<p>By: Rebecca Daniels, Director, Education, FMI </p><p><img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/blog-images/seattle-washington.tmb-large-350-.jpg?Culture=en&sfvrsn=544e039b_1" style="float:right;margin:10px;" alt="Seattle Washington" class="-align-right" sf-size="220956" />The buzz is building as May 18 approaches. In boardrooms and back offices across the country, financial leaders are checking their itineraries, reviewing presentation decks and zipping up suitcases. Their destination? Seattle — home to the <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference&utm_campaign=feia2025&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=web">2025 Financial Executive and Internal Auditing Conference</a> (FEIA), a cornerstone event for food industry finance and auditing professionals.<br /></p><p>Among the attendees making the cross-country trip from FMI are Andy Harig, vice president of tax, trade, sustainability & policy development, and Steve Markenson, vice president of research & insights. I sat down with both to get a preview of what they’ll be sharing and why this year’s conference is one you won’t want to miss.<br /></p><p><strong>Daniels:</strong> Andy, your session focuses on policy and regulatory shifts. What can the audience expect to hear about? What are you looking forward to sharing with them?<br /></p><p><strong>Harig:</strong> Recent changes in leadership in D.C. brought with it unprecedented volatility – not only in the regulatory space, but also for food policy, tax, trade and compliance. Organizations are under a lot of pressure to remain agile and informed so they can adapt to the current environment. My session will break down what remains the same and how things have changed, while also looking at the time horizon for what will likely be next on the agenda. Anyone involved in the food retail operation space will benefit from this content, especially those feeling underwater on navigating these uncertain times. The bonus of 1.2 CPE credits doesn’t hurt either. <br /></p><p><strong>Daniels:</strong> Steve, tell me about your session on benchmarking financial operations. What sparked it?<br /></p><p><strong>Markenson:</strong> Our latest survey, exclusive to this conference, digs deep into how financial departments in food retail are operating — from department structure to how effectiveness is measured. This session is about more than just numbers, it’s about unlocking real strategies and approaches that leaders can take home and use to optimize department and organization performance. I’m looking forward to engaging Michael Lockard from Weis Markets, Inc. and Jennifer Ruckman from Schnucks Markets, Inc. on this exciting new data and the associated opportunities. <br /></p><p><strong>Daniels:</strong> And I’m guessing your session also comes with CPE credits?<br /></p><p><strong>Markenson:</strong> Absolutely, 1.2 CPE credits in business management and organization for this one, too. The FEIA conference is great for its unique food industry specific CPE credits. It’s a double win — actionable insights and professional growth.<br /></p><p>Whether seeking clarity on emerging policies or looking to benchmark your department against top-performing peers, this conference delivers the tools and knowledge today’s financial leaders need, not to mention top-tier speakers and a welcoming community of food industry financial and auditing professionals. <br /></p><p>Ready to level up your strategy and earn CPE credits? <a href="https://www.fmi.org/forms/RedirectForm/?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmi.org%2Ffinancial-executive-and-internal-audit-conference&utm_campaign=feia2025&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=web">Register now for the Financial Executive and Internal Auditing Conference</a>. See you in Seattle!
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