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Finance for Directors

At a glance

  • 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.
Subject area(s)
Board Directorship
Attendance
Short course
Fee
£2,805 (in-person, including residential costs) + VAT
Course length
Two days
Suitable for
Board members (Chair, Senior Independent Director, Non-executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, Company Secretary, Chief Executive Officer) and senior executives seeking to join a board.
Delivery
In-person

Start dates

20 May 2025

Delivery: In-person
Location: Greenlands campus,

Book now

9 Oct 2025

Delivery: In-person
Location: Greenlands campus,

Book now

Looking for a date?

No problem. Get in touch with our team to be kept in the loop on future course dates.

Talk to our team

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

Directors and senior executives at the top of organisations need to have sound awareness of financial literacy. This programme is designed for current and future board members and those who work with them, who have a basic understanding of financial statements and the interrelationships between them.​

It equips participants with the skills and capability to comprehensively understand and actively engage with advanced financial information, analysis and trends in their board strategic decisions and judgements. ​

Applied financial acumen can contribute to increasing shareholder value in both private and public companies. How those decisions need to evolve as the organisation’s governance and profile matures and adapts to new products, markets and through growth, transitional and organisational lifecycle becomes vital. ​

Are you able to evaluate financial information as part of interrogating historic, current and projected datasets and evidence related to strategic oversight? Are you able to ask the right questions in evaluating investment options and forecasting projections as realistic and achievable? ​

This programme includes real-world examples and offers an overview of the latest financial trends, best practice, appraisal tools and developments.​

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.

£2,805 (in-person, including residential costs) + VAT

VAT

Standard rate VAT is applicable for UK businesses; overseas businesses based in the EU without a VAT number; and individuals based in the UK, EU, or rest of the world.

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.




Lead tutor:

Chris Ansell

Visiting Tutor

Programme Directors:

Professor Andrew Kakabadse

Professor of Governance and Leadership

Dr Nadeem Khan

Lecturer in Governance Policy and Leadership

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.

Find out more about our facilities and how to find us

Why choose Henley?

No.3 in the UK
of Executive Education providers for open programmes - Financial Times 2024
(Financial Times Executive Education open enrolment programmes rankings 2024)
No. 3 in the UK
for Executive Education (combined open and custom programmes) - Financial Times 2023
(Financial Times Executive Education 2023 - The Top 50 Schools [combining Custom and Open programmes ranking])

For 75 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.

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.uk
Telephone: 01491 418767

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