Chief Financial Officer Program: Elevate Your Strategic Impact

You will take part in mandatory live online series, led by Columbia Business School faculty and industry experts in the form of case-based discussions and interviews. These sessions are designed to reinforce core learnings, apply concepts to real-world scenarios, and build strategic capabilities. The topics include:

• AI in Accounting & Finance: What’s Working, What’s Hard, What’s Next

• Whole Foods Case: Building AI-Assisted KPIs and Store Operations Scenarios

• Fireside Chat: The Digital CFO – Strategy, Tools & Governance

• Tesla vs. BYD Case: AI-Driven Capacity, Cost & Competition Modeling

• Fireside Chat: Implementing AI in Finance – Wins, Pitfalls & Controls

• Aramco Case: AI for Commodity Scenarios, Capex & Risk Dashboards

Note: Live online series topics are subject to change.

Select one program in person from relevant specializations that are designed to help you lead growth and drive change in a dynamic business environment. Participants can work with their success coach to identify the best fit for them based on their goals. Some of the examples include:

• Financial Analysis and Valuation

• Strategy and Leadership in the Future of Work

• The Business of AI

• M&A and Corporate Strategy

• Future of Finance: Leveraging Fintech Innovation

Note: While Columbia Business School Executive Education will attempt to accommodate participant preference selections, we cannot guarantee that all preferences will be granted due to the high demand for our open-enrollment programs. Electives are subject to change.

In the capstone project, you will develop a CFO challenge handbook that applies the key insights of the program within the context of your own organization. Each of the last eight modules in the program provides a different set of challenges and strategic questions to address. You will document your responses to those challenges as part of weekly submissions to put together the full document. Upon completion, the handbook will provide you with a guide to implementing what you have learned in the program to advance and lead your own organization. Challenges addressed in the handbook include:

• Leadership as a CFO

• Conflict with the CEO

• Creating a strategic allocation plan

• Evaluating a transformational deal

• Addressing current trends in compensation

• Balancing stakeholders’ needs

• Reducing compliance risk

• Driving organizational innovation

Meet your cohort peers and faculty in person on the Columbia Business School’s Manhattanville Campus in New York City during an optional two-day networking event. This event provides you an opportunity to network with your peers as well as professionals from other cohorts to create a lifelong community of global executives.

Note: Session topics and networking event duration are subject to change.

The 9- to 12-month learning journey includes live online and video online sessions with renowned faculty, industry experts, and global peers. You can take advantage of weekly live sessions and the Slack channel to ask questions and discuss ideas with your cohort participants. Real-world examples and a debrief of the program learnings are delivered through a combination of recorded video and live online lectures. The CFO program concludes with an optional two-day on-campus networking event on the Columbia Business School campus in New York City.

The Chief Financial Officer Program is a 9- to 12-month program designed to provide senior finance professionals like you with the advanced knowledge and skills needed to step into a chief financial officer (CFO) role. The program equips you with insights on financial leadership, strategic decision making, and the complex responsibilities that come with being a CFO in today’s business landscape. While majorly an online program, it also involves an in-person open-enrollment elective, allowing you to interact with expert faculty and like-minded peers and build a global peer network.

This Chief Financial Officer Program is ideal for finance professionals, including senior managers, directors, and vice presidents, who aspire to take the next step in their careers and assume the role of a CFO. If you have a strong background in finance and are looking to enhance your leadership and strategic capabilities, this CFO executive education is the right fit for you.

This program is designed to provide you with the tools, frameworks, and knowledge necessary to excel in a CFO career path. By completing this program, you will develop expertise in financial strategy, risk management, and leadership — all crucial elements of becoming a CFO. The program also helps you build your network with other senior executives, which is invaluable for future career advancement.

In this CFO program, you will cover a range of topics that prepare you for the challenges of a CFO role. Key areas of focus include strategic financial leadership, frameworks for financial forecasting, financial risk analysis and long-term value creation, and financial planning and analysis. It also enables the integration of fiscal outcomes with performance goals and facilitates transformational leadership.

Completing this program with Columbia Business School Executive Education will provide you with the skills and confidence necessary to take on a CFO position. You will be equipped to make strategic decisions, lead your finance team, and manage complex financial challenges that are integral to a CFO's role.

Yes, the Chief Financial Officer Program offers a comprehensive look at the strategic aspects of financial leadership. Through real-world case studies and expert-led sessions, you will gain practical insights into leading financial strategy, optimizing resource allocation, and managing financial risk — all crucial skills for a future CFO.

Yes, the Chief Financial Officer Program is designed to accommodate busy professionals. The online format of this CFO executive program allows you to learn at your own pace while still fulfilling your professional responsibilities. You will also have access to pre-recorded lectures, live online sessions, and engaging discussions to ensure flexibility and a comprehensive learning experience.

Yes, upon successfully completing the Chief Financial Officer Program, you will receive a Certificate in Business Excellence (CIBE) from Columbia Business School Executive Education, which is widely recognized in the finance and business community. Moreover, the program provides access to Columbia Business School CIBE benefits, enabling you to become part of a distinguished global community.

This program is specifically designed for professionals with a strong finance background. Applicants should have significant experience in financial management, including roles such as finance managers, controllers, or directors. While a background in finance is required, the program is aimed at those looking to transition into or further develop their capabilities for a chief financial officer role.

Yes, if you are currently in a specialized finance role, such as a financial controller or finance director, this program can help you understand the broader responsibilities of a CFO. It will guide you through the transition — from tactical financial management to strategic financial leadership — equipping you with the tools you need for this significant career leap.

Networking is a key component of the Chief Financial Officer Program, with opportunities for collaboration and discussions built into the curriculum. As part of this CFO executive program, you will have access to a global network of like-minded professionals, including peers, faculty, and industry leaders.

You can apply for the Chief Financial Officer Program directly through the program landing page on the Emeritus website. The application process is straightforward and involves submitting your resume and a statement of purpose outlining your career goals and reasons for pursuing the program.

The program fee covers teaching fees, all academic material, and access to online coursework. The fee does not include accommodations for the two-day in-person networking event, travel expenses (domestic, international, visa fee, and more), and other expenses not specifically mentioned in the fees.

You can pay the full program fee up front or pay in easy installments. If you apply well in advance of the program start date, you can receive a fee benefit. If you would like to approach your company with a sponsorship request for this CFO executive program, here is a customizable template that you can use.

Yes. Closed-captioning and transcripts for all pre-recorded videos as well as closed-captioning for recordings of live sessions is available.

Emeritus collects all program payments, provides learner enrollment and program support, and manages learning platform services.

For the program refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.

Program fees for Emeritus programs with Columbia Business School Executive Education may not be paid for with Title IV financial aid funds. Participants may be able to pay the program fee with funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008, or similar types of military education funding benefits. Participants must contact the Columbia University’s Office of Military and Veterans Affairs to determine benefit eligibility.

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