Global Commercial Awareness

The Finsbury Institute presents Global Commercial Awareness, a short course designed for professionals who want to broaden their understanding of the global forces shaping business, markets and strategic decision-making.

Across five weeks, you will explore how social, technological, economic and political developments interact to influence organisations and commercial environments. Topics include global trends and technological disruption, sustainability, economic and political developments, regulation, geopolitical risk, strategic foresight and scenario analysis.

Using horizon scanning, systems thinking, case studies, structured discussion and applied project work, the course will help you develop a more informed and structured approach to complex commercial challenges. You will learn to assess emerging opportunities and risks, connect developments across sectors and regions, and use evidence-based frameworks to evaluate strategic options.

By the end of the course, you will be able to analyse emerging trends, assess their implications for organisations and markets, evaluate complex decisions and communicate strategic insights with greater confidence.

Delivered by former Lord Mayor of London Professor Michael Mainelli , the course brings together perspectives from business, finance, technology, policy and governance. The blended format combines in-person sessions at the Finsbury Institute with live online learning, providing opportunities for discussion, applied learning and professional networking.

Who is it for?

This course is ideal for mid-career professionals, including managers, business owners, entrepreneurs and consultants seeking to broaden their strategic and commercial awareness and prepare for leadership roles.

Timetable

This five-week blended course includes two in-person sessions and three live online sessions, with 21 hours of learning in total.

Benefits

By completing this course, you will:

• Develop stronger global commercial awareness and understand major international business and political developments.
• Analyse emerging social, technological, economic and political trends and assess their impact on organisations.
• Use horizon scanning, systems thinking and strategic foresight to identify opportunities and risks.
• Apply structured frameworks to evaluate complex decisions and develop evidence-based strategic recommendations.
• Connect developments across sectors, regions and disciplines to support more confident strategic decision-making.
• Communicate strategic insights effectively to colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

Week 1: Thursday 12^th November 09:00 – 15:00 (in-person)

Understanding Global Cities in a Complex World

Explore global commercial awareness and how social, technological, economic and political developments shape organisational decisions. You will be introduced to horizon scanning, systems thinking, risk-reward analysis and the Z/EALOUS decision-making methodology.

Week 2: Wednesday 18^th November 09:00 – 12:00 (online)

Social and Technological Forces Shaping the Future

Examine global social trends, sustainability, demographic change, digitalisation and emerging technologies. You will consider how technological and societal change create new opportunities and risks for organisations.

Week 3: Monday 23^rd November 09:00 – 12:00 (online)

Understanding Economic and Political Environments

Explore globalisation, international trade, market structures, political institutions, regulation, public policy and geopolitical risk. You will assess how governments, regulators and international organisations influence commercial environments.

Week 4: Monday 30^th November 13:00 – 16:00 (online)

Strategic Analysis and Applied Global Commercial Awareness

Learn to synthesise social, technological, economic and political intelligence to inform strategic decisions. Through contemporary case studies, you will apply the Z/EALOUS methodology, strategic foresight and scenario analysis to complex commercial challenges.

Week 5: Tuesday 8^th December 09:00 – 15:00 (in-person)

Global Commercial Awareness in Practice

Bring your learning together by analysing a real-world commercial challenge relevant to your professional context. You will evaluate strategic decisions, consider metrics and unintended consequences, and reflect on your development as a commercially aware professional.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate strong global commercial awareness and engage confidently with major international political and business developments.
• Analyse emerging trends and assess their implications for organisations, markets and public policy.
• Evaluate complex decisions using structured, evidence-based analytical frameworks.
• Connect developments across different sectors, regions and disciplines.
• Communicate strategic insights effectively to colleagues, clients and stakeholders.

The course is delivered through a combination of live online teaching, in-person sessions, case studies, structured discussion and applied project work. There is no formal academic assessment or academic credit.

Participants will analyse a real-world commercial challenge relevant to their professional context and present their evidence-based analysis during the final session.

Participants who successfully attend 70% of the sessions will be awarded a City St George’s and Finsbury Institute certificate of completion.

The course is not formally accredited.

No formal qualifications are required. The course is designed for professionals with relevant experience and an interest in commercial, policy or strategic decision-making.

English requirements

You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.

Students are encouraged to develop a regular habit of reading The Economist. The most effective preparation for the course is to read a recent weekly edition cover to cover.

Course book

• Mainelli, M. and Harris, I. (2011), The Price of Fish: A New Approach to Wicked Economics and Better Decisions, Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Preparatory lecture

• “Connect to Prosper – The Power of Networks” by Michael Mainelli.

Preparatory articles

• Mainelli, M. and Ghanea-Hercock, R. (2015), “Long Decisions: Exploring New Ways to Decide What to Do”, The World Financial Review, July–August, pp. 5–8.
• Mainelli, M. (2009), “Long Finance”, Journal of Risk Finance, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 193–195.
• Harris, I., Mainelli, M. and O’Callaghan, M., “Evidence of Worth in Not-for-Profit Sector Organisations”, Strategic Change, Vol. 11, No. 8, pp. 399–410.
• Mainelli, M. and Giffords, B. (2009), The Road to Long Finance: A Systems View of the Credit Crunch, Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation.
• Mainelli, M. and Harris, I. (2004), “Risks, Rewards & Reliability”, European Business Forum, Issue 18, pp. 10–13.

Further reading and resources

• Browse professional articles published by Z/Yen.
• Explore lectures from Gresham College on topics including business, finance, economics, society and global affairs.