Finance for Non-Financial Professionals

Learn to apply accounting concepts to your strategic and operational decisions. Improve your ability to have a strong impact on your bottom line.

Who should attend?

Individuals looking to advance their careers by learning the basics of finance and accounting.

June 3 – 5, 2019 November 6 – 8, 2019
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Session Dates

June 3 – 5, 2019

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Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Donald K. Johnson Centre

130 King St. West

The Exchange Tower

Program Fees

$3,500 CAD

Program fee includes all materials and meals.

Program fees are tax exempt.

Click here to see if discounts apply.

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Session Dates

November 6 – 8, 2019

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Location

London, Ontario, Canada

Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre

551 Windermere Road

Program Fees

$3,500 CAD

Program fee includes all materials, meals and accommodations.

Program fees are tax exempt.

Click here to see if discounts apply.

Reserve A Seat Enrol Now
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What do I get?

After completing Finance for Non-Financial Professionals, you'll receive an authentic digital artifact – also known as a badge. This badge showcases your achievements and commitment to professional development. You can share your accomplishment with your network by displaying digital badges on social media, websites, ePortfolios, professional networks, and email signatures. Included in your badge is a digital certificate. Your network will be able to view your personalized and authentic certificate through your online digital badge.

In addition to a digital badge, you will receive a Finance for Non-Financial Professionals Certificate of Completion, a powerful credential from the top business school in Canada.

Program Content

Not a finance person? Numbers seem like a different language? Dread the thought of cash flows, or budget decisions?

We can help.

Finance for Non-Financial Professionals will help you manage cash flows, make good financial decisions, and discuss statements with your finance and accounting colleagues. You’ll come out of the program understanding the principles, even if you felt clueless going in.

Through case studies and exercises, you become the decision maker. Understand how to connect financial implications to strategy. Work with Ivey faculty to better understand your own organization’s statements. Determine the key questions you should ask when you return to the office.

Understanding numbers is crucial to making good business decisions. Don’t get left behind.

What You Learn

For detailed program content, download the brochure.

The program is designed specifically for individuals with little to no financial background. It starts with the basics and builds a foundation. You won’t feel “behind” your classmates. You’ll be comfortable asking questions and participating in class discussions. 

The program is practical. As you explore each business case, you’ll compare the situation to your own firm’s financial issues. And you’ll return to the office with solutions. You'll be more effective at interacting with the accounting and financial groups using their capacities to your benefit.

Understand the basics of financial statements

  • Become a pro at interpreting the income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements of your own firm
  • Gain insight into the relevance and limitations of key financial statements in annual reports
  • Get familiar with financial ratios and key performance measures

Better manage day-to-day cash flows and working capital

  • Understand cost measurement and cost behaviour
  • Make effective capital budgeting decisions by incorporating relevant cash flows, cost of capital, sensitivity analysis and qualitative factors

Learn how to use financial information to make good decisions

  • Identify key economic and industry factors, risks and opportunities, and financial implications
  • Understand time value of money concepts
  • Get familiar with hurdle rates and return-on-investment requirements

 

How You Learn

This is Not about Textbooks and Lectures

This isn’t your typical classroom. Our programs are designed with busy leaders in mind. We’re talking an engaging, interactive, and unique experience. Our real-world Case-Method of Learning is not about textbooks and lectures – it’s about learning by doing. You’ll walk away with new knowledge and ideas that you can immediately implement in your business.

Create Immediate Impact

Throughout the program, you’ll track your learning outcomes and pinpoint specific initiatives to implement. You’ll leave knowing exactly how you will apply your new knowledge and skills, and a self-developed implementation plan to start your impact once back in your workplace.

Program Faculty

M.A. (Mary) Gillett

Lecturer

M.A. (Mary) Gillett

Mary Gillett is a Lecturer in the Managerial Accounting and Control group at the Ivey Business School and a past Faculty Director of the HBA Program. She has a BA in Business Administration from Western University. She earned her CPA designation with Clarkson Gordon (now Ernst & Young). In 2011, Mary was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario in recognition of her career achievements as well as service to the community and the profession.

Mary has served on the Boards of several small to medium sized non-profit organizations and has been involved in two significant amalgamations in this sector.

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D.A. Rick Robertson

Professor Emeritus,Lecturer (part-time)

D.A. Rick Robertson

Rick Robertson is a retired professor of Managerial Accounting and Control at Ivey Business School. He has a BA in Business Administration, and an MBA and PhD from Western University. He earned a CA with Ernst & Young and has completed the CICA In-depth Tax Course for practicing tax specialists. In 1991, to increase his practical tax knowledge, he began working full-time for Ernst & Young as a Senior Tax Manager in the London office. After two years of client service in the tax area, he returned to Ivey Business School and began the process of developing a managerially-oriented tax course.

Robertson's research interests lie in the area of accounting for corporate income taxes and the provision of pension benefits by corporations. He has taught extensively on professional accounting programs, has served on several committees of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) and was an elected council member of the ICAO for five years. He is currently one of two Ontario representatives on the CICA's International Qualifications Appraisal Committee. He was also involved in the development of a new accounting standard in Corporate Income Tax. He was a director of Stackpole Ltd., a TSX-listed company, serving as chair of the audit committee and currently is the audit committee chair for ADB Systems International Ltd.

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Where You Learn

Donald K. Johnson Centre

Donald K. Johnson Centre

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130 King St. West
The Exchange Tower
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5X 1A9

Ivey's Donald K. Johnson Centre is located in the heart of Toronto's financial district in the Exchange Tower at 130 King Street West. 

With two two-tiered amphitheatre classrooms, nine breakout rooms, a large reception area, on-site catering, ergonomic seating, wireless technology, and on-site support, the Donald K. Johnson Centre is a state-of-the-art meeting and conference facility. 

The Donald K. Johnson Centre is easily accessible using the TTC (King Subway), Go Transit (located five minutes from Union Station), Via Rail, or the underground PATH pedestrian walkway.

Learn more about the centre
Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre

Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre

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551 Windermere Road
London, Ontario, Canada
N5X 2T1

The Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre provides business professionals with an extraordinary and intimate setting like no other. Housed in a Georgian manor with 30 beautifully landscaped acres of parkland and gardens, The Ivey Academy is minutes from Western University and the Ivey Business School.

Spencer has 125 guest suites, 14,000 sq. ft. of event space (including three amphitheatres), cycling and hiking trails, a fitness centre, a high-ropes team-building course, five dining rooms, and free parking.

Learn more about the centre

Participant Testimonials

No matter when you take this class during your career, it is a great investment.
— Susan Wilson, Director, Human Resources, J.D. Irving Limited

Participant Testimonials

For those who have an interest in Finance and Accounting but no background in the subjects, I can’t think of a better way to introduce the topics at a high but thoroughly understandable level. The program left one looking forward to further courses.
— Jason Green, Director, Industrial Relations, J.D. Irving Limited

Participant Testimonials

It has considerably broadened my knowledge in accounting and finance in a way that I could not have done on my own or over such a short period of time.
— Nicole Blanchette, Executive Director, La Ribambelle

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Ready to enrol?

For nearly 70 years, leaders from around the world have come to The Ivey Academy to deepen their business knowledge and drive immediate results. It may be just what you and your organization need.

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