Dr Mark Johnson

The two organisations have joined forces to launch a pair of two-day executive programmes designed specifically for operational leaders across Scottish hospitality and tourism who lack a formal finance background.

Rising costs, tightening margins and an increasingly complex trading environment mean that financial management can no longer be left solely to finance teams. Many hospitality professionals who have progressed through the industry on the strength of operational expertise find themselves responsible for budgets and commercial outcomes without the training to interpret financial data with confidence. It is a gap that has long gone unaddressed – and one these new programmes aim to close.

The first programme, Financial Management for Hospitality Decision Makers, takes place in Glasgow on 19 and 20 May 2026. It is aimed at departmental managers, functional heads, small business owners and aspiring senior leaders who manage budgets and financial performance day to day but hold no formal finance qualification. Drawing on Strathclyde Business School’s internationally recognised MBA curriculum, the course covers core concepts including profit and loss, balance sheets, cash flow, and the analysis of profitability, liquidity and efficiency.

A second, more senior programme follows on 9 and 10 June 2026, aimed at executive-level leaders. It moves beyond operational decision-making to address sources of funding, capital budgeting, investment appraisal, mergers and acquisitions, and financial governance. Applications for both programmes are now open.

Dave Allen, programme director at HIT Scotland, described the initiative as a practical response to a real-world need.

“These programmes provide a practical, applied framework to help participants confidently interpret financial information, challenge assumptions and make informed, strategically aligned decisions,” he said, adding that the emphasis throughout is on real-world hospitality application rather than theoretical instruction.

Dr Mark Johnson, teaching fellow – Accounting and Finance at University of Strathclyde Business School, said: “Financial literacy is now an essential leadership capability across hospitality. Managers are making decisions every day that directly impact profitability, yet many have never been formally trained in how to interpret or apply financial data.

“This programme has been designed to demystify finance and give hospitality leaders the tools, frameworks and confidence they need to understand performance, challenge assumptions and drive stronger commercial outcomes.

“It’s not about turning managers into accountants – it’s about enabling better, more informed decision-making across the business.”

The programmes form part of both HIT Scotland’s Executive Leadership Programme and Strathclyde Business School’s executive education portfolio.