Executive Master Class in Corporate Finance

Hard-hitting expertise for complex and dynamic times

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in Executive Education according to the Financial Times

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Alumni

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for Learning Impact

The role of finance is becoming increasingly complex and dynamic. The 21-day Executive Master Class in Corporate Finance will give you academic knowledge to underpin your financial expertise. You’ll live and learn analysis, solving complex financial issues. You’ll deepen your knowledge by choosing elective subjects. Then you’ll make the leap and apply everything you’ve learned to a challenge or opportunity in your own organisation.

Detailed programme

Build your knowledge and understanding in two broad phases. In the first, you dive deep into the fundamentals of corporate finance. Across four core modules, you learn how to make finance decisions, you develop finance strategies and work on capital budgeting and company valuation.

You get to live everything you learn in a business opportunity or challenge in your own organisation.

Then in the second phase, you deepen your knowledge by choosing electives that best align with the needs of your company and your role. Choose, for example, the Mergers & Acquisition Path, to enhance your understanding of Creating Value through M&A and Venture Capital and Private Equity. Or follow the Leadership Path and dive deep into Self-Leadership and The People Manager. If you’d rather build your own path, we’d be happy to help you select your electives

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The Executive Master Class in Corporate Finance comprises the following modules:

Module 1: Making financial decisions

Learn to interpret financial statements and reports to evaluate a firm’s financial performance and risk
Know how to assess the cash conversion cycle to develop performance optimisation strategies
Understand financial planning and capital budgeting concepts
Estimate a firm’s free cash flows
Learn to critically analyse the financial press
Take part in the Working Capital Management Interactive Simulation Game

Module 2: Financing Strategies – A deeper dive

Discover how to calculate the current WACC of a firm
Learn to design the optimal capital structure of a firm
Understand how smart debt management creates value
Understand the CAPM model
Explore leverage – and know how much to borrow, versus raising equity

Module 3: Accounting for Financial decision making

Develop your financial accounting literacy skills
Grasp the sociology of accounting
Understand the difference between historical cost and fair value accounting
Understand the key principles of accounting for financial instruments
Explore non-GAAP financial measures, and their potential to mislead
Discover AI For the Finance Leader – trends and challenges

Module 4: Capital budgeting and valuation

Apply advanced company valuation methodologies, including Real Option models
Evaluate, compare, and construct real-life capital budgeting valuation models
Explore managerial flexibility and making decisions under uncertainty
Discover sensitivity analysis, crystal ball and Monte Carlo simulations

In-company project

Tackle any challenge or opportunity in your own organisation – from acquisition through to LBO, MBO, IPO – and anything in between
Step back and take a strategic view
Use your fellow participants and expert faculty as a sounding board
Create value and ROI

Electives: Tailor your learning journey

Specialise with 4–6 days from our range of short- term programmes
Use electives to tailor your programme
Start your electives before, during or after the core module

Why this programme

Gain the theoretical knowledge that underpins corporate finance
Learn the latest approaches to financial planning, analysis, capital budgeting and valuation
Master the tools which will help you maximise the enterprise value of your company
Choose electives that are highly relevant to your organisation’s needs
Get immediate ROI for your company with your project
After graduating from this programme, you are entitled to join our alumni network. Visit the Vlerick Alumni website for more information

Who should attend

Finance management professionals who want to enhance their corporate finance knowledge
Executives who are keen to broaden their business expertise and tackle the key questions in corporate finance
Consultants or company owners who want to deepen their financial knowledge and be equal conversation partners with Private Equity Investors, financial institutions, auditors and analysts

In previous editions, we had the pleasure of welcoming participants from companies like:

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Practical info

To apply for this programme, you need to complete four steps:

1. Check your eligibility: Check if you meet the admissions criteria for the programme you want to apply for.

2. Submit your application: Fill out the application form and upload it together with your cv or LinkedIn profile.

3. Take part in an interview: When we receive your application, we’ll get in touch to set up an interview. This will take about an hour and will cover:

Your professional experience and current challenges
Your career ambitions
Why you want to take the programme
Which electives are right for you (if the programme includes electives)

4. Confirm your registration: If you pass the interview, we’ll send you a registration form. You’ll have two weeks to complete and submit the form to confirm your programme place.

Success stories

Tulio Lira

International Tax Lawyer

I made this year count by achieving a turning point in my career: I launched my own international tax practice! Vlerick helped me by providing the tools for understanding how to better manage my business. To make your Vlerick year count, use the tools that the professors lay out for you. The result? You’ll give your best in class and in Corporate Finance.

Olivier Vanden Eynde

Founder and Managing Director at Close the Gap

What really fascinated me about Vlerick's approach was the in-company project that we had to develop. It meant that I could use my training time to write my own business plan and test it against reality. I regard the good rating I got for my final project as a quality label. It also gave me the confidence to really go for my plans.

Rutger Daems

Plaet Strategy Group - Partner and Co-founder

Each module of the Executive Master Class in Corporate Finance exceeded my expectations. The balance provided between theory and practice, and between corporate finance and strategic business considerations, is excellent. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work for top companies in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, and I’ve studied at a variety of schools. I know what the standards are and what good companies expect. This programme and faculty are world-class.

Chris Teugels

CFO - Java Group

This Executive Master Class has allowed me to focus on uncommon issues and to look at very interesting subjects from a perspective that’s different from my usual one – even with my broad CFO experience. I especially appreciated the frequent interactions with peers, trying to come up with extraordinary solutions to challenging problems. The case studies have also proven to be extremely useful in my professional setting. Top programme!

Faculty

Wouter De Maeseneire

Professor of Corporate Finance

Wouter De Maeseneire is passionate about explaining financial management principles by linking finance to business models and strategies.

Mathieu Luypaert

Professor of Corporate Finance

Mathieu Luypaert explains how insights into financial figures and decisions can lead to value creation.

Bruno Colmant

Adjunct Professor of Financial Accounting

Bruno Colmant is a highly experienced senior leader whose deep knowledge has steered Belgium’s largest financial institutions and government.

Peter Maenhout

Investor in Residence

Peter Maenhout is Partner and CEO at M80 Partners – and brings deep investment expertise to his work with Vlerick.