Advanced Corporate Finance

I was particularly interested in the fintech discussions because that’s very relevant to my work. I have a broad knowledge of finance but I don’t know much about the fintech sector. I have seen many startups in cryptocurrencies, in blockchain, etc., but there’s no systematic summary of this industry to tell you what’s good and what the shortcomings are.

This class was very valuable because it told me what’s happening in the tech end of finance. It really helped me understand the ecosystem. It was a good update for me since I’ve been away from business school for a number of years. Taking the program has helped me to better evaluate investment opportunities in this sector.

I liked the professors. I think they are very professional, not only in certain topics, but they have a broad knowledge base. They connected the dots for us, because some participants had experience in certain areas (such as fintech, mergers and acquisitions, startups, large companies) but not in other areas, and wanted to learn more.

I loved the course; I would give it 5 stars out of 5. I think it’s perfect for executives in the financial industry. I enjoyed my experience at Wharton and would consider coming back for other courses in the future.”

Carly Xiao U.S. Investment Lead, Midea Group

I am in the operations part of our business, and I am closely involved in finance. I am thinking of moving into a position that has a focus on investments and M&A, so I was looking for a program that would provide me with the basics since I do not have a degree in finance. All of the sessions were rich in terms of content, delivery, and perspective, but I got the most from those on financial management, corporate valuation and M&A.

I now have a much better understanding of the factors that are influencing the market and the sector that I work in, as well as the motivations and dynamics involved in different capital strategies. Many of the companies I work with are getting ready to sell, or are focused on buying other companies, so it is very helpful to better understand the mechanics of what they are going through. I’m now able to have conversations around why they are taking the steps they are taking, and how the financial dimension works in terms of reaching their strategic objectives.

The real strength of the program is that it provides both the broad framework of understanding the capital structure of companies and many specific examples of the decision-making associated with that capital structure in all phases of a business’s life cycle.

Only three of the participants in the program were from the United States, the rest were from around the world. I really enjoyed hearing their viewpoints, particularly about global economic trends. We spent five days in the classroom, and Wharton made it easy to stay focused on the material because distractions were eliminated. Everything was provided for you in terms of meals and accommodations. You never had to even think about where to get a coffee during a break.”

Paul Ingholt Senior Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton

I have deep knowledge of finance and business strategy, and have been involved in M&A for 25 years. Despite this experience, there is always room for greater professional development. In fact, you can never know enough, given the pace of change in business. That is what led me to Wharton. The content delivered by the finance faculty in this program is already adding value for our clients.”

William Fink Executive Vice President, Head of US Middle Market Banking, TD Bank