Conference information

In the wake of corporate governance and accounting scandals, business executives are leading the charge to restore confidence in their companies and financial markets. The focus on corporate integrity, accountability and transparency is a wake-up call to communication professionals who want a seat at the table.

Your role in understanding and communicating financial information is more important than ever due to market volatility, company failures, accounting scandals and the resulting mistrust and scrutiny. You say you’re not a numbers person? Financial acumen may not be a natural trait, but it’s a required competency for today’s communication professional. You can’t effectively tell your organization’s story without understanding your organization’s financial condition, metrics and business issues.

IABC is teaming up with financial expert and professor James K. Gentry to offer training to help communicators understand the numbers of business, and to use that knowledge to create their best annual reports and manage their companies' reputations.

Gentry is recognized for his ability to explain complex financial and accounting information in language that corporate communicators and journalists can easily understand. For more than 25 years, he has taught thousands of communicators and journalists how to understand the language of business.

Workshop Leader

James K. Gentry, Ph.D., is the former dean and a current professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas where he teaches “Financial Fundamentals for Communicators” in the marketing communication master’s degree program for professionals.

In 2003, Gentry received the Society of American Business Editors and Writers’ Distinguished Achievement Award. He has presented workshops on the numbers of business for companies such as Cerner Corp., American Standard Co., AMC Entertainment, Teva Neurosciences and WABCO.

He earned IABC’s distinguished “Recommended Speaker” designation for his presentation, “Financial Statements: The Cliff Notes Version in Five Steps,” at the IABC 2007 International Conference. Gentry’s presentations are lively, humorous and (most important when dealing with numbers) understandable.
Who should attend

This workshop is designed for communication and public relations professionals who work for public or private companies and communicate financial information with employees, investors, customers and/or the media.

You will learn how to:

* Understand key financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements
* Decipher the 10-K
* Understand key metrics such as margins, performance ratios and free cash
* Develop a strategic approach to the annual report
* Engage key audiences with a winning annual report

Why attend this workshop?

* Learn to work better with investor relations and managers across the organization
* Learn how to produce your best annual report ever
* Expand your career growth opportunities
* Build your company’s reputation

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