Beginner course

Corporate Deck, Board & Reporting Essentials

The essential vocabulary of boards, reporting, finance, risk, people, operations and sustainability.

9 modules
72 terms
270 minutes
Module 1

Board and governance

Understand authority, oversight and formal decisions.

  1. Board of directors

    The governing body responsible for oversight, major decisions and duties assigned by law or governing documents.

  2. Executive director

    A director who also holds an executive management role in the organisation.

  3. Non-executive director

    A director who does not hold a day-to-day executive role in the organisation.

  4. Independent director

    A director assessed as free from relationships likely to impair independent judgement under applicable standards.

  5. Audit committee

    A board committee overseeing financial reporting, audit, controls and related risks.

  6. Quorum

    The minimum participation required for a meeting or vote to be valid.

  7. Board resolution

    A formal decision approved by the board.

  8. Fiduciary duty

    A duty to act loyally and carefully for another party or entity under applicable law.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Board and governance” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Board of directors” from “Fiduciary duty” in this module.
Use “Independent director” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 2

Board materials

Prepare information so directors can scrutinise and decide.

  1. Board pack

    The complete materials circulated to directors for a board meeting.

  2. Board deck

    A presentation prepared for board oversight or decision.

  3. Board paper

    A document submitted to the board for information, discussion or approval.

  4. Agenda

    The ordered list of matters to be considered at a meeting.

  5. Board minutes

    The formal record of a board meeting, decisions and required disclosures.

  6. Decision log

    A record of board decisions and rationale.

  7. Action item

    A named task someone must complete.

  8. Consent agenda

    Routine items proposed for approval without individual discussion.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Board materials” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Board pack” from “Consent agenda” in this module.
Use “Agenda” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 3

Corporate reporting

Recognise the core public and internal reporting artefacts.

  1. Annual report

    A yearly report describing a company's performance, governance and financial information.

  2. Form 10-K

    The comprehensive annual report filed by many United States public companies with the SEC.

  3. Management discussion and analysis

    Management's narrative explanation of financial condition, results and trends.

  4. Risk factor

    A disclosure describing material risks that could affect an issuer or investment.

  5. Earnings release

    A public announcement of periodic financial results and management commentary.

  6. Earnings call

    A public or investor call in which management presents results and answers questions.

  7. Guidance

    Management's communicated expectation or range for future performance.

  8. Forward-looking statement

    A statement about future expectations, plans or conditions.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Corporate reporting” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Annual report” from “Forward-looking statement” in this module.
Use “Risk factor” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 4

Financial statements

Read the primary statements and the links between them.

  1. Income statement

    A report showing revenue, expenses and profit or loss over a period.

  2. Balance sheet

    A report showing assets, liabilities and equity at a point in time.

  3. Cash flow statement

    A report showing cash inflows and outflows from operating, investing and financing activities.

  4. Revenue

    Commercial value recognised or generated from users or customers.

  5. Operating profit

    Profit from operating activities before specified financing and tax items.

  6. Net income

    Profit remaining after expenses, interest and tax under the applicable reporting framework.

  7. Working capital

    Current assets minus current liabilities, or an operational variant that must be explicitly defined.

  8. Free cash flow

    Cash remaining after selected operating and capital expenditures under a stated definition.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Financial statements” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Income statement” from “Free cash flow” in this module.
Use “Revenue” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 5

Controls and risk

Understand how organisations identify, limit and report uncertainty.

  1. Enterprise risk management

    An organisation-wide approach to identifying, assessing and managing risks against objectives.

  2. Risk appetite

    The amount and type of risk an organisation is willing to pursue or retain.

  3. Risk tolerance

    The acceptable variation around a risk objective or limit.

  4. Control

    A measure designed to prevent, detect or correct risk or error.

  5. Control environment

    The governance, systems and behaviour supporting reliable reporting.

  6. Three lines model

    A governance model distinguishing management, risk oversight and independent assurance roles.

  7. Internal audit

    An independent assurance and advisory function within or engaged by an organisation.

  8. External audit

    An audit performed by an independent firm or person outside the organisation.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Controls and risk” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Enterprise risk management” from “External audit” in this module.
Use “Control” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 6

Compliance and legal

Recognise the systems that keep conduct within law and policy.

  1. Compliance programme

    The governance, policies, controls, training and monitoring used to prevent and detect misconduct.

  2. Code of conduct

    A document setting expected ethical and professional behaviour.

  3. Conflict of interest

    A situation in which personal or competing interests could impair objective decision-making.

  4. Whistleblowing

    Reporting suspected misconduct through internal or external channels.

  5. Bribery

    Offering, giving, requesting or receiving an improper advantage to influence action.

  6. Personal data

    Information relating to an identified or identifiable person under the applicable privacy law.

  7. Material contract

    A contract significant enough to require disclosure or special review under applicable rules.

  8. Data-retention schedule

    A policy stating how long categories of records are kept and when they are disposed of.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Compliance and legal” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Compliance programme” from “Data-retention schedule” in this module.
Use “Whistleblowing” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 7

People and change

Describe organisation, workforce and adoption.

  1. Organisation design

    The deliberate arrangement of structure, roles, processes and decision rights to support strategy.

  2. Operating model

    A model forecasting business drivers, revenue, costs, assets and operating performance.

  3. Span of control

    Number of direct reports per manager.

  4. Workforce planning

    Forecasting and shaping the people and capabilities needed to deliver strategy.

  5. Engagement

    The degree of employees' psychological connection, effort and commitment, measured through a stated method.

  6. Performance management

    The system for setting expectations, reviewing results and developing employees.

  7. Change management

    The structured work of helping people adopt new processes, systems or behaviours.

  8. Transformation

    A substantial coordinated change to strategy, operating model, technology or culture.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “People and change” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Organisation design” from “Transformation” in this module.
Use “Workforce planning” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 8

Procurement and operations

Read sourcing, supplier and operational performance materials.

  1. Procurement

    The controlled process of sourcing, selecting, contracting and managing suppliers.

  2. Category management

    Managing related spend and suppliers as a strategic category.

  3. Tender

    A formal offer submitted in response to a procurement invitation.

  4. Single-source procurement

    Deliberate selection of one supplier despite alternatives, usually requiring justification.

  5. Single-source procurement

    Deliberate selection of one supplier despite alternatives, usually requiring justification.

  6. Supplier risk assessment

    Evaluation of operational, financial, compliance, security and concentration risks of a supplier.

  7. Inventory turnover

    How often inventory is sold or used relative to average inventory.

  8. Operational resilience

    The ability to prevent, adapt to, respond to and recover from disruption while delivering important services.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Procurement and operations” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “Procurement” from “Operational resilience” in this module.
Use “Single-source procurement” naturally in a realistic working sentence.
Module 9

Sustainability and impact

Use sustainability language with boundaries, evidence and caution.

  1. ESG

    An investor and management shorthand for environmental, social and governance matters.

  2. Sustainability-related risk

    A sustainability matter that could negatively affect an organisation's prospects.

  3. Scope 1 emissions

    Direct greenhouse-gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the reporting organisation.

  4. Scope 2 emissions

    Indirect emissions from purchased or acquired energy consumed by the reporting organisation.

  5. Scope 3 emissions

    Other indirect emissions across the value chain, organised into defined categories.

  6. Net zero

    A state in which remaining greenhouse-gas emissions are balanced by durable removals after deep reductions, under a stated boundary and standard.

  7. Double materiality

    Assessment of both financial effects on the company and the company's impacts on people and environment.

  8. Greenwashing

    Misleading environmental claims or impressions that overstate benefit or understate harm.

Checkpoint
Explain all eight terms in “Sustainability and impact” without reading the formal definitions.
Distinguish “ESG” from “Greenwashing” in this module.
Use “Scope 2 emissions” naturally in a realistic working sentence.