Most Finance for Non-Finance programmes spend their time teaching participants how to read an Income Statement, calculate a few ratios and perhaps understand cash flow.   We deliberately chose a different path. Because in today's organisations, managers are rarely promoted because they know accounting. They are promoted because they make decisions. Those decisions eventually become the numbers reported in the financial statements. That single belief became the foundation of FMC Executive Series... Business Finance for Leaders.

Why Three Days?

Many organisations ask us why our programme runs for three full days instead of a one-day finance awareness course. The answer is simple. Because better decisions cannot be developed through lectures. They are developed through:

• discussion
• debate
• simulations
• reflection
• challenging assumptions
• analysing real situations
• making mistakes in a safe environment

That takes time. Our programme is designed as a workshop, not a classroom. Participants continuously analyse, discuss, present, defend and challenge business decisions from multiple perspectives.

(One of our past Finance for Non Finance workshops)

 

This Was Not A Finance Class

Many of our participants came from non-finance disciplines, in our recent workshop. Only two participants came from Finance. The rest represented Strategic Planning, Business Development, Corporate Services, Investment, Board Secretariat, Human Capital, Operations, Project Management, Corporate Planning and etc.

These are the people who prepare investment papers, evaluate acquisitions, support Investment committee, monitor subsidiaries, manage JV partners, prepare Board papers,review strategic initiatives, recommend million-ringgit decisions.

They don’t prepare financial statements. But they decide what eventually appears inside them.

Our Learning Philosophy

Instead of asking “What is Current Ratio?”

We ask “What decision would you make if Current Ratio falls below 1.0?”

 

Instead of asking “What is ROI?”

We ask “Would you invest RM50 million into this project?”

The discussion immediately changes. People stop memorising formulas. They start thinking…

Day One

Think Like A Business Leader

Instead of jumping into accounting, we begin with mindset. Every number has a story. Every story begins with a management decision. Participants discussed:

• Toyota Production Philosophy
• Japanese marketing approach
• Business mindset
• Corporate success stories
• Real turnaround stories
• Reading the story behind financial statements
• Income Statement
• Balance Sheet
• Cash Flow

Instead of teaching accounting, participants learned how management decisions create financial outcomes.

Day Two

Turning Numbers Into Decisions

This day was intensive. Participants analysed:

Financial Ratios. Trend Analysis. Productivity. Financial Sustainability. Value Added. Benchmarking. Corporate Performance…

Rather than asking “Is ROE 12% good?”

we asked, “Would the Board accept this performance?”

Participants challenged each other’s assumptions. This mirrors exactly what happens in boardrooms.

---

Real Corporate Stories

This is where your experience becomes valuable.

Real case studies on SME, Mid-tier, Listed companies, Government agencies, Government-linked corporations.

We Discuss…. real governance reviews, real turnaround stories, real investment committee discussions, real post-investment monitoring, real due diligence findings…

Participants particularly enjoyed hearing what actually happens inside boardrooms instead of textbooks.

Day Three

From Finance To Decision Making

The final day shifted from analysis to action. Participants evaluated: 

Cost Benefit Analysis. Investment Decisions. Strategic Options. Executive Dashboards. Decision Matrix. Integrated Simulation.

Instead of giving answers, we created scenarios. Should the organisation buy? lease? outsource? expand? borrow? invest? wait?

There wasn’t one correct answer. There were different perspectives. Exactly how business works.

Governance Beyond Investment Approval

Many organisations devote significant effort to evaluating investments. Far fewer spend equal effort discussing what happens after approval.

We discussed monitoring subsidiaries, SPVs, Joint Ventures, post investment governance, board reporting, performance monitoring, warning indicators, when management should intervene

This generated one of the most engaging discussions throughout the programme because many participants recognised these challenges in their own organisations.

Why Real Stories Matter

This programme deliberately avoided textbook examples.

Instead, participants benefited from insights gathered through FMC’s engagements involving governance reviews, Limits of Authority, investment valuation, strategic planning, due diligence, board advisory, internal control, corporate investigations, business turnaround

While every engagement remains confidential, the lessons learned are invaluable.

A Shared Journey

This engagement is particularly meaningful to FMC.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of supporting the organisation in several areas including Investment Valuation, Governance Review, Limits of Authority (LoA), Strategic Decision Support. Seeing the organisation continue its positive trajectory is encouraging.

While FMC is one of the contributor in that broader ecosystem, we are grateful for the trust placed in us and proud to have been part of that continuing journey.

Final Reflection

– Finance was never the destination.

– Better business decisions were.

– That is why we spent three days together.

– Not learning accounting.

– But learning how leaders think.

 

About the Author

Written by Mohamad Faisal Abdul Malik
The views expressed in this article are the author’s personal perspectives and do not necessarily represent the views of the organisations with which he is associated.

Mohamad Faisal C.A.(M), CIPFA, CPSA, ASEAN CPA, CFP, DPIN is the Founder and Managing Partner of FaisalMALIK & Co., a corporate advisory firm specialising in corporate governance, financial strategy, business transformation and board advisory.

A Chartered Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, qualified Business Coach and Certified Business Mentor, he completed the Business Mentoring for Mentors programme at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies by HarvardX.

His professional experience spans corporate finance, governance, strategic planning, investment evaluation, due diligence, board advisory, productivity improvement and SME development, having advised organisations ranging from SMEs and family-owned businesses to listed corporations, GLCs and public sector institutions.

He currently serves in various national professional and industry roles, including council memberships, policy and governance committees, and industry advisory appointments with several Malaysian universities, where he contributes to the advancement of governance, finance and professional development.

Every organisation has numbers.

The real challenge is understanding the story behind those numbers and translating them into better business decisions.

If your organisation is looking to strengthen its capabilities in corporate governance, board effectiveness, financial leadership, strategic planning, investment evaluation or executive development, our team would be pleased to explore how we can support your journey.

📧 admin@faisalmalikco.com / faisal@faisalmalikco.com

FaisalMALIK & Co.
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