Finance Forward 2015

Nearly 150 UVA finance professionals met in June for the annual Finance Forward conference. The event is sponsored by Melody Bianchetto, the Associate Vice President for Finance, and was hosted at the McIntire School of Commerce.

Attendees collaborated, learned and networked with each other at the day-long event—which addressed a full range of professional development topics. Because fiscal administrators and other data management staff play a critical role at the University, the program addressed current and future financial analyst skills, and pathways to develop new skillsets.

Carolyn Saint, the University’s new Internal Audit leader gave the first presentation, followed by Nicole Ferretti from the Budget Office, and Judy DiVita from the Managerial Reporting Project. The conference also offered morning and afternoon breakout sessions, including a full menu of topics led by attendees and area experts. The day concluded with a panel discussion on finance careers at the University. All available presentation materials are online.

The UVA Board of Visitors met the same week, so Finance Forward participants were treated the following day to a discussion with UVA Board Member Victoria Harker. Ms. Harker spoke candidly about the University’s strategic goals and mission of excellence, as well as her experience working with the BOV.

Finance Forward 2015 was a success, and many thanks go out to the entire planning committee. The McIntire School of Commerce was a wonderful host, and special thanks go out to Rob Tharpe for his ongoing support and partnership with McIntire. The conference has evolved to include staff from all schools and major offices of the University, reflecting the mission of collaboration across Grounds. Finance Forward aims to build a more collaborative team of professionals that pursue excellence and continuous professional development.

Finance Forward Quotes and Feedback:

“The conference sessions were rich in valuable information and the networking opportunities throughout the day were plentiful. Time well spent.”

“The variety, and range of topics discussed and experienced were great.”

“I enjoyed the Finance Forward conference. It provides an important opportunity to see colleagues, and make new connections. The topics were very timely and pertinent.”