Hackett Offers Best Practice Strategies for Responding To the Global Economic Crisis at its 19th Annual Conference

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Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:30am EDT

Conference Offers Preview of 2009 Book of Numbers Research; Also Features
Executive Presentations from Alcoa, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Renault,
Unisys, and Others
ATLANTA & LONDON--(Business Wire)--
How are the world`s most successful companies reducing cost, managing working
capital, and creating competitive advantage during these challenging
recessionary times? What changes are they making to efficiently and
strategically manage key General & Administrative (G&A) areas such as finance,
IT, procurement, and HR given unprecedented volatility in business demand? These
questions are at the heart of the agenda for The Hackett Group`s 19th Annual
Best Practices Conference, at the InterContinental Hotel in Atlanta May 13-14,
2009. 

The Hackett Group (NASDAQ: HCKT), a global strategic advisory firm, is a leader
in best practice advisory, benchmarking, and transformation consulting services
including shared services, offshoring, and outsourcing advice. 

This year`s Hackett conference, entitled "Business Disrupted: How World-Class
Companies Mitigate Recession Risk and Create Competitive Advantage," brings
together speakers from more than a dozen of the world`s most successful
companies, including Alcoa, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Renault, and
Unisys, for two days of in-depth sessions. 

The invitation-only event will also feature previews of Hackett`s 2009 Book of
NumbersTM research in finance, IT, procurement, and HR. The research quantifies
spending, staffing, economic return, and other key efficiency and effectiveness
metrics of world-class and typical performers. Finally, Hackett will spotlight
findings from three newly-completed performance studies examining trends and
best practices in: cash flow forecasting; cost control; and how best to organize
back-office functions to deliver the greatest value. 

"Today's uncertain economy has driven executives to focus on business value like
never before," said Hackett President Wayne Mincey. "At this year`s conference
we`re spotlighting how world-class companies are not only effective and
efficient but also nimble enough to respond quickly to dynamic market
conditions. There`s a lot to learn from these companies and how they`ve
optimized their back-office organizational models, technology platforms, and
process frameworks to deliver the greatest value to the business." 

This year`s conference will offer attendees the opportunity to explore the
following topics, and others: how to improve working capital and reduce reliance
on credit; how world-class companies reduce cost and complexity and create
flexibility; strategies for leveraging low cost labor markets; and how to
optimally leverage key effectiveness drivers including enterprise performance
management, talent management, IT business value management, and supplier
management. 

The following executives are currently scheduled to present:

 Alcoa, Inc. - Kevin Horner, Chief Information Officer                                              
 Three Keys to Delivering Value: Flexibility, Low Cost & Low Complexity                             
                                                                                                    
 ArvinMeritor, Inc. - Deborah Henderson, Vice President & CIO                                       
 Transforming IT: How ArvinMeritor IT Became an Effective Business Solutions Delivery Organization  
                                                                                                    
 Caterpillar - Sid Banwart, Vice President Human Resources                                          
 Reaping The Benefits Of Planning For The Worst Of Times During The Best Of Times                   
                                                                                                    
 Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. - Joseph Heinrich, Chief Accounting Officer &                          
 Controller and Bill Johnson, Vice President Shared Services                                        
 BPO Case Study: Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.`s Formula for Success                                   
                                                                                                    
 Covidien - Michael Dunford, Vice President Human Resources                                         
 Achieving HR Synergies at Covidien                                                                 
                                                                                                    
 GMAC Financial Services - Cynthia Dautrich, Chief Procurement Officer                              
 Building a Global Procurement Organization during Tumultuous Times                                 
                                                                                                    
 Ontario Power Generation - Donn Hanbidge, Chief Financial Officer                                  
 Beyond World-Class Finance: How Ontario Power Generation Is Raising the Bar                        
                                                                                                    
 REL Consultancy - Mark Tennant, President Americas                                                 
 Cash is King - Freeing Working Capital to Reduce Short Term Debt                                   
                                                                                                    
 Renault SA - Christian Mardrus, Vice President & CIO                                               
 Transforming IT: How Renault Reduced the Impact of the Recession                                   
                                                                                                    
 Rio Tinto plc - Scott Singer, Chief Procurement Officer                                            
 Stress Testing Procurement Transformation at Rio Tinto                                             
                                                                                                    
 Terex Corporation - Mark Bender, Director Business Process - Finance                               
 Leveraging Shared Services for Finance Performance Improvement                                     
                                                                                                    
 Unisys Corporation - Peter Mares, Vice President Integrated Finance Service                        
 Delivery                                                                                           
 Proactive Engagement and Visibility: How Unisys Responded to the Recession                         
                                                                                                    
 The Hackett Group                                                                                  
 David Ackerman, IT Advisory Practice Leader - Business Uninterrupted:                              
 How World-Class IT is the Great Enabler                                                            
 Ted Fernandez, Chief Executive Officer - Conference Welcome                                        
 Bryan Hall, Finance Advisory Practice Leader - Business Uninterrupted: How                         
 World-Class Finance Delivers Greater Value                                                         
 Stephen Joyce, HR Advisory Practice Leader - Business Uninterrupted: How                           
 World-Class HR Addresses Harsh Economic Realities                                                  
 Wayne Mincey - Business Disrupted: How to Enable Success in Any Economy                            
 Christopher Sawchuk, Procurement Advisory Practice Leader - Business                               
 Uninterrupted: How World-Class Procurement Delivers Greater Value                                  


More information on The Hackett Group`s 19th Annual Best Practices Conference is
available online at: http://www.thehackettgroup.com/events/usbp09/.

About The Hackett Group

The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), a global strategic advisory firm, is a
leader in best practice advisory, benchmarking, and transformation consulting
services, including shared services, offshoring and outsourcing advice.
Utilizing best practices and implementation insights from more than 4,000
benchmarking engagements, executives use Hackett's empirically based approach to
quickly define and prioritize initiatives to enable world-class performance.
Through its REL brand, Hackett offers working capital solutions focused on
delivering significant cash flow improvements. Through its Hackett Technology
Solutions group, Hackett offers business application consulting services that
helps maximize returns on IT investments. Hackett has worked with 2,700 major
corporations and government agencies, including 97% of the Dow Jones
Industrials, 73% of the Fortune 100, 73% of the DAX 30 and 45% of the FTSE 100. 

Founded in 1991, The Hackett Group was acquired by Answerthink, Inc. in 1997.
Answerthink was renamed The Hackett Group, Inc. in 2008. The Hackett Group has
global offices in the United States, Europe and Asia/Pacific. 

More information on The Hackett Group is available: by phone at (770) 225-7300;
by e-mail at info@thehackettgroup.com; or on the Web at www.thehackettgroup.com.


Book of Numbers is a trademark of The Hackett Group. 





The Hackett Group
Gary Baker, 610-234-5900
Communications Director
gbaker@thehackettgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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