Often called "the language of business," finance and accounting are the foundation for all business decisions. As a building block of an organization, executives across units, teams, and departments need practical accounting skills to understand and contribute to their organization's investment and corporate finance decisions. In this highly-engaging program, you'll discover critical concepts such as interpreting balance and income statements and the role financial reporting plays in managerial judgments and company valuations. And you will gain these insights through a mix of online, in-person, and practitioner insights to bring the program's learning to life.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the fundamental concepts underlying financial reporting under US GAAP and IFRS standards.
• Appreciate the crucial role that managerial judgments and estimates play in the preparation and interpretation of financial reports. 
• Learn how to analyze and interpret financial reports. 
• Identify techniques used by firms to misreport economic performance in their financial statements.
• Understand how information from financial statements may be used to analyze and value firms.

Guest Speakers

During the program fireside chat session, you'll explore emerging financial trends and key economic insights from Chicago Booth alumni and industry leaders. Past Booth alumni speakers have included:

• Adam Patnaude, Chief Financial Officer, North America, Grubhub
• Bill Weimer, Chief Financial Officer, SquareTop Capital Partners

This program is designed for mid- to senior-level managers from across an organization, within a wide-range of industries, who do not have formal training in finance and accounting and wish to develop a solid understanding of how to measure and communicate a firm’s economic performance. In addition, leaders who wish to update their knowledge of core finance and accounting increase their financial acumen to make better business decisions will find benefit in attending.

Past Participants of the Chicago Booth Approach to Finance—Online Program (CBAF-Online)

We have a vast community of executives who have completed the rigorous Chicago Booth Approach to Finance—Online program with Chicago Booth Professor Haresh Sapra. For those who seek to revisit or grow upon their learnings from the online program, we encourage you to attend the in-person CBAF Workshop to practice learnings and experience content in a live classroom setting.

Past participants of the CBAF-Online program will receive a financial credit towards their Workshop registration fee. Please contact a program advisor at +1.312.464.8732, exec.ed@chicagobooth.edu, for your individual credit details.

Module One: Pre-Program Preparation (Online)
Watch a series of professionally recorded finance-related videos from Professor Sapra to help build your financial acumen and prepare you for the in-person sessions.These videos will introduce key accounting frameworks covered in greater depth during the course. Not only do they provide exposure to essential concepts, but they also give you a taste of the Booth approach to accounting. You will have access to these videos for one year after the program concludes. 

Video Lengths:

• Three and a half total hours of required viewing
• Two hours of optional, value-added viewing 
  
  

Module Two: Day One (In-Person)

• Accrual Accounting and Cash Flows
• Statement of Cash flows and Pro forma Metrics
• Revenue Recognition Technique
• This day includes group work, classroom discussion, and exercises to deepen learnings. 
  

Module Three: Day Two (In-Person)

• Revenue Recognition Techniques continued
• Impairment of Receivables and Accounting for Credit Losses
• Interpreting and Analyzing Financial Statements
• Introduction to Valuation
• This day includes group work, classroom discussion, and exercises to deepen learnings. 
  

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

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

There was so much useful information in this program that I will be able to use immediately in my role.

— Giovane Zago, COO, BDM Bravium de México, S.A. de C.V.

I will continue to practice becoming more fluent in the language of accounting. The program was excellent, and I gained many valuable takeaways, including the ability to read and evaluate balance sheets and financial statements effectively.