Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants

A1: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Strength of American Business
Speaker: Paul Sarbanes
At the beginning of the 21st century, corporate scandals involving Enron, Worldcom, Tyco and many other firms rocked the American business landscape, ruining the lives of work... More

B1: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: What You Really Need to Know
Speaker: John Hall
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 changed everything for public entities and their auditors. It now provides the framework for creating and maintaining an effective anti-fraud en... More

B2: 2008 Tax Update for Financial Professionals
Speaker: Mark Sellner
When it comes to business taxes, it's important to stay on top of the trends. Bring your knowledge up to speed as you get the latest news on current tax planning, tax reportin... More

B3: Beyond the Hype: Working With an Executive Coach
Speaker: Cheryl Leitschuh
Coaching: What is it and how does it work? Will it benefit your career? How do you choose a coach? What if you want to coach others - what tools can you use? Get the answers t... More

B4: Ethics: Staying on the Right Track
Speaker: Denny Faurote
In ethical dilemmas, it's often the small things that lead us down the slippery slope. In this practical session, learn what constitutes unethical behavior, the personal and o... More

C1: Fraud Risk Management Practical Suggestions: Deterrence, Early Detection and Effective Handling
Speaker: John Hall
Finance and accounting professionals are expected to prevent wrongdoing as part of their daily duties. But when prevention efforts fail or are circumvented, they're also expec... More

C2: FASB Update: What is Going on in Norwalk, CT?
Speaker: Gary Bulmash
In the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, the wheels of the mighty FASB continually turn out the accounting principles which govern so much of the financial world. If you've been w... More

C3: How To Be an Impact Player, Not Just a Number Cruncher
Speaker: Denny Faurote
One of the biggest misconceptions in the workplace today is that one has to be in a leadership role to impact an organization. It's just not true; people at all levels have th... More

C4: Ethics: Conflicts of Interest Issues
Speaker: David Schultz
Should you write a daring, tell-all book about the inside story of your workplace? Can you moonlight after work, do the books of two competitors or accept gifts from clients?... More

D1: Being Strategic: How to Achieve Greatness
Speaker: Denny Faurote
Every company wants to be great, so why do so many fail to achieve this seemingly simple goal? Here's a hint: It's all about strategy. Learn the purpose of strategy and the be... More

D2: Implementing FIN 48 for Private Companies
Speaker: Mark Sellner
In July 2006, FASB unveiled FIN 48, which was intended to reduce uncertainty in accounting for income taxes and increase the transparency and comparability of financial statem... More

D3: Succession Planning: Identifying and Developing New Leaders
Speaker: Cheryl Leitschuh
Recent demographic surveys show that approximately 38% of our senior leadership in organizations will be retiring in the next five years. As this shift in leadership occurs, c... More

D4: Ethics and You: What Every Financial Professional Needs to Know About Ethics in the Workplace
Speaker: David Schultz
Special 4-Hour Ethics Session Is being a good person enough to be an ethical employee or CPA? Can reading the latest business bestseller really help you become a bet... More

E1: Mergers & Acquisitions: A Real-World Story
Speaker: Pamela Knous
On December 18, 2007, Supervalu, Inc. announced its decision to purchase all eight of the Albertsons stores in the state of Wyoming. Supervalu, which operates the Cub Foods ch... More

E2: What Can Your Financial Statements Tell You?
Speaker: Gary Bulmash
Every financial statement tells a story. The question is: Are you reading the right one? Sure, it's good to know your debt-to-equity ratio, but what does it mean? Learn to ana... More

E3: Generational Differences in the Workplace: The Great Divide
Speaker: Denny Faurote
In today's workplace, connections matter most when it comes to performance. People need to be connected to each other, to a greater sense of purpose, and to resources they nee... More

F1: Disaster Planning: Leadership in a Time of Crisis
Speaker: Grady Hazel
Sometimes the unthinkable actually happens. When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005, many were unprepared for the extreme devastation it brought to the area. Do you... More

F2: Basic Rules Surrounding Multistate Tax Compliance
Speaker: Nathaniel Albrecht
Are you new to the world of multistate taxation? Has your company recently expanded its transactions across state lines or is planning to in the near future? This session prov... More

F3: Becoming a CFO: Evolution of the Role of CFO Over the Last 20 Years
Speaker: Pamela Knous
Just a few decades ago, female CFOs were nearly unheard of. But Pamela Knous is among those who have risen to the top. A Minnesota native, she got her start in the Los Angeles... More

G1: The Eight Slippery Steps to Unethical Behavior
Speaker: Patrick Kuhse
The trip down the path to unethical behavior always begins with a single step. It can be so subtle that sometimes we don't even recognize it. Have you, for instance, ever driv... More

H1: Ongoing Business Plans: Best Practices for Positive Growth
Speaker: Dileep Rao
Financial and accounting executives are often experts at evaluating the internal strengths and weaknesses of their organizations. And yet they are sometimes uncertain about ex... More

H2: Conducting a Human Resources Audit
Speaker: Alan Holz
The right time to review your employment policies is prior to the filing of a complaint. But in tough economic times, human resources (HR) often drops off the radar as... More

H3: To Vista or Not To Vista?
Speaker: Thomas Stephens
Since the arrival of Windows Vista in 2007, over 100 million users have converted to Microsoft's newest operating system. For most, the upgrade has been painless with many use... More

H4: Leading From Your Soul (Instead of a Position of Authority)
Speaker: Robin Getman
Ever wonder how Gandhi would motivate an employee or how Mother Theresa might "re-engineer" a company? Personal power in an organization increases when people begin leading fr... More

I1: Convergence: The Next Big Challenge in Corporate Financial Reporting
Speaker: Bruce Pounder
"Convergence" refers to the elimination of differences in financial reporting standards among countries. As a result of the aggressive pursuit of Convergence by standard-sette... More

I2: The 3 R's of HR: Recognition, Reward and Retention
Speaker: Arlene Vernon
There's more to keeping employees than good pay and benefits. You must also be a master at motivating your employees day after day. Sounds tough, right? Actually, it's not tha... More

I3: Advanced Excel Tips
Speaker: Thomas Stephens
Everyone uses Microsoft Excel, but few use it as efficiently and effectively as they could. Key features, such as PivotTables, data validation rules, custom views and conditio... More

I4: MN Legislative and Regulatory Update
Speaker: Geno Fragnito, Betsy Adrian
This was a year of change at the Minnesota Legislature. Examine what passed, what didn't, and how it will affect CPAs across the state. Uncover the latest progress on mobility... More

J1: Linking Performance Measures to the Budget
Speaker: Leita Hart-Fanta
Because a performance-based budget puts the money where the goals are, organizations are increasingly turning to this results-based approach to allocate limited resources. Lea... More

J2: Retirement Plans: Getting Results
Speaker: Jeffrey Brown, John Stoffel
Sooner or later, every worker retires. What must an organization do to help its employees get the most out of their retirement investment? This practical session provides a fr... More

J3: Word Tips & Tricks for Accountants
Speaker: Thomas Stephens
Microsoft Word has always been loaded with features useful to accountants and the new Word 2007 extends that legacy. Unfortunately, many professionals are self-taught in Word... More

J4: Defusing Difficult People and Situations
Speaker: Robin Getman
Sometimes it's not the person that's difficult, it's the situation. Increase your effectiveness as you learn to recognize the difference and respond to conflict with grace, co... More

K1: The Evolution of the Balanced Scorecard: Strategy Maps
Speaker: Leita Hart-Fanta
Strategy maps are visual representations of an organization's plans that neatly tie everything together. Balanced scorecard management asks organizational leaders to determine... More

K2: Salary Increases: Enough for Yours, Mine and Ours?
Speaker: Saado Abboud
It's hard to believe: Salary increase budgets have not been above 4% of payroll for the last ten years! Discover the recent trends in pay increases and how various companies a... More

K3: Gadgets and Gizmos: Practical Applications
Speaker: Thomas Stephens
This is the year for you to become more productive! Uncover the latest and greatest gadgets and gizmos designed to improve your productivity and provide better quality service... More

K4: The Power of Optimism
Speaker: Andy Dzurinko
Optimism is the tendency to expect the best possible outcome and dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation. Does this describe you? Changing your attitude can make a bi... More

L1: RELAX: Stress Is Not a Four-Letter Word
Speaker: Robin Getman
Quick: What's the first word that comes to mind when you hear the word stress? Be honest. Did you think... productivity? energy? fun? Stress, like most things, can be both go... More