Executive education courses in finance deliver among the most tangible returns: they aim to raise the profitability of organization and generate shareholder value. Many executive courses in finance are run by the world’s top business schools in global financial centers like London or New York City. 

Many of the programs are for non-finance executives looking to get up to speed on the fundamentals of corporate finance – cash flow management, valuations, mergers and acquisitions. From there, participants learn how to evaluate investment opportunities and acquire assets and to create shareholder value. They also learn how corporate funding decisions are made, and how to win finance for their projects and teams. 

Some are certificate programs that enable participants to tailor the learning to their professional needs by choosing from a wide array of course options that come together into a single qualification. 

Often, the programs cover novel technologies such as financial technology (fintech), artificial intelligence and machine learning in finance, with participants learning how to harness the power of technology to make better business decisions and to boost efficiency and accuracy. 

The best executive courses in finance tend to be short, lasting a few days to a few weeks, either in person, online or a combination of delivery methods. Here are the top 10: 
 

In today’s digital economy, being able to make decisions based on data rather than gut feeling is essential to effective organizational performance. Across all industries, businesses are transforming into data-driven enterprises. But leveraging analytical capabilities requires new competencies. That is where executive education courses come in. 

Participants in Executive Courses in Business Analytics learn basic frameworks for business analytics including biases, experimentation, descriptive, prescriptive and predictive analytics. They also may learn the basics of coding and also technological tools for leveraging data science, including machine learning and artificial intelligence. Participants in the best executive courses for business analytics get the skills to not just analyze data but communicate the results and assess their likely impact on company performance. Participants also learn how to build data-driven organizational cultures. 

Some of these business analytics executive programs are online, the others delivered in-person on campus. Some look at how business analytics applies to various aspects of an organization, for example in human resources, marketing or mining; while others are generalist programs applicable to a wide range of functions from sales to operations and finance, across all economic sectors.  

Ultimately, it’s about converting the data insight into action to create business value, through raising productivity and efficiency, improving safety and lowering costs. The return on investment is often tangible and measurable. 

Here are the Top 10 Executive Courses in Business Analytics

People managers have been vital in supporting workers during the Covid-19 crisis, and in designing more diverse and inclusive workplaces in response to calls for equity. There are many executive education programs in human resources (HR) management, run by top business schools around the world. 

Drawing on the latest academic research and industry best practice, participants in these HR executive courses learn effective strategies for hiring, recruitment, performance evaluation, promotion and compensation. Participants also explore and learn to anticipate rapid changes in business and society. 

Many of the best executive courses in HR also cover how companies can use data and people analytics to improve human resources management. The programs are practical, with participants getting stuck into lively classroom discussions and interactive exercises to help identify individual strengths and communication styles.

The learning outcomes include enhanced leadership capability and bolstered confidence to influence decisions that have a tangible impact on the bottom line, in terms of raising employee engagement and productivity, leading change management and performance measurement. 

Participants learn to build up the cultural and human capital of their company, which is one of the most important assets on the balance sheet. That ultimately creates customer and business value.  

See the top executive courses in human resources management below.

Real estate accounts for half the world’s assets, so it is an important economic driver. But the sector is facing uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the industry to the fore for senior executives, investors and policymakers worldwide. Climate change and changing migration patterns are also raising questions for the industry. 

To be successful in this uncertain climate, industry professionals might take a real estate executive education course to learn analysis techniques, financial modelling, and quantitative tools to manage portfolio risk. The programs are offered by business schools across the world, with many of the courses introducing additional flexibility via the live online format. Other programs are delivered on campus in conference-style. Most of the programs are multidisciplinary, melding perspectives from other academic departments or institutions, including schools of design and law.

The best executive courses in real estate cover all aspects of real estate including leasing, lending, development and finance. Some programs may also focus exclusively on a specific topic, such as real estate investment. Generally, participants will learn about market dynamics and trends, including developments in securitization and derivatives, as well as transactions and capital sources. They also learn how to refinance debt and calculate cash flow from real estate assets with varying capital structures. Some of the modules touch on residential housing, while others focus on income-generating commercial properties. 

The best real estate executive courses offer ways for real estate and investment professionals to get ahead in their industries, by strengthening their strategic decision-making capabilities.

Communication is one of the most important components of effective leadership, and its relevance was highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic when leaders were forced to take on a more communicative and direct management role. 

Business schools have responded by giving communication much greater prominence in their teaching. Many institutions now run entire executive education programs dedicated to corporate and leadership communication. 

The programs use research and practice-based methods to develop participants’ communication skills for a variety of contexts including the new virtual world of work. 

These executive programs are hands-on, with participants learning through a combination of communications theory, role-play, interactive presentations and discussions.

They also develop their “executive presence”, or learn how their intent, emotion, purpose, vocal tone and physical presence can impact, influence and inspire people.

These high-impact executive programs help participants to create a more productive workplace, through managing difficult conversations and building trust. Students also explore diversity and inclusion and will become more self-aware. 

These communication-oriented executive courses are often taught by both leading academic faculty and visiting business practitioners. They are delivered online, in person or a mix of the two modalities. Some are short, lasting for a few days full-time while others are delivered part-time over a period of several weeks.
 

Family companies are the engines of economic develop across the world, and they play an important role in labor market, employing the vast majority of private sector workers. They also tend to be more resilient than other companies with lower insolvency rates through crises. 

However, family business face unique challenges, and that is where executive education can help. A number of the world’s leading business schools cater to family-owned companies with specific executive courses. 

A common theme among the course providers is how to transition from one generation to the next, along with the unique governance challenges faced by family firms. 

Many of the best executive courses in family business management also offer executive coaches to support the implementation of academic theory into the real world, and may even offer a personalized leadership development journey. The programs are hands-on, with participants learning through a blend of theory and role-play.

Some of the courses are partnerships delivered between multiple institutions, with participants spending their time at both schools in different parts of the world to develop a more global perspective on family enterprise. Other programs are delivered entirely online, offering greater flexibility and convenience to participants. 

These executive education programs are for all members of family-owned companies in addition to non-executive directors and board members, along with investors and other stakeholders. 
 

As the world grapples with systemic challenges such as climate change, inequality and issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, leaders are being called upon to embrace a more humanistic style of management and nurture their social and emotional skills.

A number of executive education programs have stepped into this fray, offering participants the chance to become better corporate citizens. Much of the training will focus on inclusive leadership, exploring unconscious bias as well as creating a sense of belonging for employees. The courses are about how to foster diversity and inclusion through self-reflective exercises, interactive sessions and group work.

Other programs introduce participants to the ‘social sector’, from nonprofits to impact investing, sustainability, social enterprise. All of these courses are about how to promote the health and wellbeing of employees, while also improving the financial performance of the company and making better strategic choices. Ultimately, participants will be looking to make a positive difference in the world. 

See the best Executive Courses in Humanistic Leadership below. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming business and life more broadly. Referring to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that once required human intelligence, AI is being applied to a number of business settings to create new economic value. 

In a data-driven world, executives need a thorough understanding of the power of AI to boost their individual and organizational performance, as well as its ethical implications for wider society and the threats it represents. Indeed, by 2025 the global AI market is expected to be worth almost $60 billion. 

To compete in a tech-driven economy, many business leaders, managers and technical specialists are enrolling in executive education programs—in artificial intelligence or machine learning—now run by dozens of the world’s leading business schools. In these programs, participants will learn about the current capabilities and business applications of the technology, and its future potential. More than that, executives will learn how to manage integration projects and communicate with technologists. There are also lessons to be learnt in avoiding common pitfalls. 

Other courses focus on specific and significant economic sectors such as financial services, where AI and machine learning are driving radical changes in the decision-making processes of financial institutions. Here are the top 10 executive courses in AI and machine learning:

Increasingly, demand is rising for corporate leaders who consider more than just the bottom line: they include environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in their organizational strategy. 

Leaders are being urged by consumers, investors, regulators, and society to shift their methods of value creation as environmental and societal concerns have grown. Sustainability is now a business imperative. 

And as such, a growing number of business schools provide executive education courses in corporate sustainability leadership, which cover ESG investing, sustainable supply chain management, and employee and consumer engagement. Participants will also learn how to develop innovative business models and how to disclose sustainability practices to meet increasing and conflicting stakeholder demands. 

Using a mix of interactive lectures, simulations and action learning, the executives will develop practical and impactful strategies for building consensus and making change. With companies facing greater pressure to tackle societal challenges such as inequality as well as climate change, these skills are critical to any leader’s future success. 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, leaders of organizations around the world face a period of continuous disruption and volatility. For many company executives, successfully navigating the current era of upheaval will require lessons in leadership — lessons that business schools are keen to provide.

A number of leading management institutions worldwide have established crisis leadership courses for executives, delivered in a range of formats and different durations. These courses focus on how to lead through change and the unprecedented challenges facing businesses today. We’ve listed 10 of the best courses below.