Program Description

Finance for Executives is intended for executives and senior managers who are interested in expanding their knowledge of finance, various financial choices and financial metrics in strategic decision-making and value-creation. Participants enrolling in this program have a rudimentary knowledge of finance and be able to interpret financial data in contracts, identify sources of capital, and recognize the difference between cash flow and profitability - similar to what is covered in the Broad College’s Finance for the Non-Financial Manager program. Finance for Executives focuses on several different themes including:

• Use of financial metrics to identify areas of operational excellence and under-performance
• Role of financial information in making large strategic decisions such as expanding, downsizing, and organizational restructuring
• Application of financial measures in compensation and incentive systems that guide organizations toward maximized value decisions
• Introduction to various revenue streams and fundraising vehicles available and internal to firms
• Analysis of costs and benefits of different financing strategies regarding value creation and default risk.

Various real-world cases will be used to illustrate and explore these issues in a variety of different corporate settings. Open discussion and interactive exercises help participants apply information gained to given scenarios, as well as their organization’s present situation.

Key Learning Objectives

Key learning outcomes address the participants ability to:

• Effectively use financial information and realize limitations of different financial metrics
• Apply financial information to identify sources of value creation and opportunities for operational improvement
• Incorporate financial metrics into compensation systems to guide individuals towards maximizing organizational performance
• Think strategically about growth opportunities and implications of different growth strategies – on financial metrics and funding needs – including acquisitions
• Consider organizational restructuring and divestitures in maximizing value in a variety of different economic environments
• Review the various fundraising vehicles available to firms and the costs and benefits of different financing strategies
• Develop a firm’s financial strategy based on market, industry, and firm-specific conditions
• More effectively communicate with financiers and financial markets

Advanced understanding of these areas will be achieved through faculty instruction, group discussions, practice in using tools and applications, and interaction between participants

Faculty and Speakers

Thomas Rimer is a Professor of Practice in the Finance Department within the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University.  Professor Rimer is an experienced instructor who teaches financial management for students with financial and non-financial backgrounds and introductory finance for non-business students.  In addition, he has taught international finance, international business and financial modeling in MSExcel.

Prior to joining Michigan State University, Thomas spent 20 years in the wealth management industry as an investment analyst, portfolio manager and financial advisor for a variety of investment firms across the United States.  Professor Rimer is certified in online teaching by Quality Matters, and has proven experience making general principles of finance easier to understand for non-business and business-focused students alike.  For the past six years, Professor Rimer has been active in leading Education Abroad programs in St. Petersburg, Russia and Dubai, UAE.