Learn the language and methods used in finance to measure and drive firm performance. You will learn how to identify key value drivers using real world examples from major corporations. You will also learn best practices in corporate finance used by leading companies to make value enhancing investment decisions.
Learn financial analysis and methods to improve bottom line decision-making in the Finance for Non-Financial Managers short course

The bottom line for you and your organization
- Gain an understanding of the language and analytical thought process of finance
- The ability to read and deconstruct financial statements to assess firm performance and identify risks
- The ability to use financial models to make better decisions and maximize shareholder value
Course cutline
Session A: (morning of day one) – Measuring Financial Performance
- Understanding the basics of financial statements
- Performance assessment using financial statements
- Stock market versus accounting metrics of performance
Session B: (afternoon of day one) – Capital Budgeting: Making Value Enhancing Decisions
- Evaluating the capital investments
- The cost of capital and shareholder returns
- The time value of money
Session C and D: (morning and afternoon of day two) – Capital Budgeting: Making Value Enhancing Decisions (continued)
- Estimating economic profits
- Net Present Value (NPV)
- Internal Rates of return (IRR)
- Exercise: Evaluating capital investments in practice
Who should attend
- Managers, directors, and executives wanting to build financial acumen
- Small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to understand how investors’ asses value
Meet your instructor

Neil Powell
Neil Powell is a KSBEE Program Faculty member and has spent 29 years in corporate finance and 4 years at the Kelley School of Business in the department of Finance. Neil is also the Director of the Strategic Finance Academy for the school’s MBA program and the Executive Director for the IU Ventures Fellows program, continuing his work in the venture capital space.
During his career in finance, Neil started out in banking, but starting in 1998 began concentrating in technology finance at Intel Corp. and then Lattice Semiconductor. During his 20-year tenure at Intel, he served in multiple roles, including Director of Finance for Intel Capital’s $7 billion venture capital unit and as chief of finance for Intel’s $4.5B business in Japan and Korea, living in Tokyo for three years. Upon his return to the US, Neil joined Lattice Semiconductor as VP of Finance and Corporate Controller, where he was responsible for most of the company’s finance and procurement functions, including Treasury and factory finance roles.
Neil draws on his years of experience as he also manages the practicum and consulting projects for both the MBA and Masters in Finance programs, working with corporate partners to address financial and operational challenges with student-consulting teams in real world settings. He also teaches short-term and working capital management courses in Kelley’s Executive Development Program.
Neil earned his MBA in 1998 from Indiana University. Neil continues to pursue his passions of running and photography, and recently moved from Portland, OR., to Bloomington with his wife, Lisa, and their two dogs and cat. They have two grown children, Alexa and Cramer.