GT Events and Programs Guide February/March 2019

GT Events and
Programs Guide
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

About GT Events and
Programs Guide
Today’s global business environment is marked by a variety of regulatory risks, profound
technology changes and a complex and competitive marketplace. We seek to bring high-
quality service to our clients and relevant insights on the issues affecting
their businesses.
GT Events and Programs Guide is a look ahead at the latest knowledge and insights
available from Grant Thornton LLP for our clients. It includes a collection of our research,
thought leadership and a schedule of upcoming webcasts and events.
The distinctive perspectives and featured events within aim to help our clients navigate
today's business opportunities, risks and challenges.

Growth and value creation
Ninety percent of companies grow for one year, but only 8%
can do it five years in a row. Why? Because sustained
growth means new markets, new processes, new
regulatory issues, and new ways of operating, all
of which may introduce risk and delay success. For
dynamic organizations to fully achieve their objectives,
financial measures and process efficiencies, new ways of
working and stakeholder relationships must grow.
Thought leadership
Top 2018 Private Companies: Fighting the Status
Quo
The companies of the Private Titans 1000 - the
largest, fastest growing private companies in
America - have many common characteristics,
including five predominate ones. Each of them is
combatting the status quo…and winning. This article
shares insights into how.
Grant Thornton and Inc. Honor 2018 Private
Titans
Watch the video to learn how Inc. and Grant
Thornton partnered to celebrate this year’s private
companies. See how they are fighting the status quo
to thrive in today’s marketplace characterized by
disruption and increased competition.
Keep Small Expenses From Becoming Big Losses
It’s easy to see why travel and entertainment and
other small expenses don’t get the attention or
controls devoted to larger items. Taken individually,
the amounts involved are generally insignificant,
and because the items involved are so numerous
and small, auditing them individually would be
prohibitively expensive. Yet taken collectively these
expenses are significant—abuses can add up.
M&A: Assessment Key to Avoiding a Culture
Clash
By all accounts, 2018 shaped up to be a blockbuster
year for mergers and acquisitions, with global M&A
transactions reaching more than $2 trillion this year.
Organizations of all shapes and sizes are considering
M&A growth strategies to remain competitive. Yet,
when evaluating potential targets, organizations
must look beyond financial spreadsheets and dig
deep into the company’s culture to make sure a
merger would be a success. Research into the issue
of culture and its importance during mergers and
integrations reveals some interesting facts.
Navigating the Initial Public Offering (IPO)
Process
The journey from private to public company requires
great effort, but the result can bring significant
benefits and rewards. The IPO process is rarely
smooth and often involves challenges and obstacles,
taking four to five months depending on factors like
market conditions and the availability of information
the SEC requires. Trusted advisers are a must, yet
even they can have trouble overcoming certain
roadblocks.
The Buy-Side of a Deal
Improving a company’s odds of a successful
acquisition takes clear goals and a detailed, defined
strategy that allows for the inevitable surprises. It
should involve the early-on input and support of the
company’s board of directors.

Building an Effective Current Expected Credit
Loss (CECL) Modeling Approach
Modeling is core to CECL’s requirement to forecast
and report expected losses on financial assets
carried at amortized cost. Selecting modeling
approaches is one of the most challenging aspects
of the implementation and ongoing operation of a
CECL program. The right approach to credit loss
modeling should integrate predictive modeling,
analytics, advanced data management, and
accounting principles to drive sustainable CECL
operations.
Today’s State CIO as Communicator
As internal and external pressures continue to mount,
state technology leaders say they are confident
that by building strong teams and embracing new
products and development processes, state IT
departments will be able to improve how they serve
government agencies and residents. Explore results
from the 2018 State CIO Survey.
Account for Continuous Growth Through Agile
Technology Business Management
In an environment of flat or declining budgets,
technology leaders must optimize IT spending
and reinvest in innovation to maximize the digital
opportunity for growth. Adopting an agile technology
business management approach allows tech leaders
to optimize IT spending and reinvest in innovation to
maximize the digital opportunity for growth.
Unlocking Digital Growth: Trust Is the Key
Successful organizations embrace technology to
create customer value as a critical component of
competing in a digital world. The most significant
challenge to delivering value in the digital economy
will be the ability to build trust.

2019 CFO Survey Executive Summary
February, 27, 2019
The results of Grant Thornton's 2019 CFO Survey will
be in soon. Sign up to receive the executive summary
to find out how CFOs are remaining competitive as
they shift their mindset to the next wave of emerging
technology.
2019 CIO Survey
March 1, 2019
The results of our CIO survey will be in soon.
Download the report to learn about the biggest
issues CIOs face and how they are solving
challenges.
The Deal Webcast - Middle Market M&A Outlook
Through 2018, the middle market continued to be
one of the most active segments for mergers and
acquisitions. But as fears of a more subdued stock
market in 2019 begin to multiply and private equity
dry powder continues to grow, how can middle-
market deal making expect to transform? Will the
middle market still be a robust space for dealmakers
in 2019? If so, what sectors will see the greatest level
of deals, and where in the world will dealmakers
gravitate toward next? "The Deal" has partnered with
Grant Thornton to help dealmakers identify the latest
trends in this space as we begin the new year. Check
out our panel of experts as they take a deep dive
into the middle market of tomorrow by replaying this
webcast.
California Consumer Privacy Act: Position Your
Privacy Program for Success
Due to growing privacy and security concerns,
governments have started to regulate privacy and
data protection more thoroughly. Companies need
to develop and position their privacy programs to
proactively meet the evolving regulatory landscape.
Our privacy and data protection leaders discuss
the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), with
a focus on how to operationalize the regulation and
leverage lessons learned
from the GDPR. Replay our webcast.
State of the Not-for-Profit and Higher Education
Sectors
March 27, 2019
Leaders in the not-for-profit and higher education
sectors face an array of new challenges. This
webcast will focus on key trends and emerging issues
highlighted in articles published in our 2019 State of
Higher Education and Not-for-Profit Sector reports.
We will discuss the changing landscape and offer
ideas for achieving success.
Webcasts

Sponsorships and events
Argyle's 2019 Chief Financial Officer Leadership
Forum
February 6, 2019
San Francisco, CA
Grant Thornton is proud to sponsor Argyle's CFO
Leadership Forum, which provides the relationships,
information, and solutions to help finance leaders
digitally transform their organizations and pursue
effective growth strategies. At this year's event, we
will launch the results of our 2019 CFO Survey.
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) General
Audit Management (GAM) Conference
March 11-13, 2019
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
For 39 years, GAM has been the essential experience
for empowering audit industry leaders to be
influential, indispensable and informative! Grant
Thornton is once again proud to be a sponsor of and
speaker at the conference, which brings together
the best and brightest thought leaders, who will
share their perspectives on how to best position
audit leaders to evolve their knowledge and skills to
better serve their companies. Be sure to attend Grant
Thornton's speaking session on auditing culture and
visit us at booth #307!
SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar
March 24-27, 2019
Phoenix, AZ
SIFMA's C&L Annual Seminar brings together
financial services compliance and legal professionals
to engage with leading industry experts and discuss
the latest regulatory and
industry trends.
REITWise 2019 Law, Accounting & Finance
Conference
March 26-28, 2019
San Antonio, TX
This conference provides attendees with a broad,
yet focused educational program that presents
a clear picture of current political, economic and
market events that impact legal, financial, tax and
accounting operations within REITs and publicly
traded real estate companies.

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Register for upcoming webcasts and events or view on-demand episodes
Browse our library for relevant insights

Leveraging technology
Today’s organizations are working differently — they
are facing global competition, changing customer and
employee expectations, evolving regulation and more.
The strategic application and use of technology can
often help companies drive innovation and competitive
advantage. Today’s technologies, including cloud, social
media and the internet of things, can accelerate business
performance and help companies gain visibility into their
operations and derive actionable insights to efficiently
achieve their objectives.
Thought leadership
Account for Continuous Growth Through Agile
Technology Business Management
In an environment of flat or declining budgets,
technology leaders must optimize IT spending
and reinvest in innovation to maximize the digital
opportunity for growth. Adopting an agile technology
business management approach allows tech leaders
to optimize IT spending and reinvest in innovation to
maximize the digital opportunity for growth.
Unlocking Digital Growth: Trust Is the Key
Successful organizations embrace technology to
create customer value as a critical component of
competing in a digital world. The most significant
challenge to delivering value in the digital economy
will be the ability to build trust.
New System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2,
SOC 3 Trust Services Criteria
As the use of cloud, data processing, data storage,
and “everything as a service” organizations have
proliferated, so too has the need for entities to
address the risks associated with using service
organizations. Organizations providing these
services need to demonstrate their principal service
commitments and system requirements based on the
trust services category of security and, if needed,
availability, confidentiality, integrity, and/or privacy
trust services categories.
Controlling Artificial Intelligence (AI) Risks in
Financial Services
Increased use of AI and advanced data analytics in
financial services exposes the industry to new risks.
While most companies include model, technology
and data risks in their operational risk controls,
they must evaluate those efforts to ensure that they
have a formal risk management framework around
AI algorithms and advanced predictive analytics.
Establishing such a framework facilitates robust AI
governance and a coherent change management
strategy.
IoT: Internet of Things or Threats?
The Internet of things (IoT)—a term referring to
Internet-enabled smart devices for consumers and
businesses—contributes to the ease of attacks
and dramatically expands the nature and range of
cyber risks, partly due to the proliferation of poorly
secured Internet-connected devices. As companies
expand Internet connectivity from traditional phones,
tablets and laptops to products such as door locks,
thermostats, coffee makers, vehicles, medical devices
and even yoga mats, the inadequate security of these
devices creates easy access points to wreak havoc on
larger networks, systems and data repositories.

Big Winners Pay for Thousands of Failed
Experiments
There’s a clear dividing line with mid-market
companies when it comes to technology adoption.
Read more to find out which side you want to be on.
Business Intelligence (BI) Tool and Process
Trends for
Tech CFOs
The role of CFO in a technological company has
evolved from a primary concentration on revenue,
expenditures and financial statements to a full
partnership in business decision-making. To better
understand the business challenges and participate
in solving them, tech CFOs must master BI tools
and processes. Read these tips for choosing new
BI technologies and tools and implementing BI
processes to leverage tech and tools.
Today’s State CIO as Communicator
As internal and external pressures continue to mount,
state technology leaders say they are confident
that by building strong teams and embracing new
products and development processes, state IT
departments will be able to improve how they serve
government agencies and residents. Explore results
from the 2018 State CIO Survey.
How to Use AI in the M&A Process to Gain
Competitive Advantages
The key to an acquisition is accuracy and speed in
identifying value and risk of target companies. AI
finds the hidden value and predicts latent risk by
continually monitoring and tracking data points, 24/7.
Learn how mid-market companies are leveraging AI to
gain competitive advantages in the M&A process.
2019 CFO Survey Executive Summary
February, 27, 2019
The results of Grant Thornton's 2019 CFO Survey
are in. Sign up to receive the executive summary to
find out how CFOs are remaining competitive as
they shift their mindset to the next wave of emerging
technology.
2019 CIO Survey
March 1, 2019
The results of our CIO survey will be in soon.
Download the report to learn about the biggest issues
CIOs face and how they are solving challenges.

Risk management
In today’s ever-changing business environment of
market complexity, globalization and increasing investor
expectations, managing risk while protecting value is more
important than ever. Companies understand the need to
be more proactive in managing their risk to mitigate losses,
reduce the risk of reputational damage and more. Leading
organizations will find ways to harness risk to help grow
their business and achieve exceptional performance.
Thought leadership
New System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2, SOC 3
Trust Services Criteria
As the use of cloud, data processing, data storage,
and “everything as a service” organizations have
proliferated, so too has the need for entities to
address the risks associated with using service
organizations. Organizations providing these
services need to demonstrate their principal service
commitments and system requirements based on the
trust services category of security and, if needed,
availability, confidentiality, integrity, and/or privacy
trust services categories.
IoT: Internet of Things or Threats?
The Internet of things (IoT)—a term referring to
Internet-enabled smart devices for consumers and
businesses—contributes to the ease of attacks
and dramatically expands the nature and range of
cyber risks, partly due to the proliferation of poorly
secured Internet-connected devices. As companies
expand Internet connectivity from traditional phones,
tablets and laptops to products such as door locks,
thermostats, coffee makers, vehicles, medical devices
and even yoga mats, the inadequate security of these
devices creates easy access points to wreak havoc on
larger networks, systems and data repositories.
Controlling Artificial Intelligence (AI) Risks in
Financial Services
Increased use of AI and advanced data analytics in
financial services exposes the industry to new risks.
While most companies include model, technology
and data risks in their operational risk controls,
they must evaluate those efforts to ensure that they
have a formal risk management framework around
AI algorithms and advanced predictive analytics.
Establishing such a framework facilitates robust AI
governance and a coherent change management
strategy.
Transforming Risk to Drive Value
Compliance and risk operations at financial services
companies suffer a range of problems stemming
from organizations’ efforts to achieve regulatory
compliance while adjusting strategies, business
models and approaches to risk. The current moment
presents a real, and perhaps time-limited, opportunity
to transform compliance and risk operations. Learn
why and how to go about it.
How to Use AI in the M&A Process to Gain
Competitive Advantages
The key to an acquisition is accuracy and speed in
identifying value and risk of target companies. AI
finds the hidden value and predicts latent risk by
continually monitoring and tracking data points, 24/7.
Learn how mid-market companies are leveraging AI to
gain competitive advantages in the M&A process.

Only time will tell what the Trump administration really
means for business. Many companies are patiently
waiting to see how his policies will affect their industry —
from trade to tax reform, health care and more. Although
there’s uncertainty surrounding the administration’s policy
agenda, business leaders are anticipating his policies with
both curiosity and cautious optimism.
Inside Public Policy
The budget bill and USMCA top the list of priorities
for the next congress.
Control of Congress: Impact of Midterm
Elections
Trade, tariffs, unemployment and health care will
likely influence the results of the 2018 midterm
elections which will impact fiscal, regulatory and
policy issues important to businesses.
Trade and Tariffs: The Impact on Businesses
In this video, Grant Thornton’s Mary Moore Hamrick
discusses how a renegotiated NAFTA agreement,
changing U.S. trade policies and new tariffs have
resulted in significant impacts
on businesses.
Trust But Verify: Renewed Focus on Payment
Integrity
This article, originally published by the Association
of Government Accountants (AGA) in the Fall 2018
edition of the Journal of Government Financial
Management, outlines payment integrity best
practices as well as the role that innovation
and artificial intelligence can play in improving
efficiencies and optimizing payment processes.
Wayfair Impact on Tech Companies: A Practical
Primer
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair ruling has opened
the door for each state to subject online and other
electronic sales made by out-of-state sellers to sales
or use tax. Now, tech companies need to ensure they
have the proper tools and procedures to charge
and remit the correct tax in all required jurisdictions.
Tech companies also need to understand the impact
Wayfair may have on their financial statements
in order to determine what they need to track and
report on a prospective basis.
Learn how your tech company can use Wayfair as
an opportunity to modernize its tax function through
a high-level review of current processes, while
identifying areas where automation and analytics
can help handle the additional
new requirements.
Thought leadership
Washington impact

Tariff Battles Stall Manufacturers' Expansion
Plans
Tariffs and uncertainties around trade policy have
resulted in a “wait and see” approach to investment
and expansion for today’s manufacturers.
Five Ways to Mitigate Election Security Risks
Recent elections highlighted numerous vulnerabilities
in our election systems designed to undermine
voter integrity and public trust. Grant Thornton has
defined five key areas for state and local government
officials to focus limited resources to minimize
election systems risk.
Pelosi’s Leadership: 5 Business Implications
Returning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s leadership
has implications for business. The California
Democrat faces a real challenge in trying to carve
out a pro-growth, business-friendly agenda while
also trying to address calls from her party’s most
liberal wing to slow President Trump’s agenda
with impeachment hearings and investigations on
such matters as corruption and the president’s tax
returns.

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