Financial Decision Making for Managers

Introduction

This 8-week programme equips professionals with the essential knowledge and confidence to use financial data as a tool for decision-making, planning, and performance management.

Taught by Brunel Business School’s experts in accounting, finance, and fintech, the programme takes a practical, accessible approach to core financial topics. Whether you’re managing budgets, approving investments, or involved in forecasting and planning, this programme helps you build financial fluency to lead more effectively.

Who is this program for?

• Mid- to senior-level managers who influence financial decisions

• Entrepreneurs and business owners managing growth and cash flow

• Project managers responsible for budgeting, forecasting, and investment planning

• Leaders who want to strengthen financial literacy in their roles 

What's in it for you and your business?

This course is delivered through one 2 hour live online session/week, recorded lectures, and interactive discussions, focusing primarily on the swift application of knowledge to your business.

Apply these capabilities to make better business decisions, influence strategic planning, and manage resources with greater confidence.

• Confidently interpret financial statements and key performance indicators

• Apply budgeting, forecasting, and cost analysis tools to their role

• Assess investment opportunities using standard appraisal techniques

• Understand financing decisions, currency risk, and global market impacts

• Identify financial risks and explore how fintech is shaping modern finance

Module Breakdown

Extensive insights and learnings for instant business application to propel business success. To achieve this, several modules are covered:

1. Understanding financial statements and key ratios

• Learn to read income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements, and apply key ratios to assess performance.

  
  

2. Budgeting and forecasting techniques

• Develop accurate budgets and financial forecasts to support strategic planning

3. Cost management and break-even analysis

• Analyse cost structures and break-even points to support smarter resource allocation.

4. Investment appraisal methods

o   Use tools like NPV, IRR, and payback to evaluate investment decisions

5. Corporate finance and borrowing decisions

o   Understand capital structure, funding options, and the risks and rewards of borrowing.

6. Currency and international finance

o   Examine the impact of currency risk and global finance on business operations.

7. Financial risk management

o   Identify and manage financial risks across projects and operations.

8.  Fintech and the future of financial decision-making

o   Explore how financial technology is transforming strategy, access, and control.

The program provides many resources to help you learn and develop practical skills. You will really have access to a truly carefully curated reading list, featuring many books, articles and a lot of case studies, on financial planning, business growth and financial management. In-depth understandings into financial modeling cash flow management and the planned use of financial statements will be provided. Multimedia resources such as video tutorials, and webinars will be used.

As a reminder the KEY benefits of this program to you and the business are:

• Build confidence in participating in financial discussions and planning

• Learn to interpret financial data and align decisions with strategic goals

• Understand the financial tools needed to manage risk and maximise value

• Improve budgeting, forecasting, and investment evaluation skills

• Stay ahead of emerging trends in fintech and global finance