Options for the first blank are, Separately, Like angle investors, Like business partners, and Like Prime Lenders

For the second blank the options are, strategic priorities or investment needs

Cengage Learning conducts its capital appropriation process once a year and aligns the appropriations with strategic goals and a product road map. The company then considers each need against the guidelines and targets that the company has set. Because capital is limited, the company spends a significant amount of time prioritizing each initiative based on its strategic importance. Why Do People in Finance Matter? The finance team is an integral part of this decision-making process. The passage at right describes an interview in which three members of Cengage Learning's finance team share their thoughts on why people in finance matter. Read the passage and then complete the following statements. Why do people in finance matter? Finance management is known to involve number crunching, crafting complex models, and creating and reviewing critical financial information. Finance managers are responsible for integrating with the capital markets, raising and allocating capital for new investments or existing projects, profit planning, and establishing economic efficiencies in the firm. The finance team works with the executive and product groups But in reality, finance managers at Cengage Learning are more like business partners. They are advocates and filters who help in the identification and realization of value drivers in the firm and particularly in new projects. Sanford Tassel, Dikran Yapoujian, and Chris Buzzard are three prominent members of the finance team at the company. providing decision support and analytical assistance to help the leadership team make the right decisions. The people in finance evaluate projects objectively to ensure that the company is making intelligent investment decisions based on In a conversation with the three, Sanford Tassel, Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, shared his thoughts on working as a finance professional. Sanford said, "Job satisfaction for me is derived from being a business partner and advocate to our leaders. It is very easy to be risk averse and reject most projects or investments, but our job as finance partners is to evaluate each project objectively and ensure that we make the appropriate decision to help achieve Cengage's strategic and financial objectives