Certificate Course in Strategic Financial Management

Duration 10 days 19 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Finance Directors, Financial Controllers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-FM-075

Before you join: Participants should have experience interpreting financial statements, managing budgets, preparing management reports or supporting financial decisions.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Senior finance professionals are expected to turn uncertain commercial, operational and investment information into defensible financial decisions. They must protect liquidity, assess capital projects, set funding priorities, explain value drivers to executives and lenders, and challenge proposals that appear profitable but weaken cash generation or risk exposure. This requires more than accounting knowledge: it requires disciplined forecasting, valuation, capital allocation and performance management.

This advanced programme develops the financial management capability required to lead these decisions. Participants work through financial strategy, statement analysis, working capital, cash forecasting, business valuation, cost of capital, capital budgeting, funding structures, treasury risk, mergers and acquisitions, investor communication, governance and financial control. The programme connects technical models to board-level decisions, including dividend policy, acquisition pricing, refinancing, restructuring and value-based performance measures.

Teaching combines focused faculty briefings with realistic cases from corporate, banking, public-sector and development-finance settings. Participants analyse financial data, build forecasts and valuation models, test assumptions, debate investment recommendations and present conclusions under executive scrutiny. Each participant leaves with a practical strategic finance pack: a linked forecast, valuation, investment appraisal, financing recommendation, risk register and board-ready financial presentation.

The course suits experienced finance managers, controllers, treasury professionals, investment analysts and senior managers moving into enterprise-wide financial leadership. It is also relevant to leaders who approve major investments, funding decisions or transformation programmes and need to challenge financial recommendations with confidence.

What you will be able to do

  • Build integrated financial forecasts linking income statements, balance sheets and cash flows
  • Assess corporate performance using ratio analysis, value drivers and peer benchmarking
  • Prepare discounted cash flow valuations using free cash flow and terminal value methods
  • Calculate weighted average cost of capital and apply risk-adjusted discount rates
  • Evaluate capital investments using NPV, IRR, payback and sensitivity analysis
  • Design working capital and liquidity plans using cash conversion cycle analysis
  • Recommend financing, dividend and capital structure decisions using scenario evidence
  • Present a board-ready strategic financial plan supported by models and risk analysis

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce defensible investment recommendations for executive and board review
  • Build linked forecast and valuation models with clearer assumptions
  • Challenge funding, acquisition and capital expenditure proposals using financial evidence
  • Explain value creation, liquidity and risk trade-offs to non-finance leaders
  • Prepare for broader finance leadership, treasury or corporate development responsibilities

For your organisation

  • Improves capital allocation through consistent investment appraisal and post-investment review
  • Strengthens liquidity planning through earlier visibility of cash and working capital pressures
  • Raises quality of financing decisions through structured debt, equity and covenant analysis
  • Reduces value-destructive proposals through scenario testing and risk-adjusted valuation
  • Creates clearer board reporting on performance, funding, risk and value drivers

Course modules

19 modules over 10 days

Participants can connect financial decisions to enterprise value, stakeholder expectations and strategic priorities.

  • Shareholder value, stakeholder commitments and long-term financial strategy alignment
  • Economic profit compared with accounting profit and cash generation
  • Value drivers mapped through revenue, margin, asset efficiency and funding
  • Corporate objectives translated into financial policies and performance measures
  • Agency theory, governance responsibilities and management incentive design
  • Strategic finance mandate across investment, funding, liquidity and distributions

Participants can diagnose financial performance, position and cash quality from published accounts.

  • Income statement analysis separating volume, price, mix and margin effects
  • Balance sheet structure assessed through liquidity, solvency and asset quality
  • Cash flow statement reconciled with profit, working capital and capital spending
  • DuPont analysis decomposing return on equity into operating drivers
  • Common-size statements used for trend analysis and peer comparison
  • Accounting policy choices identified through notes, estimates and adjustments

Participants can benchmark business performance and identify the financial drivers requiring management action.

  • Profitability ratios calculated using operating margin, ROIC and return on equity
  • Efficiency metrics examining inventory turns, receivable days and asset utilisation
  • Solvency ratios testing debt capacity, interest cover and covenant headroom
  • Peer benchmarking adjusted for business model, accounting policy and scale
  • Trend bridges explaining movements between periods and management forecasts
  • Management actions prioritised from material financial variances and root causes

Participants can build a linked three-statement model for planning and decision analysis.

  • Model architecture separating inputs, calculations, outputs and control checks
  • Revenue forecast built from volume, price, churn and capacity assumptions
  • Operating costs modelled through fixed, variable and step-cost drivers
  • Working capital schedules linked to sales, purchases and payment terms
  • Debt, interest and tax schedules integrated with financing assumptions
  • Balance sheet balancing checks and error flags embedded throughout

Participants can produce decision-ready forecasts under base, upside and downside assumptions.

  • Driver-based forecasting using operational volumes, rates and productivity assumptions
  • Rolling forecasts refreshed with actuals, revised drivers and emerging risks
  • Scenario design distinguishing controllable actions from external uncertainties
  • Sensitivity tables testing price, volume, margin and interest-rate movements
  • Break-even analysis identifying sales thresholds and operating risk exposure
  • Forecast governance defining ownership, challenge cycles and approval thresholds

Participants can identify cash trapped in operations and recommend targeted working capital actions.

  • Cash conversion cycle calculated from receivables, inventory and payables
  • Receivables ageing analysed for collection risk, disputes and credit terms
  • Inventory segmentation using ABC analysis, safety stock and turnover
  • Payables strategy balancing supplier resilience, discounts and payment discipline
  • Working capital initiatives quantified through cash release and implementation costs
  • Cash conversion targets aligned with operating model and customer commitments

Participants can prepare short-term liquidity forecasts and escalation actions for cash pressure.

  • Thirteen-week cash forecast built from receipts, payroll and supplier data
  • Daily liquidity position reconciled across bank balances, facilities and restrictions
  • Cash forecast variance analysis separating timing differences from forecast errors
  • Minimum liquidity thresholds set against operational and contractual commitments
  • Contingency actions ranked by speed, cost and stakeholder consequences
  • Cash pooling and concentration structures assessed for control and accessibility

Participants can estimate funding costs and assess capital structure choices using market and business evidence.

  • Cost of equity estimated through Capital Asset Pricing Model inputs
  • Cost of debt assessed from credit spreads, fees and tax effects
  • Weighted average cost of capital calculated using market-value capital weights
  • Capital structure assessed against cash flow stability and asset backing
  • Credit ratings linked to debt capacity, covenants and refinancing risk
  • Financing trade-offs compared across debt, equity, retained earnings and hybrids

Participants can value a business or strategic initiative using discounted cash flow methods.

  • Free cash flow derived from EBIT, tax, investment and working capital
  • Explicit forecast periods matched to business maturity and planning visibility
  • Terminal value calculated using perpetuity growth and exit multiple approaches
  • Enterprise value reconciled with equity value, debt and non-operating assets
  • Valuation sensitivities displayed through discount rate and growth matrices
  • Model assumptions challenged for consistency with strategy and market evidence

Participants can use market multiples and transaction evidence to corroborate valuation conclusions.

  • Comparable company selection screened by sector, size, growth and geography
  • EV/EBITDA multiples normalised for leases, exceptional items and accounting differences
  • Price-to-earnings multiples interpreted with growth, risk and capital intensity
  • Precedent transaction analysis adjusted for control premiums and market timing
  • Trading multiples triangulated with discounted cash flow valuation outputs
  • Valuation ranges communicated without false precision or unsupported assumptions

Participants can rank capital proposals using cash flow, return and strategic criteria.

  • Relevant cash flows distinguished from sunk costs and accounting allocations
  • Net present value calculated using incremental after-tax project cash flows
  • Internal rate of return interpreted alongside reinvestment and scale limitations
  • Payback period used to assess liquidity exposure and capital recovery
  • Profitability index applied where capital budgets constrain project selection
  • Investment cases tested for timing, cost overruns and benefit realisation

Participants can incorporate uncertainty, flexibility and risk ownership into investment recommendations.

  • Decision trees model staged investments, probabilities and contingent outcomes
  • Monte Carlo simulation interpreted through distributions, percentiles and downside exposure
  • Risk-adjusted discount rates matched to project-specific systematic risk
  • Certainty-equivalent cash flows used where discount-rate adjustments mislead
  • Real options identified in deferral, expansion, abandonment and switching rights
  • Risk registers linked to financial impacts, triggers, owners and mitigations

Participants can recommend funding structures that balance cost, flexibility, maturity and covenant risk.

  • Funding needs profiled by timing, currency, purpose and repayment capacity
  • Term loans, revolving facilities and bonds compared against funding requirements
  • Debt maturity ladders assessed for refinancing concentration and liquidity gaps
  • Covenant calculations tested against forecast downside and headroom requirements
  • Security packages evaluated for asset restrictions and lender protections
  • Financing proposals structured with pricing, fees, conditions and risks

Participants can assess distributions against investment needs, liquidity, debt obligations and shareholder expectations.

  • Dividend capacity assessed from distributable reserves, cash flow and covenants
  • Residual dividend policy linked to investment pipeline and target capital structure
  • Share repurchases compared with dividends, debt reduction and reinvestment
  • Distribution timing evaluated against seasonality, refinancing and market expectations
  • Minority shareholders considered within governance rights and funding constraints
  • Board recommendations framed with scenarios, trade-offs and approval requirements

Participants can identify financial market exposures and evaluate appropriate hedging responses.

  • Foreign exchange exposure classified as transaction, translation and economic risk
  • Interest-rate exposure measured across floating debt, fixed debt and derivatives
  • Forward contracts, swaps and options compared for hedge objectives
  • Hedge effectiveness assessed against exposure timing, amount and basis risk
  • Counterparty limits set using credit quality, collateral and concentration
  • Treasury policy defined through authority limits, reporting and control requirements

Participants can assess transaction value, integration economics and restructuring alternatives.

  • Acquisition rationale tested through strategic fit, capabilities and market position
  • Synergy estimates separated into revenue, cost, tax and funding effects
  • Purchase price evaluated against standalone value, control premium and risks
  • Due diligence findings translated into valuation adjustments and deal protections
  • Accretion and dilution analysis linked to earnings, financing and share issuance
  • Restructuring options compared through cash preservation, stakeholder impact and recovery

Participants can design performance measures that align operating decisions with value creation.

  • Economic value added calculated from NOPAT, invested capital and capital charge
  • Return on invested capital compared with weighted average cost of capital
  • Balanced scorecard measures linked to financial outcomes and strategic drivers
  • Responsibility centres assigned through cost, profit, investment and revenue accountability
  • Transfer pricing principles assessed for behavioural incentives and performance measurement
  • Post-investment reviews compare approved assumptions with realised financial outcomes

Participants can strengthen finance governance and communicate decision-quality information to senior stakeholders.

  • COSO internal control components applied to finance processes and reporting
  • Delegated authorities aligned with investment limits, approvals and accountability
  • Model risk controlled through version management, review and documentation
  • IFRS reporting implications considered for leases, revenue and financial instruments
  • Board papers structured around recommendation, evidence, risks and decision required
  • Management dashboards distinguish leading indicators from lagging financial outcomes

Participants can build, review and present a complete strategic financial plan for executive decision.

  • Strategic case defined through value drivers, objectives and financial constraints
  • Integrated forecast completed with income statement, balance sheet and cash flow
  • Investment proposal valued using discounted cash flow and scenario analysis
  • Funding recommendation justified through cost, maturity, covenants and liquidity
  • Risk register linked to sensitivities, mitigations and decision triggers
  • Board presentation delivered with recommendation, assumptions, trade-offs and actions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Integrated three-statement financial model template
  2. Thirteen-week cash forecasting template
  3. Discounted cash flow valuation model
  4. Capital investment appraisal checklist
  5. Funding and covenant risk assessment template
  6. Board-ready strategic financial plan

Who should attend

  • Finance Directors — need to link financial strategy with enterprise investment and funding decisions
  • Financial Controllers — need stronger forecasting, valuation and capital allocation capability
  • Senior Finance Managers — need to progress from reporting responsibilities to strategic decision support
  • Treasury Managers — need to connect liquidity, funding and risk decisions to corporate value
  • Investment and Corporate Development Managers — need disciplined valuation and transaction assessment methods
  • Business Unit Leaders — need to evaluate financial proposals and challenge investment assumptions

Skills and tools covered

Financial modellingBusiness valuationCapital allocationCash flow forecastingTreasury risk managementBoard financial communication

Tools and standards

Discounted Cash Flow, Weighted Average Cost of Capital, Capital Asset Pricing Model, COSO Internal Control Framework

How the course runs

Training methodology

Faculty briefings introduce each financial method before participants apply it to progressively richer cases. Individual and group work uses financial statements, forecast assumptions, capital proposals, funding terms and transaction data. Simulations test decisions under liquidity pressure, interest-rate movements and changing business forecasts. Facilitated review focuses on assumptions, model logic, controls and executive communication. Participants build their own strategic finance pack throughout the programme, then refine it through peer challenge and faculty feedback before the final presentation.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience interpreting financial statements, managing budgets, preparing management reports or supporting financial decisions. They should understand core accounting terms such as revenue, operating profit, depreciation, working capital, debt and equity. Confidence with spreadsheets is expected, including formulas, charts and basic scenario analysis. Prior exposure to corporate finance, treasury, investment appraisal or financial planning is useful. Participants do not need prior experience in mergers and acquisitions, formal valuation work, advanced statistics, programming or professional accountancy qualifications.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need practical familiarity with financial statements, budgets or management reporting, plus confidence using spreadsheets. The course builds advanced corporate finance capability; it does not start with introductory bookkeeping or accounting principles.

Bring a laptop with spreadsheet software and, where permitted, a non-confidential financial challenge from your organisation. Participants can apply the course models to a capital proposal, cash issue, funding question or forecast improvement need.

It is designed for experienced finance professionals and senior managers with financial decision responsibilities. Finance directors, controllers, treasury managers, corporate development professionals and business leaders will gain the most immediate value.

Accounting courses focus primarily on recording, reporting and interpreting historical transactions. This programme uses financial information to make forward-looking decisions on investment, valuation, funding, liquidity, risk and enterprise value.

Participants leave with reusable models, checklists and a strategic financial plan that can be adapted to current business priorities. The methods apply directly to budget cycles, investment committees, refinancing work, acquisition reviews and board reporting.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The first week establishes analysis, forecasting, liquidity and valuation foundations; the second week focuses on investment, funding, risk, governance and the final capstone presentation.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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