Accounting for Non-Financial Managers

Faculty: Greg L. Heston, CPA

Course Description:

This intensive one-day course provides managers with a practical introduction to the accounting concepts that drive business performance and everyday decision-making. Designed for leaders without formal finance or accounting training, the program demystifies the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, helping participants understand what the numbers mean, what questions to ask, and how financial information connects to profitability, liquidity, growth, and operational performance. By the end of the day, participants will be better prepared to communicate with finance teams, evaluate business tradeoffs, and use accounting information with greater confidence in their roles.

Target Audience:

Who will benefit most from this course?

• Mid level managers responsible for budgets and operational performance

• Newly promoted managers / Team Leads overseeing teams, projects, or departments

• Functional leaders in operations, marketing, HR, supply chain, and sales

• Technical professionals such as engineers, IT leaders, and project managers

• Small business owners and entrepreneurs managing financial decisions and cash flow

• Non-finance senior leaders seeking stronger financial understanding for strategic decisions

• Early career professionals preparing for future leadership and financial responsibility

Learning Objectives & Outcomes:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the purpose of the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement
• Explain how the three statements connect to one another
• Interpret key measures of profitability, liquidity, and financial health
• Identify warning signs and opportunities hidden in financial reports
• Effectively communicate financial objectives, performance, and key business insights.
• Ask better questions of accountants, controllers, CFOs, and finance teams
• Use financial information to make more informed business decisions

Specifically, the interactive course will be case study-oriented so that participants will interpret and apply the accounting concepts to a realistic, but hypothetical company, throughout the day.  The anticipated agenda for the course is as follows:

• Why managers need accounting
• Understanding the income statement
• Understanding the balance sheet
• Cash flow: the statement managers often ignore
• Budgeting for managers
• Connecting the three financial statements
• Financial metrics managers should know
• Management decision-making case study
• Wrap up and action planning

 

Faculty Biography:

Greg L. Heston - A retired partner at Ernst & Young (EY), Greg Heston brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to his role as a Professor of Practice in the School of Accountancy at Auburn. As an EY partner, he served global, publicly traded companies, leading audit engagements and advising on complex accounting, financial reporting, and internal control matters.

During the last four years at EY, he worked in the firm’s professional practice division, where he ensured that audit teams worldwide executed audits according to firm, PCAOB, SEC and AICPA standards. He traveled extensively throughout South America assisting teams to help monitor the quality of their audit work for foreign domiciled clients publicly traded on U.S. stock exchanges.

An Auburn alumnus, he was proud to lead EY’s student recruitment and philanthropic activities with his alma mater.

He currently teaches Principles of Financial Accounting courses. A certified public accountant (CPA) in Alabama and Georgia, Heston earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Auburn and received the School of Accountancy Outstanding Alumni Award in 2007.

Greg previously served on the Board of the Auburn University Foundation, and the Auburn School of Accountancy Advisory Council. Greg currently serves on the Board of Directors of Geneva Benefits Group, and Redwire Corporation (RDW –NYSE)

He and his wife have seven children, and four grandchildren—two of his children also graduated from Auburn, and one is a sophomore. In his free time, he enjoys attending his younger children’s gymnastics meets, and golf tournaments. Personally, Greg enjoys high intensity exercise, and other activities such as golf, pickleball, and Auburn sporting events.