As a leader in your organization, the decisions you make can have a significant impact on the financial health of your company. This program will help you assess the value of your strategic decisions by giving you a broader understanding of finance and the interaction between business strategy and financial strategy.

By attending this program, held in a blended online and in-person format, you will:

• Obtain a deeper understanding of how your organization’s economic outcomes are reflected in its financial statements, and how those statements are used inside and outside the organization.
• Gain a sophisticated understanding of how to use financial statements to better understand the economics of other entities, including competitors.
• Communicate more effectively with financial executives within the organization and with important external stakeholders such as analysts and investors.
• Better understand how to use modern valuation techniques to evaluate investment opportunities, both projects and other businesses, including M&A and leverage buyouts.
• Learn why optimizing management of capital, including liquidity and leverage, can affect firm value and how to value other businesses.
• Understand entrepreneurial finance, including private equity and venture capital.
• Learn how to manage external communications and capital to avoid unwanted attention from activist investors, short-sellers, and other corporate predators.

PROGRAM FORMAT
In addition to in-person, classroom learning, you'll gain access to online finance modules to help you strengthen your skills in key areas. The program also features networking opportunities and a fireside chat with guest speakers in prominent finance positions.

LOCATION
Chicago Booth, Gleacher Center, Chicago, IL

What past participants say about our finance programs:

The program is excellent for anyone that wishes to gain a better insight into why companies make strategic decisions from a financial analysis point of view. I learned not only the how but also the why behind key financial decisions.

- Dr. Douglas Hutchens, VP, Global Development and Chief Veterinary Officer, Bayer Animal Health, Bayer HealthCare

Great course. World-class faculty and am now considerably more prepared to understand finance discussions at work than before.

- David Anderson, Director, Strategic Business Development, Omnova Solutions Inc.

I can see why Booth is rated so high among other Executive Programs. The content was delivered in an understandable fashion by teaching faculty who can balance theory with practicality. Booth is a great investment!

- Chris Stanton, President, Pratt Industries

As a scientist transitioning to financing of companies via venture capital, the concepts and more important business thought process and analysis taught during the course will be invaluable.

- Juan Harrison, Vice President, Takeda Ventures Inc.

Excellent program. It puts you in the driver's seat to assess opportunities and identify problems with your company, business, or project.

- Isaac Moussan, Kemira, Director of Market Development

Great program…, hit the ground running…, efficiently theory up…, approach the numbers with ease…, untangle risk and get to the heart of the matter. Well beyond a finance curriculum. A+, guys!

- Stanley Stone, Plant Manager, De-Sta-Co - Wheeling (a Dover Co.)

I personally learned a great deal from this course. The case studies were nothing short of fascinating. The real advantage is the ability to learn from brilliant professors. The educational experience is nothing short of phenomenal. Return on investment by taking this course is extremely high for any executive who wants to broaden their understanding of financial terms, strategies and applications. Simply can’t find a better educational experience than what I've enjoyed this week!

- Kenneth Johnson, Chief Engineer – Northern Region, Union Pacific Railroad

In my job I am responsible for financial decisions and now I have new knowledge and skills that will facilitate them and my working relationship with my CFO.

- Juan Carlos Gil, Executive VP Venezuela Business Unit, Inelectra

Outstanding course content with excellent instructors. Very logical and understandable explanations in assessing value equity and debt in companies. Would recommend this course to all senior managers in operations of business.

- Todd Harrold, Vice President Operations, BAE Systems

The program is for executives in finance-related roles, or those who have strategic financial oversight of their unit or organization, and have at least a basic understanding of accounting and finance. This program is also an excellent fit for those who expect to have more financial responsibility in the future.

Titles include: C-suite, president, general manager, managing director, VP, director, financial advisor, controller, treasurer, and general counsel.

Program Outline

Pre-Work to Lay the Foundation (Online)

To help ensure you are ready to tackle the program’s financial concepts, we offer access to optional, online course material via a proprietary platform. Led by professor Haresh Sapra, this self-paced tool helps participants build their financial acumen and refresh important concepts prior to the program. Each module features faculty video lectures, exercises, cases, and self tests, allowing participants to tailor their learning and focus their time on modules and topics most important to them.

Financial Statement Analysis and Cash Flow Forecasting

• Learn terminology, review of financial statements, cash flows, DuPont formula
• Use DuPont analysis to understand drivers of profitability
• Evaluate quality of earnings analysis
• Understand free cash flow versus earnings

Investment Decisions and Valuation 

• Evaluate projects using net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR)
• Calculate cost of capital: weighted average cost of capital (WACC)
• Study valuation methods: discounted cash flow (DCF), multiples, adjusted present value (APV)
• Apply valuation to M&A deals

Financing Decisions

• Understand financing sources
• Understand the basics of capital structure decisions and how these decisions affect value
• Learn the differences among financial instruments to implement desired capital structure
• Examine distressed debt

Entrepreneurial Finance

• Gain overview of entrepreneurial finance, Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Leveraged Buyouts
• New venture strategy

Creating Shareholder Value

• Explore practical perspectives: corporate governance and the role of boards; CFO viewpoint

Formulating Strategy

• Understanding the vital difference between goals, strategy, and management: which are easy and which are difficult?
• The role of top management in setting strategy: what is the real challenge great strategists see?
• Analyzing competitors: how to better think about and predict competitors' actions and why this is critical for success
• Collecting data to build your strategy: how to decide which data are useful among the many sources

Self-Paced Online Modules (Optional)

This program offers highly focused, online finance learning modules to strengthen your skills in keys areas such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), market efficiency and market anomalies, behavioral finance, performance measurement, and derivatives markets.

Fireside Chat: Guest Speakers

Learn firsthand from renowned guest speakers who share how they have managed strategic challenges in their organizations. Past speakers have included senior leaders such as Ray Young, ’86, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Archer Daniels Midland Company.

Social Activities

Participants will join professor Doug Skinner for a closing dinner at the popular Osteria via Stato restaurant to enjoy good food and great conversation.