Welcome at the Think Tank of the ICV!

The ICV Think Tank deals with controlling topics relevant to the future every year. The Work Group of the ICV Think Tank serves as a think tank and innovation laboratory in which ideas are generated, discussed and further developed.

Since it was founded in 2009 by Prof. Dr. Dr h.c. mult. Péter Horváth, a renowned expert in the field of controlling, and Dr. Uwe Michel, a proven expert in corporate development, the Work Group has developed into a dynamic and diverse group.

Since autumn 2016, the ICV Think Tank has been run by Prof. Dr. Ronald Gleich, Academic Director at the Center for Performance Management & Controlling at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and Stefan Tobias, Partner at the management consultancy Horváth in the areas of planning, reporting and consolidation. The ICV Think Tank is coordinated by Dr. Kim Dillenberger in support of Anne Kowalski.

The members of the ICV Think Tank come from various sectors, including consulting, universities and practice. Every year, changing experts complement the core team. This interdisciplinary composition enables a broad exchange of experience and diverse perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in modern controlling and the working environment.

Goals and mission of the ICV Think Tank

The ICV Think Tank uses the "controlling radar" (see Fig. 1) to systematically monitor the environment relevant to controlling in order to identify significant trends at an early stage. Every year, the ICV Think Tank deals with a trend topic. From the latest findings, the members develop the annual Dream Car Report, a handbook for controllers. In this way, the Think Tank makes a significant contribution to positioning the ICV as a topic leader in the financial and controller community. The results are presented to a wide audience at the annual Congress of Controllers in Munich.

Current main topics

Until the upcoming Congress of Controllers on April 29 and 30, 2024 in Munich, the Work Group will take up the topic of controlling and new work - forms of work, skills, talent acquisition.

In today's fast-moving and constantly changing working world, controlling is faced with new challenges and opportunities in the context of the "New Work" concept. The traditional understanding of work and organization is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by technological advances, the need for more flexibility and an increasingly agile business environment.

In this exciting time, controllers must not only be familiar with traditional tasks such as financial planning, budgeting and reporting, but also develop an understanding of the changing forms and structures of work. New working models, such as remote work, flexible working hours and project-based teams, require the controlling methods to be adapted in order to ensure effective control even in this dynamic environment.

In addition, skills such as agility, innovative ability and data competence are playing an increasingly important role for controllers, as they have to act as strategic partners and drive innovative solutions more than ever.

This results in key challenges: building skills and acquiring talent. With the changing forms of work, new talents and skills are also needed to optimally support controlling. It is important to find the right people with the right skills and to promote them in order to successfully master the demands of the modern working world.

The cooperation and the exchange of experiences in the ICV Think Tank should work out answers and recommendations for action to the following questions in connection with the annual topic:

• What skills do controllers need, and what not anymore?
• Which roles will there be in controlling in the future?
• What does agile collaboration look like?
• How are team and management structures designed in controlling?
• How does an employer increase job attractiveness in New Controlling?
• What are new ways of upskilling?
• How can lifelong learning be implemented in controlling?

Are you interested in getting to know the Work Group and its members and contributing your expertise? We are looking forward to your message.