Financial Foundations for Leaders

Strong business decisions require financial understanding—but many leaders lack the confidence to fully engage with financial information within their organization.

This course builds foundational financial literacy and helps leaders connect operational decisions to financial outcomes across functions. 

What You Will Learn

• How financial statements reflect business performance
• The relationship between operational decisions and financial outcomes
• Key financial metrics used across functions and industries
• How to assess financial health, performance, and risk
• How to interpret financial information to inform business decisions

Key Benefits
Participants will:

• Interpret financial information with greater confidence and accuracy
• Connect business decisions to financial outcomes across functions
• Communicate more effectively with finance and senior leadership
• Contribute more effectively to budgeting, planning, and resource discussions
• Identify risks and performance drivers within their organization

Who Should Attend

• Leaders without formal finance training
• Functional leaders working with finance
• Managers seeking financial confidence
• Professionals who want to better understand business performance

Instructors
Tom Fields

Senior Lecturer in Accounting

WashU Olin Business School

Todd Gormley

Professor of Finance; Vice Dean of Education

Location & Modality
In-Person, Charles F. Knight Center on WashU's Danforth Campus

This course may be applied toward the Finance for Decision-Making Certificate upon completion of the full program.

Register