Location
Gleacher Center, Chicago IL
Executive Finance Program
Deepen your knowledge of current trends in corporate finance and capital markets.
Frequency
Twice a year; April and September
Fee
$12,500 USD (accommodations not included)
Status
Accepting Registrations
Register Now
Assess the value of your strategic decisions by gaining a broad understanding of finance and the interaction between business strategy and financial strategy.
Serves as an Elective to:
Advanced Management Program
Global Advanced Finance Certificate

As a leader in your organization, you make decisions that can have a significant impact on the financial health of your company. This program will help you assess the value of your strategic decisions by giving you a broader understanding of finance and the interaction between business strategy and financial strategy.
By attending this program, you will:
- Obtain a deeper understanding of how your organization’s economic outcomes are reflected in its financial statements, and how those statements are used inside and outside the organization.
- Gain a sophisticated understanding of how to use financial statements to better understand the economics of other entities, including competitors.
- Communicate more effectively with financial executives within the organization and with important external stakeholders such as analysts and investors.
- Better understand how to use modern valuation techniques to evaluate investment opportunities, both projects and other businesses, including M&A and leveraged buyouts.
- Learn why optimizing management of capital, including liquidity and leverage, can affect firm value and how to value other businesses.
- Understand entrepreneurial finance, including private equity and venture capital.
- Develop a strong strategic intuition to make smart investment decisions: scan for patterns, analyze what makes your organization great, and assess what the competition is doing.
- Learn how to manage external communications and capital to avoid unwanted attention from activist investors, short-sellers, and other corporate predators.
The program is for executives in finance-related roles, or those who have strategic financial oversight of their unit or organization, and have at least a basic understanding of accounting and finance. This program is also an excellent fit for those who expect to have more financial responsibility in the future.
Titles include: C-suite, president, general manager, managing director, VP, director, financial advisor, controller, treasurer, and general counsel.
Pre-Work to lay the foundation (Online)
To help ensure you are ready to tackle the program’s financial concepts and make the most of your time in the classroom, we offer access to online course material via a proprietary platform. Led by professor Haresh Sapra, this self-paced tool helps participants build their financial acumen and refresh important concepts prior to the program. Each module features faculty video lectures, exercises, cases, and self-tests, allowing participants to tailor their learning and focus their time on modules and topics most important to them.
In-Person Curriculum:
Financial Statement Analysis and Cash Flow Forecasting
- Learn terminology, review of financial statements, cash flows, DuPont formula
- Use DuPont analysis to understand drivers of profitability
- Evaluate quality of earnings analysis
- Understand free cash flow versus earnings
Investment Decisions and Valuation
- Evaluate projects using net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR)
- Calculate cost of capital: weighted average cost of capital (WACC)
- Study valuation methods: discounted cash flow (DCF), multiples, adjusted present value (APV)
- Apply valuation to M&A deals
Financing Decisions
- Understand financing sources
- Understand the basics of capital structure decisions and how these decisions affect value
- Learn the differences among financial instruments to implement desired capital structure
- Examine distressed debt
Entrepreneurial Finance
- Gain an overview of entrepreneurial finance, private equity, venture capital, and leveraged buyouts
- New venture strategy
Creating Shareholder Value
- Explore practical perspectives: corporate governance and the role of boards; CFO viewpoint
Formulating Strategy
- Understanding the vital difference between goals, strategy, and management: which are easy and which are difficult?
- The role of top management in setting strategy: what is the real challenge great strategists see?
- Analyzing competitors: how to better think about and predict competitors' actions and why this is critical for success
- Collecting data to build your strategy: how to decide which data are useful among the many sources
Additional networking opportunities include:
- Fireside Chat with Guest Speakers: Learn firsthand from renowned guest speakers who share how they have managed strategic challenges in their organizations. Past speakers have included senior leaders such as Ray Young, ’86, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Archer Daniels Midland Company.
- Class Dinner: Participants will join faculty for a closing dinner at a local restaurant to enjoy good food and great conversation.
What past participants say about our finance programs:
The program is excellent for anyone that wishes to gain a better insight into why companies make strategic decisions from a financial analysis point of view. I learned not only the how but also the why behind key financial decisions.
- Dr. Douglas Hutchens, VP, Global Development and Chief Veterinary Officer, Bayer Animal Health, Bayer HealthCare
Great course. World-class faculty and am now considerably more prepared to understand finance discussions at work than before.
- David Anderson, Director, Strategic Business Development, Omnova Solutions Inc.
I can see why Booth is rated so high among other Executive Programs. The content was delivered in an understandable fashion by teaching faculty who can balance theory with practicality. Booth is a great investment!
- Chris Stanton, President, Pratt Industries
As a scientist transitioning to financing of companies via venture capital, the concepts and more important business thought process and analysis taught during the course will be invaluable.
- Juan Harrison, Vice President, Takeda Ventures Inc.
Excellent program. It puts you in the driver's seat to assess opportunities and identify problems with your company, business, or project.
- Isaac Moussan, Kemira, Director of Market Development
I personally learned a great deal from this course. The case studies were nothing short of fascinating. The real advantage is the ability to learn from brilliant professors. The educational experience is nothing short of phenomenal. Return on investment by taking this course is extremely high for any executive who wants to broaden their understanding of financial terms, strategies and applications. Simply can’t find a better educational experience than what I've enjoyed this week!
- Kenneth Johnson, Chief Engineer – Northern Region, Union Pacific Railroad
In my job I am responsible for financial decisions and now I have new knowledge and skills that will facilitate them and my working relationship with my CFO.
- Juan Carlos Gil, Executive VP Venezuela Business Unit, Inelectra
Outstanding course content with excellent instructors. Very logical and understandable explanations in assessing value equity and debt in companies. Would recommend this course to all senior managers in operations of business.
- Todd Harrold, Vice President Operations, BAE Systems
Dates | Fee | |
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April 28—May 2, 2025 |
$12,500 USD |
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September 8—12, 2025 |
$12,500 USD ($11,250 if registered by June 16) |
Pre-Register for 2026 Programs |
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Planned for Apr or May 2026 | $11,250 if pre-register by Sep 1, 2025 | |
Planned for Sep or Oct 2026 | $11,250 if pre-register by Sep 1, 2025 |
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Speak with an Advisor
Have Questions? Contact us to discover which program is right for you and your organization.
+1 312.464.8732
exec.ed@chicagobooth.edu