Letter from the Publisher
The chief financial officer role has evolved significantly in recent years, becoming more an adviser and a strategic partner to chief executives than someone who keeps track of the numbers. In fact, 88 percent of CFOs recently surveyed reported that chief executives expect them to be more active participants in shaping organizational strategy. Half the CFOs also indicated that chief executives counted on them to challenge the company’s strategic decisions.
That’s a vital responsibility. There’s no doubt that every successful company in Los Angeles owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the CFOs of their respective organizations. Each plays a key role, not only in the success of their companies, but in the financial success of the entire Los Angeles community of business.
The Los Angeles Business Journal CFO Awards’ special post-event recap celebrates the efforts and achievements of these often-unsung corporate heroes. This issue pays tribute to – and shines a much-deserved spotlight on – the finalists and winners we celebrated at our 2018 CFO Awards reception on Monday, September 24 at the L.A. Grand Hotel Downtown. We hope you enjoy this special section, which contains some insights on what exactly it means to be a corporate financial steward in today’s business climate. And again, congratulations to all the great CFOs in Los Angeles who contribute tirelessly to the bottom line of your businesses, and, ultimately, our business community as a whole.
Best regards,
Anna Magzanyan
Publisher & CEO
Winners
Alex Ko – Public Company CFO of the Year
Maria Carlson – Public Company CFO of the Year (Large Company)
Wendy Morgan – RSM Middle Market Award
Deanna Farnell – Private Company CFO of the Year (Small Company)
George Disalvo – Non-Profit CFO of the Year
Doug Lorenzen – Rising Star CFO of the Year
John Kuch – Lifetime Achievement Award
Finalists
Matthew Clark – The Cheesecake Factory
Peter Hovenier – Boingo Wireless
Maureen Burke – Account Control Technology Holdings, Inc.
Joseph E. Miller – Griggin Capital Company
David Isaksen – CaseStack, Inc.
Peter Kim – Katzkin Leather, Inc.
Charlie Borsheim – Keslow Camera
Jang Lee – Joymode Inc.
Brian Gieseler – Heluna Health
Margaret W. “Peggy” Minnich – The California Wellness Foundation
Jeanelle Arias – Eureka! Restaurant Group
Sarah Marie Campbell – Sapphos Environmental, Inc.
For a list of nominees, click here.
Inside this supplement:
How to Prepare Future Financial Stewards for an Evolving Marketplace
Last year, Dr. Joseph Aoun, president of Northeastern University, referenced the coming of a revolution. His book, “Robot Proof – Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” discusses how the world of business is changing significantly, especially with the increasing presence of technology in today’s business activities… Read More
CFOs Weigh in on Factors Affecting M&A Deals
From strategy to implementation, there is significant opportunity to capture more value from M&A deals—according to a recent survey conducted by Grant Thornton LLP. The survey revealed that only 14 percent of all respondents feel that deals exceed their initial expectations for income or rate of return… Read More
Survey: Firms Slow to Adopt Fintech; Tax Reform Boosts CFO Optimism
Despite expected growth in the use of financial technologies such as blockchain, many American firms say they don’t expect it to disrupt their business models while those who do are slow to respond. Also, more than 40 percent of U.S. companies say they plan to boost wages and 38 percent will increase hiring in 2018 because of recent tax reform, according to results of the Duke University “CFO Global Business Outlook” survey… Read More
