Finance for Executives

Understanding the world of finance

As organisations and business become more global and increasingly disparate, it is essential that executives have a firm grasp of finance to ensure that they maximise value. Exploring the diverse financial challenges facing today's decision makers, Finance for Executives provides executives with a comprehensive introduction to accounting and financial analysis. It aims to give executives,who are not financial specialists, an understanding of the financial consequences of strategic decisions and equip them with tools to integrate the financial approach into their decision-making.

In this intensive and comprehensive programme, you will progress from the basics of reading financial statements, to much deeper insights such as M&A, risk management and value-based management. By better grasping the language of finance, you will significantly improve your ability to communicate with accounting and financial departments within your organisation.

Key Benefits

• Improve your understanding of key financial elements of value-based management
• Increased effective communication between managers and accounting and finance functions
• Personalised review of financial statements from your company or business unit - by our expert faculty
• Powerful tools to aid your analysis and decision making

A view from INSEAD on:

• Corporate finance

Finance for Executives looks at the impact of corporate policies and operations on financial performance. Participants learn how to interpret financial information to get to the business reality behind the numbers. They look at how to appraise investment opportunities, and gain insight into the financial consequences of their strategic decisions. 

Participants are introduced to the principles of Value Based Management, and how to manage resources to create shareholder value including potential value creation (or destruction) through corporate restructuring. Themes covered during the programme include:

• Financial accounting and analysis
• Analysis of investment decisions
• Corporate financing and valuation
• Value-based management
• Mergers and acquisitions

The programme is designed for non-financial executives, including general managers, senior functional managers outside finance and corporate customer-relations officers in financial service organisations who require a better understanding of the financial impact of business decisions.

"A very intense programme which helps you better understand the finance world. Finance for Executives provides senior managers with the foundation needed to make good decisions while keeping financial implications in mind. I definitely recommend the programme."

Vice President Global Purchasing
Magna Donnelly Automotive
France

"There is a combination here that perfectly fits: grasping the economic dimension of growth in Asia, meeting very interesting people (VIPs really), and, most of all, sharing financial understanding of the valuation of companies with knowledgeable professors. It was a great learning - I had a lot of fun. Return on Education is far above a 15:1 ratio!"

Vice President Alliances
KLM
The Netherlands

Great minds don’t think alike

INSEAD’s professors represent many cultures, disciplines, and perspectives. Led by acknowledged world experts in their own particular fields, programme faculty remain intimately close to business and most are engaged in cross-disciplinary research.*

Pekka Hietala Programme Director Professor of Finance Professor Hietala received his MBA from the Helsinki School of Economics (Finland), MSc in Industrial Engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology, and his MA in Economics and PhD in Finance from Stanford University. He served as Dean of the MBA Programme from 2001 until 2004. He has directed and taught in several executive programmes in Europe, Asia and the United States on various topics in finance. Read more...

Urs Peyer Programme Director Associate Professor of Finance

*programme faculty may change

Dates & Fees

Participants are advised to arrive the afternoon of the first day as the opening session begins in the late afternoon.

Please click here for more information about the terms and conditions.

For full details on how to apply, accommodation, and cancellation conditions please visit the Practical Information page

* Fee subject to change. For programmes delivered in France, VAT (19.6%) to be added for companies based in France, or for European companies where no VAT number is supplied. For programmes delivered in Singapore, GST (7%) to be added for Singapore-registered companies.