Amid the excitement of getting back to a semblance of business as usual, you’re probably asking yourself a lot of questions—as in, what is the new normal and where do I go from here? This podcast is the last episode in our series for CFOs, controllers—really, anyone in finance—asking big questions, like: how do we emerge from a crisis stronger than before? Over our 16 episodes, we’ve focused on the areas that may need your focus in this period of recovery. 

In this episode, host Heather Horn sits down with Neil Dhar, PwC Vice Chairman and Chief Clients Officer.

Topics include:

• 0:42 - Where are we now? We begin by looking at the results of PwC’s Road to Election 2020 Survey, which tracks C-suite sentiment on the top policy issues at play and their business impact on  companies as they move beyond crisis management toward a return to growth. 
• 6:05 - Scenario planning. How to make decisions in uncertain times? Scenario plan. We discuss how management teams are rebuilding revenue streams and how tax considerations may affect the ability to make investments. 
• 8:56 - Digital transformation. Neil shares the ways companies are looking to deliver more value, at a lower cost, in a tech-enabled way.
• 12:31 - Risk management. Neil highlights the importance companies are placing on evolving their processes and controls to operate in the new world with increasing threats from such areas as cybersecurity because of the work-from-home environment.
• 13:26 - M&A activity. How has the M&A market changed over the past 8 months and how will the election impact transaction activity? Neil explains.
• 17:31 - Transparent reporting. As companies work toward greater transparency, Neil shares what he’s hearing from management teams on ESG and D&I initiatives.
• 20:04 - Going forward. From reopenings to investments in the future workforce, we close by talking about what makes Neil optimistic for 2021. 

Neil Dhar serves as Vice Chairman - Clients, Markets and Sectors (Chief Clients Officer) at PwC. In this role, he serves as the firm's leading client advisor helping harness the firm's vast capabilities across the consulting, M&A, tax, and assurance segments to solve complex issues across the firm's extensive client base. He has overall responsibility for PwC’s markets & sectors and serves on the firm's management committee. Neil is a frequent guest on major news outlets (CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business News, Wall St Journal, Business Insider, Forbes, etc), lecturer at financial conferences and the author of numerous articles on transformational events.

Heather Horn is PwC’s National office thought leader, responsible for developing our communications strategy and conveying firm positions on accounting and financial reporting matters. She is the engaging host of PwC’s accounting and reporting weekly podcast and quarterly webcast series, as well as periodic webcasts for the power and utilities industry. With over 25 years of experience, Heather’s accounting and auditing expertise includes financial instruments and rate-regulated accounting.

Transcripts available upon request for individuals who may need a disability-related accommodation. Please send requests to [email protected].