Cyber security expert Jim Prendergast will deliver a keynote address at Media Finance Focus 2016, the 56th annual conference for MFM and its BCCA subsidiary, the media industry’s credit association. Themed “An Avalanche of Knowledge, Networking, and New Ideas,” the conference will be held May 23-25 at the Sheraton Downtown Denver. Sponsored by Chubb, the global insurer, Prendergast’s keynote is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 24.
Prendergast, a partner in the law firm Lewis Brisbois Philadelphia office, has represented clients who have experienced high-profile, national-exposure data compromises and clients with data privacy issues. Using legal skills and talents he has developed over the past twenty-plus years as a prosecutor and trial attorney, Prendergast has represented many clients who have suffered an exposure of credit card data as a result of criminal hacking or unintentional exposure. He has also represented numerous colleges and universities that have been the victims of cyber-attacks and other data events.
In addition to providing counsel to his clients from day one of the compromise and until compliance is accomplished, Prendergast works on a daily basis with federal and state regulators, federal and local law enforcement officials, as well as issuing and acquiring banks, and the credit card industry. He also assists clients with HIPAA compliance issues, preparation of incident response plans and other data privacy consulting issues.
“From ransomware to the theft of private information concerning customer and employees, cyber security attacks have become a matter of when, not if,” said Mary M. Collins, President and CEO of MFM and BCCA. “Jim Prendergast is one of the country’s foremost experts on how to respond to cyber security attacks and minimize the damage they can cause. We are very grateful to Chubb, which insures many of our members and has earned the association’s endorsement as a preferred provider of Property & Casualty including Professional and Management Liability Insurance, for helping us to bring his insights and experience to our Media Finance Focus 2016 attendees."
Media Finance Focus 2016 serves as the primary source of professional education for business and credit management executives in the media industry, including its newspaper, television, radio, cable, online, mobile and other digital media enterprises. The conference will feature presentations from more than 150 industry experts, who will provide the latest information on accounting, economic projections, valuations, M&A, taxes, human resources, regulatory, and technological developments affecting the media industry.
MFM is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Registered participants can earn 20 or more CPE credits.
BCCA, the media industry’s credit association, will provide a full track of sessions designed to meet the needs of today’s credit and collections professionals, including the latest trends in credit policies, initiatives for streamlining the financial management of integrated advertising campaigns, and tips for improving the collections process.
In addition, the Association of New Media Internal Auditors (NMIA) is co-locating its 2016 meeting with Media Finance Focus 2016, providing its members an opportunity to participate in sessions offered by both events. Media Finance Focus 2016 is also collaborating with the Media Industry Tax Group on offering a full track of tax-related topics of interest to the media industry’s tax professionals.
Media Finance Focus also offers a number of formal and informal networking activities that are designed to foster idea-sharing and an exhibit hall featuring the latest in products and services for addressing the industry’s financial management and credit and collections requirements. Additional information about Media Finance Focus 2016 and an online registration form may be found on the conference Web site: www.mediafinancefocus.org.
About MFM and BCCA:
Media Financial Management Association (MFM) is the premiere resource for financial professionals for media industry education, networking, and information sharing throughout the U.S. and Canada. More information about MFM is available on its Web site: http://www.mediafinance.org. Its BCCA subsidiary serves as the media industry’s credit association. BCCA’s revenue management services encompass a variety of credit reports on national and local media advertisers, including Media Whys, a credit report for media businesses which offers a credit score based on industry-specific aging combined with trade data from Experian or D+B. More information about BCCA is available at http://www.bccacredit.com
