Financial Modeler's Corner

In this episode of The Mod Squad, Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male put today's leading AI tools to the test in a live financial modeling "bake-off." Using the same modeling case and prompts, they compare ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot to see how well each tool builds a financial model. The discussion highlights the progress AI has made, where it still falls short, and why financial modeli...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Jorge Rojas, finance professor, consultant, and Advanced Financial Modeler, to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping financial modeling. Jorge shares insights from his latest research on spatial finance and Earth observation data, explaining how satellite imagery, AI, and alternative data sources are transformin...

In this episode of The Mod Squad, Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male share their real experiences using AI in financial modeling. They discuss what works, what doesn’t, and how finance professionals can best use AI today. From testing different AI tools to running a “bake-off” on a real financial model, the conversation highlights the practical challenges, hallucinations, and creative app...

In this episode of Financial Modelers Corner, Paul Barnhurst talks with John Yeldham, founder of Lodeum, about building trust in Excel models, standardizing modeling language, and creating modular, scalable models. John shares his experience leading financial modelers and using advanced Excel features like Lambda functions and dynamic arrays. Expect to Learn: Standardize language to improve clarit...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst sits down with John Yeldham, a leading expert in financial modeling and founder of Lodeum, a global online financial modeling training platform. John shares his experience leading and training teams of financial modelers across corporate and project finance, and discusses the importance of standardizing language, modular model design, a...

Paul Barnhurst speaks with Ilyas Anis, CFO and Chartered Financial Modeler, about using financial models to build stakeholder confidence, drive operational decisions, and tell a clear business story. Ilyas shares insights on integrating AI, avoiding common modeling pitfalls, and the importance of scenario analysis and three-statement models. Ilyas Anis is Finance Lead at Turning Point Brands Canad...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst (aka The FP&A Guy ) is joined by guest Mark Proctor. Together, they discuss the intricacies of financial modeling and data analysis, with a focus on building efficient models and leveraging automation in Excel. Mark shares his deep expertise on why structure is key, how to automate tedious tasks, and how Excel continues to evol...

Paul Barnhurst speaks with Matan Feldman, Founder and CEO of Wall Street Prep. Matan shares his insights from his career in investment banking and financial modeling, discussing how AI is transforming the investment banking landscape, its impact on financial modeling, and the future of financial modeling education. He reflects on his journey founding Wall Street Prep and the lessons he’s learned a...

Paul Barnhurst speaks with Matan Feldman, Founder and CEO of Wall Street Prep. Matan shares insights from his career in investment banking and financial modeling, discussing the future of AI in the industry, its impact on investment banking roles, and how it will reshape financial modeling education. He also reflects on his journey founding Wall Street Prep and the lessons he's learned along the w...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner , Paul Barnhurst speaks with Shreya Bhatt about her journey in financial modeling and her experience working across infrastructure and project finance. Shreya shares real challenges she has faced, including rebuilding poorly structured models, and explains what makes a model reliable and easy to use. The conversation also covers modeling standards, pra...

In this episode of The Mod Squad , Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male share their real experiences using AI in financial modelling. They cut through the hype and discuss what AI actually does well, where it still struggles, and how professionals should be thinking about using it today. From building models to handling workflows, the conversation highlights both the value and the limitatio...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst is joined by Rafael Le Saux to explore the real-world challenges of financial modeling, valuation, and how the role is evolving with new tools like AI. They discuss why strong modeling fundamentals still matter, the risks of poorly structured models, and how professionals can improve their skills in a rapidly changing environment. Rafae...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Rafael Le Saux to talk about valuation, modeling, and how the field is changing. They dig into real challenges from working on complex models and what happens when things go wrong. The conversation also covers how private markets are evolving and why valuation is getting harder. It’s a practical look at how modeling conne...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst sits down with Riley Edwards to discuss what it’s like starting out in financial modeling and how those skills carry into real-world financial planning. The conversation covers early mistakes, learning experiences, and the importance of presenting financial information clearly. Riley shares his journey from studying finance to working i...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Brian Jones to explore how Excel is evolving in the era of AI and large language models. They discuss how Copilot, agent mode, and AI-driven capabilities are transforming the way users build, analyse, and improve spreadsheets. Brian shares insights into how Excel is becoming more like a developer tool and how AI can...

In this episode of The ModSquad, Ian Bennett, Partner at PwC, joins Paul Barnhurst, Giles Male, and Ian Schnoor to discuss the rapid changes happening in financial modeling with the rise of AI. The team explores how AI tools like Claude are revolutionizing the industry, the critical role of strong modeling skills, and the ongoing importance of trust in financial modeling. They also touch on the fu...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Brian Jones, Vice-President: Microsoft Excel, Forms, Office Platforms, to discuss how Excel is evolving in the era of AI and large language models. They explore how Copilot, agent mode, and AI-driven features are reshaping how professionals build, analyse, and improve spreadsheets. Brian also shares insights into how...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Amber Johnson to discuss forecasting, financial modeling, and how operational decisions impact financial outcomes. They explore the connection between logistics forecasting and financial forecasting, the importance of tracking forecast accuracy and bias, and how small operational issues can create large financial imp...

In this episode of Financial Modeler's Corner, host Paul Barnhurst chats with Nick Boberg, a financial modeler and consultant based in Hamilton, New Zealand. Paul and Nick explore the essentials of building well-structured, effective financial models. They discuss Nick’s approach to simplicity and consistency, the importance of clarity in model design, and the role of competition in refining one’s...

In this episode of The ModSquad, Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male put Claude 4.6 to the test on real financial modeling accreditation cases. From three-statement forecasts to complex debt sculpting scenarios, the team examines just how far AI tools have come. The results are impressive, but not flawless. The discussion explores what this leap forward means for finance professionals and...

In this episode of Financial Modeler's Corner, host Paul Barnhurst is joined by Chris Reilly, founder of Financial Modeling Education, for an insightful discussion on the importance of mastering financial modeling fundamentals in the age of AI. Chris shares his perspective on how AI is transforming the modeling industry, why understanding the basics is more important than ever, and how dynamic arr...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst welcomes back Chris Reilly for a deep and practical conversation on financial modeling fundamentals in the age of AI. Chris shares why mastering the basics still matters more than ever, how AI is changing modeling workflows in reality (not hype), and where automation genuinely adds value versus where human judgment is still essenti...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner , host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Luke Phillips, Senior Business Analyst at Access Analytic. Luke shares how he transitioned from Division I basketball to financial modeling, and how he helps clients solve complex budgeting and reporting problems using Solver, Excel, and Power BI. Luke Phillips is a chartered financial modeler and the Senior Busines...

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Karishma Ramnawaj, a financial modeler based in Mauritius, to talk about her journey in financial modelling, building and reviewing models, and the lessons she’s learned from both success and failure. Karishma shares her experience of learning on the job, why understanding the end user is critical, and how she balanc...

In this episode of The ModSquad , hosts Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male welcome Tim Jacks, founder of Taglo, for an insightful discussion on the integration of AI in financial modeling. Tim’s expertise bridges the worlds of financial modeling and AI, and in this episode, he shares his journey and discusses how AI is reshaping the financial modeling landscape. Tim Jacks is the founder o...