The Challenges of Teaching Finance to Executive Audiences

Abstract

This article discusses some of the practical challenges of teaching finance to executives. And it presents a new book – Finance for Executives: A Practical Guide for Managers – that is ideal for executive education programs in finance. The article also presents some discussion on executive program design and how Finance for Executives can be used to teach topics such as value creation, project valuation, economic profit, cost of capital, financing and payout policies, derivatives and risk management, mergers and acquisitions, and how each of these impact managers with different roles in the organization. The materials have proven useful in programs for non-financial managers as well as advanced executive programs that target finance professionals who want to have a broader view of finance and how it links with corporate strategy. The book is also suitable for use in MBA and EMBA programs, where the participants have some work experience.

Keywords: pedagogy, finance, business fundaments, non-financial managers, executive education, corporate finance, teaching finance