Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Chapter 1

• Identify the key responsibilities of the CFO position, and key aspects of CFO relations with the controller and CEO;

Chapter 2

• Specify the stages in strategy development, strategy types, and the role of the CFO in strategy;

Chapter 3

• Cite the methods for identifying and mitigating risks, especially in regard to foreign exchange risk and interest rate risk;

Chapter 4

• Identify the types of controls, when they should be used, and the characteristics of better controls;

Chapter 5

• Recognize the characteristics of the cash conversion cycle;

Chapter 6

• Identify the strategies under which acquisitions are made, the steps in the due diligence process, the characteristics of a strong acquisition candidate, and the various methods for valuing an acquisition candidate;

Chapter 7

• Specify the advantages and disadvantages of budgeting, types of budgets, and how to operate without a budget;

Chapter 8

• Itemize the different types of product pricing and the situations in which they are most useful;

Chapter 9

• Identify the methods and concepts used to evaluate capital budgeting proposals, as well as the alternatives to fixed asset acquisition;

Chapter 10

• State the methods used to construct and update a cash forecast, as well as the methods employed to concentrate cash for investment purposes;

Chapter 11

• Cite the available cash investment strategies and the more common investment instruments;

Chapter 12

• Identify the types of debt funding and associated covenants;

Chapter 13

• Specify the types of equity funding, the investor rights associated with these instruments, and the types of investors who may invest in them;

Chapter 14

• Identify the main credit rating agencies, the types of credit ratings, and the process for obtaining and appealing a credit rating;

Chapter 15

• Specify the processes by which a company can go public or take itself private and the reasons for going public or private;

Chapter 16

• Cite the reasons for being listed on a stock exchange and the qualifications for listing on the various exchanges;

Chapter 17

• Identify the participants in and topics covered by an earnings call, the use of guidance, the topics covered in a road show, and the regulations governing investor relations;

Chapter 18

• Identify the major public company reports, key reporting concepts, and the method by which reports are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission;

Chapter 19

• Specify how float can be increased, as well as alternative methods for selling shares; and

Chapter 20

• State how competitive advantage can be gained from the use of information technology (IT), as well as how to manage risk with IT.