Real Stories. Real Career Growth.

From landing their first finance job to stepping into leadership, see how professionals accelerate their careers with CFI certifications.
User Icon
2.8M+

Registered Users

500,000+

5-Star Reviews

190+

Countries

Alonso Saponara Rivva,
fmva®
Investment Banking Analyst
Goldman Sachs
Mohamed Abd El-Naser,
fmva®, 
cbca®, 
fpap®, 
fpwm®
Business Development
Lilia Bekheda,
fmva®, 
fpap®, 
bida®
Senior Accountant
Chris Caldwell,
fmva®
Director, Treasury
George Slabbert,
fmva®
Offshore Equity Analyst 
Ayesha Felice N. Zain,
fmva®
Entrepreneur
Joju K Shibu,
fmva®
Senior Business
Albert Ayirebi-Acquah,
fmva®, 
cbca®
Commercial Director
Alessandro Rovere,
fmva®
Senior Manager Strategic Corporate Finance
Mohsen Elhelalyl,
fmva®
Finance Lead
Fawda Aouini,
fmva®
Equity Research Analyst
alonso saponara rivva headshot
mohamed abd el naser headshot
lilia bekheda headshot
chris caldwell headshot
George Slabbert headshot
ayesha felice n zain headshot
Joju K Shibu
albert ayirebi acquah headshot
alessandro rovere headshot
Mohsen Elhelalyl Headshot
fawda aouini headshot
1 of 11 stories
alonso saponara rivva headshot
Alonso Saponara Rivva,
fmva®
Investment Banking Analyst
Goldman Sachs
Mohamed Abd El-Naser,
fmva®, 
cbca®, 
fpap®, 
fpwm®
Business Development
Lilia Bekheda,
fmva®, 
fpap®, 
bida®
Senior Accountant
Chris Caldwell,
fmva®
Director, Treasury
George Slabbert,
fmva®
Offshore Equity Analyst 
Ayesha Felice N. Zain,
fmva®
Entrepreneur
Joju K Shibu,
fmva®
Senior Business
Albert Ayirebi-Acquah,
fmva®, 
cbca®
Commercial Director
Alessandro Rovere,
fmva®
Senior Manager Strategic Corporate Finance
Mohsen Elhelalyl,
fmva®
Finance Lead
Fawda Aouini,
fmva®
Equity Research Analyst

Trusted by Industry Leaders Worldwide

Accredited by leading institutions and trusted by thousands of professionals worldwide.
NASBA Registered CPE Sponsor
Corporate Finance Institute is registered with NASBA as an approved provider of Continuing Professional Education (CPE).
Accredited By LIBF
Accredited by the London Institute of Banking & Finance, a globally respected leader in financial education and professional development.
Highly Rated on Trustpilot
Rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot for CFI’s user-friendly platform, clear instruction, and high-quality courses that deliver practical value.

How CFI Graduates Accelerate Their Careers

From consultants to analysts, discover how CFI graduates are transforming their careers through hands-on learning and real-world application.
Rida Rikka,
fmva®
Management Consulting EY
The FMVA® certification helped me bring greater financial depth to my work while also improving how I present and communicate insights.
FMVA® significantly strengthened my ability to build integrated financial models, perform scenario analysis, and derive data-driven valuations that directly support strategic recommendations. These skills have proved invaluable in my consulting work—whether developing business cases for public sector transformation, structuring feasibility studies for large-scale national initiatives, or supporting operating model design with financial forecasts and performance metrics. 
What is your career background?
I am a trusted advisor with over a decade of experience in strategy consulting, business transformation, and wealth management across the MENA, South American, and African regions. My career has spanned global consulting firms and international banking institutions, and I currently serve as a Manager at Ernst & Young (EY) in Dubai, UAE. Prior to EY, I co-founded and led a boutique consulting firm, Strategy Experts, delivering high-impact transformation projects for government and private sector clients, particularly across Vision 2030 initiatives in Saudi Arabia and the multiple endeavors in the UAE.
Why did you choose the FMVA®?
I pursued the FMVA® certification in 2022 to deepen my technical expertise in financial modeling and valuation. Although my background was rooted in wealth management, strategy and advisory work, I recognized the growing need to back strategic decisions with robust financial analysis—especially while scaling my own firm and leading engagements that required a clear link between strategy and financial impact. FMVA® stood out for its practical, hands-on approach to bridging this gap.
What skills has it given you to help in your career?
FMVA® significantly strengthened my ability to build integrated financial models, perform scenario analysis, and derive data-driven valuations that directly support strategic recommendations. These skills have proved invaluable in my consulting work—whether developing business cases for public sector transformation, structuring feasibility studies for large-scale national initiatives, or supporting operating model design with financial forecasts and performance metrics. At Strategy Experts, I used these skills to advise government clients across sectors like tourism, defense, and economic development, while at EY, they have helped me lead transformation projects that require strong financial planning, budgeting, and KPI alignment. The certification also enhanced my ability to communicate complex financial insights in a simple, actionable way—an essential skill in both internal leadership settings and client engagements.
How has it impacted your career trajectory?
The FMVA® certification helped me bring greater financial depth to my work while also improving how I present and communicate insights. It equipped me with tools for forecasting, scenario planning, and visualizing data, which have been critical in shaping business cases and transformation programs—first as an entrepreneur and now at EY. This well-rounded skill set has allowed me to better align strategy with measurable outcomes and offer more actionable, finance-backed advice across both public and private sector projects. In short, it helped me run my company better, and also big organizations like EY.
What makes the FMVA® the most impactful/credible certification in the market?
What I loved about the FMVA® is that during my past time when I started studying these subjects in university, it was mostly theoretical and not as the FMVA is, uniquely practical. It’s not just about theory or passing exams—it’s about applying real-world tools and frameworks that consultants, analysts, and finance professionals use every day. Its structure makes it relevant across industries and roles, from investment banking and private equity to corporate finance and strategy consulting. I also believe it’s highly credible because passing the program requires a well-rounded understanding across multiple disciplines, all of which have direct real-life applications.
Filipa Silva,
fmva®
M&A Associate, Strategy & Corporate Finance PwC
The FMVA has significantly strengthened my ability to build dynamic, well-structured financial models and run advanced valuation and sensitivity analyses very efficiently.
It also reinforced key concepts, including different valuation approaches, budgeting and forecasting frameworks and best practices for clean, executive-ready presentations and dashboards.
What is your career background?
I started working in M&A while writing my Master’s dissertation in Finance. I now have almost two years of experience, mostly focused on sell-side mandates. As an M&A associate, I support end-to-end deal execution by building financial models, preparing marketing materials, assisting with due-diligence workstreams and conducting detailed financial and market analyses to support investor discussions and strategic decisions.
Why did you choose the FMVA®?
I chose the FMVA because I wanted a practical, industry-focused program that would deepen my technical skills in financial modelling and valuation, complementing what I naturally develop working in M&A. It’s a globally recognised certification with hands-on, real-world case studies, making it the perfect add-on to my day-to-day deal environment.
What skills has it given you to help in your career?
The FMVA has significantly strengthened my ability to build dynamic, well-structured financial models and run advanced valuation and sensitivity analyses very efficiently. It also reinforced key concepts, including different valuation approaches, budgeting and forecasting frameworks and best practices for clean, executive-ready presentations and dashboards. On top of that, it boosted my Excel skills… even working in Excel every single day, I still learned new shortcuts — amazing!
How has it impacted your career trajectory?
I recently completed the certification, so it’s still early — but I already feel more confident tackling complex modelling work and high-stakes financial analysis. I am confident that the knowledge and skills I have gained will support a faster progression within M&A.
What makes the FMVA® the most impactful/credible certification in the market?
The FMVA stands out for its practical, hands-on approach, directly aligned with the standards used in corporate finance. Taking the FMVA, you will also show your commitment, curiosity and self-initiative — demonstrating a genuine drive to learn and excel in finance. The program is structured to be globally recognised and economically accessible without compromising rigor and quality, delivering a truly world-class learning experience.

Career Outcomes That Speak for Themselves

Discover how professionals from diverse backgrounds have transformed their careers.
All Stories
FMVA
FPAP
BIDA
CBCA
CMSA
FPWM
FTIP

“I am very satisfied with the program”

CFI’s Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst Program is a very valuable source of skills and knowledge for professional development. The holistic program tackles all relevant corporate, project and behavioral finance topics systematically, with a strong emphasis on applicable Excel skills for financial and sensitivity analyses, modeling, valuation and budgeting. I would highly recommend it to everyone pursuing a career in finance.

“It was one of the best decisions that I made in my life”

I found the courses of the Program at CFI extremely practical and market-oriented. It was a great high-quality learning experience in terms of Instructor’s knowledge deliverability, course content of the program, notes, quality of video lectures and especially the support staff for handling questions & queries right on time. I have completed the program – it more than met my expectations and I feel I have really benefited from it. It was one of the best decisions that I made in my life.

“Big thank you to Tim Vipond for this incredible course!”

Big thank you to Tim Vipond for this incredible course. After much hard work, I now possess valuable financial modeling capabilities such as building discounted cash flow models, building dynamically linked 3-statement models, and building multi-year forecasts to project income statements, cash flows, and balance sheets into the future. In addition, I can draw upon multiple methods of financial and valuation analysis (including ratio analysis, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, accretion/dilution analysis, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions, and discounted cash flow analysis) in order to assess the risks and rewards of investment opportunities.

“Already recommended it to others”

The FMVA certification is a great addition to my theoretical and practical financial experience. It has enabled me to become a specialist in summarizing complex finance topics and turning them into simple presentations, dashboards and valuations (as compared to theoretical guru’s who know a lot but don’t always seem to be able to deliver said tangible outcomes). You guys are doing a terrific job on the certification and I’ve already recommended it to others in a similar situation. Keep up the good work!

“A certification program that’s not boring and appeals to my career development”

I’m impressed with the quality and illustration of the FMVA program. Simply well done. I finally found a certification program that’s not boring and appeals to my career development. Looking forward to finishing it and being part of the Global Corporate Finance Society.

“The impact of that on my career has been amazing”

Thank you for coming up with a body of knowledge as robust as the FMVA certification. I have taken all I learned from the course and applied to my current job, and the impact of that on my career has been amazing.

“Well-structured and practical course content”

I would like to express my appreciation for CFI’s well-structured and practical online course content! Using common management and business concepts, it delivers so much in terms of practical learning outcomes that can be applied straight away. I will be completing the remaining courses and will continue to be a part of CFI for my career enhancement!

“Just awesome!”

I never leave feedback, but in this case I found your course just awesome! For a long time I have struggled to find a course with the combination of high professional Financial and Excel modelling skills. Due to your practical background in finance, the model is in all aspects very highly rated. I believe it’s worth much more than I paid for it and I feel very lucky to have taken your amazing courses.

“The resources are very educational”

The resources are very educational and will go a long way not only for me but also for our colleagues in the energy regulatory agency. I appreciate very much the CFI material!

guest image

“I am very satisfied with the program”

CFI’s Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst Program is a very valuable source of skills and knowledge for professional development. The holistic program tackles all relevant corporate, project and behavioral finance topics systematically, with a strong emphasis on applicable Excel skills for financial and sensitivity analyses, modeling, valuation and budgeting. I would highly recommend it to everyone pursuing a career in finance.

“Already recommended it to others”

The FMVA certification is a great addition to my theoretical and practical financial experience. It has enabled me to become a specialist in summarizing complex finance topics and turning them into simple presentations, dashboards and valuations (as compared to theoretical guru’s who know a lot but don’t always seem to be able to deliver said tangible outcomes). You guys are doing a terrific job on the certification and I’ve already recommended it to others in a similar situation. Keep up the good work!

“A certification program that’s not boring and appeals to my career development”

I’m impressed with the quality and illustration of the FMVA program. Simply well done. I finally found a certification program that’s not boring and appeals to my career development. Looking forward to finishing it and being part of the Global Corporate Finance Society.

“The impact of that on my career has been amazing”

Thank you for coming up with a body of knowledge as robust as the FMVA certification. I have taken all I learned from the course and applied to my current job, and the impact of that on my career has been amazing.

“CFI delivers world leading courses, certifications and qualifications. Actually rated more than 5 Stars!”

I really enjoyed the FMVA and believe it’s an excellent program that comprises a complete learning package for finance professionals (i.e. Financial Modeling, Budgeting, Forecasting, Business Valuation, Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Advance Excel tools, Effective Charts, and Graphs or Dashboard).

“I am very satisfied with the FMVA Course”

I am very satisfied with the FMVA certification, now I am able to build a 3 statements model from scratch. I know how to build an adavanced financial modeling,make a DCF Analysis (Discount cash flow analysis).How to create a financial model for a Real Estate project, LBO and M&A advanced models,build a FP&A Monthly Cash Flow Forecast Model. I have adavanced Exccel knowledge on how to create a Pivot table, use advanced excel formula like Offset,SUMPRODUCT, Index and Match and so more. I want to thank you again Mr Tim Vipond for this great advanced Financial modeling course.

“I would strongly recommend this FMVA program.”

I am very honored to become a “Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)®.

Financial Analysts are really the nerds of accounting; I say that in a loving way—they are the real numbers people who do the hard math.

I would strongly recommend this program for accounting and finance professionals as the business performance begins with raw and ends into finished goods with FMVA®.

And It is very excelling, practically designed, engaging reports, modelling ratios, presented clear power point, valuation charts, analyzing ratios, and easy for the users.

Thank you to #corporatefinanceinstitute for creating this excellent professional program, learning opportunity, and inspiration.

“Excellent Course!!!”

This course was very detailed and structured. I would definitely recommend this Certification for any budding Financial Analyst.

“I am proud to have been part of the CFI’s FMVA Program”

I really enjoyed CFI’s FMVA Program as I believe it’s an excellent program which comprises complete learning package for Finance Professionals ( i.e. Financial Modeling, Budgeting, Forecasting, Business Valuation, Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Advance Excel tools, Effective Charts and Graphs or Dashboard). The industry experienced instructor seamlessly integrates financial theory with real-world application which kept me focused throughout the course and enhanced my conceptual knowledge. The course content & case studies are superbly prepared by CFI while keeping in mind the real needs of finance professionals to accomplish the job in real life. The online training allowed me to balance my work schedule. I invested in this course to enrich my professional life and I am grateful and proud to have been part of the CFI’s FMVA Program.

guest image

I believe the program fully performs what it promises, bridging the gap between work and higher education. For me, it means an added value that I cannot describe in words. The program focuses on technical knowledge, which is highly valued since, on average, a student only learns theory before starting work.

guest image

CFI delivers an outstanding online education for any aspiring finance professional. The well-arranged dashboard, the top-notch produced video lectures, interactive exercises, and quizzes keep me engaged and motivated throughout the whole program. The CFI programs are a great bridge between financial theory and professional practice.

guest image

The financial modeling training was the best I have received in my entire corporate finance career. I learned how to be good at financial modeling, PowerPoint presentation, budgeting & FP&A. 

guest image

The content inside FPAP is incredibly valuable. The courses are not only practical but also engaging and very well-structured. They’ve helped me sharpen my technical skills and gain much more confidence in areas like financial modeling, budgeting, and strategic analysis.

I also really appreciate how up-to-date and job-relevant the material is. The mix of Excel-based modeling, real-world examples, and case-driven learning makes a huge difference. It’s clear that CFI genuinely understands what finance professionals need in today’s fast-moving world.

guest image

BIDA is a Game Changer. The content is well explained and provides step by step knowledge of the various areas. 

guest image

The Presentation and the delivery of the course is great, great material and great knowledge very powerful!!

guest image

I highly appreciated the steps and demonstration in building a either corporate or business strategy.

guest image

The course is focusing on the most important skills that are needed in real life and they open up the mind to understand the world of strategic analysis.

guest image

The course materials including videos and transcripts were structured in a way that made them easy to comprehend. And the course lecturer was fantastic!!! I give an A+.

guest image

I have taken several strategy courses from other platforms, but this is the most quantitative. Therefore, it is the best. It covers the standard models, such as five forces, PEST, and balanced scorecard, so it is in the mainstream, and relevant.

guest image

Excellent, better than expected. Love the emphasis in ethics, their approaches, the cases discussed, and the Theranos example was remarkable as an example.

guest image

I liked how the Instructor spoke slowly, and clearly, and articulately. Really gave time to absorb everything throughout the interaction.

guest image

“It was one of the best decisions that I made in my life”

I found the courses of the Program at CFI extremely practical and market-oriented. It was a great high-quality learning experience in terms of Instructor’s knowledge deliverability, course content of the program, notes, quality of video lectures and especially the support staff for handling questions & queries right on time. I have completed the program – it more than met my expectations and I feel I have really benefited from it. It was one of the best decisions that I made in my life.

CBCA is a very relevant certification for professionals who are or aspire to be in Commercial Banking and for people who want to have a general understanding of finance.

guest image

The most challenging but relevant program for Credit Analyst. Helped me understand better some of the most important concepts in assessing a borrower. learned a lot about credit administration and documents necessary to complete the loan process.

guest image

The best course to have in depth knowledge of Credit analysis. I would recommend this course to all who are in process to learn credit analysis.

guest image

The CBCA course is excellent. Both the course content and delivery are top notch.

guest image

All courses of the CBCA program were provided in a very clear and easily understandable way. The lecturers were covering the subjects in a very effective manner. The design of the presentations looks very pleasant too.  

guest image

I found the CBCA as one of the best certificates in banking, and I recommend all Relationship Managers in SME/Corporate banking, and the credit risk assessors to take this designation.

guest image

The CBCA certification program offers an exceptional opportunity to explore financial theory and practice from the perspective of commercial lending and credit analysis.The course content is both comprehensive and easily digestible which make for a highly effective and efficient learning experience. Course instructors are excellent.

guest image

CBCA courses tend to teach you how to apply the information in real business.

guest image

“Director, GFI Group”

CMSA Program provides a through coverage of all products in the Capital Markets universe with the ability to dig down further in need.

guest image

“Associate Director, FIS”

Completed CMSA which helped me grow in my career and add immense value to my CV. I have a much better understanding of the fundamentals now and practical knowledge as well to deal with any challenges.

guest image

CMSA certification explains the details pertaining to financial instruments, capital markets and portfolio management from the minutest level to full detail elaboration.

guest image

This was pretty thorough and insightful into how insurance works and why financial planning has to be wholistic.

guest image

Exceptional course for beginners to know details about Wealth Management. Well designed and articulated with graphics are engaging.

guest image

Systematic way of providing information and very nicely explained each concepts in wealth management.

guest image

This program will show you how top financial planners and wealth advisors make informed decisions. Through a sequence of courses, you will learn the skills, knowledge, and tools to become a successful finance professional.

guest image

“Big thank you to Tim Vipond for this incredible course!”

Big thank you to Tim Vipond for this incredible course. After much hard work, I now possess valuable financial modeling capabilities such as building discounted cash flow models, building dynamically linked 3-statement models, and building multi-year forecasts to project income statements, cash flows, and balance sheets into the future. In addition, I can draw upon multiple methods of financial and valuation analysis (including ratio analysis, scenario analysis, sensitivity analysis, accretion/dilution analysis, comparable company analysis, precedent transactions, and discounted cash flow analysis) in order to assess the risks and rewards of investment opportunities.

“Awesome Content”

Great content on this website. The stuff you learn is actually applicable in the workplace which is refreshing as most courses are overly theoretical out there.
Very good value for the money.

“Director Of Special Projects at Kick4Life F.C”

Today marks a very important milestone in my educational journey. I have been looking for a way to get into Finance but hadn’t been able to identify a credential that would do the job without interrupting my work schedule.

guest image

Truly comprehensive and well designed course, which is not only an enjoyable learning process but will also serve as useful guide to refer to on the job to do day several day to day

guest image

Ready to Transform Your Finance Career?

Join over 2.8 million professionals who have advanced their careers with CFI's world-class certifications.
0 search results for ‘