Finance for the Non-Financial Manager

Regardless of job function, if you are in a management position, chances are that you are also responsible for financial policy and a budget. Through Finance for the Non-Financial Manager, you will learn how the impact of your financial decisions affects the performance of your unit and profitability of your organization. You will gain a better understanding of finance and accounting concepts for the competitive edge necessary for your organization's growth and success. You will leave this program with improved general financial knowledge and communications skills, and an in-depth understanding of the impact your decisions have outside your functional area.

This program is for non-financial managers or executives working in functional areas such as marketing, sales, manufacturing, or engineering. Prior knowledge of finance is not necessary.

Participants will have the opportunity to build their own "financial toolbox" with essential financial analysis tools, sources of financial data, and evaluative processes and enablers that allow for application to their specific needs. After this unique and challenging program, you will be able to:

• Understand financial statements
• Communicate comfortably using financial terms
• Use financial forecasting techniques
• Evaluate performance through financial modeling using spreadsheets
• Understand how to apply the time value of money and valuation approaches in making financial decisions
• Improve organizational performance

The intent of Finance for the Non-Financial Manager is to create unique value for you and your organization with a particular focus on:

Financial Statements and Analysis

• Reviewing income statements, balance sheets, and statements of cash flow
• Performing ratio analysis to gauge performance and growth

Financial Evaluation

• Understand key financial concepts such as margins, turnover, and growth rate measures
• How to apply the above concepts to evaluate your firm, your competitors, and suppliers
• Internet-based sources of information to perform financial analysis

Financial Concepts

• Using asset pricing models to evaluate risk and return trade-offs
• Alternative measures of performance and how to use them to evaluate investments
• How to compute and use the cost of capital

Understanding Key Strategic Financial Management Decisions 

• Capital budgeting
• Capital structure
• Working capital management

Valuation Principles

• Applying valuation principles to capital
• Understanding alternative approaches to value investments and evaluate their riskiness
• How the market values your company
• Determining your key value drivers using ValuePro.net Web site and software

Capital Markets

• Hands-on experience in the Smeal College Trading Room to gain an appreciation for markets

Global Financial Models

• International product life cycle
• Growth strategy
• Competitive advantage

Finance for the Non-Financial Manager will be presented by top faculty from Penn State's Smeal College of Business.

Program Director

Chris Musacarella, Professor of Finance, L.W. 'Roy' and Mary Lois Clark Teaching Fellow, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State

Faculty Leaders

Laura Field Associate Professor of Finance, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State

Ed Ketz, Associate Professor of Accounting, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State

David Haushalter, Clinical Associate Professor of Finance and Academic Director of the Smeal Trading Room, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State

Michelle Lowry, Associate Professor of Finance, Calderwood Faculty Fellow in Business, The Smeal College of Business, Penn State