Executive Education

The College of Business and Finance (CBF) Executive Education programmes will expand your thinking, build your capabilities and inspire you to make an impact.

Business is becoming more global and increasingly competitive. To achieve a competitive advantage, executives need to be able to think, act and react with a global perspective. They need to be able to manage effectively teams comprised of different cultures to unleash the power of diversity and generate creativity and innovation.

Organizations today are faced with challenges of real leadership, change management, talent retention, risk management and business ethics compliance. CBF helps business executives to cope with these challenges by equipping them with the latest executive and soft skills, leading to professional and personal enrichment.

CBF has assembled an experienced faculty made up of an inspiring mix of entrepreneurs, change agents and innovators. All are experts in their fields with real-world, practical, hands-on experience of working with, and consulting for, sizable organizations in a wide variety of industries. Guided by this expert faculty, you will learn from your fellow students, and explore new and complex ideas. You will reflect on innovative business and people management models, and gain the confidence you need to make an impact in your job.

CBF offers more than 30 open-enrolment and customized programmes in the key disciplines of Leadership and Management Practice, Business and Professional Development, Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, Marketing and Brand Management, Accounting and Finance, Corporate Governance, Wine and Dine, Coffee and Tea Appreciation, and Executive Grooming. No matter what stage of your career journey you are at, participating in a CBF Executive Education programme will enable you to maximize your impact in your organization.

Are you ready to make an IMPACT?

Customized Programmes

Accounting :

People are a company’s most valuable asset. Investment in people is an investment in a company’s future. In today’s fast-changing economy, with its emphasis on cost efficiency and profit orientation, ensuring that your business managers are equipped with essential accounting knowledge is of paramount importance. Accountancy training is valuable for both non-accounting managers and to keep accounting personnel abreast of the latest developments in the accounting field.

CBF is experienced in offering tailor-made executive training programmes in accounting to both business and non-business sectors. Our programmes include Workshops for Non-business Managers and Updates on Hong Kong Accounting Standards. Our clients include a leading Hong Kong airline, a Japanese company producing motors and electrical equipment, the Beijing branch of a leading Japanese cosmetics company and various government departments. With our experience and expertise, we are ready to offer you the right programmes for your company.

Business Management :

The Value of Leadership Training - Managers are often promoted through the ranks because of their strong job skills and proven track record for getting results. But unless they have received effective leadership training, their people skills and their team-building skills may be sorely lacking. Typical in-house management training programmes tend to focus on internal issues such as policies and procedures. What is often missing from these training programmes is a focus on leadership and the skills necessary to build a strong, motivated and productive team. Strong leader-managers can achieve far stronger results than managers who lack leadership skills, demonstrating the extremely high value of effective leadership training.

Leadership is not confined to the workplace. In CBF’s Leadership Learning & Development (LLD) workshops, we also focus on leadership in families, personal relationships, personal finances and on achieving an effective work/life balance. The implicit theme of our workshops is the leader's ability to create value in all aspects of life. People naturally follow effective leaders because they sense that value and are drawn to it.

CBF offers two LLD courses:

• Leadership Learning & Development I (LLD I)
• Leadership Learning & Development II (LLD II)

Most organizations are in a constant state of change. The difference between a company’s success and failure depends not only on helping executives and staff adapt to change, but also in creating an environment that fosters professional growth. It is important to help executives understand the people challenges they face in a changing organization, and to train them to become more effective at leading change within their teams by assessing change risks, improving change sponsorship, increasing engagement and becoming more adaptable to change.

CBF offers the following Behaviour and Management courses:

• Behaviour & Management in Organizations I (BMO I)
• Behaviour & Management in Organizations II (BMO II)

These customized programmes were developed in collaboration with The Business School of Edinburgh Napier University. They are designed to help executives apply organizational behavior theories to their respective business contexts and to become authentic leaders. The Business School will award workshop graduates with 20 masters- level credits per workshop series, which can be used towards gaining entry to Master of Science programmes. 

Finance:

Financial institutions face various challenges arising from new regulatory regimes, the rapid growth of derivatives and financial innovations. The 2008 financial crisis suggests that financial and enterprise risks sometimes get ahead of the world's ability to manage them. Demand for training in areas such as financial risk management, financial planning, financial innovations, derivatives and structured products is on the rise. CBF offers various corporate accounting and finance training programmes for international financial institutions and additional new tailor-made courses will be offered in 2012.

In 2011, we successfully launched our Continuous Professional Training (CPT) series in finance, which covers new global finance topics such as structured financial products, post-crisis financial regulation, investment psychology in corporate finance and private equity. All CPT courses are conducted by financial experts with practical experience and using case studies. A series of new CPT courses will be offered in 2012, including topics such as RMB development, the new financial regulatory regime, private equity in China, investment psychology, corporate finance, new structured products and treasury market management.

Marketing:

CBF has substantial experience in offering training programmes for marketing executives ranging from junior to senior management levels. We offer short courses focused on a particular area of interest to executives as well as certificates and diploma programmes that cover key marketing areas such as retailing, direct marketing and branding. We also work with clients to offer customized, in-house training programmes by addressing their specific training needs. Our portfolio of non-degree, executive education courses provides professionals with a targeted and flexible means to advance their career development goals and help them achieve organization growth. Our highly professional trainers have substantial experience in their specific area of training.

We offer executive and short courses in the following areas which can be adapted to meet individual organization’s needs.

• Branding
• China Marketing
• Jewellery Marketing
• Non-Profit Marketing
• Retail and Sales

Professional Development Programmes

Hong Kong’s economy has been performing satisfactorily. As well as recruiting new staff with better skillsets, employers are seeking to create working environments where staff can achieve professional growth by pursuing various developmental opportunities. These training opportunities include technical and professional development courses that can help employees achieve their individual career goals.

In a world where the business landscape is constantly changing, employees may be given new challenges such as collaborating on a team project, leading projects, rotating jobs, international assignments, development dialogue, and mentoring and coaching responsibilities. These tasks create and drive the need for quality training in functional and professional areas, including basic finance, business law essentials, project management, research skills for managers and presentation skills, to name a few.

CBF offers the following short courses in Business & Professional Development (BPD):

• Essentials in Finance for Management Decision Making
• Business Law Essentials
• Project Management
• Research Skills for Managers
• Presentation Skills
• Accounting Standards
• Accounting for non-Accountants
• Selling and Sales Management Workshops
• Retail Marketing and Management Workshops
• Festival and Events Management Workshops
• Branding Short Courses
• Non-Profit Marketing Workshop

Executive Programmes for Career Development

Globalization and the rapid development of the knowledge economy mean that today’s business executives are faced with increasing challenges to adapt and compete.  Companies seek improved results through business innovation, marketing expansion, mergers and acquisitions, along with process optimization and cost rationalization. In addition, corporations face the added challenges of managing risk in compliance with new standards of control and governance.  CBF helps executives meet these challenges head-on by equipping them with the most up-to-date interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. 

We have developed a series of Executives Programmes to meet these needs in areas such as international financial reporting standards, corporate governance and pragmatic business ethics, financial risk management, enterprise risk management, investment banking, retail and sales and branding. These courses are typically designed on a four-module basis, and can be adapted to meet individual organizations’ in-house training needs.

Accounting

• Executive Diploma in International Accounting for Managerial Decisions
• Executive Diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
• Executive Diploma in Business Information Technologies
• Executive Diploma in Internal Audit
• Executive Diploma in China Business (Taxation, Law and Accounting Technologies)
• Executive Certificate in Accounting for Business Managers
• Executive Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility

Business Management

• Executive Diploma in Enterprise Risk Management
• Executive Diploma in Quality Management
• Effective Business Communication and Public Speaking Skills Through Theatre-Based Voice and Stage Speech Training
• Course on Dynamic Leadership

Corporate Governance

• Executive Diploma in Corporate Governance and Pragmatic Business Ethics

Finance

• Executive Diploma in Merger and Acquisition
• Executive Diploma / Certificate in Investment Banking

Hospitality & Tourism

• Wine Studies I / II / III
• Food and Beverage Administration
• Introduction to Food and Beverage Operations

Marketing
Branding

• Executive Diploma in Strategic Brand Management
• Executive Certificate in Brand Management
• Executive Certificate in Brand Communications
• Branding Short Courses

China Marketing

• Executive Diploma for China Marketing Managers

Jewellery Marketing

• Executive Diploma / Certificate in Jewellery Marketing and Management
• Foundation Certificate in Jewellery Marketing and Management

Retail and Sales

• Executive Diploma / Certificate in Retail Marketing and Management
• Executive Diploma in Selling and Sales Management
• Foundation Certificate in Retail Marketing and Management
• Selling and Sales Management Workshops I / II / III
• Retail Marketing and Management Workshops I / II / III

Non-Profit Marketing

• Non-Profit Marketing Workshop

Soft Skill Series

What do Richard Branson, Li Ka-Shing and Warren Buffett have in common? Yes, they are all high-profile entrepreneurs, heading multinational companies, but what helped them reach the pinnacle of success is their soft skills. Soft skills are becoming increasingly important in the global market where executives conduct business across cultures and social settings. They can make the difference between success and failure in today’s highly-competitive business arena.

In response to high demand, the College of Business and Finance has introduced the widely sought-after “Soft Skills Series for Business Executives,” which provides executives with the kind of skills that propel careers and pave the way for success in the boardroom and beyond.  Soft skills include executive grooming, socializing savvy, effective communication, management soft skills, business and dining etiquette, sound food and wine knowledge and personal wealth management.  All these are essential tools for the modern executive, yet they are not usually covered in conventional academic education. 

Executive Grooming

Learners will acquire knowledge on personal and executive grooming, skin care and weight control.

Executive Socializing Skills

Young executives often face difficulty in conversing at a level befitting their business status.  They can be nervous at public speaking engagements and may encounter difficulty in communicating well.  Many will be overly-challenged by the demands of conducting formal business presentations.  Because we understand the daily pressures of the high-powered business environment, this series is geared towards inculcating the executive with the skills necessary to communicate with confidence and successfully win over clients.

General Management Skills

From leadership to creativity, from team work to strategic thinking, we cover “survival soft skills” for the modern-day executives – here we adopt a ‘theatrical model’ to enhance the executive’s soft skills by posing them as actors upon a ‘business stage’.

Food and Wine Appreciation

Business no longer stops at the office door.  Today, the busy executive is expected to wine and dine clients, often in formal, high-end establishments.  If you lack confidence in selecting the right wine for the right dish, then this series is the one for you.  In this sub-category we teach the kind of knowledge and the necessary skills that will see you sail through business-based social events.

Wealth Management

As an executive you may be busy, but finding time to manage your wealth can pay dividends.  We teach you how to invest, save and make wise investment decisions, and equip you with a range of strategies that will secure a happy and stress-free retirement.

For further details on any of the above courses, or to talk to us about arranging a tailor-made course for your company, please contact 2867 8482 or email cbfseminar@hkuspace.hku.hk.