Course Name: Financial Executives Roundtable Speakers: Beth Bull, Communities Foundation of Texas David Chavenson, Alon USA Energy Company Loren Greaves, The Rosewood Corporation Paul Willey (Moderator), Dresser Industries, Retired Course Description: Hear from three seasoned executives who will discuss the challenges they incur conducting the financial function of large and small, private, public and non-profit organizations. Panelists will describe financial duties and translate their experiences from the management of contemporary financial systems. Learning Objectives: Participants will learn: How to utilize "big data" to perform the financial function; How to evaluate one's skills to be able to perform effectively in finance; What leadership qualities employers expect from financial executives; How increased regulations from governmental agencies affect performing the finance function; How funding sources have evolved and the effect they have on initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, and employee turnover; and Why cross-functional collaboration with accounting function and legal functions is necessary to carry out a successful financial function. Category: Prerequisites: Non-Technical None
Financial Executives Roundtable Panelists: Elizabeth Bull CFO, Communities Foundation of Texas David Chavenson Treasurer, Alon USA Energy Company Loren Greaves CFO, The Rosewood Corporation Paul Willey (Moderator) Retired Treasurer, Dresser Industries Inc. Seasoned financial executives will present challenges to performing the financial function: How to meet reporting requirements and deadlines. What is the appropriate financial structure and the optimum leverage? What are the uses of big data? What are appropriate steps to obtain a clean audit opinion? What are key legal, accounting and financial cross-over functions? What skills and experience are necessary to perform an effective finance function? What leadership qualities are expected from management? Changing sources of funding an operation will be explained. What are the reasonable expectations for a person entering a financial position? What is private equity and how does it affect the finance function? How is tax planning integrated into the finance function, and how are state and IRS audits managed? What are appropriate limits and coverages for insurance and self-insurance? How does the finance officer interface with Board of Directors? How is artificial intelligence utilized in finance function? Questions will be taken from the audience, and panelists will provide answers.
Beth Bull Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President Communities Foundation of Texas Beth Bull is the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice-President of Communities Foundation of Texas Inc. (CFT), a role she has held since mid-2008. In her current role, Ms. Bull has a breadth of responsibilities, including accounting, investments, budgeting and reporting, information systems, human resources, and facilities. Prior to joining CFT, she had a 26-year career with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), where she held a variety of financial positions of increasing responsibility in Houston, Dallas and Midland, Texas. In addition, she served as the Finance Director for TI Asia, where she was named the company s first female Vice-President in the finance area and first female Vice-President in the Asia region. The last six years of her TI career, Ms. Bull was Vice-President and Treasurer. In this capacity she was responsible for cash and risk management, corporate tax and corporate development, which included acquisitions, divestitures and equity investments. In 2013, Ms. Bull was selected Nonprofit CFO of the Year by the Dallas Business Journal, and in 2016, D CEO named her Outstanding CFO in their annual Financial Executives Awards. She is a founding member of the Women of TI Fund, focused on improving math and science education for girls, and currently serves as First Vice Chair/Finance for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and Assistant Treasurer of the Dallas Holocaust Museum, Center for Education and Tolerance.
David F. Chavenson Treasurer Alon USA Energy Company David F. Chavenson is a highly accomplished financial executive skilled in managing leveraged situations. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, treasury, tax, SEC compliance, investor relations, foreign-exchange and controllership functions, as well as demonstrated accomplishment with direct start-up and IPO, asset sales, and mergers. Mr. Chavenson is familiar with North American, European, Chinese and Pacific Rim business practices and is effective in managing and practicing in cost conscious, bottom-line environments. He currently serves as Treasurer for Alon USA Energy Company and is responsible for all Treasury functions there, including corporate finance, cash management, risk management, pension assets, credit and collections for $6 billion in annual revenue for this refining and marketing company. He began his career at Price Waterhouse & Company (currently, PwC) and in the intervening years has been employed by Oryx Energy Company, Rutherford-Moran Oil Corporation, Worldwide Flight Services Inc., Flowserve Corporation and has been involved in a variety of consulting projects.
Loren Greaves Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer The Rosewood Corporation Since 2011, Loren Greaves has held the position of Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer of The Rosewood Corporation, a privately-held corporation primarily invested in the oil and gas and real estate industries and in private control-oriented investments in a variety of industries. At Rosewood, he focuses on financial accounting and reporting; other management reporting, including fair value reporting, cash forecasting, the negotiation and closing of bank debt, strategic planning; and the oversight of Rosewood s cash and fixed-income investments. Mr. Greaves also serves on Rosewood s Executive Committee and Investment Committee, is Chairman of the Asset Allocation subcommittee, serves on the Boards of Directors of several majorityowned Rosewood subsidiaries and the Board of Trustees for Rosewood s employee benefit plans. Prior to 2011, he served as Rosewood s Vice-President and Chief Accounting Officer, and before joining Rosewood in 1994, he worked as an audit manager in the Dallas office of KPMG. Mr. Greaves previously served on the governing board and as Board Treasurer of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and currently serves as a member of the Perot s Museum Council.
Paul Willey Retired Treasurer Dresser Industries Inc. Paul Willey retired in 1998 from Dresser Industries Inc. after 38 years where he served as Treasurer. After his job at Dresser, he served as Chief Financial Officer at Peerless Manufacturing Inc. Mr. Willey is currently a member of the Dallas Chapter of Financial Executives International, Beta Gamma Sigma and the Dallas CPA Society, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2010-11. He was Chair of the Dallas American Red Cross and is currently the Treasurer at Highland Park Presbyterian Church.