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Strategic Financial Value Creation

Gain practical financial skills to analyse performance and drive organisational success that will bolster your career.

Students by a computer looking at data

Strategic Financial Value Creation

  • 5 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more

Enhance your financial acumen with Duke Corporate Education

This short course is designed by Duke Corporate Education, a subsidiary of Duke University.

Designed specifically for non-financial managers, this online short course from Duke University’s Duke CE elevates your financial understanding and empowers you with the knowledge to drive business growth and value creation.

Through practical exercises, you’ll gain the financial skills needed to analyse performance, understand business models, and make informed decisions.

Explore the four cornerstones of value creation

You’ll discover the essential principles that drive long-term value creation in any organisation. This module will cover positive spread, healthy cash flows, meeting investor expectations, and sustaining competitive advantage.

By understanding these cornerstones, you’ll contribute to strategies that ensure the success and longevity of your business and long-term professional development.

Understand and leverage key value drivers

You’ll learn about the key factors influencing a company’s value, including revenue growth, cost efficiency, asset utilisation, and more.

With this insight, you’ll be better equipped to leverage these value drivers effectively and implement strategies that maximise your organisation’s performance.

Assess financial health with free cash flow (FCF) metrics

Gain a critical understanding of how to assess your company’s financial health through Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Free Cash Flow (FCF) metrics.

By the end of this course, you’ll have an understanding of key financial principles and metrics, empowering you to drive value creation and make informed decisions.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Welcome to Financial Value Creation!

    • Overview and Course Introduction

      Overview and Course Introduction

      In this first week, you will receive a course overview, learn about your instructor's background, and have an opportunity to introduce yourself and meet your peers.

    • Introduce Yourself and Meet Your Peers

      Your opportunity to introduce yourself and meet your peers.

  • Week 2

    The Four Cornerstones of Value Creation

    • Getting Started

      In this module, you'll explore the Four Cornerstones of Value Creation: spread, cash flow, expectations, and competitive advantage, all key to driving long-term business success.

    • Putting it into Practice

      In this section, you will begin to apply key concepts and learnings to an actual case study.

    • Module at a Glance

      In this module, you explored the Four Cornerstones of Value Creation, focusing on spread, cash flow, expectations, and competitive advantage. Take a moment to reflect on how these concepts apply to real-world business scenarios.

    • Four Cornerstones of Value Creation Quiz

      Test your knowledge of key concepts such as spread, cash flow, expectations, and competitive advantage. It helps reinforce your understanding of how these elements drive long-term business success.

  • Week 3

    Key Value Drivers

    • Getting Started

      In this module, you will learn how to identify the key factors that influence a company’s value, including revenue growth, cost efficiency, asset utilization, and capital allocation, and how to leverage them effectively.

    • Putting it into Practice

      In this section, you will begin to apply key concepts and learnings to an actual case study.

    • Module at a Glance

      In this module, you explored the Key Value Drivers. Take a moment to reflect on how these concepts apply to real-world business scenarios.

    • Key Value Drivers Quiz

      Test your knowledge of key concepts such as spread, cash flow, expectations, and competitive advantage. It helps reinforce your understanding of how these elements drive long-term business success.

  • Week 4

    Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Free Cash Flow (FCF)

    • Getting Started

      In this week, we introduce another metric of financial performance - free cash flow. This metric identifies companies that can maintain long-term competitive advantage by funding growth and returning value to investors.

    • Putting it into Practice

      In this section, you will begin to apply key concepts and learnings to an actual case study.

    • Module at a Glance

      In this module, you explored free cash flow and how the spread of a business contributes to value creation. Take a moment to reflect on how these concepts apply to real-world business scenarios.

    • Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Free Cash Flow (FCF) Quiz

      Test your knowledge of key concepts learnt. It helps reinforce your understanding of how these elements drive long-term business success.

  • Week 5

    Risk

    • Getting Started

      This week, we explore financial risk, focusing on potential outcomes, uncertainty, and risk premium, which affects the cost of capital. It also offers guidance on how to communicate investment risks effectively.

    • Putting it into Practice

      In this section, you will begin to apply key concepts and learnings to an actual case study.

    • Module at a Glance

      This week explores financial risk and the cost of capital, defining risk as uncertainty in outcomes. It covers the importance of risk and how to measure and manage risk effectively, including strategies for clear communication.

    • Risk Quiz

      Test your knowledge of key concepts such as spread, cash flow, expectations, and competitive advantage. It helps reinforce your understanding of how these elements drive long-term business success.

    • Course Reflection

      Now that you have completed the course on Financial value Creation, consider this opportunity to reflect on what we've learned and engage in a meaningful discussion with your peers.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore essential principles such as positive spread, healthy cash flows, meeting investor expectations, and sustaining competitive advantage to create long-term value in an organization.
  • Identify key factors that influence a company’s value, including revenue growth, cost efficiency, asset utilization, and capital allocation, and learn how to leverage them effectively.
  • Demonstrate the importance of Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) and Free Cash Flow (FCF) as critical metrics for assessing a company’s financial health and investment attractiveness.
  • Practice a comprehensive understanding of risk from a financial perspective, examining it as a distribution of potential outcomes and exploring its impact on decision-making.

Who is the course for?

This course is ideal for non-financial managers and professionals seeking to enhance their financial acumen to make better business decisions. No prior finance experience is needed, but a basic understanding of business operations and strategic thinking will be beneficial.

Who will you learn with?

Duke Corporate Education

Part of Duke University, Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE) is the premier global provider of leadership solutions in context.

Who developed the course?

Duke Corporate Education Logo

Duke Corporate Education

Duke Corporate Education was founded with the objective of combining world-class leadership science with a practitioner approach to achieve organisation and business impact.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 19 Mar 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

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  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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