Private Company Forum program set for Oct. 26-7.

FEI's Committee of Private Companies (CPC) has created a formidable agenda for its fall conference at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston Oct. 26-27, which will include a networking reception and dinner on the first evening.

A highlight will be a discussion with Steve Feilheimer, CFO of Koch Industries Inc., about Koch's approach to sustainable growth. Feilheimer is one of five private-company financial executives interviewed for the cover article in Financial Executive's October issue. The discussion will center around: knowing your core capabilities, hiring the right people, anticipating customer needs, choosing to use debt, reinvesting in the business, measuring profitability, private vs. public company advantages/disadvantages and more.

Other highlights on the agenda:

* Unscrambling international insurance, a session highlighting unfamiliar risks such as international liability, repatriation, political risk and more.

* Alternative funding and investment strategies, which will focus on understanding the equity side of the balance sheet and what sources of capital exist besides private equity and venture capital.

* Negotiating and influencing for success. Barbara Jackson, president of Career Doctors Inc., will lead an interactive discussion on the tools and techniques for negotiating and for influencing others.

* Best practices in systems controls for private companies. Led by Michael Cangemi, president of Cangemi Company LLC, this session will discuss technology governance principles and their effective implementation.

* FASB initiatives affecting private companies. Andy Thrower, a CPC member who is on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Committee (FASAC), will help lead the discussion with Christine DiFabio, Director of Technical Activities for FEI.

* State and local tax management, which will provide strategies for understanding, preparing for and complying with the evolving landscape for non-federal tax collections.