Case Study: Greg Halliday
Gregory Halliday, Manager, Finance and Taxation, Telstra Super Pty Ltd participated in the Intensive Management Program (IMP) and found that the path to senior management requires an understanding of more than just the balance sheet.
"As you move up in management, the technical focus on numbers turns to a broader, whole-of-business perspective, and on ways to synchronize the operations, strategy and performance," he said. For Greg this was the appeal of the program. It reflected the mind shift involved in the transition from functional financial manager to CFO, a path that he is currently on for his professional development.
He found the program a great experience exposing him to all parts of the business - such as marketing, HR, finance and strategy - and the critical drivers required to take the operations and people forward. With more than two decades in finance and tax in various sectors, he now sees new and critical areas for development.
"I really thought I knew nearly everything about the practical and theoretical aspects of my chosen profession - but there was still more to learn. It was an eye opener to gain the perspectives and perceptions of other functional managers on finance, and similarly for them to develop insights into the role and scope of finance in business," he said.
Greg has applied his new learning on many fronts and says the experience has changed the way he thinks about his role and contribution together with the way he relates to others across the business. He now focuses more broadly on projects or challenges and is more aware of drawing on the skills and input of others.
"In an investment committee environment, I think more creatively and strategically about real value creation. I look at all the desired deliverables in terms of our investment strategy, revenue generation and the interests of our members (customers), and not just strictly in terms of costs and benefits," he said.
Speaking highly of the ability of all program presenters to convey course material, Greg specifically praised Professor Paul Dainty for exposing participants to international theory, and drawing on his professional background as a senior HR executive in a global organisation.
"The IMP presenters were first class. They brought their own blend of the practical and theoretical to the program, drawing on their corporate and academic expertise together with their diverse international experience."
The strategy component involved case studies that drove home real applications and their outcomes in different business sectors. The marketing module underscored the role and scope of strategy, the power of good product, relationships, satisfied customers and the need for a compelling brand.
Mr Halliday praised the program not only for what he had learned but for the accreditation gained.
"As a Certified Practising Accountant, it was a further advantage to have the program accredited as part of my continuing professional education."
