Business Strategy and

Financial Performance

Online I N S E A D. E D U

Programmes
P ORT F OL I O 20 20 –20 21

Access the Business School

for the World, Anywhere®
 In numbers...

50,000+
Online programme
participants
since 2014

>90%
Exceptionally high
completion rates

85%

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
agree that they have
gained new skills*

“As leaders look to reinvent themselves,

90%
of participants
their teams and their organisations, our
programmes give them the inspiration,
were satisfied*
motivation, confidence and skills sets they
need. We give them the tools to see the
world through multiple lenses and to
73%
Believe an INSEAD
create solutions that are game-changing.”
Online Programme is more
impactful than other Sameer Hasija
online courses* Dean of Executive Education

*Based on a survey conducted in June 2019 with a sample

from INSEAD Online programmes’ past participants

2 3
 Four Reasons to Choose an
INSEAD Online Programme

1 Learn 2 Interact 3 Apply 4 Certification

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
High-impact Multi-dimensional Interactions with Peers, Real-time Application Official recognition
Learning Experience Faculty & Learning Coaches for Immediate Impact from INSEAD
Through outstanding design and delivery, INSEAD’s The video lectures are complemented by a rich set of Action Learning Projects (ALP) are a core element of Upon successful completion of all programme
online programmes build upon our world-class faculty’s interactive elements, including short quizzes, simulated the online programmes, designed to increase business activities, combined with satisfactory grades on the
ability to convey very complex concepts in the simplest exercises, online discussions and personal reflections. impact. The guided ‘real-world assignments’ feature final assignment, participants are awarded an official
yet most comprehensible way. Through these interactions, we build a community of of the programmes encourages participants to take Certificate of Completion from INSEAD, which they can
faculty, learning coaches and diverse, high-quality newly acquired skills and apply them within the context also showcase on their LinkedIn profile.
•C
 ontent designed specifically for the online format,
global executives who learn together as a group - one of their actual job and organisation. The projects are
including short high-impact videos
of INSEAD’s strengths. closely aligned with the learning in the programme and
•P
 rofessional, high-quality video lectures
benefit from the learning community, with feedback
•U
 se of relevant and engaging examples and short
from the learning coach and from peer review.
case studies from a wide range of industries.

4 5
 BUSINESS STRATEGY
AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE
Thinking strategically is no longer a skill confined to senior Key benefits Programme content Action Learning Project
leaders; it is now crucial for professional success across a
• Develop your ability to think strategically and see the big The programme content is delivered over 7 weeks requiring Strategic thinking abilities and a grasp of key financial tools
wide range of roles and responsibilities.
picture so you can align an organisation’s internal resources you to work on multiple levels. Each week develops one part are critical to understanding the strategic agenda of any
The greater executives understand business strategy and and capabilities with its evolving external environment of the strategy and finance framework, addressing overall the organisation in today’s shifting competitive landscape.
financial performance, the better they are able to develop • Learn to take a value-driven approach to navigating business three following topics. Thinking critically and skilfully applying this understanding
strategic agility in the face of disruption and make faster and decisions and driving sustainable competitive advantage to your own business context will help you make powerful
• Understand the impact of management choices on The big picture perspective strategic recommendations and drive value for your
smarter decisions. They will also be better equipped to help
their organisations stay ahead of emerging opportunities, and company financials to develop a strategy execution plan for Strategic thinking involves linking individual decisions organisation.
drive the innovation initiatives needed to succeed in today’s superior financial performance. and actions to the overarching organisational objective of
With this in mind, the Action Learning Project (ALP) will give
more challenging markets. enhanced, sustainable performance.
you the opportunity to practise applying your learning to your
• Understand the key external forces that create opportunities
Participant profile own business context. The ALP will take you on a step-bystep
Are you an executive – in any function, from production to and threats for a business by transforming the industry
journey to develop a big picture strategic view to tackle a
IT – who is now being called upon to provide a strategic value chain, patterns of demand and competitive pressures
•H  igh potentials looking to accelerate their development as business challenge. You will be able to identify concrete
perspective on your organisation? Developing your ability to • Explore the challenge of strategically positioning a business
business leaders opportunities to enhance the strategy, improve organisational
do so will allow you to better understand the drivers behind to create and sustain competitive advantage in a dynamic
•E  xecutives in functions such as HR and IT looking to alignment and ultimately drive financial performance.
any organisation’s financial performance, and how to leverage market
improve their ability to act as business partners within their
that knowledge in your own specific areas of responsibility. • Meet the challenge of strategy execution by learning to Typically the ALP involves a variation on one of the following:
organisations
align an organisation’s key activities and resources with its 1. You will apply the concepts from the programme to a
• Those responsible for B2B client relationships looking
Do you work in corporate sales and advisory and need to desired position in the market. strategic initiative that you are currently working on. You will
to deepen their customer understanding and to position
understand your clients’ evolving business challenges? be able to understand how it relates to your organisation’s
themselves as strategic partners The value approach to managing a business
Developing a strategic mindset will improve your ability strategic direction, and subsequently design a strategic plan
to act as a more effective partner for your clients, tailor Effective strategic thinking capabilities are grounded in for this initiative, to drive superior performance.
your recommendations and clearly communicate your having a fundamental understanding of what drives financial

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
organisation’s distinctive value. performance, in terms of the ability of a business to create 2. You will use the tools and frameworks from the programme
and capture value to understand a client’s strategic agenda and propose how
Business Strategy and Financial Performance is designed • Understand why it’s important for a business to create value your organisation’s offerings will further enhance the value
to give you the key tools and perspectives from strategy and for society by delivering products and services for which proposition and drive financial performance.
finance to achieve these objectives. The programme will the customers’ willingness to pay exceeds the underlying
help you understand how a company’s strategic agenda can resource costs
evolve, and how you can use that understanding to better • Learn how to make sure a business captures value by
identify opportunities for profitable differentiation. You will selecting attractive positions in the industry value chain and
then learn how to use those opportunities to formulate an pursuing a distinctive value proposition
execution plan, drive organisational alignment and ultimately • Develop decision-making skills to support sustainable value
improve financial performance. creation.

The financial perspective on strategy execution

The success of a strategy initiative can be measured by
tracking key financial metrics. Sound strategic thinking
abilities combine successful execution with superior financial
performance.
Programme directors • Develop an understanding of key financial statements to
appreciate how a company’s strategy affects the bottom line
• Explore financial metrics in more detail, learning how to
create and deliver value for the customer
Peter Zemsky Daniel A. Bens
• Learn how different management choices influence
financials, with a focus on how better decision-making leads
Deputy Dean, Dean of Innovation to superior performance.
The Eli Lilly Chaired Professor of Strategy and Associate Professor of Accounting and Control
Innovation

6 www.insead.edu/executive-education/open-online-programmes/business-strategy-financial-performance 7
 Action Learning
Project (ALP)

These guided ‘real-world assignments’ are a core There are three phases to the ALP process: First,
element of INSEAD’s Online programmes, designed to you will agree on the scope of your ALP with the
increase business impact, and to enable you to take learning coach, to make sure it aligns with the learning
newly acquired skills and apply them within the context objectives of the programme and culminates in a
of your actual job and organisation. concrete end goal.

Each online programme centres around a specific Second, in each of the content weeks, you will apply

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
Action Learning Project related to the learning the tools and concepts from that week to your ALP.
objectives of that programme, allowing you to test
ideas in a risk-free environment, then devise a realistic Third, at the end of the content weeks, you will
strategy plan that can immediately be executed synthesise elements from your weekly submissions to
once you return to work. Working with the learning propose concrete strategic recommendations for your
coach, you will design an ALP that is right for your organisation, and submit them for peer review. In the
organisation and your personal learning objectives. final week of the programme, the peer review will take
For those attending the programme with a group of place, where every participant will review 2 to 4 other
colleagues from the same company or organisation, submissions and provide peer feedback.
the learning coach can help you structure a more
ambitious team ALP to collaborate and work on
together.

Learning coaches, led by INSEAD alumni, are available throughout the programme to
help you achieve your learning objectives, as well as help move the discussion forward
Learning and exchange ideas with you. Experienced and successful business professionals from
diverse industries, our learning coaches guide you in your learning journey, especially
Coach
your ALP, to bring the learning alive in your business context. They work closely with
you and help you design an ALP that focuses on your personal development goals,
provide feedback and keep you moving in the right direction.

8 9
 Programme Syllabus Dates and Fees
WEEK 1
Business strategy • Understanding what strategy is really about • Examining performance differences within
for turbulent times • Ensuring fit with a dynamic external and across sectors
environment • Meet the challenge of market turbulence
and disruption

WEEK 2
Follow the value • The challenge of creating and capturing • Willingness to pay in B2B and B2C settings
value • Drivers of market size
• Balancing willingness to pay and resource
costs

WEEK 3
Capturing value • Who captures value and how much? • Value chain dynamics

Role of financial • How does strategy affect company • What are the baasic financial statements

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
reporting financials? and who uses them?

WEEK 4
Measuring investment • Balance sheet: Strategic initiatives and • Expenses: What it takes to deliver value
and strateagic investments • Putting it together: Return on invested
Dates Fees**
performance • Revenues: Value to the customer capital (ROIC) Begins 19 September 2022 - 7 weeks *
€2,250
Individual application deadline: 5 September 2022 at 11am CET
WEEK 5 Group application deadline: 20 August 2022 Contact
Management choices • The difference between cash flow and • Management choices that influence the Begins 6 February 2023 - 7 weeks *
Anita Jiang
Individual application deadline: 23 January 2023 at 11am CET Programme Advisor
and their impact on earnings numbers
Group application deadline: 7 January 2023
financials • Expensing versus capitalising cash flows • Statement of cash flows Tel: +65 6407 7202
and their effect on ROIC Begins 15 May 2023 - 7 weeks* Email: [email protected]
Individual application deadline: 1 May 2023 at 11am CET
WEEK 6 Group application deadline: 15 April 2023

From threat • Crafting your value proposition • Driving competitive advantage through
to opportunity • Aligning your activities with your value added value
proposition • Threats to competitive advantage

WEEK 7
Meeting the challenge • Aligning value, activities and resources • Balancing strategic agility and long-term
of strategy execution • Rethinking your strategy process for agility stability
• Strategic partnerships fuelling growth
*The programme content is delivered over the specified consecutive weeks, followed by 2 weeks to finish project work and engage in peer review.
**Fee subject to change. Local taxes shall apply at the prevailing rates. We offer a special fee reduction of 20% for a group of 5 participants or more.

10 11
 YOUR ONLINE LEARNING JOURNEY WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WEEK ON AN INSEAD
ONLINE PROGRAMME LOOK LIKE?
Each week of content follows a very clear path to facilitate learning for busy executives. The programme culminates with 2 extra Our online programmes combine a number of learning Participants earn points as they go, with a ‘leaderboard’
weeks to finish the project work and engage in peer review. elements to create a balanced blend of learning, interactions featuring the most engaged participants each week. Every
and application in the learning journey for participants. The week, questions are posted by participants for the INSEAD
platform allows participants to learn at their own pace during faculty, who then respond through just-in-time videos and live
each week, by viewing the content, completing assignments calls. On average, the programme takes 4-6 hours per week*.
and engaging in discussions.
LAUNCH
WEEK

Orientation & Connecting with your Learning Coach

Launch Week starts on the Monday of Week 1. URS 1
H
You will get access to familiarise yourself with the platform, start networking O

OU
H
with peers, and connect with your Learning Coach to do some preparatory work.

R
Video lectures:

1-
course
fundamentals
Videos lectures: Quizzes
examples from
CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT various industries
WEEK 7 WEEK 6 WEEK 5 WEEK 4 WEEK 3 WEEK 2 WEEK 1
Cases & Exercises

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
Learn, Practice & Apply Concepts* ONE TYPICAL
On the Friday of each Content Week, the new content is released. WEEK ON AN
You will have two weeks to complete each content week. Discussion Forums
INSEAD ONLINE
PROGRAMME

POST Readings
WEEK 8 WEEK 9
PROGRAMME

Synthesise & Wrap-up Execute & Create Impact

Finish working on your Application and Impact assessment
Action Learning Project (ALP) in your organisational context.
Action Learning Projects (ALP)
& peer reviews.
for individuals or teams

Throughout the programme, an INSEAD Learning Coach will be guiding you

and helping you maximise the impact of your learning journey. 2 - 3 H OU R S *

*Please note the programme may include a pause week(s). *This is the recommended number of hours per week however please note that working on the Action Learning Project (ALP)
may require up to two additional hours/week.

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 FAQs

How do I apply and what is the selection What is the role of the Learning Coach? What are the learning requirements in order
process? At INSEAD, you never learn alone. To bring this notion alive to successfully complete the programme?
Similar to our face-to-face programmes, we have an in the online setting, we have built a learning community Our online programmes, like our face-to-face programmes,
application and admission process in place for our online comprising of the participants, the faculty and the learning follow a rigorous learning process. Participants are expected
programmes to ensure a diverse and motivated group of coach. The learning coach plays an integral part in stimulating to fulfil a certain minimum criteria to earn the certificate of
participants for a rich learning experience. The Admissions content discussions, encouraging collaboration between completion.
Committee reviews all applications to ensure that each participants as well as guiding the participants closely in the
participant fulfils the requirements and any pre-requisite design of their Action Learning Project. What do I receive upon completion
request for the programme. The Admissions Team will then of the programme?
confirm if you are accepted to the programme. Will I have an opportunity to interact
Upon successfully completing all the programme
with INSEAD Faculty? requirements in time, you will receive an official Certificate
How much time should I expect to dedicate Yes, of course. We purposefully limit class sizes to ensure of Completion from INSEAD, which you can also share with
to the programme every week? ample faculty-to-participant time. At a minimum, participants your network on LinkedIn. The top performers will receive a
The programme should take approximately 4-6 hours, and can expect at least one live call with the faculty to discuss Certificate with Distinction.
potentially may entail up to 2 additional hours/week to course content. In addition, the faculty would be reading your
complete Action Learning Projects (ALPs). You can expect thoughts in the discussion forums in the platform from time I work for a company or organisation
to devote 1-2 hours per week watching video lectures on to time and answer your questions through periodic just-in-
that would like to enrol multiple employees
fundamental concepts, 1 hour per week on interacting time recorded videos. The Faculty would be further assisted
in these interactions by the learning coach, acting as a bridge in the same program. is this possible?
with fellow participants in discussions or reflecting on the
concepts through quizzes and reflections, and 2-3 hours between the participants and the faculty. Absolutely, and we actually encourage participants to attend
per week in applying the fundamental concepts in an ALP to in teams in order to maximise the learning and impact. We

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
understand their relevance to your everyday work.  Will I be able to interact also offer a special fee for groups of executives attending
with other participants? from the same organisation, so please feel free to contact us
What is the weekly learning rhythm during for more details.
Yes, of course. The learning experience is designed to
the programme? Do I need to be online encourage interaction. Participants are able to interact
at specific times during the programme, with each other through discussion forums, interspersed
or can I learn ahead of the rest of the class? throughout the platform. In addition, participants would have
the option to work on the Action Learning Project in groups
The programme is designed in a manner to encourage the with fellow participants. They would also have the opportunity
whole class to learn together, moving at a certain pace from to interact with each other during the live call with faculty.
week to week, while providing enough flexibility within each
week for the participants to review the content at their own
convenience. While a week is open, you can login any time at
your convenience and review the weekly content at your own
pace, as the learning design is asynchronous.

For more details, and additional FAQs, please refer to our website:
www.insead.edu/executive-education/open-online-programmes/
business-strategy-financial-performance-faqs

14 15
 Practical Information
We are continuously adding new online programmes and sessions throughout the year.
Please make sure you refer to our website for the latest dates and information:
https://www.insead.edu/executive-education/open-online-programmes

Contact us
For more details about our programmes & offers, or to apply, please contact:

Anita Jiang
Programme Advisor
Tel: +65 6407 7202
Email: [email protected]

Rong Cheng LEE

Programme Advisor
Tel: +65 6681 5492
Email: [email protected]

E X E C U T I V E E D U C AT I O N – B U S I N E S S S T R AT E G Y A N D F I N A N C I A L P E R F O R M A N C E
Take a first step towards organisational
transformation today.
Contact our team to discuss your needs and challenges now.

Special Offer for Groups

Our open online programmes offer the possibility to cater to groups coming
in from the same organisation.
For a group of 5 participants or more who want to attend one of our open online
programmes, we offer a 20% special fee reduction.

Special Offer for Past Participants

Past participants of INSEAD Executive Education Open Programmes (On-campus, Live
Virtual and Blended) are eligible for a 20% fee reduction on an INSEAD Open Online
Programme. To access the offer, please contact a programme advisor.

16 17
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