Panel Discussion: Women in Financial Modelling
At the recent Financial Modelling Summit, Danielle Stein Fairhurst hosted a panel discussion on the important topic of “Women in Financial Modelling” with ModelOff Champion Hilary Smart, top ranking FMWC competitor Stephanie Annerose and Partner at Mazars Rickard Warnelid. Not only are the financial modelling and Excel competitions still lacking in female competitors and champions, but there’s a shortage of female senior leaders in many companies, particular in the modelling space. (more…)
We are pleased to announce that Danielle Stein Fairhurst has been awarded the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent Financial Modelling Summit. The 
Best practice financial modelling in Excel has always been to enter your formulas in blocks. Enter a formula, then copy this across and possibly down also, making sure you have your absolute and relative references set correctly.
One of the cornerstone skills for a financial modeller is Excel proficiency, but what really defines advanced Excel skills? When asked to rate their own Excel skills, users will typically over-rate or under-rate their own prowess with terrifying inaccuracy. Compared to colleagues you might be considered the go-to person, but in a different environment, you might be just average. So how can you accurately describe your skills on your CV or assess those of a potential new hire? 
What’s the difference between a fractional, virtual or outsourced CFO? How much strategic planning, forecasting and financial modelling do they actually do, or are they just glorified bookkeepers over-charging at CFO rates? A good CFO will build forward-looking financial models to help businesses make better decisions but an external consultant marketing themselves as a fractional, virtual or outsourced CFO can simply manage day to day cashflow, month end and process payroll, receivables and payables, so misrepresenting and devaluing the role of the CFO. 
Excel is a versatile piece of software and the techniques used to build financial models can also be applied to solve other problems using Excel. Many modellers compete in various competitions which explore the use of Excel for recreational problem solving where we can often develop or pick up new techniques and methods that prove useful in traditional modelling situations. 
The best way to get people to pay attention to your models and reports is to present them professionally by changing the standard Microsoft settings and applying tasteful colours, borders and fonts. Formatting, however, is notoriously time consuming and it’s sometimes overlooked by the busy modeller. In this virtual meetup, we look at some quick and easy ways to use standard Excel for Microsoft 365 features to make your models look fabulous! 
You’re invited to join the Sydney CPA Discussion Group for a Hybrid Event:
Summarise the outputs of your financial model using standard Excel skills into a concise, dynamic and visually appealing one-page dashboard report which can effectively communicate the results of your model to be easily interpreted and understood by others at a glance. 
