Recently, I have realized the importance of shifting finance conversations away from cost and toward ROI, both tangible and intangible.
higher ed
Use Your Institution’s Data and Lessons Learned to Tell a Story
Presidents and provosts must share data differently to communicate the financial strategy of the institution with the faculty and staff.
Data Analysis to Data Understanding: Communicating with Senior Leadership
The work I do often starts with helping institutions to solve challenges around their financial reporting. The goal is to move from questioning the accuracy of the data to using it to make decisions. To do this, the data needs to be timely, accurate, and meaningful. Many of us spend a lot of time trying […]
Additional Endowment Spend: Symptom of a Larger Issue?
Many CFOs try to solve budget deficits by taking larger draws on their endowment. This may be a short-term option, but it is not sustainable.
7 Imperatives to Be a Finance Strategist
Finance is increasingly at the heart of the strategic process. What does it take to be an effective finance strategist?
What Can Higher Ed Learn from a Chef? (part 3)
Understand and project demand (enrollment). What if I have 15 entrees and customers rarely order a couple of them? Also, one of the main ingredients is not used for any another entrée. Would you discontinue the item? Why is it that in higher education, we continue to add to our menu without retiring offerings or […]
What Can Higher Ed Learn from a Chef? (part 2)
When I examine the change in our cost structure over time, I wonder if the stars on our campuses are really the extracurricular offerings.
What Can Higher Ed Learn from a Chef? (part 1)
Some higher ed issues remind me of the challenges a chef has when creating a menu to be delicious and profitable.