Together with netzwerk südbaden, EN.VALUE organized a Business Talk on the topic of “Finance & Innovation” in the new premises of the Jobrad Group in Freiburg on May 19, 2022. After an entertaining keynote by Prof. Hans Lercher from Graz and the subsequent discussion with him, LucaNet CFO Elias Apel and Patrick Lux from EN.VALUE addressed around 100 participants and focused on the question of how companies can ensure their own innovative ability also in challenging times – and not only at product levels, but especially with regard to corporate processes. 

In this context, it was particularly important for EN.VALUE to highlight the changed role of CFOs. “Financial managers have long since ceased to be tasked with compiling and evaluating company figures in the rear-view mirror. We know from many customer projects that organizations increasingly expect CFOs to also take a creative lead and enable structures from which innovative ideas can emerge,” says Patrick Lux. “Especially in terms of future business models and consequently the revenues of tomorrow, today’s finance managers should assume the role of driving forces.”

The realization of the first business talk event of this kind with netzwerk südbaden after more than two years of pandemic hiatus proved, in the view of Ulrich Kenk, to be an outstanding success. “Such events offer an excellent opportunity for companies from the entire region to network, and, in particular, to put the topic of finances firmly on the agenda of the responsible individuals. Today, sound finances are a basic prerequisite for the ability to innovate, as the CEO of EN.VALUE stated.”