Financial management professionals stand in the spotlight as the economic downturn continues and companies cope with weaker demand, price pressures, rising costs, and credit constraints. Amidst this bleak macroeconomic picture, executives will look to financial management professionals to help manage organizations through the crisis and emerge stronger once the slump ends. Technology and process strategies in 2009 will focus on improving planning, budgeting and forecasting, and cash and risk management while under the cloud of a very uncertain and unfavorable tax environment.