Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Professionals
Financial data is the universal language of business. Quarterly results, cost drivers, cash flow, liquid assets, net profits—these are terms that reveal key issues facing your company. Learn what these concepts really mean and how you can use them to persuade your colleagues and better understand your competitors’ operations.
Through expert instruction, engaging discussion, and real-world case studies, this program will help you master the financial language of business and discover how to make decisions that lead to financial success for your department and your organization.
Who Should Attend
Non-financial managers in every functional area of responsibility in all industries.
This program is also offered online. Learn More »
Continuing Education Units
This course provides 2.1 Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
How You Will Benefit
- Strengthen your business acumen and understanding of financial language
- Communicate effectively with other departments and executives using accounting terminology and principles
- Get your projects approved by backing up your proposals with solid financial information
- Acquire valuable insight into the operations of your competitors and suppliers by interpreting their financial statements
- Find out how return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) can be used, and assess whether you are building value in your organization
- Make timely, cost-effective decisions and identify appropriate initiatives and projects when you know what drives costs in your organization
SHRM Preferred Provider
The Center for Professional and Executive Development is a Preferred Provider with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Agenda
Day 1 - Introduction to Concepts and Statements
- Explore the fundamentals of finance and accounting: generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP); commonly used financial statements; nature of assets, liabilities, equity; income and expenses; key terms used by your financial executives; the importance of working capital; sources and uses of funds; depreciation methods; financial impact on the organization; income taxes and profit
Day 2 - Financial Analysis
- Develop an understanding of assets, equity and debt: approaches used to analyze information, return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE), performance measures, leverage how organizations use debt effectively, assess what drives value in your organization, review your own organization’s statements
Day 3 - Financial Decisions
- Learn to analyze, budget and plan for your organization’s future: cost analysis, profit planning and budgeting, break-even analysis, cost-volume-profit, marginal revenue and marginal cost, methods of evaluating projects
Ann Martel
Ann is the instructor of Finance and Accounting for Non-Financial Professionals at the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional and Executive Development.
Ann's many years of teaching at Marquette University in Milwaukee have prepared her to engage audiences of all levels of tenure and expertise. She also draws on her background as a certified public accountant and her 20-plus years of Fortune 500 and government contracting experience as she works to develop financial literacy at all levels of an organization.
Ann has held controller, director of accounting, and CFO roles at many organizations, including American Family Insurance, WellPoint Inc., and Attic Angel Community. She believes in consistently obtaining results through leadership, culture, and financial acumen for all professionals. Clients such as WellPoint Inc., National Government Services, and Marquette University have praised her business knowledge, strategic approach, and real-world insight.
Ann holds a BBA in accounting from the University of Wisconsin and has completed the coursework for her MBA from Cardinal Stritch University.
Dan Topf
Dan is a successful performance improvement consultant who is passionate about helping people and businesses achieve dramatic performance improvement through learning. His imaginative and professional presentations produce outstanding results, as documented by attendees' performance and businesses' improved impact.
Dan's client list includes Accenture, Drake University, Sears, ING Group, ING Direct, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Wells Fargo, the Principal Financial Group, the Hartford Financial Services Group, GEA Group, Chubb, MetLife, Continental Western Group (a W.R. Berkley Corp.), CIGNA, the University of Iowa, and many more.
Dan is a past president of the Golden Circle Chapter of the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). He has presented preconference workshops on human performance technology at the ISPI International Performance Improvement Conference and Expo. He has earned the prestigious certified performance technologist (CPT) designation from ISPI.
Dan is also a member of the American Society for Training and Development and the Society for Human Resource Management.
Dan is an adjunct faculty member in the College of Education at Drake University, and he has served as assistant director of the Executive M.B.A. Program in the Henry B. Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa.
Day 1 – Includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and dinner
- Check-In and Breakfast 7:30-8:15 a.m.
- Course 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Dinner 4:30-10 p.m.
Day 2 – Includes breakfast, lunch, breaks, and dinner
- Breakfast 7:30-8:15 a.m.
- Course 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Dinner 4:30-10 p.m.
Day 3 – Includes breakfast, lunch, and breaks
- Breakfast 7:30-8:15 a.m.
- Course 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Dinner 4:30-10 p.m.