Our programmes
C-Suite Presentations
Mastering Executive Presentations
Win over the boardroom when time is short and the stakes are high.
Detailed reports have largely fallen out of favour with top management. Leaders want concise, clear presentations that give them actionable insights to make informed decisions. Mastering Executive Presentations prepares middle and senior managers to present to the C-suite and board, where the presentation is often the decision document and every minute counts.
The problem it solves
Executives decide quickly and challenge hard. Presentations that bury the answer, lack an executive summary or cannot handle questions lose the room, and the proposal is delayed or rejected.
Who it’s for
- Middle and senior managers who present to the C-suite, management committees or the board
- Managers preparing and pitching proposals, board papers or investment cases
- Leaders moving into roles where they represent their team to top management
Format
- Duration: 2 days in-house
- Group size: Up to 10 participants
- Preparation: E-learning: Fundamentals of Presenting, completed before the workshop
- Coaching: 1:1 coaching and a mock executive panel
- Delivery: At your premises or a venue of your choice
Learning objectives
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Identify and analyse the key concerns and priorities of top executives
- Develop a clear and compelling storyline that aligns with organisational goals
- Structure presentations logically, using data and evidence to support the narrative
- Design visuals that support the narrative and make decisions easier
- Present confidently and handle questions and feedback from top executives
Programme outline
Module 1
Narrative
Start with the objective and the executive audience.
- Balancing your objective with what the executives need: Objective ↔ Audience
- Identifying key stakeholders and their priorities
- Building a narrative that appeals to both logic and emotion
- The MEP model: Narrative, Storyline and Visuals, then Delivery
Module 2
Storyline
Build a storyline that leads with the answer.
- Storyline components: situation, problem, implication, proposal, investment, action and benefit
- Building the storyline arc for an executive audience
- The executive summary that drives the decision
- Hooks, colour and interaction: anecdotes, case studies and real-world examples
Module 3
Visuals
Design the deck as the decision document.
- Slide deck vs. report: when the deck is the official record
- Storyboarding the visuals for top management
- Data visualisation and graphic illustration
- Clarity, simplicity, consistency, branding, confidentiality and trackers
- The conclusion and call-to-action slide
Module 4
Delivery
Present with authenticity and authority.
- Being authentic: top management can sense insincerity
- Adding engagement, passion and gravitas
- Reading the room and keeping eye contact while presenting
- Q&A and Murphy's Law: preparing for what can go wrong
Module 5
Rough Times simulation
Practise in front of a mock executive panel.
- Participants present real work to a mock executive panel
- The panel tests them with the things that can go wrong: interruptions, challenges and difficult questions
- Individual feedback and a personal action plan for improvement
How the workshop runs
- Participants present real work slides early on and receive initial feedback on strengths and gaps
- Exercises on building executive summaries, selecting the right data and choosing visuals
- The OSCAR doll framework and the Golden Thread to connect the narrative
- A final presentation to a mock executive panel, evaluated against the techniques learned
What participants take away
- Mastering Executive Presentations workbook
- Cheat sheets: Diamond Structures, storyline components and the executive narrative
- Individual feedback and a personal action plan
- A refined presentation from your own work
The outcome
Presentations that are compelling and compact, lead with a clear recommendation and stand up to executive questioning.
Questions
How is this different from OSCAR Presentation Skills?
OSCAR Presentation Skills builds the core method for any business presentation. Mastering Executive Presentations focuses on top management and board audiences, with a mock executive panel.
Can participants work on real board papers?
Yes. Participants are encouraged to bring a real paper or proposal. Everything shared in the workshop is kept confidential.
Is there pre-work?
Yes. Participants complete the Fundamentals of Presenting e-learning before the workshop, so the two days focus on practice.
Explore our other programmes
Programme 1 · Previous programme
OSCAR Presentation Skills
Structure, deliver and defend a presentation that gets a decision.
Programme 2 · Previous programme
Supercharge Your Slides
Turn slide decks into messages that leaders can read, follow and approve.
Bring Mastering Executive Presentations to your team
Every programme is run in-house and tailored to your organisation. Tell us about your team and we will come back with a proposal.