News and Events

Keynote Speakers

John Colbert, Vice President, Research and Analysis, BPM Partners

Mr. Colbert is responsible for gathering and reviewing industry and vendor specific data for utilization in service products and alliance programs. Prior to BPM Partners, Colbert was senior director at Hyperion Software, responsible for directing Hyperion's OLAP Business Analysis financial software products. Earlier in his career, Colbert was an end-user of performance management solutions while a product manager at Raychem Corporation, a Fortune 500 company that has since been acquired by Tyco. Colbert has contributed to publications such as the New York Times and Information Week and has spoken at numerous performance management conferences. He currently serves as the coordinator and spokesperson for the BPM Standards Group, of which BPM Partners is a founding member. Colbert graduated with an MS in Engineering Management from Stanford University and BS in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers University.

Linda L. Biek, CPA, Director of Governmental, International and Professional Relationships, National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)

Linda Biek serves as NASBA’s Director of Governmental, International and Professional Relationships, focusing on strengthening the visibility of NASBA both domestically and internationally. Previously, Ms. Biek served as Executive Director for the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy and has also used her professional training as an auditor with the international firm of KPMG, The Pittson Company, and several CPA firms throughout the country. She is a member of the AICPA and the Tennessee Society of CPAs.

Ms. Biek obtained her BBA in marketing and her Masters of Accountancy from East Tennessee State University and has been honored by former Tennessee Governor Don Sunquist, as well as her alma mater for her professional accomplishments. She was selected for the Tennessee Government Management Institute, an executive training program, and has used her training to visit with professionals in China and throughout Europe. Ms. Biek has served on the boards of various non-profit agencies in the Nashville area.

Paul Sharman, ACMA, President, Focused Management Inc

Paul Sharman is Founder and President of Focused Management Inc., a consulting and education firm. As leader of one of North America's better known cost and performance management consulting firms, Paul has facilitated change initiatives with major organizations, including: Volkswagen, Toyota Motor Credit Corp, Kellogg, AT&T, US Army, Citibank, Hewlett Packard, and others around the world.

Mr. Sharman was President and CEO of The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) based in Montvale, New Jersey. During that time, he was an active participant in the CEO committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) as well as a member of the Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) Advisory Board.

Paul has been referenced many times in professional and US national press on such topics as the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX) and reform of the accountancy profession. He has written several articles for CMA (the Canadian Management Accounting) Magazine, Strategic Finance Magazine, and for other publications in the United States. He was editor of CMA Magazine for eight years (1990 - 1998).

Paul is an ACMA (Associate Chartered Management Accountant of Great Britain).

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