Strategy for Directors – Cash Flow Analysis & Business Valuation Techniques Training Course

In modern corporate governance, boardroom finance is no longer about reviewing historical numbers—it’s about anticipating financial outcomes, prioritizing risks, and making strategic financial planning decisions that directly shape the company’s future. Directors today are expected to move beyond compliance and contribute actively to capital allocation, shareholder value creation, and long-term growth.

This advanced executive programme, offered by the Oxford Training Centre, merges two critical pillars of strategic boardroom decision-making: Cash Flow Analysis and Business Valuation Techniques. Delivered with a corporate-sector focus, it equips directors, senior executives, and decision-makers with the analytical and governance tools to interpret financial data, assess business value, and make high-stakes investment and funding decisions.

Part One: Cash Flow Analysis
Participants will learn to interpret operating, investing, and financing activities not as static financial categories, but as dynamic indicators of corporate strategy execution. The emphasis is on using cash flow insight to guide investment policy, liquidity management, and strategic risk oversight. The course introduces boardroom-appropriate frameworks for integrating Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and risk metrics prioritization into ongoing financial review processes.

Part Two: Business Valuation Techniques
In an era of mergers, acquisitions, divestments, and private capital transactions, boards cannot delegate valuation understanding entirely to advisors. Directors will gain fluency in business valuation fundamentals, including valuation methods, discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, market multiples, EBITDA-based approaches, net asset value, and terminal value calculations. Case-driven discussions will demonstrate how goodwill and valuation models influence negotiation, capital raising, and shareholder decision-making.

By integrating cash flow analysis and valuation strategy, directors will leave with a governance-ready toolkit to evaluate proposals, oversee resource allocation, and maintain an informed stance on investment opportunities. The programme is intentionally non-academic—it focuses on corporate strategy, board reporting, and governance frameworks that directly impact shareholder trust and market confidence.

Objectives

By the conclusion of this programme, participants will be able to:

1. Interpret cash flow statements from a strategic financial planning and governance perspective.
2. Evaluate operating, investing, and financing activities in terms of their alignment with corporate strategy.
3. Apply free cash flow analysis to assess operational strength, debt capacity, and funding potential for long-term initiatives.
4. Develop and monitor KRIs and integrate risk metrics prioritization into liquidity and capital management.
5. Conduct high-level business valuation using DCF, market multiples, and asset-based methods.
6. Critically assess EBITDA, terminal value, and goodwill in corporate transactions.
7. Use valuation outputs to support capital allocation and cost-benefit analysis at board level.
8. Enhance board reporting by linking financial insights to investment policy and governance frameworks.
9. Support shareholder value creation through informed oversight of mergers, acquisitions, and capital restructuring.
10. Strengthen decision-making capacity in scenarios involving resource allocation, investment prioritization, and strategic divestments.

Target Audience

This programme is designed for corporate-sector leaders who are directly involved in strategic decision-making and financial oversight, including:

1. Board Members and Non-Executive Directors responsible for corporate governance and capital strategy.
2. Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Managing Directors shaping the company’s long-term direction.
3. Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and Finance Directors managing capital structure and investment allocation.
4. Private Equity Executives and Venture Capital Partners evaluating portfolio companies and deal structures.
5. Investment Committee Members overseeing major acquisitions, divestments, or funding initiatives.
6. Senior executives from strategy, corporate development, and M&A teams who prepare board-level financial proposals.

Course Content

Module 1 – The Boardroom Role in Financial Oversight

• The shift from financial compliance to strategic financial planning.
• How directors influence capital allocation and investment policy.
• Integrating cash flow and valuation into board-level governance frameworks.

Module 2 – Cash Flow Analysis for Strategic Decision-Making

• Reading beyond the numbers: understanding operating, investing, and financing activities as reflections of strategy.
• Using free cash flow as a measure of operational efficiency and funding capacity.
• Linking liquidity management to shareholder value and long-term growth.

Module 3 – KRIs, Risk Metrics, and Liquidity Governance

• Designing Key Risk Indicators for board-level liquidity monitoring.
• Risk metrics prioritization for capital-intensive industries.
• Scenario planning to manage volatility and safeguard corporate strategy execution.

Module 4 – Fundamentals of Business Valuation

• Understanding valuation methods and their strategic relevance to the board.
• When to apply discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis versus market multiples or net asset value.
• Recognizing how valuation outputs shape negotiations and investment approvals.

Module 5 – Advanced Valuation Considerations

• The role of EBITDA in assessing profitability and deal value.
• Calculating terminal value for long-term investment appraisal.
• Accounting for goodwill and intangible assets in valuation models.

Module 6 – Valuation in the Context of Corporate Transactions

• M&A case studies demonstrating valuation-driven decision-making.
• Board-level due diligence and financial oversight in acquisition strategy.
• Aligning valuation insights with cost-benefit analysis and resource allocation.

Module 7 – Integrating Cash Flow and Valuation for Governance Impact

• Combining liquidity and valuation metrics for capital strategy.
• Strengthening board reporting with forward-looking financial narratives.
• Aligning investment approvals with governance frameworks and shareholder expectations.

Module 8 – Strategic Applications and Simulations

• Real-world boardroom scenarios involving capital expansion, divestment, or funding negotiations.
• Simulated board debates on competing investment priorities using cost-benefit analysis.
• Developing board resolutions that balance risk, return, and corporate vision.