Greetings, FEWnet friends!

Like many of you, I am inspired by the words of others and recently came across a quote from an unknown source that put a smile on my face. “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” Fitting during a time when so many of us are trying to keep positive and energized as we set our sights on the second half of 2009 and beyond.

Perseverance and tenacity, combined with time spent with family and friends, was certainly the theme of this year’s keynote discussion presented by Buffalo Wild Wings President and CEO, Sally Smith. A record turnout of nearly 300 women joined us for an exciting night of contact building and compelling conversations. This truly is a fun evening out and so I hope those of you who missed it this year will make every effort to attend in 2010. 

The great talent and energy that can be found at our FEWnet events has us excited about our first Technical Update Breakfast on Wednesday, October 28. Our topic will be International Financial Reporting Standards. With over 1,000 financial women in FEWnet, it wasn’t hard for us to put together a strong panel of experts to share their IFRS experience and expertise.

Panelists include:

• Jennifer Simons, VP of Accounting Policy, US Bank: Starting IFRS implementation
• Suzanne Lang, Director of Finance, Thomson Reuters: Completed IFRS implementation
• Mary Jepperson, Professor, College of St. Ben’s/St. John’s: Teaching IFRS
• Heike Drake-Cavalletti, Partner, KPMG: Auditing IFRS
• Sally Mainquist, Certes Financial Pros: Moderator

Check out the Announcements section of this newsletter for full details and to register. With so many of our small groups talking about the impact of IFRS, we are really excited to share and learn from each other. Because when it comes down to it, that’s what FEWnet is all about!

Take care,

Sally Mainquist, CPA

FEWnet Founder

President and CEO, Certes Financial Pros

“Life is too short to drink cheap beer.” - Anonymous

What comes to mind when you think of Summit Brewing Company? Great local beer? Fun nights out with family and friends? How about active FEWnet member and Summit CFO, Kelly Larson!

Kelly joined Summit Brewing Company in 2000 after spending five years holding progressive roles ending in audit manager with Coopers & Lybrand. She was there during the merger that became PricewaterhouseCoopers and found what would become her next employer when they were a PwC client. Joining Summit as the Finance Manager and quickly moving into the CFO role, Kelly is responsible for budgeting, financial reporting, managing the banking relationship, risk management, and human resources.

Originally from a very small town in Iowa called Edgewood (population of less than 1,000), there were so many things we learned during our interview that make Kelly unique. From running half marathons while pregnant to being professionally trained to detect the off flavors in beer, we were most delighted to find that this is one FEWnet member and financial leader who truly loves her job. Did we mention that she graciously accepted our invitation to be interviewed within just a few weeks of returning to work from maternity leave?

More about Kelly Larson

Discover what our FEWnet small groups are talking about this month:

• The growing popularity of ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment)
• Cost savings strategies in the workplace
• Staying up in a down economy
• An update on XBRL

Great reads for bedside or beach blanket, we’ve got the top five books that are getting FEWnet members talking this summer. Check them out!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

The Good Parents by Joan London

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins

If You Only Had Ten Healthy Years Left

My husband and I sold our company in the fall of 2007 and since that day, we’ve been approached many times by people who want to know why someone would want to pass the baton with so much life left to live and give? It has to do with valuing every single moment of life.

Read on

Nextworking by Certes Trivia Event
A networking community (and event) exclusively for young finance and accounting professionals in the first 10 years of their career, we encourage you to share Nextworking by Certes with your staff! With a crowd of more than 150 people expected, this popular event involves delicious food, cold drinks, a chance to rub elbows with likeminded colleagues and peers, and a fierce game of team-based trivia!

HOST: Certes Financial Pros
WHEN: Wednesday, September 16
TIME: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The 508 Bar – downtown Minneapolis
QUALIFICATIONS: Attendees must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting or Finance; Must currently be working or seeking work in a non-sales, accounting or finance role; Must have less than 10 years of work experience
COST: Free for qualified young professionals
TO REGISTER: Email Melissa at mmlakar@certespros.com

FEWnet IFRS Technical Update Breakfast
Join us for an engaging panel discussion around IFRS: The impact it is having on local companies and the first-hand implementation experiences of some of our very own FEWnet members. Bring your questions, as this will be a “working” breakfast with plenty of time for dialogue!

Panelists include:

• Jennifer Simons, VP of Accounting Policy, US Bank: Starting IFRS implementation
• Suzanne Lang, Director of Finance, Thomson Reuters: Completed IFRS implementation
• Mary Jepperson, Professor, College of St. Ben’s/St. John’s: Teaching IFRS
• Heike Drake-Cavalletti, Partner, KPMG: Auditing IFRS
• Sally Mainquist, Certes Financial Pros: Moderator

HOST: Certes Financial Pros

WHEN: Wednesday, October 28

TIME: 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

LOCATION: Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park.

COST: $25, checks payable to Certes Financial Pros

TO REGISTER: Email Melissa at mmlakar@certespros.com

Two more announcements

Kelly Larson, Chief Financial Officer at Summit Brewing Company, welcomed her new baby girl, Kennedy Sioux, into the world on May 9. Congratulations, Kelly!

Heather Proehl, Financial Reporting Manager at The Mosaic Company, competed in her first triathlon on June 13. St. Paul’s “Swim, Bike, and Run Like a Girl” race included a ¼-mile swim, 9-mile bike ride, and a 2 1/2 –mile run. Way to go, Heather!

Jana Sweet, Director of Finance at GFK Custom Research, welcomed her new baby boy, Liam Joseph, into the world on May 4. Best wishes from FEWnet!

Ione Bullis is now Chief Financial Officer at Energy Harvest Group in St. Paul. Congratulations, Ione!

Teresa Ranallo, Controller at Walman Optical Company, participated in the MS 150 Bike Ride benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As a first-time rider, Teresa biked her way from Duluth to the Twin Cities over the course of two days. Congratulations from FEWnet!

Certes Financial Pros specializes in providing senior level financial professionals to Twin Cities' companies needing contract, contract to perm, and permanent staffing support. As an award-winning "Best Employer," Certes is here to help you find top notch talent for your finance and accounting teams or that next career move with one of our outstanding clients. Begin exploring opportunities today!

Do you have an immediate staffing need? Check out our current Contract and Permanent Placement available lists and give us a call.

Long-Term Contractors Available

Perm Placement Candidates for Hire