Financial Analysis Training Program
We built this program around how companies actually fail. Not theories from textbooks, but patterns we've watched repeat across different industries. The curriculum focuses on liquidity and solvency analysis because that's where businesses run into trouble most often.
Our Teaching Approach
Most financial training starts with definitions and formulas. We start with actual company reports—the messy, complicated ones where numbers don't add up neatly.
Students work through real scenarios where they need to figure out if a company can pay its bills next month, or whether its debt structure will cause problems down the line. It's uncomfortable at first. But that discomfort is the point.
Case-Based Learning
Every week brings new financial statements from different sectors. You'll analyze them, make recommendations, then see what actually happened to those companies.
Peer Review Sessions
Half your learning comes from defending your analysis to classmates who found different conclusions in the same data. This mirrors real workplace dynamics.
Industry Context
Understanding Vietnam's banking regulations and local market conditions changes how you interpret the numbers. We integrate that context throughout.
What You'll Actually Study
The program runs for six months. Each module builds on previous ones, but the structure stays flexible based on how quickly the group progresses.
Cash Flow Analysis
Reading operating, investing, and financing activities. Learning to spot when companies manipulate timing to make quarters look better than they are.
Working Capital Management
How inventory, receivables, and payables interact. Why companies with profitable operations still run out of money. The importance of conversion cycles.
Debt Structure Assessment
Different types of obligations and their implications. Covenant analysis. Understanding when leverage helps versus when it becomes dangerous.
Ratio Analysis Frameworks
Current ratio, quick ratio, debt-to-equity, interest coverage. What these actually tell you and when they mislead. Industry-specific benchmarks.
Stress Testing Methods
Building scenarios where revenue drops or costs spike. Testing whether balance sheets can handle realistic shocks. Preparing contingency assessments.
Reporting and Recommendations
Writing analysis that non-financial managers can understand. Presenting findings clearly. Supporting conclusions with evidence while acknowledging uncertainty.
Who Teaches This Program
Both instructors came from banking backgrounds before moving into education. They've reviewed thousands of financial statements professionally and have strong opinions about what matters versus what just looks impressive on paper.
Petra Caldwell
Lead Instructor, Financial AnalysisSpent twelve years in commercial lending before transitioning to teaching. She evaluates companies based on whether she'd personally risk money on them, which gives her analysis a practical edge. Her strength is breaking down complex balance sheets into understandable components.
Marlene Kowalski
Senior Instructor, Solvency AssessmentBackground in restructuring advisory means she's worked with companies after problems already developed. This perspective helps students recognize warning signs earlier. She pushes students to question assumptions and consider what could go wrong with any analysis.
Program Details for September 2025
Classes meet twice weekly in Ho Chi Minh City. We keep cohorts small intentionally—around 18 students maximum—so everyone gets direct feedback on their work.
Duration
24 Weeks
Schedule
Tuesday & Thursday Evenings
Class Size
18 Students Max