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Description

Finance for Non-Financial Managers: Reading a Balance Sheet, Understanding Costs and Engaging with Finance

Build the financial vocabulary and reference points needed to engage confidently with the finance function

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Many managers attend meetings where figures circulate that they are not equipped to question. The balance sheet remains an abstract document, and the notions of margin, profit and cash are easily confused. Exchanges with the finance function are then reduced to receiving constraints without understanding where they come from.

These two days provide the core reference points of corporate finance. Participants learn to read a balance sheet and an income statement, then to understand how profit is formed and where cash comes from. Emphasis is placed on engaging with the finance function and making sense of the documents received.

Learning objectives

  • Read a balance sheet and identify what each major heading represents
  • Explain how profit is formed in an income statement
  • Distinguish between profit, margin and cash and explain the gaps between them
  • Identify the main costs of an activity and how they behave
  • Engage with the finance function using the appropriate vocabulary

What makes this programme different

Concepts are introduced from the accounts of a company whose activity is immediately understandable
A simulation exercise shows why a profitable company can still run short of cash
Internal financial documents brought by participants are decoded during the session

Programme

1Reading financial documents

Understanding what each document tells you

  • Structure of the balance sheet and the meaning of assets and liabilities
  • Reading the income statement and the main expense categories
  • Purpose of the notes to the accounts and the information they provide
  • Reference points for assessing a company from its accounts

2How profit is formed

From revenue to net profit

  • Sequence of results from gross margin through to net profit
  • Behaviour of fixed costs and variable costs
  • The concept of depreciation and its effect on profit
  • Difference between an expense and a cash payment

3Profit and cash

Why the two do not tell the same story

  • Timing gaps between invoicing and collection
  • Working capital requirement explained in simple terms
  • Effect of inventory and payment terms on cash
  • Situations where growth puts cash under strain

4Engaging with the finance function

Asking the right questions about the figures you receive

  • Decoding a management report and its key indicators
  • Where the budget constraints passed on to operational teams come from
  • Useful questions to ask before approving a figure
  • Common financial vocabulary and language pitfalls

Who is it for

Managers and staff in all non-financial functions who need to read financial documents or engage with the finance function.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge required

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.