Corporate Finance Analyst Training
A structured path from foundational concepts to advanced valuation techniques used in real Canadian markets.
We built this program after working with dozens of analysts who felt stuck between entry-level roles and senior positions. They understood the basics but lacked the depth needed for complex modeling or strategic recommendations.
This isn't about memorizing formulas. It's about understanding how financial decisions ripple through an organization and how to communicate those insights to executives who need clear answers.
Our next cohort starts September 2025. Classes run evenings and weekends for twelve weeks, with live sessions and practical case work drawn from actual Canadian corporate scenarios.
Who Teaches This Program
Both instructors spent years in corporate finance roles before transitioning to teaching. They've seen what works in boardrooms and what doesn't.
Finnian Galloway
Lead InstructorFinnian spent eight years as a senior analyst at mid-size Canadian manufacturers before switching to education. He focuses on cost analysis and capital budgeting—the stuff that actually keeps CFOs awake at night. His approach is direct: if you can't explain it to a plant manager, you don't understand it well enough.
Desmond Thackeray
Valuation SpecialistDesmond worked in M&A advisory for a decade before joining us in early 2024. He teaches the valuation modules and brings actual deal experience—including the messy parts where assumptions don't hold and you need to pivot your model midstream. Students appreciate his willingness to show work that didn't pan out perfectly.
What You'll Actually Learn
Twelve weeks of focused work on the skills that separate competent analysts from strategic advisors.
Financial Statement Deep Dive
We start with what looks basic but isn't—reading financial statements for warning signs and opportunities. You'll learn to spot accounting choices that mask real performance and how to adjust for them in your analysis.
Weeks 1-2Cost Behavior and Decision Analysis
Fixed costs, variable costs, and everything in between. This module covers how costs actually behave in manufacturing and service businesses, plus the analysis frameworks for make-or-buy decisions and pricing strategies.
Week 3Capital Budgeting Fundamentals
NPV, IRR, payback period—and when each matters. We cover the math but spend more time on the judgment calls: discount rate selection, terminal value assumptions, and how to present uncertainty to decision-makers.
Weeks 4-5Working Capital Management
Cash conversion cycles, inventory optimization, and AR/AP strategies. Sounds dry, but this is where many mid-size firms find their cash flow problems—and solutions.
Week 6Valuation Methods
DCF modeling, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions. Desmond leads this section with real case examples from deals he worked on between 2018 and 2023, including the assumptions that held up and those that didn't.
Weeks 7-9Risk Assessment and Scenario Planning
Building sensitivity analyses that actually inform decisions. How to stress-test your models and communicate ranges of outcomes rather than single-point estimates that inevitably prove wrong.
Week 10Strategic Financial Planning
Connecting financial analysis to broader business strategy. How to align your recommendations with organizational goals and competitive positioning—because brilliant analysis that ignores strategic context doesn't help anyone.
Week 11Final Project
You'll complete a comprehensive analysis of a mid-size Canadian company facing a real strategic decision. We provide the data; you build the model, run the scenarios, and present your recommendation as if you were advising the board.
Week 12