Making Your Board a Strategic Asset

Director Development

Finance Awareness

Any in company finance programme needs to take cognisance of the participants’ needs to ensure that the pitch is right. In addition, such programmes are enriched when the organisation’s own issues are addressed. This can take the form of the actual statutory accounts and/or the management accounts actually being analysed and discussed. Competitors’ financials can also be looked at.

Participation from the finance function is imperative.

The programmes are highly practical with numerous case study work. Case studies can be written to look at the organisation and/or competitors. Pre-course activities can also be designed and some activities will be suggested post the programme to strengthen the ongoing learning and development.

We can  also provide executives with one to one coaching on the topic with electronic remote support if required.

The following is a list of topics/items that could be addressed

The role of finance in business

Components of a finance strategy

How to get the best out of the finance function

Choosing a finance director

Appraising the finance director/CFO

Governance and legal issues

The role of internal audit

The external auditors

Basic concepts, eg Depreciation, Accruals

Difference between profits and cash

Basic profit & loss/income statement, balance sheet/statement of financial position, and cash flow construction.

Walking through a full set of statutory accounts.

Assessing financial health. What is a good business?

How professionals assess businesses(eg Debt Rating agencies, credit agencies)

Typical financial ratios

 

Working capital.Issues and management

Cash conversion

Cash Flow: calculation, analysis and forecasts

Business uses: Debt capacity, EBITDA(R), Cash burn, Free Cash Flow

Creative accounting: getting behind the figures

Lessons learnt from recent accounting scandals

Sources of finance

Managing the banks and other financiers eg Private Equity and shareholders

Management accounting issues

Financial reporting.ESG importance

Key Performance Indicators

The Board’s dashboard

Break-even analysis

Budgetary management

Cost of capital

Project appraisal techniques, Payback, NPV, IRR

Company valuations

The Stock Market’s approach

Company failures

Spotting the early signs of distress

Insolvency issues

Restructures and workouts