As CFOs in China migrate from a number-crunching role to a strategic role within their companies, they face a new mandate and a new set of responsibilities. In addition to championing organizational reform and strengthening their finance structures, they must work with the CEO to set strategy and evaluate risks. Some CFOs have taken on additional portfolios, such as partnering with HR to attract and retain qualified, local talent. Successfully transitioning to the role of business partner and fulfilling this mandate will require new vision and insight on the part of China’s CFOs.

At this year’s CFO Rising Conference, we focus on the CFO’s new mandate. In a full-day program, CFO China’s editorial team provides professional commentary, while China’s leaders in finance discuss their experience in areas ranging from M&A expansion and winning the war for talent to mitigating risk and enhancing transparency.

A forum for discussion will be ensured by ample time following the presentations for a lively give and take with the audience. Future leaders will be seated in every row. The synergy will be exciting and inspiring—and this is the main goal of CFO Rising.

Provisional Agenda

8:00am	Registration
9:00am	Welcome and Introduction from the Chairman
	Chen Wu, Editorial Director, CFO China
9:15am	Keynote Address
	Dr Ling Wen, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Shenhua Group
9:45am	The Evolving Role of the CFO: Pushing forth organizational reform
	As Chinese companies optimize their internal structure to gain efficiencies and remain competitive, CFOs take the leading role in organizational change. Using the power of the finance department to act as a focal point of internal corporate governance and transparency, CFOs can drive the process in partnership with the CEO and the board to the shop floor. This session examines case studies of companies that have reorganized their internal controls in preparation of a future listing, in response to heightened regulatory concerns, or simply to enhance flow of information and speed to market in response to China’s rigorous competition.
	Daniel Yu, Chief Financial Officer- China, GE Infrastructure Pang Xiusheng, Chief Financial Officer, China Construction Bank
10:45am	Break
11:15am	M&A as a Tool of Expansion
	Chinese companies are launching into domestic and global acquisitions. Outward efforts at M&A are paralleled by internal striving for efficiency to enable the most value to be extracted from the bid. This involves increasingly sophisticated capital-raising on the part of the bidding companies, and greater skills in managing large operations from a financial and organizational point of view. It also requires careful analysis as well as vision from CFOs.
	Xu Ge, Financial Controller, Alibaba.com
11:45am	Enabling the CEO’s Agenda - The expanding role of the CFO
	Today, the CFO is much more than just a financial compliance enforcer. Yet, results from the recent IBM Global CFO Study of 900 senior finance executives show that only a third of respondents rate themselves "highly effective" in supporting the CEO's efforts to grow the company. Innovation and profitable growth are at the top of CEOs' agenda; however, CFOs are struggling to deliver predictive insight out of the large volumes of data they collect. This session focuses on how the CFO should be key in integrating strategy, technology and information by driving the single source of the truth, providing insight versus data and improving information accessibility. The expanding role of today's and tomorrow's China CFO is also examined.
	Colin Powell, Partner, Asia Pacific Financial Management Leader, IBM Global Business Services
12:30pm	Luncheon
1:45pm	Enterprise Risk Management and the CFO
	A host of risks confront finance officers in their efforts to growth their China enterprises. These risks include: currency appreciation, an increase in commodities prices, a possible slowdown in the US economy, as well as mounting and powerful regulatory scrutiny, as typified by the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. A panel of experts discusses how Chinese companies can shape their enterprise risk strategies by examining current market best practice. • Key risks facing Chinese companies operating inside and outside of China • Identifying risks to develop an enterprise risk management (ERM) strategy • Best practices in implementing ERM for China-based enterprises • ERM in the era of Sarbanes-Oxley and intensified regulatory scrutiny • What is COSO ERM?
	Philip Yau, Associate Director and Head of Shenzhen Office, Protiviti
2:30pm	The CEO-CFO Dialogue
	It’s not easy to talk about the idea of partnerships with top Chinese executives. However, having a healthy CEO-CFO dialogue has proven crucial to a company’s success. China is no exception. How do the best teams share responsibility and adapt to change in China’s dynamic, high-growth environment? In addition to improving the company’s organizational controls, how can the CFO work with the CEO to set strategy and evaluate risks? This session examines what makes a CEO-CFO partnership successful in the context of China.
	Francis Hu, Finance Director, 3M China Peter Wong, Financial Controller- Strategic Projects, CLP Power Zhongshao Shi, President, Xin Zhong Da Software Co., Ltd
3:30pm	Break
3:50pm	War for Talent: The CFO as Chief Strategist
	Rising salaries and an acute shortage of qualified finance professionals in China have, for some time, been putting considerable pressure on retaining talent. With the impending 1 January 2007 deadline for harmonizing Chinese accounting standards with international standards, the war for talent rages fiercer than ever. Retaining top talent goes beyond the tangibles of designing an attractive compensation package and heaping on staff benefits. Intangibles such as motivation, engagement and learning opportunities are now in vogue. Finding themselves at the center of the drive for superior business performance, CFOs need to understand that recruiting, training and retaining staff is key to long term success of an organization.
	Siew-Quen Thong, Chief Financial Officer, Asia Pacific, Texon International
4:35pm	Tapping China’s Growing Consumer Market
	The rise of the Chinese consumer is apparent to everyone who travels in the People’s Republic. But competition is intensifying, reflecting overcapacity in many sectors. In response, companies are sharpening their strategies, making difficult choices about which portion of the market to approach and how to spend in the most effective way. CFOs in companies with long-term retail strategies with China now play a crucial role in shaping the approach, backing vital decisions with financial acumen. This session looks at the approaches of CFOs in several sectors that regard sales to the Chinese consumer as the primary source of future profits.
	Lu Wenbing, Executive Vice President, Inner Mongolia Little-Sheep Catering Chain Co., Ltd.
5:05pm	Concluding Remarks from the Chairman
5:20pm	Champagne Draw
5:30pm	Conference Adjourns

Confirmed speakers include:

Xu Ge, Financial Controller, Alibaba.com
Chen Wu, Editorial Director, CFO China (Event Chairman)
Yang Jian, Managing Editor, CFO China
Pang Xiusheng, Chief Financial Officer, China Construction Bank
Peter Wong, Financial Controller- Strategic Projects, CLP Power
Daniel Yu, Chief Financial Officer- China, GE Infrastructure
Colin Powell, Partner, Asia Pacific Financial Management Leader, IBM Global Business Services
Lu Wenbing, Executive Vice President, Inner Mongolia Little-Sheep Catering Chain Co., Ltd.
Philip Yau, Associate Director and Head of Shenzhen Office, Protiviti
Dr Ling Wen, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Shenhua Group
Siew-Quen Thong, Chief Financial Officer, Asia Pacific, Texon International
Zhongshao Shi, President, Xin Zhong Da Software Co., Ltd
Francis Hu, Finance Director, 3M China

If you are interested in becoming a speaker at this event or for further details please contact (852) 2585 3263 or email cfoasiaenterprises@economist.com.

Registration details

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For further information, please contact +852 2585 3263 or email cfoasiaenterprises@economist.com.