Storytelling for Business Leaders Program | Berkeley Haas School of Business

Berkeley Haas School of Business

Leadership and Communication

About Programme

Today’s business leaders are more than stewards of their functions. They turn numbers into meaning that people can act on.

And they do it as AI reshapes the world, in moments when the stakes are highest: investor calls, board discussions, capital decisions, and critical negotiations.

Programme Content

Three days of immersive, virtual learning

World-renowned UC Berkeley Haas faculty and experienced industry practitioners

Realistic simulations of investor calls, boardroom decisions, and value chain conversations, and a cross-sector capstone, refined through peer learning and collaborative feedback

Use AI as a thinking partner to sharpen narratives and prepare for high-stakes conversations

Use of AI to turn complex data into clear insights and effective visualizations

Blend of practical data storytelling frameworks, faculty-led sessions, and hands-on exercises

Access to the Storytelling for Business Leaders alumni community

Storytelling for Business Leaders Program Certificate of Completion

Three days of immersive, in-person learning at the UC Berkeley Haas campus

World-renowned UC Berkeley Haas faculty and experienced industry practitioners

Realistic simulations of investor calls, boardroom decisions, and value chain conversations, and a cross-sector capstone, refined through peer learning and collaborative feedback

Use AI as a thinking partner to sharpen narratives and prepare for high-stakes conversations

Use of AI to turn complex data into clear insights and effective visualizations

Blend of practical data storytelling frameworks, faculty-led sessions, and hands-on exercises

Exclusive in-person networking reception with faculty and peers

Access to the Storytelling for Business Leaders alumni community

Storytelling for Business Leaders Program Certificate of Completion

Programme Audience

Business leaders across the organization: executives who need to engage with and communicate financial narratives

Financial leaders with cross-functional exposure: CFOs, controllers, directors of finance, vice presidents, and other financial executives who engage executive peers, boards, investors, analysts, customers, suppliers, employees, and regulators

Business leaders preparing for C-suite roles: professionals moving beyond technical expertise to communicate with impact

C-suite and their teams: sharpening storytelling in board, investor, audit committee, and other high-stakes settings

Programme Benefits

Turn Data and Expertise into Influence

Use proven storytelling frameworks to transform data and expertise into executive influence, translating complex business insights into narratives that move audiences and drive decisions.

Lead with Empathy, Build Credibility and Trust

Build and practice business communication skills in realistic, live simulations of earnings calls, boardroom decisions, supplier and customer conversations, and other high-stakes moments where clarity and trust matter most.

Use AI as a Thinking Partner

Leverage AI as a thinking partner for decision-making and communication: stress-test assumptions, sharpen narratives, check alignment across functions, translate complex data into clear visualizations.

Influence Strategy Through Alignment

Harness the power of effective storytelling in uncertainty to align cross-functional teams, influence high-stakes decisions, and lead confidently through disruption, transformation, and change.

Testimonials

"I am a program manager who constantly has to coordinate, align, influence, reframe, inspire, motivate in the XFN settings. I will be leveraging the framework of the Storytelling for Business Leaders Program to strengthen my communications at all levels and accelerate project outcomes. I especially look forward to the emphasis on the audience and the hero's journey, along with various framework toolkits to help me calibrate my deliveries. This is a fantastic program, so take advantage of it as much as possible!"

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Panos N. Patatoukas, Faculty Director, Storytelling for Financial Leaders; L.H. Penney Chair in Accounting; Co-Faculty Director, Sustainable and Impact Finance, Haas School of Business

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Jenny Herbert Creek, Lecturer, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

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Homa Bahrami, Senior Lecturer Executive Teaching Fellow, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

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Darcy E. Illg, Professional Faculty Management of Organizations Persuasive Communication Interpersonal Dynamics, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

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Kuan-Hsien, Program Manager at Google