Meet the staff: financial executives research foundation (FERF) and administration/operations.

As it prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November, it's obvious that over the years, the Financial Executives Research Foundation Inc.--known as FERF--has changed significantly. Yet, its goals and objectives have remained remarkably consistent.

FERF is the nonprofit research affiliate of FEI whose stated goal is to "advance the profession and practices of financial management through research. It underwrites and conducts objective research projects on business subjects." FERF views its activities as contributing to a knowledge network.

As a 501(c) 3 entity, it is not supported by FEI member dues but rather by voluntary contributions and subscriptions.

Begun in 1944 as The Controllership Foundation, it changed its name to FERF Inc. in 1962. FERF develops a unique type of research that can't be found elsewhere--research that is compiled primarily by tapping into the experiences and insights of the FEI membership database. All its activities contribute to expanding its knowledge network. To achieve its goals, it works with academics, industry and other nonprofit organizations in a variety of ways aimed at facilitating members learning from each other.

During its first 60 years, FERF has produced approximately 230 publications, with more than 100 since 1983. Prior to 1983, there were about 3 or 4 per year; now, that rate is up to about 18 a year. It's evolved from full-length books with academics--including a 1954 book by Herbert Simon ("Centralization Versus Decentralization in Organizing the Controller's Department"), who went on to win a Nobel prize for economics in 1978--to research reports, issue alerts and a variety of e-newsletters.

More recently, FERF is leveraging the power of the Internet to facilitate online discussion forums (such as FELIX PC--Financial Executives List Exchange for Private Companies) and the new FERFPros, which enables members to earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits on-demand.

The team is currently comprised of five professionals who report directly to FEI's President and CEO Colleen Sayther. On a daily basis, they manage themselves in a functional team-based structure, with each professional responsible for his or her area of expertise. They make joint decisions on the big things, and somehow all do their part to get the job done--including stuffing envelopes for fundraising campaigns.

Going by tenure with FERF, the team is comprised of Bill Sinnett, manager of research and corporate...