Sharpen your financial skills. Learn about leading-edge developments in finance, risk management, compliance, and control. Develop your analytics skills and manage the reporting process. Obtain new insights in reducing costs and improving efficiency. Improve the financial reporting process and ensure the integrity of the numbers. Understand how to use COSO’s Internal Control – Integrated Framework to improve operations and performance. Implement appropriate IT controls.

Enhance your skills as the financial expert in your organization – become the go-to finance manager who can develop and interpret financial and operational metrics, and provide solid decision support for key executives.

Are you responsible for management and financial reporting? Do the business managers look to you for guidance? Are you trying to improve controls, reporting, and accountability? Would you benefit from meeting peers and discussing state-of-the-art developments that affect financial managers? If you can answer “yes” to these questions, then this program is for you.

The program uses a combination of presentations, discussions and case studies during three-plus days to develop your in-depth understanding in the following areas:

Planning, risk management and control

• Management role of the controller
• Risk management and internal control
• Frameworks for control and quality
• Culture and ethics
• Budgeting and planning

Internal control and management

• Entity and transactional control management
• Banking and treasury functions
• Improving internal controls

Special topics

• Information technology and control
• Behavioural finance
• Changing business environments

Reporting and communication

• Motivating business unit managers
• Management reporting and feedback
• Problems with GAAP (IFRS, ASPE)
• Communicating Financial Results

Participants receive Volume I of the Finance and Accounting PolicyPro manual, and The Cash Management Toolkit for Small and Medium Businesses, both written by the course architect and instructor, Jeffrey Sherman.

To register, complete the form and return it via fax (416-962-9776) or email.

Sunday, June 9 - Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The program begins at 5:30pm on Sunday and ends at 2pm on Wednesday.
White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Sunday, July 14 - Wednesday, July 17, 2013
The program begins at 5:30pm on Sunday and ends at 2pm on Wednesday.
Queen's Landing Hotel & Conference Center, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Sunday, November 10  - Wednesday, November 13, 2013
The program begins at 5:30pm on Sunday and ends at 2pm on Wednesday.
White Oaks Resort & Conference Centre, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Program fees include the program itself, materials, meals and accommodations*. Participants will receive The Cash Management Toolkit for Small and Medium Businesses, written by course architect and instructor, Jeffrey Sherman.

An early-bird discount of $200 is available for registering 60 days in advance of the program start.

*Please note: A limited number of program spots are available to those who do not wish to have accommodations. As there may be evening activities (group work and/or networking opportunities), this option is recommended only for those who reside nearby.

The Controllership Program will be held in two different conference centres in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Please refer to the dates above to determine the location of your selected session. 

White Oaks and Queen's Landing hotels are premium, four diamond, five-star resorts with reputations for outstanding comfort, service, and atmosphere to ensure a memorable learning and retreat experience for all who attend. Visit their websites below:

White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa

Queen’s Landing Hotel & Conference Center

Program fees include meals, accommodations*, wi-fi access, use of basic fitness facilities, and a hospitality room for evening networking opportunities.

*excluding registrants who have opted for the non-accommodation option.

Getting There

From Pearson or Buffalo airports:

The Niagara Airbus offers Shuttle Transfers to and from Toronto’s Pearson and Buffalo Niagara’s International Airports and can drop you off right at the facilities’ front doors. If you book on-line you can get a 10% discount for Airport transfers. The Niagara Airbus website is www.niagaraairbus.com.

Another option is the Falls Livery & Taxi. They can offer private cars for transport to and from the airport as well. They can be reached at 905-356-4500.

From Toronto:

Average time to drive from Toronto to White Oaks is 1 hour and 30 minutes, and to Queen's Landing is 1 hour and 50 minutes. It is recommended to assume an additional 45 minutes in case of  traffic, weather, and construction. See the Google map.

*Please note that these directions are for planning purposes only. You may find that construction projects, traffic, weather, or other events may cause conditions to differ from the map results, and you should plan your route accordingly.

Subject to Institute regulations, members may count up to 25 hours of verifiable CPD for the completion of this portion of The Controllership Program.

Our alumni include participants from the following organizations:

London Life Insurance, The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Katz Group Canada, Defence Construction Canada, Benecaid Health Benefit Solutions,  Federal Development Ontario, Hydro One Networks, Bombardier Transportation, Alamos Gold, Magna International, MBNA Canada Bank, Metro Inc., The Canadian Cancer Society, and many others.

Here is what some had to say about this portion of The Controllership Program:

• I took away ideas here that can be useful to my organization, and set me apart as well.
• An excellent speaker who engages the audience, made otherwise routine topics very interesting, and did a good job of initiating thinking outside of the box.
• I picked up numerous tips and items that I will take back and implement right away in my role as Controller. The course has been very beneficial to me.
• It has reminded me to look to improve, and add value, to a company, not just doing the day to day job.
• For a technical program with lots of cases, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did! Instructor was fantastic - happy, very knowledgeable, supportive.
• Lots of useful, practical info to bring back and apply to the workplace.

Jeffrey D. Sherman, MBA, FCSI, FCA, FCPA, has over 20 years experience as a Chief Financial Officer, primarily in the high-tech, biotech, and mineral exploration industries, with a large chartered bank in various senior capacities, and as a consultant in corporate finance. His areas of expertise include corporate governance, risk management, corporate finance, restructuring, and start-up enterprises.

His has extensive involvement in education and has lectured and conducted seminars for many organizations, and he was an adjunct professor at York University. He has authored over 20 books on finance, including: Information Technology PolicyPro, Canadian Treasury Management, Canadian Cash Management, and the four-volume Carswell Controllership Guide, which is updated annually.

For more information please contact Lawrence Wong, CPA, CA, at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, at: 1-800-387-0735 ext. 343, or at lwong@icao.on.ca.