Executive Program – Bank Management

Learning on the CUNEF Executive Programs is based on an eminently practical methodology that considers not only the acquisition of knowledge, but also the development of interpersonal and managerial skills. The main challenges and characteristics of the CUNEF methodology are the following:

• The training is highly personalised: the work groups are small to encourage a constant exchange of information between the lecturer of each subject and each of the participants. This continual flow of information is one of keys to the success of the executive programs.
• It develops a strong spirit of cooperation and cohesion among all the participants: all the participants carry out the different educational activities progressing in a synchronised manner, which facilitates the creation and maintenance of a lively group setting and collaborative environment. The lecturers, specialists in their respective fields, actively work to ensure the attainment of the learning objectives established for each topic. They are also responsible for ensuring the creation of a true community between the different participants, encouraging participation and dialogue.
• An intense planning of the different activities is the main guarantee for correct learning: for each of the subjects, the lecturers plan the different activities for that week in advance.
• Individual learning and group work: in addition to the individual weekly activities, the participants must also participate in the activities (debates, discussions, forums, mini-projects, small research activities, etc.) that are determining factors for their learning and the creation of a lively setting for the exchange of information and opinions among the different participants.
• An evaluation system based on effort and dedication: at CUNEF, we promote learning that is based on a continuous assessment of the participant’s performance in the different subjects, measuring the participation and team work, the level of involvement in the forums, the clarity and quality in the explanation and defence of the cases, as well as the knowledge acquired and demonstrated.

During the course of the program, the participants will successively work in the following learning methodologies:

• Classroom-based theoretical explanations, lectures and analysis of technical notes.
• Team work for the resolution of integrated practical analyses.
• Classroom-based practical work on cases, problems, jurisprudence and legal documentation.
• Classroom-based oral presentations of the results of the individual study or work.
• Simulations of court cases and proceedings, simulations of contract negotiations, judicial visits, etc.
• Mentoring and professional guidance sessions.
• Individual study and work, individual lectures and research.
• Specialised seminars.

At the end of this module, participants will be capable of valuing any company, listed or not, regardless of its size and financial health, as well as its business divisions. They will also know how to value the synergies and the control premium of an acquisition. To do so, they will be familiar with the cash flow discount methodology and be capable of analysing and applying any valuation multiple. They will understand what is involved in a strategy to increase the value of a business. All based on a reasoned and critical perspective, going beyond the mechanical application of certain conceptual tools. They will also be capable of creating complete financial projection models that will serve as a basis for the valuation or any other forecasting exercise within the financial function.

Portfolio Management I aims to equip the student with the knowledge of the basic elements and main tools used in the management of financial assets. During the sessions there will be a review of aspects such as portfolio management theory, investment policy and allocation of assets. At the end of the module, the student will have a practical understanding of the normal procedures in portfolio management. During the module, the student will also have experience with extremely useful tools such as Bloomberg. There will also be group activities in which to further the eminently practical nature of the module.

The aim of this module is to analyse the importance of the financial intermediation process carried out by the banks, the characteristics of the Spanish banking sector in the international context, as well as the role of the banks in the transmission mechanisms of monetary policy. This involves the analysis of different schema of reference proposed to study the monetary and financial problems of the economy, and an analysis is performed on the recent evolution of the Spanish bank in the international context, as well as the impact of the crisis, the restructuring process that has taken place and the main measures adopted, both at national and international level to tackle the crisis. Several banking topics of interest will be analysed, such as margins, costs, competition, banking crises, integration and internationalisation.

Theoretical-practical workshops aimed at encouraging the development of managerial and executive skills necessary for the professional execution of their duties: Leadership and motivation workshop and negotiation workshop.

The situation of the banks continues to be complex and even though the outlook has improved, they are not exempt from potential risks that must be considered. Protectionist policies, the adjustment to the prices of some financial assets or the stability of the risk premiums, to cite a few examples, are factors capable of creating episodes of tension in the financing markets of the credit institutions which cause contractive effects on the availability of funds to the other productive sectors. By looking at the different forms of banking risk and the efforts of the financial entities, the aim of this module is to go into greater detail regarding their understanding and measurement, and also the key role that risk plays on the current financial markets. Today, more than ever, risk management is an essential competitive advantage that has enabled some banking groups to pass through this period of generalised instability with greater ease. In this module, CUNEF presents an up-to-date program which combines practical and theoretical content with a final objective: for the participants, tutored by professionals in risk management at large finance groups, to acquire a wide range of knowledge on the most modern techniques and strategies in risk management that follow the principles of the banking entities, as well as the development of the necessary skills to identify and mitigate the risks generally undertaken.

Digital innovation can represent a brusque change in the banking industry, breaking down existing structures and blurring their limits, given that, for example, it can facilitate strategic disintermediation, revolutionise how financial entities create and offer their products and services, create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and growth, and generate regulatory challenges. The aim of this module is to analyse new innovative business models in the financial sector, both from the perspective of traditional banking and newcomers to the sector, fintechs and large players from non-financial sectors. Examples of innovations in the financial sector are P2P lending, crowdfunding & crowdlending, mobile payment systems, cryptocurrencies & blockchain, digital consultancy, robo-advisory and machine learning and artificial intelligence. During the course and with the aim of reinforcing the practical element, groups of 4-5 students will develop the strategic plan of a fintech dedicated to loans, where they shall apply the concepts introduced during the subject to their projects and develop a strategic thesis which they shall later debate/compare in class and in the final presentation.

The aim of the module on products and retail banking is to transmit the knowledge and fundamental tools to the students that will allow them to understand the functioning of commercial banking compared to retail banking, using a holistic approach. In other words, from a strategic perspective of a business approach, in a practical manner we go back to the pillars, the principle areas, segments and products to understand and verify the method of application to the clients, as well as the internal functioning, at an organisational and human level, to carry this out. We also include an approximation of the professional profile most suited for this business. We are always moving with a practical global vision, that is extremely up-to-date with the latest trends and linked to the current strategic vision of the clients’ commercial bank. This module provides the student with a practical and current knowledge of the functions and tasks of a Commercial Manager, Segment Manager and Product Manager, as well as how to establish a management plan for each of the key segments in retail banking. It also covers the understanding of the technical elements and of the appropriate methodology for the commercialisation of financial products in banking entities, as well as the theoretical and practical concepts of the marketing function.

This module aims to transmit to the student the necessary knowledge on the different products used in Wholesale Banking or “Investment Banking” from a theoretical and practical perspective. With this knowledge, the student will have the tools and methodology used to optimise the balance sheet of a company, maximising its value or complying the return-risk objectives imposed by an institutional client or “Private High Wealth Client”. To do so, this will require an in-depth knowledge of the characteristics and operations in instruments used for obtaining funds, restructuring capital, equity capital markets, acquisitions and mergers, and asset management planning.

Performed individually or as a group, through an in-depth analysis of the specific problem of a company or industrial sector, it addresses the analysis of the performance of a financial product or service, the launch of a new company or business line, etc. It is a rigorous task tutored by a CUNEF lecturer in which the participant must demonstrate their capacities for analysis and conceptualisation and the ability to put ideas, projects or business acquired during the program into action. The project must be associated with the speciality studied by the participants and be defended before a panel.