Douglas J. Skinner
Sidney Davidson Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting
Douglas J. Skinner
Accelerated Valuation Program
Deepen your understanding of valuation to make market-leading decisions.
Next Session
October 5-October 9, 2026
View All Dates
Location/Format
In-Person
Gleacher Center, Chicago
Investment Fee (in USD)
$12,500 USD
Questions? Connect with an enrollment specialist.
Next Session
October 5-October 9, 2026
View All Dates
Location/Format
In-Person
Gleacher Center, Chicago
Investment Fee (in USD)
$12,500 USD
Questions? Connect with an enrollment specialist.
The Accelerated Valuation Program equips executives with advanced valuation methodologies and practical tools that can be applied across industries and market conditions.
In this intensive five-day program, you’ll gain the analytical frameworks and decision-making confidence to evaluate investment opportunities, navigate M&A with precision, and lead strategic growth initiatives—preparing you to excel in both public and private markets
This program serves as an elective to:
By attending this program, you will explore key themes in:
Valuation Methods and Modeling:
- Build and analyze operational models to apply DCF, comparables, multiples, WACC, and other valuation methods.
- Assess returns across a variety of structures, market settings, and entity types.
Deal Structuring and Financing:
- Evaluate financing options—including equity, debt, leveraged finance, and LBOs—and their implications for value.
- Understand how legal, tax, and capital structures affect deal outcomes and corporate strategy.
Strategy, ESG and Activist Investors
- Analyze the financial implications of strategic decisions in real-world contexts.
- Integrate ESG considerations into valuation, financing, and regulatory planning.
- Examine how activist investors create pressure and what companies can do to safeguard value.
The Booth Edge in Practice:
- Gain applied insights from faculty-led cases and interactive discussions.
- Learn from the real-world experiences of professionals and peers—leaving with frameworks and tested practices that directly translate into high-stakes transactions.
Who Should Attend
Designed for mid- to senior-level executives in finance, strategy, or investment roles who evaluate transactions, capital raising, or corporate valuations in dynamic markets.
This program requires that you have previously attended and completed Chicago Booth’s Executive Finance Program (formerly titled Finance for Executives) or Mergers and Acquisitions, or that you possess familiarity with key finance concepts such as net present value (NPV), weighted average cost of capital (WACC), internal rate of return (IRR), capital structure, and other related topics—gained through professional experience or academic coursework. You will be asked to confirm your knowledge of these areas during the appication process.
Download the program brochure for in-depth insights into who should attend, participant profiles, and the ideal candidate.
Meet the Faculty
At Booth, our distinguished faculty exemplify dedication and expertise, bringing deep passion to their teaching. Their steadfast commitment extends beyond traditional instruction, focusing on empowering every Executive Education participant, across all programs and global campuses, to achieve their professional and leadership goals.
Haresh Sapra
Charles T. Horngren Professor of Accounting
Haresh Sapra
Nicholas Alexos
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Univar Solutions
Nicholas AlexosPractitioner Insights
Learn Directly from a Leading Industry Practitioner
A distinctive feature of this program is the opportunity to learn from Nicholas Alexos, CFO of Univar Solutions, private equity investor, and Chicago Booth alumnus. Through a highly interactive case study on Apollo’s acquisition of Univar Solutions, Alexos brings insider perspectives, practical insights, and real-world application—helping participants connect valuation frameworks to the complexities of live transactions. For more information about real-world applications, download our program brochure.
Program Outline
- Master the core inputs to valuation and their practical implications.
- Apply discounted cash flow (DCF) methods to assess firm value.
- Examine the role of weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and financing decisions.
- Understand the impact of payout policies on firm value.
- Assess earnings quality and other accounting complexities that influence valuation.
- Analyze financial reporting for inter-company investments.
- Examine M&A accounting and tax reporting considerations.
- Explore restructuring mechanisms and their implications for financial statements and valuation.
- Understand the mechanics, pricing, and terms of high-yield bonds and leveraged loans.
- Develop frameworks for originating and investing in debt within highly leveraged and private equity transactions.
- Gain insight into liability management from the CFO perspective.
- Explore how private equity investors evaluate opportunities and structure buyouts.
- Examine the historical performance and risk-return profile of private equity investments.
- Apply concepts through a case study on Apollo’s acquisition of Univar Solutions, led by Univar CFO Nicholas Alexo.
- Understand how activist investors identify targets and create pressure for change.
- Explore the strategies activists use to increase and extract value.
- Examine the role of activist short-sellers and their market impact.
- Identify defensive strategies companies can deploy to protect themselves.
Past Participant Insights
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“This program was an action-packed experience, covering a lot of meaningful topics that I am eager to apply when I return to the office. Professor Sapra brought an energy and passion that engaged the class from start to finish.”
—John Perkovich, COO, RPM Freight Systems, LLC -
“Professor Sapra did an excellent job breaking down complex topics and simplifying them, while also demonstrating their practical applications.”
—Jeffrey Jones, Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal
Upcoming Sessions
Program dates are subject to change.
Download Brochure
Download the program brochure for in-depth insights on who should attend, a schedule preview, past participant profiles, location highlights, networking opportunities, and what to expect. When doing so, you’ll also receive an editable justification letter to help you make the case to your employer for your attendance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about Chicago Booth Executive Education programs.
Frequently Asked Questions