Learn the language of business
Financial literacy is a fundamental component of management and leadership. Regardless of your role in your organization, you should understand how different decisions impact your organization’s bottom line today, and in the future. Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders (virtual) introduces you to the essential elements of financial reporting, including managerial and financial accounting. You’ll learn to interpret financial statements, develop a greater understanding of the ways financial information is used as a strategic tool for decision making, and develop the capability to communicate operating, marketing, sales, and growth strategies in financial terms.
Accounting faculty member, Bill Mayew, who instructs this program, offers his perspective on the virtual program format.
“The blended format was a better experience than an online class. Seeing the professor in real time during the virtual class was critical to my level of engagement and movitation. Also, being able to see the other students in the class pulls you into a group learning experience. You learn from each other and you build camaraderie with the others in the class."--Michael Gutierez, National Account Manager, Chiesi USA
"For me, the blended learning format made learning outside work more accessible and efficient. The pre-reading of case studies, working through the textbook, and watching the well-produced videos helped me prepare for class. The professor's energy and engagement with students was amazing."--Eric Hermans, Director of National Accounts, Chiesi, USA
Who Should Attend?
This live, online program is ideal for self-motivated, ambitious professionals looking to fit classroom development into your already-hectic schedule. Regardless of your level, your functional role, your industry, and your geography, if you find being away from the office for four days in a row challenging, if not daunting, Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders (virtual) delivered in this format is the ideal program for you.
- The virtual format allows you to work at a pace that suits your learning style, whether you have little to no exposure to financial statements or you regularly invest as a hobby.
- The live-streamed classes are recorded and available to participants online, so you may review them as frequently as you choose in order to master the material.
The Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders (virtual) course is the optimal choice for professionals who will benefit from increased familiarity with financial concepts and fundaments in their decision-making, but who are unable to travel to Durham, NC, for the in-person program.
More About the Program
Our virtual program format consists of six weekly live, online class sessions, held on Wednesdays, starting at 11:00 a.m. EST, and varying from 90 to 150 minutes in duration. The same course content as the in-person program will be delivered in a format that consists of live-streamed class sessions (see schedule below) with individual or team assignments to be completed outside of class meetings, and online resources to assist with your learning. You’ll engage in robust virtual class discussions with your instructor and interesting individual and team assignments and exercises with your classmates.
The class sessions and group discussions will be held using Zoom video-conferencing, which has been extended into a virtual teaching system. This technology creates a virtual classroom where:
- You can see the faculty member and any presentation material he/she may be sharing
- You will be able to see the other participants in the classroom for that live-streamed virtual session
- The faculty instructor will be able to see all of the students engaged online during the group session
- You will be able to communicate with both the faculty member and your classmates through the Zoom platform
| Live Teaching Schedule | |
| Date | Topic |
| Sept. 1 | Introducing Financial Statements (Part 1) |
| Sept. 8 | Understanding Financial Statements (Part 2) --understanding balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements |
| Sept. 15 | Profitability and Efficiency--analyzing financial statements |
| Sept. 22 | Credit Risk |
| Online quiz completed by September 29 | |
| Sept. 29 | Inventory Management |
| Oct. 6 | Budgeting and Forecasting |
| Final exam week of October 6 | |
Ensure that you're all set to participate before the program starts. We will be hosting a cohort introduction prior to the first class:
| Date | Duration | Cohort Introduction |
| August 25 | 1.0 hour | 11:00 am - 12:00 noon ET |
For more information about our new format, please send us an email at execed-info@duke.edu.
To participate in this course you must have a working webcam, and have downloaded the Zoom Cloud Meeting app onto your laptop.
To earn a certificate credit for this course, which will count as a course toward the elective requirements for the Certificate of Leadership and Management, you must:
- Be present at a minimum of five of the six live-streamed class sessions
- Score a passing grade on the quiz and final exam for the course.
If you have questions about any of these requirements, call the Duke Executive Education team at +1.919.660.8011 or Toll Free +1.800.372.3932, or email us at execed-info@duke.edu.
Discussion topics are designed to provide an overview in financial management by introducing you to real-world financial reports and discussing the interpretation of financial information. Combined with basic practices and assessments of an organization’s financial stability, you’ll gain insight on how to leverage financial information to evaluate performance.
Discussion Topics
Financial Statements
- Learn to read the 3 most common financial statements for product and service industries.
- Analyze a company's financial health, including efficiency and profitability drivers, using DuPont decompositions.
- Use key financial ratios to analyze customer credit risk.
Costs of Goods & Cost of Services Sold
- Examine inventory costing and contribution analysis for specific products/services.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Develop division level income statements including direct, variable and "soft" costs and utilize for project selection.
- Compare an actual P&L to budget variances; incorporate budget variance feedback into investment decisions, employee incentives and control systems to maximize division profitability.
Program Objectives
At the conclusion of the program you’ll be able to:
- Read and understand financial statements to evaluate financial performance.
- Design control systems and incentives that align objectives with profitability.
- Build budgets that monitor and evaluate business performance.
- Determine the cost and profit of business decisions.
- Identify relevant costs, including overhead, when adjusting a mix of products and services.
- Forecast division finances with a comprehensive treatment of costs and expenses beyond inventory.
- Understand key deviations from forecasts and assess the impact of potential changes to business processes.
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Faculty
Bill Mayew
Bill Mayew is a Professor of Accounting at Fuqua. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Texas at Austin. He previously worked in accounting and financial reporting assurance at Ernst & Young. Professor Mayew studies the managerial communication of firm performance, including voluntary and mandatory financial disclosures in financial reports, and has received multiple awards for teaching excellence.
Rahul Vishishtha
Rahul Vashishtha is an Associate Professor in the Accounting area. He received his PhD in Accounting from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012 and has been on the Fuqua faculty since graduation. Professor Vashishtha’s research focuses on the determinants of disclosure and its economic consequences. His recent work examines how mandated disclosure of public information affects corporate investment choices. He teaches financial accounting in the Daytime MBA program.
John Heater
John Heater is an Assistant Professor in the Accounting area. His research interests include disclosure, regulation, corporate governance, and financial intermediaries. Professor Heater’s current work on disclosure and managerial incentives investigates how increased performance disclosure requirements affect firm stakeholders and how the CEO and CFO roles affect financial reporting. Professor Heater teaches Financial Accounting.
Mohan Venkatachalam
Mohan Venkatachalam is the R.J. Reynolds Professor of Business Administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Professor Venkatachalam received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1996 and is a Chartered Accountant from India. He has worked as an Accountant and Internal Auditor in India and the Middle East.
Prior to joining Duke, Professor Venkatachalam was a faculty member at Stanford University, and has taught several courses including Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis and Executive Compensation. He has published research papers on a wide range of topics in valuation, nonfinancial performance measures, accounting disclosures, derivatives and corporate governance. His most recent work involves the role of verbal and nonverbal managerial communication in financial markets. He was an Editor of the Accounting Review and serves on the Editorial Boards of The Accounting Review, Review of Accounting Studies and Contemporary Accounting Research.
How to Register
For more information about how to register, please see our detailed instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional information about our Executive Education programming, please visit our FAQ page.
Learn the language of business
If you are looking for a comprehensive grounding in the fundamentals of finance and/or aiming to enhance your financial literacy to make smarter business decisions, we can help you put the numbers to work. Strengthen your essential financial reporting skills, including managerial and financial accounting, and learn to interpret the numbers to drive your organization forward. Through hands-on learning and practical exercises, you will develop confidence in financial discussions and decision-making processes. This immersive course is ideal for those seeking to integrate financial expertise into their leadership toolkit.
Key Program Takeaways
- Master Financial Statements: Gain the ability to read and evaluate financial performance.
- Bridge Communication Gaps: Enhance interactions with your accounting departments using strategic financial insights.
- Learn from the Best: Study under Professor Bill Mayew, an award-winning Professor of Accounting at Fuqua.
- Advance Your Career: Earn elective credits toward the prestigious Duke Certificate of Leadership & Management.
“Financial Analysis was perfect for our sales executives. Not only did they come away with an understanding of their business decision’s financial impact, but they learned about the challenges our customers face, and how to articulate our value proposition to address them. The financial knowledge and training they received has transformed their relationships with many of our clients.”—Richard Kolodny, President, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare
Accounting faculty member, Bill Mayew, who instructs this program, offers his perspective on the importance of understanding financial terms and reports for those not in a finance position:
Who Should Attend?
The Financial Analysis for Non-Finance Leaders program is ideal for professionals in leadership roles who need to enhance their financial acumen. The program is tailored for managers, directors, and executives across industries who lack a formal finance background but are required to make informed financial decisions. It is especially beneficial for business leaders involved in strategic planning, budgeting, or resource allocation. Participants will gain essential financial insights, enabling them to better understand financial reports, analyze financial performance, and contribute effectively to their organization's financial strategy and success.
More About the Program
Over the course of a 3-day immersive and interactive learning experience, participants will engage in hands-on activities, group discussions, and real-world case studies. Expert instructors providing personalized guidance and immediate feedback will ensure each participant gains a deeper understanding of financial concepts. Additionally, networking opportunities with peers from diverse industries enhance the learning experience, enabling participants to share insights and build valuable professional connections. Program participants will return to their organizations with practical skills they can implement immediately.
Discussion topics are designed to provide an overview in financial management by introducing you to real-world financial reports and discussing the interpretation of financial information. Combined with basic practices and assessments of an organization’s financial stability, you’ll gain insight on how to leverage financial information to evaluate performance.
Discussion Topics
Financial Statements
- Learn to read the 3 most common financial statements for product and service industries.
- Analyze a company's financial health, including efficiency and profitability drivers, using DuPont decompositions.
- Use key financial ratios to analyze customer credit risk.
Costs of Goods & Cost of Services Sold
- Examine inventory costing and contribution analysis for specific products/services.
Budgeting & Forecasting
- Develop division level income statements including direct, variable and "soft" costs and utilize for project selection.
- Compare an actual P&L to budget variances; incorporate budget variance feedback into investment decisions, employee incentives and control systems to maximize division profitability.
Program Objectives
At the conclusion of the program you’ll be able to:
- Read and understand financial statements to evaluate financial performance.
- Design control systems and incentives that align objectives with profitability.
- Build budgets that monitor and evaluate business performance.
- Determine the cost and profit of business decisions.
- Identify relevant costs, including overhead, when adjusting a mix of products and services.
- Forecast division finances with a comprehensive treatment of costs and expenses beyond inventory.
- Understand key deviations from forecasts and assess the impact of potential changes to business processes.
Sample In-Person Schedule
Arrival
Check-In Available
3:00pm
Financial Statements
5:00 - 7:00pm
Dinner
7:00 - 8:00pm
Day 1
Breakfast
7:00 - 9:00am
Financial Statements (cont.)
9:00am - 12:30pm
Lunch
12:30 - 1:30pm
Financial Statements Analysis: Profitability & Efficiency
1:30 - 5:00pm
Optional Campus Tour
5:15 - 6:30pm
Dinner
6:00 - 8:00pm
Day 2
Breakfast
7:00 - 9:00am
Financial Statements Analysis: Profitability & Efficiency (cont.)
9:00am - 10:45am
Financial Statements Analysis: Credit Quality
10:45am - 12:30pm
Lunch
12:30 - 1:30pm
Financial Statements Analysis: Credit Quality (cont.)
1:30 - 3:15pm
Contribution Analysis: Cost of Supplying Goods & Services
3:15 - 5:00pm
Dinner
6:00 - 8:00pm
Day 3
Breakfast
7:00 - 9:00am
Budgeting, Forecasting, Variance Analysis, Profit Maximization & Incentives
9:00 - 11:45am
Program Close
11:45am - 12:00pm
Lunch
12:00 - 1:00pm
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Program Location and Accommodations
During your time at Duke, you’ll learn in the Thomas Executive Conference Center adjoined to The Fuqua School of Business. For those that need accommodation, you will be lodged at one of our select campus or campus-adjacent hotels based on availability.
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Faculty
Bill Mayew
Bill Mayew is a Professor of Accounting at Fuqua. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Texas at Austin. He previously worked in accounting and financial reporting assurance at Ernst & Young. Professor Mayew studies the managerial communication of firm performance, including voluntary and mandatory financial disclosures in financial reports, and has received multiple awards for teaching excellence.
Mohan Venkatachalam
Mohan Venkatachalam is the R.J. Reynolds Professor of Business Administration at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Professor Venkatachalam received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1996 and is a Chartered Accountant from India. He has worked as an Accountant and Internal Auditor in India and the Middle East.
Prior to joining Duke, Professor Venkatachalam was a faculty member at Stanford University, and has taught several courses including Financial Accounting, Financial Analysis and Executive Compensation. He has published research papers on a wide range of topics in valuation, nonfinancial performance measures, accounting disclosures, derivatives and corporate governance. His most recent work involves the role of verbal and nonverbal managerial communication in financial markets. He was an Editor of the Accounting Review and serves on the Editorial Boards of The Accounting Review, Review of Accounting Studies and Contemporary Accounting Research.
How to Register
For more information about how to register, please see our detailed instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
For additional information about our Executive Education programming, please visit our FAQ page.