Think, Speak, and Lead in the Language of Finance

In Hawaiʻi’s competitive business landscape, today’s senior leaders are expected to think and speak the “second language” of finance ‒ whether their “first language” is operations, marketing, technology, product management, customer experience, or people strategy. Yet many accomplished executives have never been formally taught the financial language their CEOs and CFOs use to make decisions.

Finance as a Second Language® (FSL) closes that gap. This six-part series equips already successful non-financial leaders to build next-level capability to think, speak, and act in financially grounded ways that build credibility with top leadership.

In six fast-paced, highly practical modules, you’ll quickly learn to connect your part of the business to your company’s financial goals - through three powerful skills every executive needs:

1. Participate confidently in financial discussions.
2. Present proposals with persuasive financial justification.
3. Report progress that increases trust and influence.
   
   

Why This Program Is Different

Most “finance for non-finance” courses teach numbers and calculations.

In contrast, FSL teaches you how to communicate in financial conversations, meetings, and presentations.

• You won’t memorize accounting rules - you’ll learn to think, speak, and lead in the language of your CEO and CFO.
• Participants describe FSL as “a big-picture translation of finance into everyday leadership - so I never have to fake it in financial meetings.”
• Each financial tool is tied directly to how executives achieve results, defend proposals, and report results.
  
  

Program Design: Six High-Impact Modules

Each module introduces the essential vocabulary, tools, and logic that define the financial operating system of world-class companies.

1. ALIGN — See Your Business the Way Your CEO Sees It

•  Connect your priorities directly to profit, cash, and enterprise value so you can explain how your area contributes to growth.
•  Core financial language: Value, Transaction, Asset, Investment, Value Creation, Value Chain

2. ANALYZE — Make Decisions Through the Logic of Return on Investment

•  Quantify benefits, compare alternatives, and defend choices with persuasive financial reasoning.
•  Core financial language: Time Value of Money, Discounting, Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI), Price-Earnings Multiple

3. PLAN — Turn Strategy into Measurable Financial Commitments

•  Build budgets and forecasts that demonstrate control, accountability, and focus on results.
•  Core financial language: Budgeting, Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Forecasting

4. EXECUTE — Run Your Area Like a P&L

•  Manage the levers of revenue, cost, and working capital that drive enterprise performance.
•  Core financial language: Profit Drivers, Revenue, Expenses, Receivables, Inventory, Payables, CapEx

5. REPORT — Communicate Results That Build Trust

•  Present clear, credible, and disciplined reports that increase leadership confidence.
•  Core financial language: Profit and Loss Statement, Operating Cycle, Quarterly Reviews, Budget Variance Explanations

6. ACCOUNTABLE — Sustain Financial Discipline

•  Deliver on commitments and track progress with transparency to strengthen leadership’s trust.
•  Core financial language: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Commitments, Milestones, Deadlines, Timely Updates, Corrective Action Plans

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for directors, vice presidents, and business-unit leaders from any function—operations, marketing, HR, IT, sales, product management, customer experience—who want to:

• Make or influence resource allocation decisions
• Manage teams or projects that affect profitability and cash flow
• Increase strategic impact and readiness for senior leadership roles

No prior financial training is required - just the desire to connect your work to the financial story your leaders care about.

Key Benefits

• Speak the Language of Leaders: Understand how executives read and discuss results.
• Win Resources with Credibility: Present initiatives with financial logic that earns confidence and support.
• Lead with Clarity: Manage your area through measurable financial and operational indicators.
• Collaborate Effectively with Finance: Build a shared vocabulary that bridges technical and business teams.
• Advance with Confidence: Translate your expertise into financial credibility that accelerates your leadership trajectory.
  
  

Format and Participant Experience

• Fast-paced, interactive, and grounded in real business examples.
• Six three-hour live Zoom sessions spaced one week apart to allow for reflection and application exercises.
• Practical explanations and real-world case studies drawn from a variety of industries and global best practices.
  
  “Toshi breaks complex financial ideas into clear, relatable concepts. FSL gave me a new way to measure performance, understand cause and effect, and build stronger partnerships with finance. It truly aligns leaders through a common language of accountability.”
  — Chrystal Leung, First Vice President & Director, Recruiting, American Savings Bank

“FSL is a game changer. It turned intimidating financial conversations into clear, relatable language and helped me connect data to real decisions. I now contribute with confidence and support strategic discussions in a meaningful way.”
— Nikki Battad, Director of Human Resources, HC&D Hawaii

“The logical structure of FSL made financial concepts clear and practical. I now understand how my role contributes to value creation and can communicate confidently across all levels of leadership. Every manager would benefit from this program.”
— Kaitlyn Ikehara, SVP, Enterprise Risk Director, American Savings Bank

About the Instructor

Toshi Shibano, PhD has spent more than 37 years teaching senior managers across six continents and 22 countries for companies such as GE, Siemens, Longs Drugs, Hawaiian Electric, Servco, and American Savings Bank.

He served 28 years on the faculties of Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia, and Chicago Business Schools, and 21 years on the global faculty of General Electric’s Financial Management and Executive Development programs.

Born and raised on Maui and a graduate of Baldwin High School, Toshi earned his PhD from Stanford Graduate School of Business and MBA from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Program Details:

Dates: Thursdays -  February 12, 19, 26, March 5, 12, 19, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM HST (via Zoom)
Presented by: Hawaiʻi Employers Council

Free Lunch & Learn: Introduction to FSL (See dates on Events Calendar to register)
Dates: Thursday – December 11, January 8, 29
Time 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM HST (via Zoom)

APPLY FOR ETF: 

Important Notice: The ETF Subsidy Application Deadline Has Passed

Thank you for your interest in "Finance as a Second Language® For Executives - 6-Part Series." Please note that the deadline to apply for the State of Hawaii Employment & Training Fund (ETF) subsidy has passed as of Jan. 29, 2026. While ETF funds are no longer available for this series, you are still welcome to register and attend at the regular rate.

We encourage you to complete your registration and take advantage of this valuable training opportunity. If you have any questions, please contact our team at registrars@hecouncil.org.

We look forward to seeing you at the workshops!

HEC Members: $2,500 ($1,500 with ETF)
Non Members: $3,500 ($2,500 with ETF)

For more information on the ETF application process, please visit our ETF page.

Cancellation Policy:

If you cancel up to seven (7) days before the first day of the series, you will receive the 50% amount already paid will be reimbursed in the original form of payment.

If you cancel within seven (7) days of the start of the series, you will receive a credit for the 50% amount already paid. This credit can be applied to any future HEC training/course within the same calendar year.

Please register online below. To pay by invoice, contact: registrars@hecouncil.org.