TAKING
ON THE WORLD Tapped
by Kumar Birla to take over finances at India's legendary
Birla Group, Sumant Sinha faces one of the toughest CFO
jobs in Asia. Birla is a monster company with more than
40 units. Meanwhile, the world of global business is closing
in on India, intensifying pressure on Birla's many business
sectors. Sinha has been given the mandate to reorganize
the business quickly - and grow. read
the entire story
FEATURE
LIGHT
AND SHADOW Running a business
in China's non-state sector is no longer a daunting uphill struggle.
But, though the government now allows privately owned enterprises
to operate out in the open, their CFOs still have a long way
to go before they can sweep the corners clean of dark secrets.
CFOs in these companies must operate in a shadow world between
one order and another.
FEATURE
STANDARDS
BEARER Paul Volcker, a heavyweight
in financial and accounting reform, weighs in on what's coming
Asia's way as the US market puts its house in order. In this
exclusive CFO Asia interview, Volcker, famous for his acerbic
remarks, talks openly about global accounting changes and the
US SEC.
TECH REPORT: FINANCIAL SOFTWARE
PARTIAL
CLEARING Budgeting and planning
software vendors in Asia are licking their lips in anticipation
of increased sales to the region's CFOs in the wake of the US
Sarbanes-Oxley Act. While no cure-all, the software helps manage
investor expectations.
MONEYWATCH
MONEY
FOR NOTHING Loans are cheap
these days. With key base rates at their lowest levels in 40
years, no wonder Asian CFOs have become so fond of them. But
the lending is not lucrative for banks, and bankers have begun
combining their loan and bond desks, trying to siphon demand
for one form of borrowing to the other.
TECHWATCH
THE LIGHT
STUFF "Tablet"
computing has been around for years, as anyone who has signed
for a UPS package knows. But Microsoft believes that its new
operating system - and a strong commitment to the devices from
a sizable range of major technology companies - can transform
a niche product into a corporate must-have.
