FP&A Today Packed insights for Excel in FP&A: Jeff Gudim
Jun 8, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Jeff Gudim, a senior financial analyst and Excel evangelist at Strategic Education, shares his journey from private wealth management to corporate FP&A. He reveals how Excel transformed his career and highlights his favorite Excel model along with time-saving tips for FP&A professionals. The discussion covers advanced Excel features like dynamic arrays and Lambda functions, the potential of AI integration, and the importance of storytelling in financial analysis. Tune in for indispensable insights into mastering Excel in finance!
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Early Excel Love Sparks Career
- Jeff Gudim's passion for Excel began with a cost estimator job where his boss built a complex Excel calculator.
- He loved how all data inputs converged into a final number, sparking his fascination with Excel before his finance degree.
Monte Carlo Retirement Model Anecdote
- Jeff built a Monte Carlo simulation-based retirement planning model using only Excel.
- Though his startup attempt failed, the model accurately estimated retirement timelines with few client inputs.
Top Excel Time-Saving Tips
- Use Excel's new dynamic array functions like UNIQUE and SORT to quickly analyze data.
- Convert source data into formal Excel tables for clearer formulas and use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+V to save time.