Accounting and Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Master the tools for making smart financial decisions

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Overview

Through this highly successful program, managers with little or no financial training or experience can learn to use the language, tools, and techniques of accounting and finance. Complex principles are presented in practical, understandable terms and in a friendly, supportive environment. You will return to your organization with the confidence to analyze financial information and participate fully in making business decisions.

Key Benefits and Takeaways

  • Read and analyze financial reports to assess customer, competitor, supplier, and company performance
  • Use break-even analysis to make better investment decisions
  • Maximize shareholder value
  • Understand and evaluate financing strategies
  • Apply the principles of activity-based costing, target costing and open-book management
  • Prepare and present business cases
  • Use critical numbers and the scorecard to create a high performance organization

This program is designed for managers at all levels, including those in technical and non-financial areas, who are seeking to make better business decisions by understanding financial information. This diversity is one of the program’s strengths – it builds on the experiences of participants from all types of companies, not-for-profit organizations, and government services.

The registration fee includes facilitation by our highly rated faculty members, course materials, results-oriented exercises, meal service (continental breakfast, lunch, and breaks) *, and a certificate of completion from the McGill Executive Institute.

*Meal service is included for in-person programs only.

Topics covered in this course

  • Define accounting and finance terms
  • Follow the complete accounting cycle, from recording transactions to reporting results
  • Interpret balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements
  • Read annual reports
  • Learn generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)
  • Identify key limitations of financial reporting
  • Understand the rationale and pitfalls of cost allocations and cost-plus pricing
  • Use activity-based costing, activity-based management, and target-costing
  • Apply the cost-volume-profit model to business decisions
  • Identify and manage structural cost drivers and life-cycle costs
  • Evaluate the contracting-out option
  • Define and use performance metrics and the balanced scorecard
  • Apply the principles of open book management
  • Understand budget preparation and interpret results of financial reporting
  • Calculate and understand financial ratios
  • Learn about financial and operating leverage
  • Appreciate the role of the auditor
  • Employ strategic evaluation tools
  • Determine limitations of financial analysis
  • Connect financial information to other strategic measures
  • Financial and strategic evaluation
  • Recommendations and presentation

Course Leaders

headshot of Philippe Levy

Philippe Levy

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Philippe Levy

Philippe Levy, CA, teaches a variety of accounting and finance courses at McGill and is the recipient of several Distinguished Teaching Awards by the Desautels Faculty of Management and the Order of Chartered Professional Accountants in Quebec. His professional experience is well-rounded, as he is a former Vice President of a public company, a practicing Chartered Accountant and a business advisor. He provides consulting services relating to mergers and acquisitions, as well as business planning; he is also called upon to provide expert testimony in criminal and civil lawsuits. Mr. Levy provides custom business and executive programs in Canada, Europe and Asia, with clients ranging from small to large corporations and governmental agencies.

headshot of Julia Scott

Julia Scott

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Julia Scott

Julia Scott (FCPA, FCA, CFA, MBA) is a faculty member in Accounting and previously served as Director of the CA and CPA graduate programs at the Desautels Faculty of Management. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and an active member of the CFA Institute. An industry leader in financial accounting and business analysis, Julia’s goal in the executive education programs is to make accounting concepts accessible to all levels of management. Prior to joining McGill, Julia worked for the TD Bank in Toronto and earned her Chartered Accountant designation from Ernst & Young (Clarkson Gordon).

Upcoming Sessions

Begins 7 November 2023 | Register by 23 October

In Person, McGill Executive Institute

Format
Classes will take place in person at the McGill Executive Institute. In addition to the in-class sessions, you can expect about 1-2 hours of additional work per day for group and individual preparation.


Individual Prep 1-2 weeks before first in-person session

Before joining us on campus, you complete individual prep work on myCourses, McGill's digital learning platform—all from the comfort of your home or office. Activites include readings, case studies and videos on our digital learning platform to prepare you for the in-person sessions.

Date Time Activity Location
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET In-person session #1 McGill Executive Institute
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET In-person session #2 McGill Executive Institute
Thursday, November 9, 2023 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET In-person session #3 McGill Executive Institute
Friday, November 10, 2023 9:00 am - 5:00 pm ET In-person session #4 McGill Executive Institute
Price: CA$3,495.00

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