May 2007 — PRINT EDITION             The sexy six In a marketplace that’s hot for chartered accountants, certain specialties — such as business valuation, investigative and forensic accounting and information technology — are just sizzling Behind the numbers Like all professions, accountants want a self-appraisal done ina systematic way. And this is where the CA profession’s managinga public practice survey proves invaluable. So just how dosmall and mid-sized Canadian firms organize their practices?     People Ottawa CA Bob Plamondon may be low-key and soft spoken, but don’t be fooled; this guy’s focused and dedicated, proving his might in publishing and athletic competition, not to mention his contribution to the Impact CA program     News and trends   •  Alberta leads for online filing   •  News from the profession   •  Standards digest     Numbers game       Ask an expert How can I manage personality conflicts in the office?     Bits & Bites   •  In accountants we trust   •  An ounce of retention...   •  Great expectations   •  One rule to register them all   •  Changes for China     Value added   •  CFOs move far beyond traditional role If a recent survey of Fortune 1,000 CEOs is any indication, the profile of the CFO as a narrow-thinking beancounter is officially extinct. It has been replaced by a new species of visionary strategist.   •  Building a better finance function How do top-performing organizations organize their finance function? And what can be learned from their example?     Findings Largest employers: part 2     Going concern Jonathan Taub, CA•IT President Rimrock Corp.       Taxation Accounting for pleasure: for Canadians, the rules for deducting fun can be confusing and taxing     People management A simple “thanks” will suffice: getting 100% from employees is easier and cheaper than you think     Business adviser Who will buy a slightly used practice? While there are challenges to making a practice salable, it’s doable     Legal issues Raising the bar: Quebec and Ontario courts have sent the message that they will screen class actions at the certification level     Business valuation Let common sense prevail: with nonarms’ length contracts,business valuation must pass a comon-sense test without losing sight of commerical realities     Technology Making the right connections: there’s no two ways about it,our world gets more and more connected and technologyis available anytime, anywhere     Letters to the editor Inside out Introducing ... CAmagazine Netwatch Shifting economics opens doors BPI mad simple Michael Burns, our Test Drive columnist, is changing focus. Although he will still be reviewing major releases of new software, he will be concentrating on ways to improve business process using technology. His column has been renamed Work in process. Outlook Nothing like a scary story