Articles
Debt Recovery and the Quest for Lost Inflation
Joanna Sinclair
Financial management plays a key strategic role in providing information and support for business management and direction for business development. Looking and seeing ahead as well as utilizing the possibilities offered by digitalization are becoming the new normal in leading a financial function.
The Aalto CFO Program is designed for financial executives who wish to strengthen their role as strategic and influential business partners and gain new perspectives on the latest developments in digitalizing the business environment and finance functions. The program will help you to increase your skills in leading business performance and enhance your competencies to influence the future of your company’s business success. You will focus during the program, for example, on business analytics in a data-rich environment, prediction approaches and technologies, analytical methods for scenario-based strategy development, and personal influencing tools.
The program's focus is on developing key financial competencies in leading the company financially. While at the same time increasingly taking the future perspective and applying new technologies in business development.
9 ECTS credits (4.5 ECTS / module) can be transferred from this program to the Aalto Executive MBA or Aalto MBA program.
The program provides you with the opportunity to strengthen your role as a financial leader and gain a strong toolkit for creating more value for your company.
In the 2024 Program, 100 % of participants would recommend the Program (NPS = 100 %).
"How likely are you to recommend this Program to a friend or a colleague?"
In the 2024 Program, the Participants gave an overall feedback of 5,63/6,00 to the Program as a whole.
In the 2023 Program, the participants gave Learning Impact feedback 5,90/6,00 for their participation in bringing value to their organization.
The Aalto CFO Program is for CFO's and Group Controllers as well as for other senior financial executives willing to grow into CFO position in the future. The program will be beneficial for those who wish to grow their business financially, expand their competencies in leading a finance function and learn about latest digital developments in finance.
The Aalto CFO Program consists of two training modules with a total of six training days.
Each module includes pre-readings as well as a take-home assignment*. Each module is individually graded.(*optional)
If desired, up to 9 ECTS credits can be transferred from the Aalto CFO Program to the Aalto Executive MBA or Aalto MBA program.
Two training modules
Each credited with 4.5 ECTS
Six training days
Intensive face-to-face sessions with instructor and peers
Pre and post-module periods
Each module includes pre-readings, a pre-assignment, and a take-home assignment.
Teemu Malmi
Teemu Malmi is a Professor of Accounting and Head of the Department of Accounting at Aalto University School of Business. Also, he has previously been the Chairman of the Board at Aalto University Executive Education Ltd. and Sannäs Manor Ltd.
Professor Malmi specializes in management systems, strategy implementation, and cost and profitability accounting. He teaches frequently in a variety of Executive Programs and has served as an advisor to a large number of companies from various different industries: IT, electronics, energy, finance, food, health care, media, metal and engineering, paper and pulp, pharmaceuticals, rental services, retail, telecom and transportation/logistics and the public sector.
Teemu Malmi holds a Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance from The Helsinki School of Economics, which was merged into Aalto University in 2010.
Seppo Ikäheimo
Seppo Ikäheimo is Professor of Corporate Governance at Aalto University School of Business.
He specializes in compensation systems, ownership, investor relations, board of directors and company valuation.
Professor Ikäheimo has frequently acted as a member of the arbitral tribunal in minority redemption cases and has provided an expert opinion in several legal cases. He has served as an advisor concerning investor relations, compensation systems, and board work.
In addition, he is actively involved in developing accounting and corporate governance-related legislation and guidance.
Sami Torstila
Sami Torstila is Associate Professor of Finance at Aalto University School of Business.
Sami Torstila specializes in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and managerial finance.
Torstila is an Associate Professor of Finance at Aalto University School of Business. He is also an Associate Partner at Nordic Adviser Group, advising his clients on mergers & acquisitions and investment strategy projects.
From 2009 to 2010, Torstila was visiting scholar at Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley, and from 1996 to 1997 investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs in London. At Goldman, he worked with mergers and acquisitions and equity and debt offerings.
Torstila received a D.Sc. degree in Finance in 2000 and an M.Sc. degree in Finance with honors in 1996, both from Helsinki School of Economics. He also holds an LL.M. degree specializing in Tax Law from the University of Helsinki.
Matti Suominen
Matti Suominen is Professor of Finance at Aalto University School of Business.
Suominen specializes in information economics in financial markets, market microstructure and corporate finance.
Suominen has previously worked as a consultant at the European Corporate Finance Practice of McKinsey & Co. and as a Chief Dealer in the Options and Futures Markets in Finland. From 1997 until 2006 he was in the full-time faculty at INSEAD, working first as an Assistant Professor and later as an Associate Professor of Finance. Although already also at the Aalto University, between 2006 and 2015 he has continued to work with INSEAD as an Adjunct Professor of Finance or as a Visiting Professor of Finance.
Suominen is actively involved in management consulting for financial institutions and executive education. He has taught in the MBA, PhD, and executive education programs. He has also taught in several company specific programs worldwide.
Matti Suominen did his PhD in Financial Economics in 1997 at the University of Pennsylvania, where he has also worked as a Visiting Associate Professor at Wharton.
Henri Schildt
Henri Schildt is a Professor of Strategy at Aalto University School of Business and Aalto University School of Science.
Professor Henri Schildt’s research interests span technology strategy, organizational change, and strategy process (with specific interest in reasoning under uncertainty and the use of data analytics). He is currently heading two research programs on data-driven management and the management of digitalization in Finnish manufacturing companies.
He is a tenured professor with a joint appointment at the Aalto University School of Business and the School of Science’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management.
Henri Schildt completed his PhD at Helsinki University of Technology in 2007.
Jukka Sihvonen
Jukka Sihvonen is an Assistant Professor specializing in Digitalization in Accounting at Aalto University School of Business.
Sihvonen's research expertise lies in the digital transformation of accounting and finance, with a focus on the applications of artificial intelligence, big data, and textual analytics. His research, which spans various business disciplines, has been recognized with numerous citations and awards.
Sihvonen holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Vaasa.
Eeva Vilkkumaa
Eeva Vilkkumaa is an Assistant Professor of Management Science in the Department of Information and Service Economy at Aalto University.
Professor Vilkkumaa is an expert in modeling uncertainties and developing mathematical models to support decision making and resource allocation at companies and public organizations.
Emilia Bunea
Emilia Bunea is a leadership educator and educational technology entrepreneur. She has two decades of C-suite experience with global corporations in finance.
In 2021 Emilia wrote and produced “Crossroads Life,” the world’s first cinematic management case study, comprising a film and a written case based on real events. The movie has received several film awards, including the Award of Excellence from IndieFest, the Special Jury’s Award from the Hague Global Film Festival, and the Best Business Film Award from the Helsinki International Educational Film Festival.
Emilia’s academic interests include the role of ”serious leisure” in leadership identity development. She wrote several scholarly and practitioner articles on this topic and delivered a widely-acclaimed TED talk at London Business School. She has lectured on leadership-related topics in over a dozen countries.
Emilia Bunea has a Non-Executive Director Diploma from the Financial Times Board Director Programme and is a CFA charter holder. She earned her Ph.D. in Management at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2020.
Schedule March 26–28, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The program program provides corporate executives and investment and finance industry professionals with a comprehensive overview of what a person making investment decisions should know about sustainability.
Fee: € 3,950 (+ VAT)
May 7 - June 12, 2025
Schedule May 7 - June 12, 2025
Location live online
Do you want to assure you are prepared to make informed investment decisions in the clean transition? This course covers energy future scenarios, technology cost structures, and regulatory frameworks, helping participants assess the financial and sustainability aspects of clean energy investments. Training is funded by SECLE and it’s free for participants.
Fee: 0 €
Schedule May 5 – June 6, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The training program for the members of the Board of Directors develops the participant's ability to act in the Board of Directors of a financial company from the perspective of risk management. During the training, you will become familiar with the special features of financial sector good governance requirements and the supervision of the industry.
Fee: € 6,500 (+ VAT)
Schedule Next program starts in Spring 2026
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The program improves your success in venture capital investments by increasing your skills in key venture capital investment themes. It increases the hunger for growth and know-how of investor teams and strengthens the foundations for the overall understanding of venture capital investment.
Fee: 3,600 € (+ VAT)
Schedule May 19 – August 28, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The program is designed for finance executives who want to advance their skills in leading financial functions, increase their weight as a strategic business partner, and gain the confidence to influence.
Fee: € 7,400 (+ VAT)
September 23 – November 27, 2025
Schedule September 23 – November 27, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The training program emphasizes a practical change in the role of the business controller as a developer of the financial management function, change agent, producer of financial information for the organization, management team, and/or the Board of Directors and operational actor as part of the financial management team and the rest of the organization.
Fee: € 5,600 (+ VAT)
September 24 – November 11, 2025
Schedule September 24 – November 11, 2025
Location Helsinki, Finland
The program covers the broader framework of risk management, the building of successful compliance, ethical issues, diverse risks, and the legislative framework affecting the financial sector. It helps identify key challenges and provides concrete tools for developing and enhancing compliance activities.
Fee: € 3,400 (+ VAT)
September 29 – November 14, 2025
Schedule September 29 – November 14, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
The program gives you a structured understanding of the M&A process and equips you with the tools and skills needed to succeed in each phase. It focuses on M&A as a means to implement company strategy and deepens understanding of different phases of the process, from the M&A strategy and deal phase to post-merger integration and leading change.
Fee: € 8,900 (+ VAT)
October 6, 2025 – May 29, 2026
Schedule October 6, 2025 – May 29, 2026
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
The Certified European Financial Analyst (CEFA) program provides uniform high-level standardized training for investment and finance professionals leading to the highly respected CEFA qualification, which is accredited in 27 European countries.
Fee: € 10,790 (+ VAT)
October 30, 2025
This seminar aims to introduce the modern corporate venturing toolkit and discuss how participants can master it to meet the diverse strategic needs of their corporations. Additionally, during the seminar we will explore the development of the capabilities necessary for the next generation of corporate venturing. The seminar combines the latest scholarly research on corporate venturing with practical examples from companies, including Nokia Ventures and others.
Fee: € 590 (+ VAT)
November 3–17, 2025
Schedule November 3–17, 2025
Location Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
An intensive three-day program delves into the core principles and applications of finance and accounting. It is designed to equip you with a robust understanding of scrutinizing financial statements, interpreting key financial metrics, and making astute business and investment choices based on this understanding. This program covers contexts from both production and service organizations, and it is specifically designed for professionals in the production and service industries, particularly within industrial companies, who have or are expected to assume financial responsibilities. It's ideal for those seeking to develop and strengthen their ability to make sound business and investment decisions.
Fee: € 2,900 (+ VAT)
November 17 – December 8, 2025
Schedule November 17 – December 8, 2025
Location Aalto University Töölö, Helsinki, Finland
Frequency Once a year
The program helps executives, business strategists, and risk management directors understand the new geoeconomic power politics and dynamics, including the transformation of the relationship between state and market and economics and security policy. The program will also offer cutting-edge analytical methods, comprehensive knowledge, and practical experience to help executives develop business and enrich risk management in the new geoeconomic world.
Fee: € 4,650 (+ VAT)
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