Madrid, October 30, 2023.
The Cepsa Tower in Madrid has hosted the seventh edition of the Controller Centricity 2023 Congress. The event, held in person and streaming, has recorded record attendance by bringing together more than a thousand management control professionals. Experts point out that the main challenge for Controllers is to help develop practical strategic planning so that companies act quickly in the face of continuous changes derived from the uncertainty that exists worldwide.
The 2023 edition of Controller Centricity, organized by the Global Chartered Controller Institute (GCCI), has become a management control classic that brings together Controllers from Spain and Latin America every year to learn about trends in this field. The speakers recommend focusing on strategic planning to address in a practical and effective way the constant disruptions that occur in the market. Sebastián Puig, an expert analyst at the Ministry of Defense, has defended the role of the Controller to make organizations “more flexible, horizontal and agile. He assures that it is time to plan for disruption and to “hyperprioritize” in each scenario that is contemplated. For his part, the financial director of the Cosentino Group, Julian Edwards, has stressed that he has to contribute to defining the strategy, but also help to implement it with a practical approach and concrete actions that have an impact on the business. For senior management, he must synthesize the key indicators (KPI) for the company’s objectives and provide their measurement in real time. In addition, it introduces another factor that it considers essential for the profession: communicating messages concisely and clearly. AI and sustainability Data management and artificial intelligence (AI) featured in the presentation by Jesús Midón, general director of Esker Ibérica, who has warned of the importance of working with “relevant and good quality data”, as well as treating it centrally to ensure its governability. And he encouraged the audience “to lose the fear” of generative AI although “you have to be cautious about security issues and set clear limits regarding ethics.” Sustainability has also been present at the hands of Alejandra Pino, director of Management Control and Planning of Cepsa. She has explained the company’s journey, which “has involved transitioning towards a new industrial model” and now focuses on programs to reduce water consumption. “It has taken a lot of effort, but from this area we provide the KPIs to measure both to Operations, as well as to ESG and Security, which we then validate to ensure compliance.” Controller Challenges Regarding the Controller’s challenges, Marisol Trillo, Director of Control of Action Help Management, has summarized them in three: predicting scenarios for senior management, working on data and its analysis, as well as training to improve communication. From a more practical perspective, Santiago Aliaga, CEO of Zyrcular Foods, has added the convenience of reviewing contracts in times of uncertainty, saving items on the balance sheet in case investment opportunities arise and explaining the consequences of regulations in each sector so that the legislator can take them into account. However, the great challenge “is to earn more money with efficient use of resources and prepare company members for unforeseen events.” And the vice dean of the Wharton School, Mauro Guillén, has encouraged not to lose sight of the business opportunities presented by the change in the world order.
Contact Contact name: Global Chartered Controller Institute (GCCI) Contact description: GCCI Contact phone: 615 203 063
