Henley Finance for Directors
Build better understanding of finance and financial decision-making
- Identify the key areas of shareholder value creation in your organisation.
- Develop insight into governing long-term competitive positioning while managing short-term stakeholder demands.
- Critically assess board-level responsibilities in creating company value.
What you need to know
Start dates
NOTE
All programmes are subject to limited availability. We recommend booking a minimum of 6 weeks before the programme start date, to guarantee sufficient time for your enrolment and on-boarding.
Overview
Suitable for:
As a leader, you’re expected to understand and engage with financial information to drive effective decision-making in today’s organisations.
Whether you’re a current or future board member, a senior executive, or leading a team with financial accountability, this programme will deepen your confidence and capability in financial literacy.
You’ll develop the skills to interpret and apply advanced financial information, analysis, and trends to support strategic decisions and board-level judgement. With a focus on applied financial acumen, the programme explores how financial decisions can enhance shareholder value in both private and public companies.
As organisations evolve through growth, new markets, product innovation, or governance changes, the ability to adapt financial oversight becomes critical. This programme helps you evaluate historic, current, and projected financial data, ask the right questions, and assess investment options and forecasts with confidence.
Featuring real-world examples, the programme also provides an overview of the latest financial trends, best practices, appraisal tools, and developments shaping today’s financial landscape.
Key benefits
- Gain confidence to understand and fully contribute to board discussions with a financial component.
- Better interrogate and interpret financial datasets at board level and ask the relevant inquisitive questions with confidence.
- Identify how to balance financial drivers at board level in director decision-making and board stewardship.
- Analyse a company’s financial performance.
Course structure
The programme is delivered as a workshop on two consecutive days, with interaction encouraged within the group. Each session contains a core taught element, consisting of presentations and relevant materials. The programme includes group activity, where participants are expected to work together to answer questions based on real-life case studies.
*After the face-to face workshop all attendees will have opportunity for an one-to-one personal mentoring (either at Henley or via Teams - max 1 hour) as a follow up with the course tutor.
Programme Content:
The module is delivered in nine sessions:
| Session | Content |
|---|---|
| Assessing corporate and public performance | Diagnosing where financial improvements can be made; how is the business financed; can shareholder value be improved by changing how the business is financed? Balancing financial risks and operating flexibility; should the financial structure change? |
| Cost of capital | Using stock market and ownership information in assessing cost of capital in private companies. Using social metrics to assess value contribution in public organisations. |
| Investment appraisal | How do we decide on the best way forward and key projects to create shareholder value? When might applying the standard rules result in poor decisions? Using real options and market indicators to value opportunity and flexibility of a venture or project. |
| Making and reviewing your forecasts | Forecasting the financial performance for a new, and/or growing, and/or transitioning business, and reviewing whether forecasts are realistic and achievable. |
| Interpreting financial community and stock market views | Understanding stock market measures such as PE, EPS, EV/EBITDA, dividend yield and total shareholder return. How does the financial community value companies, and how does this impact on what directors should do? Why are investors not rewarding the share price for what is being achieved? Why did share price go down after profits went up? What are investors expecting from directors? |
| Creating shareholder value | What is it and why is it important? The seven value drivers that create shareholder value. Setting corporate KPIs that link to creating shareholder value. Understanding and managing your cost of capital. |
| Corporate and organisation lifecycle | Matching appropriate business and financial strategy to governance and structure developments. How does the company need to change and adapt as it moves through the lifecycle? e.g., launch, growth, equity, listing, maturity, renewal. Is moving through the cycle a bad thing? How to ride, decline and evolve. |
| Financial transition events | The key issues in buying another company, or disposing of a subsidiary, and ensuring how it is done successfully. |
| Balancing financial and stakeholder needs | Profits and ESG; Dealing with Shareholder Activists. |
Teaching staff
Programme director
Lead tutor
Location and facilities
Set in sweeping parkland on the banks of the River Thames, Henley Business School's Greenlands campus provides an inspiring and reflective environment for focused work and study.
Why choose Henley?
4th
in the UK overall for executive education programmes
(Financial Times Executive Education ranking 2025)For 80 years, Henley Business School has developed confident and resilient business leaders. Executive Education at Henley is:
- Practical: we combine academic rigour with a strong practical focus, so you can immediately apply what you have learned back in your organisation.
- Relevant: Henley faculty are experienced practitioners who can support you in exploring solutions to your organisation’s challenges.
- Collaborative: Open programmes enable you to expand your network, gain new perspectives and share ideas with peers from a range of backgrounds and sectors.
- Personal: deliberately small learning groups allow you to benefit from individual attention and a confidential environment. We encourage you to understand your unique strengths, leadership style, and areas for development.
"Henley has a wonderful campus, with a unique blend of cutting-edge teaching in a traditional learning environment. It’s a lovely place which is conducive to learning."
Contact us
Open Programmes
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the programme, please contact our programme advisors.
Email: exec@henley.ac.ukTelephone: 01491 418767
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