Storytelling for Business Leaders Program
Turn Data into a Story People Understand, Trust, and Act On
Overview
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.
What sets the best apart is the ability to turn data into stories that build investor credibility, create internal alignment, and strengthen trust across the value chain. Yet many business leaders lack a repeatable framework for businessdata-driven storytelling that drives smarter decisions.
Storytelling for Business Leaders is an immersive three-day program built to close that gap. Organized around three lenses—external, internal, and value chain—you'll gain practical tools for every stakeholder conversation plus hands-on experience using AI as a thinking partner to prepare for the moments that matter most.
Key Takeaways
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.
More about the Storytelling for Business Leaders program
In high-stakes business conversations, acumen is necessary but not sufficient. What’s often missing isn’t more data —it’s the ability to turn the numbers into a story others can understand and act on.
Storytelling for Business Leaders builds storytelling fluency through three perspectives—external, internal, and value chain storytelling—giving you a framework for putting data and insight to work across the conversations that move decisions forward.
How the Three Days Build
Every day of this business storytelling training shares a different perspective:
- Day 1 looks outward: To investors, analysts, lenders, and the wider community
- Day 2 looks inward: To boards, peers, and cross-functional teams
- Day 3 looks along the value chain: To suppliers and customers, and brings the three days together
And each day builds on the last, adding practical frameworks, tools, and ways to use AI to develop and stress-test narratives.
Harness AI to Build, Test, and Tell Your Story
The best business stories increasingly draw on richer data and emerging technologies. This program teaches you to use AI for business—as a thinking partner to empathize with audiences, stress-test messages, and sharpen the narratives, decisions, and conversations that already define your role.
You’ll put it to work on your own narrative: an AI-powered premortem before you face investors, an AI-powered alignment check before your story moves across functions, and AI-assisted analysis that turns complex data into clear visualizations. You’ll also explore how AI is reshaping your audiences. The goal isn't to replace your judgment. It's to extend it.
An Engaging Program Experience
Led by Professor Panos N. Patatoukas, L.H. Penney Chair in Accounting, Accounting Group Chair, and Co-Faculty Director of Sustainable and Impact Finance, and by UC Berkeley Haas professional faculty with expertise at the intersection of communication, leadership, organizations, and operations, the program experience includes:
- Realistic simulations of investor calls, boardroom decisions, supplier and customer conversations, and a cross-sector capstone delivered to a live audience
- Practical frameworks for reading every audience—from investors and boards to peers, customers, and suppliers—and turning data into narratives that drive decisions
- Hands-on use of AI to stress-test your narrative, sharpen your message, and visualize the data behind it
- Peer learning and faculty feedback to refine your message and delivery
Add Storytelling to Your Leadership Repertoire
By the end of this immersive and highly practical experience, you'll have presented in a simulated investor call, defended narratives in a mock boardroom, delivered an integrated story to a live audience, and refined your storytelling with peer and faculty feedback. You'll leave with not only a business storytelling framework and toolkit for turning data and expertise into influence, but also the confidence to apply them immediately in your next high-stakes conversation.
Who's it for
- 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
Join us individually to sharpen your own storytelling, or bring your team to build a shared framework for the conversations that matter most.
Want to approach your employer about supporting your professional development? Check out this article.
The Digital Learning Forum
This program is held as a simultaneous dual-delivery experience with in-person and live-online participants in our Digital Learning Forum. Both online and in-person participants will engage in a live and highly-collaborative learning environment designed for interactions between people in all parts of the world.
Format & Structure
Online
- 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
In-Person
- 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
Dates & Costs
Online
In-Person
Other Ways to Participate
Attend this program with a group of your colleagues.
Attend this program with colleagues to gain greater organizational impact. Groups of five or more receive special rates.
Customize this program for your organization.
Use this program's curriculum as the foundation of a program based on your company's unique objectives.
What people are saying
Get more information
Download the Storytelling for Business Leaders Program Guide
The complimentary guide includes sample schedule, program curriculum, learning objectives, and more.
Employer Reimbursement
Gain tips on how to approach your manager about professional development and tuition reimbursement.
Is AI integrated into this business storytelling program?
Yes. AI is woven throughout the program—across faculty-led sessions, simulations, and hands-on exercises applied to your own narrative. More importantly, this program teaches you to think with AI: using AI as a thinking partner to empathize with audiences, stress-test messages, sharpen your story, and translate complex data into clearer narratives and visualizations.
It's AI for the moments that matter most to business leaders—investor calls, board meetings, cross-functional decisions, and customer and supplier negotiations. You will need a laptop and access to a generative AI assistant; guidance is provided before the program. The goal isn't to replace your judgment. It's to amplify it.
How do I enroll in the Storytelling for Business Leaders program?
Enrolling in any one of our programs is simple:
- Click on the "enroll" button on the program page
- Create an account or log in to our customer portal
- Complete the online reservation form (should take less than 2 minutes)
- Pay by credit card to complete your enrollment, or select your preferred payment type to reserve your seat and connect with the finance team
How much time can I expect to spend on coursework each day?
We know that time away from the office is precious, so we work hard to make our program experiences as productive and valuable as possible. Our programs span full business days starting between 8:30-9:00 a.m. and running through 5 p.m. with lunch served in the classroom and short breaks throughout the day.
Approximately 1-2 hours of evening activities and preparation for the next day are required for some programs. Please download the program guide for more detail.
Do your programs provide credits towards a degree, grades, transcripts, or Continuing Education Units (CEUs)?
Our programs are non-degree programs and do not hold any credit unit equivalency, letter grades, pass/fail designation, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or transcripts. Rather, we provide a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the program.
To qualify for a certificate of completion, a participant must meet the minimum requirements as noted for each program and maintaining at least 80% attendance/engagement.
Can I enroll in a program if I live outside of the U.S.?
Yes. Enrollment is available to global leaders, but visa requirements may apply. Proficiency in written and spoken English at a level that allows full engagement and participation in a program is recommended.
For most international participants, a B1/B2 visa—for participation in scientific, educational, professional, or business conventions, conferences, or seminars—is required for entry into the United States to attend a program with us.
Requesting and receiving a visa takes time and we recommend beginning the process three or four months in advance of the start date of a program.
You can ask your Program Manager to prepare an invitation letter to help with your visa application. It is important to emphasize that the visit is for business purposes.
The Visa Waiver Program is available to citizens or nationals from select countries. Check the Department of State website to determine your eligibility and learn about the waiver process.
The list of countries sanctioned by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control currently includes: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and the Ukraine-Crimea Region, plus the addition of Russia for Berkeley Executive Education at this time.
Faculty
Panos N. Patatoukas
Professor, L.H. Penney Chair in Accounting | Accounting Group Chair | Co-Faculty Director, Sustainable and Impact Finance, Haas School of Business
Homa Bahrami, PhD
Executive Teaching Fellow, Senior Lecturer: Entrepreneurship & Innovation | Management of Organizations, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Jenny Herbert Creek
Professional Faculty | Finance, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Darcy E. Illg
Professional Faculty | Management of Organizations | Persuasive Communication & Interpersonal Dynamics, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Omar Romero-Hernandez
Continuing Lecturer | Business & Social Impact | Operations & IT Management | Sustainability, Haas School of Business
Certificates
Certificate of Completion
Signal your professional achievement to your network and get recognized for your completion! Upon successful completion of the program, UC Berkeley Executive Education grants a verified digital certificate of completion to participants that you are encouraged to add to your profiles.
Note: This program results in a digital certificate of completion and is not eligible for degree credit/CEUs. After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you directly. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of UC Berkeley Executive Education.
Certificate of Business Excellence
Participants in the Certificate of Business Excellence (COBE) program will earn a mark of distinction from a world-class university, gain access to a powerful global network, and enjoy the flexibility of completing the program in up to three years. A UC Berkeley Certificate of Business Excellence allows individuals to create a personal learning journey structured by our four academic pillars to gain management essentials in Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, and Finance to drive both personal and organizational development.
