Private Equity
Course
For professionals who need to understand how private equity funds, buyouts, venture capital and exit routes shape investment, funding and strategic finance decisions.
The private markets gap many professionals face.
Finance professionals are now expected to engage with private equity investors, acquisition cases and portfolio-company decisions, even when their experience has been built in corporate finance, audit, advisory or operating roles rather than on the deal side.
The gap appears when an investment thesis must be interpreted, a valuation challenged, leverage assessed or an exit route explained. The programme builds this capability in a practical, structured way, giving participants the finance, valuation and deal perspective needed for strategic-level decisions.
What private equity capability looks like in practice.
Four practical capabilities that help finance professionals connect private equity, fund structures, buyout logic, venture capital and exit routes to strategic finance decisions.
Interpret private equity investment types
Distinguish key PE investment forms and their role in company financing and ownership.
Analyse fund structures and LPAs
Understand how PE funds are organised and how GPs, LPs and fund agreements interact.
Examine buyout fund logic
Analyse ownership, capital deployment, value creation and exit planning in buyout funds.
Understand venture capital and exits
Explore how venture capital supports growth and how liquidity events shape investor returns.
Where Private Equity fits in the CLFI finance pathway.
Private Equity can be studied as part of a wider finance pathway, connecting fund structures, buyouts, venture capital and exits with corporate finance, valuation, governance and M&A decision-making.
Analyse how investment decisions, financing choices and capital allocation shape business value and strategic options.
Evaluate enterprise value, cash flow assumptions and return expectations in acquisition and portfolio company contexts.
Recognise how board oversight, incentives and accountability affect investor confidence and portfolio performance.
Examine how PE investors source opportunities, structure deals and create value through ownership.
Examine acquisition logic, due diligence priorities and exit pathways across financial and strategic transactions.
Seven chapters inside the programme pathway.
The course explains how private equity operates, covering investment types, fund agreements, buyout funds, venture capital and the exit routes that shape investor decisions.
Introduction to Private Equity
How private equity operates as a source of private capital for investing in, improving, and exiting businesses.
Types of PE Investments
Overview of the main investment types, including buyouts, growth capital, venture capital, and special situations.
The Limited Partnership Agreement
The legal and commercial framework that defines the relationship between fund managers and investors.
The Buyout Funds
How buyout funds acquire established companies and use governance, capital structure, and operational improvement to create value.
Venture Capital
Venture capital investment in early-stage and high-growth companies, with a focus on scalability, risk, and staged financing.
Liquidity Events and Exits
How venture capital investors realise returns through trade sales, secondary transactions, and public listings.
PE in a Nutshell
Consolidation of the key principles of fund structure, investment strategy, value creation, and exit planning.
Choose how to study Private Equity.
Study Private Equity through the CFO Programme if your focus is strategic finance judgement, or through the full Executive Certificate if you want the complete finance, valuation and governance pathway.
For strategic finance judgement.
- For professionals who want private equity alongside corporate finance, valuation and M&A.
- Focused on investment cases, funding decisions and deal-related judgement.
- Suited to finance professionals building CFO-level strategic finance capability.
For complete finance coverage.
- For professionals or teams who want the wider Executive Certificate.
- Includes corporate finance, valuation, corporate governance, private equity and M&A.
- Useful for broader executive finance development across finance, governance and deals.
What sets this programme apart.
Faculty-led, case-based and grounded in strategic finance decision-making, with flexible formats and learning connected to London's finance ecosystem.
CPD accredited
Completion supports continuing professional development, with a CLFI certificate awarded on completion.
Applied cases
Learning is connected to real transaction and valuation contexts, including Hilton x Blackstone, Essilor-Luxottica and selected M&A examples where relevant.
London finance connection
Finance education shaped by CLFI's connection to London's finance ecosystem, with online access and selected London delivery options.
Is this private equity course standalone?
No. The private equity content is delivered inside CLFI's wider executive finance pathways, not as a standalone short course. Choose the CFO Programme if you want private equity alongside corporate finance, valuation and M&A, or choose the Executive Certificate if you want the full pathway including corporate governance.
Who is this private equity route for?
It suits finance professionals, advisors, operators and managers who need practical fluency in private equity. It is particularly relevant if you work with PE clients, operate inside PE-backed companies or want stronger private markets judgement.
How is this different from a general finance course?
A general finance course focuses on accounting, budgeting or broad financial analysis. This page focuses on private equity judgement: how investors assess deals, use valuation, structure ownership and create value over a holding period.
What does the CFO Programme cost?
Online access to the CFO Programme starts from £495 for individual professionals. Corporate access, group enrolments, hybrid delivery and selected in-person options are priced separately depending on format and cohort requirements.
Do I need a specific qualification or background?
No specific qualification is required. Accounting, corporate finance, advisory, investment, entrepreneurial or operating experience can all provide a useful foundation. The course is built for professionals who want to strengthen judgement around private equity, capital, valuation and transaction-related decisions.
Can my employer fund this programme?
Yes. Many professionals use employer funding or learning and development budgets for executive education. CLFI can support internal approval with employer sponsorship information, invoicing details and corporate pack options.
What format and time commitment should I expect?
CLFI offers online, hybrid and selected in-person delivery options. You can study alongside a full-time role, with route-specific format details confirmed on the CFO Programme or Executive Certificate page.
What certificate do I receive on completion?
You receive the certificate associated with the route you choose. Both routes support continuing professional development through CPD recognition.
Choose the route for your next step.
Whether you are exploring Private Equity as part of CFO-level finance development or as part of the wider Executive Certificate, choose the route that matches the level of coverage you need.
CFO Programme
For professionals comparing CFO-focused executive education options, including corporate finance, valuation, private equity and M&A.
Executive Certificate
For professionals or teams seeking the full finance, valuation and governance pathway, including corporate governance, private equity and M&A.
