Essentials of finance

Understand what finance is, how it works, and what its tools are. Finance is not only useful in everyday life, but also in the professional world. Whatever your area of expertise: whether it is marketing, communication, logistics, law, or human resources, whether you are an engineer or manager of a business unit, you have to deal with financial concepts: business planning, profitability, financing, value creation, etc. In organizations around the world, mastering the basics of finance is quickly becoming a prerequisite.

Can you picture an entrepreneur meeting his investor, accountant or banker without speaking his language?

This online course is for all those looking to better understand the fundamental notions of finance. In the introductory phase we will answer some of the following questions: What is the role of finance? What is the cost of money and what is an investor? What is the role of a CFO? What is the difference between debt and equity? What are the famous financial markets?

After setting the stage, we will focus on the investor: what are her tools, what is risk and how is it measured? We will then move on to the tools of Corporate Finance: balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, etc. Finally, we will look at how investors and Corporate Finance professionals interact: debt and equity instruments, concept of value creation, company valuation, financing options, etc

Our course concludes with hands-on exercises and case studies designed to test and validate your newly acquired financial skills.