Your organization’s future depends on leaders who understand the numbers. In today’s fast-moving market, every major decision, from budgets and hiring to new initiatives and investments, carries a financial impact that leaders must weigh with confidence.
Yet many capable leaders sit in meetings where finance drives the conversation and struggle to contribute. Strong proposals get rejected, trade-offs go unexamined, and good ideas lose support because the business case falls short. The problem is rarely a lack of insight. It is a lack of financial fluency.
You will leave with:
- A practical guide to reading income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements
- A KPI dashboard framework for tracking performance and value creation
- A financially grounded business case structure you can apply to your next proposal
- The confidence to engage finance and senior leadership in their own language
Business Challenges you will Solve
Are you facing one of these challenges? If so, this program is designed for you:
- Financial conversations with senior leadership feel hard to follow
- Strong proposals lose support because the business case falls short
- Budgets and P&L responsibilities feel unclear or intimidating
- Financial statements don’t translate into clear decisions
- KPIs are tracked but rarely drive action
- Leaders lack a shared financial language across functions
Key Takeaways
Participants will be able to:
- Read and interpret income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements with confidence
- Communicate effectively with executives and finance teams using core financial concepts
- Build financially grounded business cases that gain organizational support
- Use KPIs and dashboards to assess performance and value creation
- Interpret competitors’ and suppliers’ financial information to uncover strategic insights
- Make cost-effective, evidence-based decisions that support organizational success
Credential: Earn a USF Executive Edge Certificate of Completion
Who Should Attend
- Directors and VPs responsible for growth and market share
- Senior Marketing Leaders seeking a structured way to assess and strengthen their current strategy
- Strategy Leaders who need disciplined, measurable execution
- Business Unit Leaders driving cross-functional performance initiatives
- Organizations that want stronger strategic alignment and marketing capability for growth
Faculty
Dan Topf, CPT - Program Facilitator
Dan Topf is a Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) and performance improvement consultant who helps leaders connect financial insight to strategic decision-making. He specializes in building business and financial acumen for non-financial executives, using real-world examples, simulations, and practical frameworks that translate numbers into clear action. Dan has partnered with global organizations across industries to strengthen leadership capability, financial fluency, and enterprise-level performance.An Investment in Performance, Not Just Professional Development
When one leader attends, the whole organization gains. Participants return with a diagnostic, a prioritized plan and a shared framework their teams can apply immediately.
|
Business impact |
What changes in your organization |
|---|---|
|
Stronger collaboration with finance |
Leaders engage finance and senior leadership as informed partners, not passive listeners. |
|
Better strategic decisions |
Financial data informs strategy, budgeting and investment choices across functions. |
|
Higher-quality business cases |
Proposals arrive with sound financial analysis, so strong ideas win support faster. |
|
Smarter operational trade-offs |
Leaders weigh the financial impact of everyday decisions before they commit resources. |
|
Lasting organizational capability |
A shared financial language teams use long after the program. |
What you will learn
This program gives you a practical, hands-on approach to financial fluency, designed for leaders without an accounting background. Through real company examples, interactive business simulations and dashboards built for non-finance professionals, you will learn to see the story behind the numbers, from financial statements and key indicators to trade-offs, value creation and business cases.
You will develop the skills to:
- Speak the language of finance with confidence
- Read income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements for insight
- Connect financial data to strategic goals, trade-offs and value creation
- Use KPIs and dashboards to evaluate performance and guide decisions
- Build financially grounded business cases that gain organizational support
- Apply financial principles to real-world decisions through simulations and case discussions
Program Details
- Dates: March 5, 19 and April 2, 2027
- Time: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET each session
- Format: Three live, interactive online sessions, held every two weeks
- Investment: $1,495 per participant · 13.5 contact hours
Curriculum & Topics
Core themes and topics include:
Module 1: Speaking the Language of Finance
Understanding core financial concepts, terminology, and how financial statements fit together.
Module 2: Reading Financial Statements for Insight
Interpreting income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow information to understand performance and health.
Module 3: Linking Financials to Strategy and Performance
Connecting financial data to strategic goals, trade-offs, and value creation.
Module 4: Working with KPIs and Dashboards
Using key financial and operational indicators to evaluate performance and support decisions.
Module 5: Building Financially Grounded Business Cases
Structuring proposals and initiatives with basic financial analysis to gain organizational support.
Module 6: Applying Financial Principles in Real-World Scenarios
Using examples, simulations, and case-based discussions to practice financial decision-making.
(Exact daily schedule and session timing: TBD)
This program is delivered in an immersive, interactive format designed to maximize engagement and peer learning. A detailed agenda will be shared with registered participants in advance.
Certificate & Pathways
Participants will receive a USF Executive Education Certificate of Completion.
Logistics
Detailed program information, including the agenda, parking instructions, and recommended hotel accommodations, will be provided to registered participants prior to the program start date.
All cancellation and substitution requests must be submitted in writing.
Cancellations
Cancellations received 14 days or more prior to the program start date will receive a full refund, minus a $250 administrative fee. Cancellations received within 14 days of the program start date are non-refundable.
Substitutions
Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the program start date at no additional cost. If pre-program assessments have already been completed, associated assessment fees are non-refundable.
Program Changes
The University of South Florida reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a program. In the event of cancellation by the University, registered participants will receive a full refund.
Group Pricing & Custom Options
Discount Eligibility
USF alumni, active-duty military members and veterans, and USF faculty and staff are eligible for a 10% discount on all open-enrollment programs.
Please enter the appropriate discount code at checkout. Discounts are offered in good faith. Proof of eligibility may be requested prior to program start.
Discounts cannot be combined with other promotional offers.
USF Alumni
USF alumni receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code USFALUMNI10.
Military & Veterans
Active-duty military members and veterans receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code MILITARY10.
USF Faculty & Staff
Current USF faculty and staff receive 10% off open-enrollment programs with code USFFACSTAFF10.