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.

Engagement Opportunities

• During the program fireside chat session, you'll explore emerging financial trends and key economic insights from Chicago Booth alumni and industry leaders, specifically honing in on regional challenges.
• Upon successful program completion, participants will be invited to an exclusive private social group for members of the CBAF Online and Workshop communities. Here, you can continue to network and engage with fellow participants and peers.

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 principles, or 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. 
  
  

The March 2024 Hong Kong panel will include Mark Barnekow, Booth alum and Executive Director of Booth's Hong Kong campus. Prior to his current role, Barnekow spent twenty years as the CEO of technology companies in Silicon Valley and is a recipient of the San Francisco Business Times “Most Admired CEO” award.

 Certificate Ceremony: This program concludes with a certificate ceremony to acknowledge your accomplishment with Chicago Booth. At this event, you will be presented with your certificate of completion and receive recognition from program peers and faculty.