Whether you have a limited financial background or are seeking to update and refresh your finance knowledge, this optional, add-on content provides an excellent, essential foundation in finance and accounting from a board level perspective.

By design, board directors usually come from a diverse range of business backgrounds. But since finance and accounting considerations drive most board decisions, the most effective directors have a strong command of the basic principles of these disciplines, regardless of their areas of expertise. To become an informed, strategic user of financial data and to have a greater impact on your board’s effectiveness, be sure to register for this optional content upon admission to Directors’ Consortium.

Finance Overview: The first two self-paced online modules of the program will develop the main tools and principles of financial valuation, including free cash flow and the cost of capital. The third self-paced online module will apply these concepts to assessing the value of a company – and further expand upon this topic in the on-campus Finance session. Depending on your financial knowledge, each self-paced online module can take up to 4 hours to complete.

Key topics of the self-paced online Finance modules include:

• Interpreting balance sheets and income statements
• The difference between earnings and cash flows
• Measuring value using net present value
• Interest rates, risk and the cost of capital
• Valuation methods to value a firm
• Building a financial model

Accounting Overview: Two on-campus sessions are focused on accounting basics, examining the elements and terminology of financial reporting, and the various financial statements that describe firm performance, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements.

Key Benefits

• Acquire a working knowledge of the basics of finance and accounting for more informed board decision-making
• Understand the theoretical and practical principles of accounting and finance as they apply to corporate governance
• Enhance your Directors’ Consortium experience with a solid grounding in finance and accounting fundamentals in advance of the program

Who Should Attend

• Board members who are unfamiliar with basic accounting principles
• Board members who want to update and refresh their financial knowledge

How to Enroll

Upon admission to the program, contact the Program Director to enroll in the optional Finance and Accounting Refresher.

Schedule

Up to six weeks before the program starts, join self-paced online sessions, then attend a half-day of on-campus sessions before the program starts. See the Curriculum page for the on-campus sessions.

Self-Paced Online

03 Sep 2024 – 12 Oct 2024

On Campus

13 Oct 2024 (no sessions, arrival only) – 14 Oct 2024

Fee

US $2,500