45th IAFEI World Congress “Location and Program” approved by the Executive Committee in St. Petersburg, Russia

On 27 April 2015, the IAFEI Executive Committee met in St. Petersburg, Russia to discuss the reports of the members of the Executive Committee and the various items still pending after the previous meeting in Manila (Philippines).

I was very glad to be there both as a Member of the Advisory Council and also, in this instance, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 45th IAFEI World Congress scheduled for 14-16 October 2015 in Milano (Italy).

First of all, I would like to share with you the professional support and contribution given by the leadership of the Russian Institute who hosted the meeting. This new “blood” and the enthusiasm received on the strategies and programs of IAFEI demonstrate that IAFEI is on the right track for its expansion.

The main part of the Agenda was dedicated on how to “speed–up IAFEI”, meaning, how the Chairman and the Executive Committee (ExCom) can help to give more value to the member institutes and widen the world coverage.

The good news of having Brazil and Argentina re-joining and South Africa and Tunisia as new solid prospects, gives fuel to more new Institutes that could join before the next Milano meeting in October. The plan of increasing the presence of IAFEI’s representatives in the International Bodies is progressing with success, as well as the work of the IAFEI’s International Technical Committees. As in the last two years’ World Congresses, the Excom has requested each Technical Committee to have specific roundtable or workshop each as its participation in the global conference.

Another interesting item that is worth mentioning, is the further improvement of the website and the development of the e-journal in order to help and speed up the contents and the communications among the member institutes.

As Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 45th IAFEI World Congress, preparations have commenced and the program for the October 14-16, 2015 was approved by the ExCom.

Milano was chosen as the site of this World Congress, for Milano is this year’s “Center of the World”. The World Trade Fair will be held in Milano with the main theme of “Feeding the Planet – Food for Life” rendering Milano as the perfect spot for IAFEI’s single significant global event for 2015!

The proposed theme for the Congress, “INNOVATION- The Quest for Competitiveness” was approved with enthusiastic acceptance.

ANDAF, the Italian association of financial executives, has the goal to address the economic crisis and the need for companies to react, innovate and boost their efficiency and productivity.

The Organizing Committee chose the theme in the light of the urgent need for a global economic turnaround where the CFOs will play their crucial roles. Concerns and the way forward will be presented and deliberated with experts sharing their views, experience and strategies. With the evolving multifarious ways of doing things and dynamics of endless innovations with leveling up as end goal, the forthcoming IAFEI global event will be trend-setting.

The venue of the Congress is the historical and prestigious “Palazzo Mezzanotte” where the Italian Stock Exchange is located. Beyond the well organized line up of technical sessions, roundtables and workshops, pre and post congress tours in Florence, Venice and Rome await the delegates to the Congress. October is a good month to be in Italy.

ANDAF looks forward to welcoming all to Milano in October.

Gabriele Fontanesi
Chairman, 45th IAFEI World Congress
Member, IAFEI Advisory Council

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A Tribute to Romano Guelmani

By Fausto Cosi, IAFEI Vice Chairman and ANDAF President

Goodbye Romano, we will miss you.

Romano Guelmani passed away on December 27 last year, after a short and unforgiving illness.

His great personality has left us a memory of  an excellent professional and dear friend. Those who had the pleasure to meet him, remember a proper gentleman, educated, and open, a “Milanese”, proud of his roots.

He was 74,  still very active and always seeking new challenges…

A few months ago, we  lost Romano Guelmani,  a dear friend and  ANDAF’s guiding hand. We profoundly miss him. We are sure that his example and the values that he advocated will serve as a continuing guidepost for the future of our Association. Several national and international initiatives  have paid tribute to him.

Romano has dedicated to ANDAF much of his energy and time for more than 35 years, with several responsibilities. Beyond these, he meant far more to ANDAF. He acted as the soul of the Association, a reference, and its institutional memory. He always promoted the associative spirit, guaranteed its unity and safeguarded its image. He guided the young people who  would drive the future of the Association.

ANDAF was his life.

ANDAF acknowledges all the time that he dedicated to it, acting with respectable integrity, persistence and professionalism, and earning everybody’s respect.

Our last farewell to you, Romano. We will miss you.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Guelmani started working in 1965. He worked for more than 30 years in Milan with FACE Standard (then ITT, then Alcatel), where he became CFO and General Manager. He left Alcatel in 1997 to work for  small business as CFO and Financial advisor. He was director and statutory auditor in several companies.

ACTIVITY WITH ANDAF AND IAFEI

He joined ANDAF in 1980. In December 1990, after having acted as Chairman of the Lombardy section, Treasurer and Vice President for International Relations – he became President until 1997.

During his term,  he became very active in the international network: he became a member of the IAFEI board and he represented ANDAF in almost all of the yearly World Congresses. In 1991, he was  nominated Vice President of EFFEI, the European federation representing the CFO at the EEC in Brussels, and in 1992 was elected IAFEI Chairman and then Advisory Council member. He chaired the 1992 World Congress in Argentina when  President Carlo Menem participated, and the 1995 World Congress in Rome. Under his presidency he created ANDAF Servizi, to overcome the commercial limitations embedded in ANDAF’s non-profit nature. In 2009, Romano coordinated as Chairman the writing of the Association’s Code of Ethics. Since 2009 – under the presidency of Fausto Cosi – he became Assistant to the Presidency, and since 2012, Managing Director of ANDAF Servizi srl. He served with utmost dedication and competence, giving in all occasions his precious human and professional contribution. His cultural and professional depth and his equilibrium will find no substitute, as no one has lived and contributed to ANDAF’s growth since its early days.

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