost THANKS and APPRECIATION to our corporate donors who generously fund FERF research! FERF Major Gift donors ExxonMobil Corporation and Microsoft Corporation, our President’s Circle Donors, along with our many corporate patrons, provide the much-needed support to produce the cutting-edge research and benchmarking tools available to all FEI members. Thank you for your continued generosity – we couldn’t do it without you!

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WEBCASTS

What You Need to Know About XBRL Reporting and Disclosure Management

Presented by Tagetik

June 9 | 10:00 a.m. Eastern | 1 Hour | No CPE credits available

Register here.

Remember when creating statutory filings and fulfilling external and internal reporting requirements involved only finance staff and financial data? Not anymore.

Today, it means aggregating information from multiple stakeholders across the organization — Investor Relations, Corporate Communications, Legal and other departments — to produce a single document. And yet, despite substantial investments in financial applications, the disclosure process remains manual, disjointed and error-prone.

Our expert panel will discuss how what’s needed today is a streamlined, automated process for collaboration, compliance and control throughout the entire disclosure cycle. CFOs are forced to meet ever-expanding and more stringent compliance requirements such as XBRL, within tight deadlines and without incurring additional costs or resources. These filing requirements will only continue to expand, making compliance more difficult, time consuming and expensive.

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IFRS: What Does the Latest SEC Announcement Mean for You?

Presented by Deloitte

June 13 | 2:00 p.m. Eastern | 1.5 Hours | 1.5 CPE credits available

Register here.

The recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission work plan update on International Financial Reporting Standards raises important questions for financial executives of U.S. companies, including what it suggests about the potential new requirements and how companies should respond.

We'll discuss:

·        What the SEC announcement really means.

·        How the announcement is expected to impact the FASB's and IASB's convergence efforts.

·        A possible timeline for IFRS adoption in the U.S.

·        What U.S. companies could consider doing now to prepare.

Learn more about the SEC's plans and how they may impact your organization.

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Cloud Computing: Real Advice from Financial Executives in the Trenches

Presented by Intacct

June 16 | 1:00 p.m. Eastern | 1 Hour | 1 CPE credit available

Register here.

Almost every day you hear more and more about "cloud computing" — but what does it mean to real-world finance executives? Is it just hype or does it deliver real benefits? What are the pitfalls and where are the best places to start?

Hear these answers and more, live, from leading finance executives and CPA firm executives. In just an hour, you'll get valuable advice and real-world recommendations, which will more than pay for the hour of your time.

Join our experts and discover:

·        Which of your applications are most suitable, and least suitable, for moving to the cloud?

·        What specific products these finance executives are using — and which would they recommend and which would they avoid?

·        What was the cost/benefit for their business — did they really see ROI from the cloud?

·        Would they do it again, what would they do differently and what are they going to do next?

·        What does this mean for your IT department — are they resistant to cloud computing?

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SEC Division of Corporate Finance Update on Financial Reporting Matters

Presented by Center for Audit Quality (CAQ)

June 24 | 1:00 p.m. Eastern | 2 Hours | 2 CPE credits available

Register here.

Hear directly from the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance staff regarding the latest information on financial reporting matters. Designed with both public company auditors and preparers of financial statements in mind, this Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) Webcast will provide you with insights, observations and perspectives from SEC staff on a range of important matters from loss contingencies to recent updates in the Financial Reporting Manual to an update on the IFRS work plan.

Moderated by the CAQ’s Senior Director of Professional Practice, Brian Wolohan, this Webcast will feature various representatives from the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, including:

·        Craig Olinger, Deputy Chief Accountant, SEC Division of Corporation Finance

·        Nili Shah, Deputy Chief Accountant, SEC Division of Corporation Finance

·        Mark Shannon, Associate Chief Accountant, SEC Division of Corporation Finance

·        Ryan Milne, Associate Chief Accountant, SEC Division of Corporation Finance

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High Growth Markets Webcast - China’s 12th Five-Year Plan: 2011-2015

Presented by KPMG

June 28 | 11:00 a.m. Eastern | 1 Hour | 1 CPE credit available

Register here.

China has recently approved its 12th Five-Year Plan (FYP), a new national development program for the next five years, 2011 to 2015. The FYP will have a broad impact on China’s economy and shape its relationship with the U.S. and other countries, and have implications for business in China and the U.S. The main FYP, together with industry-specific FYPs now under development, will offer insight into how the business landscape is likely to evolve over the next five years in China, the U.S. and other countries around the globe.

This informative webcast will be led partners from China and the U.S. who will give their insights regarding:

·        Overview of the 5YP;

·        Key themes and seven strategic investment areas;

·        Insights on key industry sectors; and

·        The road ahead 2011-15.

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CONFERENCES & EVENTS

Executive Enterprise Institute (EEI) Events

Co-Sponsored by Executive Enterprise Institute (EEI) and FEI

FEI Members save $200 by using discount FEI-PC10 when registering below events.

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Security & Risk Management Summit

Presented by Gartner

June 20-23 | Gaylord National | National Harbor, MD

Register here.

Sophisticated new threats, mounting complexity and growing dependence on IT infrastructures are making business-critical security functions that much more challenging. At the same time, next-generation security programs are producing new business intelligence—a valuable new resource for improving business performance. To stay on top of this rapidly evolving discipline, attend the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2011, the premier gathering of senior IT and business executives across IT security and risk management.

Hot topics include:

·        Governance risk compliance;

·        Cloud computing and recovery;

·        Security architecture;

·        Mobile applications and security; and

·        Security threats and vulnerabilities.

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Enterprise Risk Management in the Banking Industry Conference

Presented by Marcus Evans

July 14-15 | New York City, NY

Register here.

Attending this premiere conference will allow you to focus on the specific needs and challenges of implementing and evolving enterprise risk management strategies. The conference will address critical corporate governance issues, including securing senior management and board of director buy-in for ERM initiatives, developing a company culture that appreciates ERM and setting and articulating the institution’s risk appetite.

This practical, hands-on event will enable delegates to benchmark their ERM strategies against their peers. It’s a “must-attend” conference for any financial executive who wants to stay ahead of the game by developing a comprehensive ERM program.

Conference speaker:

Michael Fadil, Senior Vice President, Corporate Risk Management, SunTrust Bank

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS – Upcoming FEI Conferences and Events

Washington Policy Conference

Sept. 26-27 | Hotel Monaco | Washington, D.C.

Register here.

The 2nd Annual Washington Policy Conference will bring together key business and government leaders who will provide insights into the policy questions facing senior-level financial executives and their companies. Topics include the policy impacts of reigning in the deficit, prospects of fundamental tax reform and the impact of new legislation and regulations currently being debated.

The program will provide an optimal setting for you to hear from Washington’s key decision-makers in Congress and the administration and will also afford an opportunity to share information, ideas and experiences on current regulatory and legislative initiatives with high-ranking government officials and industry experts.

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30th Annual Current Financial Reporting Issues (CFRI) Conference

Nov. 14-15 | New York Marriott Marquis Times Square | New York, NY

Register here.

Focused on economic challenges and regulation reform, CFRI will detail the latest accounting and reporting developments from the SEC, FASB and IASB. Key topics include FASB/IASB technical accounting updates, status on key accounting proposals: Financial Instruments, Revenue Recognition, Leasing and Insurance, Controllers’ Roundtable on top-of-mind business issues, Q&A with FASB and the SEC and more.

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6th Annual Hall of Fame Gala

Premier Sponsor: Microsoft

Nov. 14 | Gotham Hall | New York, NY

The FEI Hall of Fame provides acknowledgment to senior financial executives who have epitomized the integrity, leadership and performance of the most exemplary financial professionals throughout their careers and in doing so, have made significant contributions to the betterment of their respective organizations and to the financial profession as a whole.

Join us to honor and celebrate the 2011 class of inductees in formal, black-tie attire at the Annual Hall of Fame Gala on Nov. 14 at Gotham Hall, in New York City. All proceeds from the 6th Annual Hall of Fame Gala benefit the work of Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF).

Visit for more information about the Gala or if you are interested in becoming a Hall of Fame sponsor, please contact Lorna Raagas at 973.765.1033.

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FEI Committee Meetings

June

Committee on Corporate Reporting (CCR)

June 9-10 | Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center | Stamford, CT

Register here.

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Committee on Benefits Finance (CBF)

June 13-14 | Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation | New York, NY

Register here.

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Committee on Taxation (COT)

June 16-17 | Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill | Washington, D.C.

Register here.

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FEI JOB LISTINGS

Job ID: 21654 – Vice President of Finance

Location: Northwestern Idaho

This multi-site group role requires great presence, high accountability and ability to steer the direction of the Technology Group through innovative and progressive growth plans. We are seeking a highly motivated and technical finance expert who can lead a competent team to accuracy, efficiency and loyalty. This individual will possess a minimum of 10 years demonstrated success in a top senior level position in an electronics manufacturing environment, preferably with International exposure and multi-site/multi-business unit experience, and superior technical skills in MS Excel and ERP/MRP a must. Charismatic leader with merger and acquisition experience. Position directs a common vision between Accounting and all departments from a financial aims perspective and strong understanding of UK GAAP and International business required. CPA/CMA level qualifications with minimum of BS/BBA in Accounting or Finance. MBA or Masters Degree preferred. With company sales initiatives in focus, impact our direction through clear communication of financial pictures as part of the senior executive team.

For further details about this job opportunity, click here.

To view more jobs, visit FEI’s Career Center.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS!

Congratulations to all the new members accepted in the last 30 days. Click here to see a complete list.

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RESOURCES AT www.financialexecutives.org

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