Director Development Programme – Finance for Non-Finance Directors – Composition Brands

As Global Programme Director at Composition Brands, Owain works within an international business operating across several premium appliance brands and manufacturing locations.

Following a change in the ownership of the business, he recognised that having a strong understanding of financial performance, profit positions and how organisations finance themselves would be increasingly important for its senior leaders.

“When you’re working with a finance-led business, it becomes even more important that senior leaders have a really strong understanding of their profit positions and how companies finance themselves”

Owain chose to attend the in-person Director Development Programme – Finance for Non-Finance Directors in Manchester to strengthen his understanding of financial information and develop skills that he could apply within his role.

InPD’s relationship with the University of Chester and the opportunity to build credits towards further education were important factors in his decision. The academic recognition provided reassurance that the programme would offer a credible and high-quality learning experience.

“There are a huge number of professional training businesses out there, but the University of Chester affiliation and the opportunity to work towards further education showed that InPD was serious about the product it was delivering”

At the time of booking, Owain was transitioning between roles and planned to fund the programme personally. After discussing his circumstances with the InPD team, he was able to access bursary support towards both his programme place and accommodation.

The process was straightforward and made it easier for him to invest in his professional development before beginning his new position.

“I explained that I was between roles, about to start a new position and really wanted to attend the course. The support made it a real no-brainer. And being able to access help with the hotel was great as well”

For Owain, the bursary also demonstrated InPD’s confidence in the quality and long-term value of its programmes.

“For InPD to back its own product in that way was quite a big deal for me”

The programme was practical, interactive and shaped around the delegates in the room. The tutor took time to understand each participant’s role and organisation, using real-life examples and case studies to make the financial concepts relevant.

“The course lead took the time to understand where everyone had come from and why they were there. By the second day, it felt very personal and relevant to your own business”

The programme gave Owain greater confidence when interpreting financial information, from profit and loss statements to the wider indicators used to assess business performance.

“I came away with a better financial understanding, not just of my own business, but of how to look at another company’s accounts and understand what they were telling me”

The in-person format also created a focused learning environment where he could explore the subject in depth alongside other senior professionals.

“Being together in the room meant you could really dive into the subject and give it your full attention”

Stronger Financial Understanding
Owain developed a clearer understanding of profit and loss statements, management accounts and the key financial indicators used to assess business performance.

Greater Professional Confidence
The programme increased his confidence when reviewing financial information and contributing to commercially focused conversations and decisions.

Renewed Appetite for Learning
The experience encouraged Owain to continue investing in his professional development and consider completing further modules within the Directors Development Programme.

View more details on our Director Development Programme – Finance for Non-Finance Directors