Master Financial
Due Diligence
Learn to identify deal-breaking risks, validate earnings quality, and advise buyers or sellers in M&A transactions — using the same frameworks applied by top investment banks, private equity firms, and Big 4 transaction advisory teams. Live, practitioner-led training with real company data.
200+
DEALS SUPPORTED BY ALUMNI
4–5
WEEKS TO COMPLETE
96%
SATISFACTION RATE
7
YEARS INDUSTRY EXP.
ABOUT THIS SERVICE
More Than a Numbers Check
Financial due diligence is the critical process of validating the true financial health of a target company before a transaction closes. This program teaches you to go beyond the audited financials — uncovering hidden risks, normalising earnings, and identifying value drivers that inform deal structure and price.
Delivered by a finance professional with 7 years of experience across transaction advisory, private equity, and corporate M&A, each session is built around live due diligence exercises using real target company data. You won’t just review checklists — you’ll learn to think like a deal advisor.
Fully customised to your deal size, industry, and transaction type
Live sessions with screen-share, Q&A, and full recording access
Due diligence report templates, checklists, and case studies included
Certificate of Completion recognised by employers and shareable on LinkedIn
SKILLS COVERED
What You'll Be Proficient In
Quality of Earnings (QoE)
95%
Net Working Capital Analysis
90%
Debt & Debt-like Items
85%
Transaction Advisory Reports
85%
10+
LIVE SESSIONS
20+
DD TEMPLATES
6
CASE STUDIES
1:1
COACHING OPTION
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Full Curriculum Breakdown
Six core modules, each building on the last — from understanding the due diligence process to writing professional transaction advisory reports.
MODULE 01
Foundations of Financial Due Diligence
Understand the role of financial DD in the M&A process, key stakeholders, and how it differs from auditing.
- Buyer DD vs. seller DD: objectives and scope
- The M&A timeline: where DD fits
- Key stakeholders: investment bankers, legal, tax, commercial
- DD vs. audit: materiality, scope, and mindset differences
MODULE 02
Quality of Earnings (QoE)
Master the most critical DD workstream — identifying non-recurring, non-operating, and unsustainable items affecting EBITDA.
- Normalising revenues and one-off adjustments
- Identifying unusual or non-recurring expenses
- Related-party transactions and management adjustments
- Presenting adjusted EBITDA and sustainable earnings
MODULE 03
Net Working Capital Analysis
Analyse target working capital to determine appropriate purchase price adjustments and cash-free/debt-free adjustments.
- Historical NWC trends and seasonality
- Identifying excess cash and non-operating items
- The NWC peg and target vs. actual closing adjustment
- Common negotiation points and disputes
MODULE 04
Debt & Debt-like Items
Identify all obligations that should be treated as debt for transaction purposes.
- Bank debt, finance leases, and shareholder loans
- Off-balance sheet liabilities: letters of credit, guarantees
- Unfunded pensions, deferred consideration, and earnouts
- Cash-free/debt-free framework and closing adjustments
MODULE 05
Other Key DD Workstreams
Cover the additional analyses that inform deal structuring and risk assessment.
- Capex and deferred maintenance
- Customer and supplier concentration risks
- Litigation, tax, and contingent liabilities
- Management adjustments and pro forma financials
MODULE 06
DD Report Writing & Deal Presentation
Write clear, actionable due diligence reports that help investment committees make informed decisions.
- Structure of a financial DD report
- Executive summary: key findings and deal implications
- Presenting findings to an investment committee
- Managing the Q&A and follow-up requests
IDEAL CANDIDATES
Who Is This Program For?
This program is designed for professionals who evaluate or execute M&A transactions and need to understand target company financials with precision.
Private Equity Professionals
Screen acquisition targets, lead diligence workstreams, and negotiate deal protections with confidence.
Corporate Development & M&A
Validate acquisition assumptions and identify deal-breaking risks before signing.
Transaction Advisory (Big 4)
Build structured skills for Quality of Earnings and working capital analyses.
Investment Bankers
Support sell-side DD processes and prepare vendor due diligence reports.
HOW IT WORKS
Your Journey from Enrolment to Mastery
Needs Assessment
Custom Curriculum
Live Sessions
Practice & Feedback
Certificate & Support
DELIVERY OPTIONS
Choose Your Learning Format
Every format covers the same rigorous curriculum — the difference is how and when you learn.
1:1 Private
Coaching
The fastest way to master financial due diligence. Fully customised sessions focused on exactly the deal types and industries you work with.
- 2–3 sessions per week, 90 minutes each
- Curriculum built around your real deal files
- All session recordings provided within 24 hours
- Direct Slack/WhatsApp access to instructor
- LinkedIn certificate upon completion
Group
Training
Ideal for teams of 4–20. Delivered as a focused intensive over 2–5 days, on-site or virtually, using your firm’s own deal data.
- Fully customised to your firm’s transaction profile
- Interactive exercises using your actual target financials
- Pre-training skills assessment for all participants
- Post-program skills measurement report
- Certificates issued to all graduates
Self-Paced
Online
Pre-recorded video lessons with downloadable DD templates, assignments, and a final assessment — available 24/7 from anywhere.
- 40+ video lessons across 6 modules
- Downloadable exercise files for every topic
- Graded assignments with written feedback
- Community Q&A forum with instructor
- 12 months access after enrolment
SOFTWARE & TOOLS
Tools You'll Master
No expensive subscriptions required. You’ll learn to perform financial due diligence using Excel and standard financial statements.
Excel
CORE ANALYSIS
Target Company Financials
SOURCE DATA
Trial Balances
DETAIL TESTING
Virtual Data Rooms
DOCUMENT REVIEW
PowerPoint
REPORTING
Word
DD REPORTS
Ready to Identify Deal Risks
With Confidence?
Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we’ll design a program that maps exactly to your deal experience, target industries, and current DD skill level.