Leadership & Decision-Making Programs in 2026

Lead, influence, and decide with confidence in complex, high-stakes environments

More than numbers. Discover high-impact executive programs for finance and management professionals who want to strengthen their leadership, negotiation, and decision-making skills when it matters most.

Great finance leaders do more than analyze. They align stakeholders, lead change, and remain effective under pressure, in the boardroom and beyond. That is why the Amsterdam Institute of Finance brings together four executive programs focused on personal effectiveness and behavioral skills in a financial context.

Explore the programs, see which one matches your role, and meet the experts behind them:
> Why leadership & decision-making matter now
> The programs at a glance
> Who should attend
> Meet the faculty
> How to participate

Why leadership & decision-making matter now

Finance professionals operate in environments that are increasingly complex, uncertain and high-pressure. Technical expertise is essential, but it no longer determines success on its own. The quality of outcomes is shaped by how decisions are made, how people are influenced, and how uncertainty and risk are handled.

In practice, the biggest challenges are rarely technical. They arise from negotiation dynamics, organizational politics, cognitive biases, stress and risk perception. Leaders who understand these behavioral drivers make better decisions, build stronger alignment and create more sustainable results.

These programs sharpen your ability to:
> Negotiate effectively: stay in control under pressure
> Lead and influence: steer people and organizations through change
> Decide under uncertainty: avoid biases and improve critical thinking
> Understand risk behavior: recognize psychological drivers behind financial decisions

The programs at a glance

From negotiation and leadership to decision-making and risk, these programs offer a focused, complementary learning journey. Each program stands on its own. Together, they form a powerful leadership toolkit that connects influence, decision quality, and behavioral insight in a financial context.

Join renowned experts for in-depth learning experiences:

1. Negotiation Dynamics
With Ingemar Dierickx
Be in control and steer negotiations in your favor:
✔  Structure complex package deals
✔  Stay in control under pressure
✔  Avoid arguments and spot negotiating blind spots
Download brochure | Enroll now

2. Leadership: Influencing People & Managing Change
​​With Prof. Marwan Sinaceur
Strengthen your leadership impact at both interpersonal and organizational level:
✔  Influence across levels and teams
✔  Lead and implement change effectively
✔  Communicate and negotiate with greater impact
Download brochure | Enroll now

3. Decision-making in high-stakes situations
​​With Prof. Marwan Sinaceur
Improve your effectiveness in uncertain or complex situations:
✔  Identify and avoid decision biases
✔  Improve your critical thinking
✔  Handle uncertainty with confidence
Download brochure | Enroll now

4. Psychology of Risk
With Prof. Stefan Zeisberger
Understand the psychological drivers behind financial decisions:
✔  Spot behavioral patterns behind financial decisions
✔  Measure risk preferences and apply them in risk management
✔  Improve decision quality for you and your team
Download brochure | Enroll now

Who should attend

These programs are designed for ambitious professionals who want to strengthen their personal effectiveness alongside their technical expertise, including:
✔  Finance leaders and senior financials
✔  CFOs, controllers and risk professionals
✔  Investment professionals and analysts
✔  Consultants and advisors
✔  Executives and managers operating in complex environments

Meet the faculty

You will learn from highly experienced experts:

Ingemar Dierickx is the senior partner of I.D. Consulting. He was Professor of Negotiation Analysis at INSEAD for nearly twenty-five years. Dierickx holds a PhD (Business Economics) from Harvard University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar.

Ingemar Dierickx

“Nothing of value is obtained without effort”
Ingemar Dierickx, Senior Partner at I.D. Consulting

Program:
>
Negotiation Dynamics

Read the interview with Ingemar Dierickx:
> Ingemar Dierickx: ‘Nothing of value is obtained without effort’

Marwan Sinaceur is a Full Professor at ESSEC Business School in Paris. Before that, he was a Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD for thirteen years, where he received the Deans’ Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching twice. He earned his PhD from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Professor Marwan Sinaceur, ESSEC Business School

“Reach goals more effectively by influencing people and managing change”
Professor Marwan Sinaceur, ESSEC Business School Paris, France

Programs:
> Leadership: Influencing People & Managing Change
> Decision-making in high-stakes situations

Read the interviews with Prof. Marwan Sinaceur:
> ‘Reach goals more effectively by influencing people and managing change’
> Prof. Marwan Sinaceur: ‘Better decision makers make better managers’

Professor Stefan Zeisberger teaches at Radboud University and the University of Zurich, and he previously held positions at the California Institute of Technology and Stony Brook University in New York where he founded and directed the Center for Behavioral Finance.

Stefan Zeisberger

“We can’t just switch off our biases.”
Professor Stefan Zeisberger, Professor of Finance at Radboud University, Associate Professor at University of Zurich

Program:
> Psychology of Risk

Read the interview with Prof. Stefan Zeisberger:
> Prof. Stefan Zeisberger: ‘We can’t just switch off our biases’ (Psychology of Risk)

How to participate

Each program is a standalone executive course taught in small, interactive groups in Amsterdam. You can join one program or combine multiple programs for a broader and more integrated development of your personal and leadership skills in finance.

Expect highly interactive sessions, real-life cases, clear frameworks and tools you can apply immediately in your daily work.

Ready to strengthen your personal impact?
Build a sharper and more complete soft skills toolkit, from negotiation and leadership to decision-making and behavioral risk insights. Learn from world-class faculty shaping today’s finance and management practice. Choose your next program:
> Negotiation Dynamics
> Leadership: Influencing People & Managing Change
> Decision-making in high-stakes situations
> Psychology of Risk
Prefer personal advice? Contact AIF: +31 20 246 7140 | info@aif.nl

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