Can Competition Make You Better at Finance? with Eric Kelley

In this episode of Financial Modelers Corner, host Paul Barnhurst welcomes Dr. Eric Kelley, Finance Professor | Microsoft MVP (Excel), and one of the leading educators in financial modeling. Eric shares how his passion for teaching, mathematics, and financial markets led him into academia, and why developing scalable financial models starts with understanding the business before opening Excel.

Dr. Eric Kelley is a Professor of Finance at the University of Tennessee's Haslam College of Business, a Microsoft Excel MVP, and Faculty Fellow with the Microsoft Excel Collegiate Challenge (MECC). He coaches the University of Tennessee's Excel eSports team, which won the 2024 MECC World Championship, and is passionate about using financial modeling and Excel eSports to prepare students for finance careers.

Expect to Learn:

Why communication matters as much as modeling skills.
Building scalable financial models that last.
Common financial modeling mistakes to avoid.
How Excel eSports sharpens problem-solving.
Why competition improves modeling skills.

Here are a few relevant quotes from the episode:

"Great financial modelers need strong oral communication skills because they must explain the story behind the model, not just build it." - Dr. Eric Kelley
"You're not trying to solve a single problem, you're trying to build a system that can take flexible inputs and generate useful outputs." - Dr. Eric Kelley

Eric Kelley shares why financial modelers need more than technical skills, highlighting the importance of communication, problem-solving, and building scalable models. He also discusses how Excel eSports and hands-on learning are helping students develop real-world modeling skills for future finance careers.

Follow Eric:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekkell/\
University of Tennessee: https://haslam.utk.edu/

Follow Financial Modeler's Corner:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-modeler-s-corner/

Newsletter - Subscribe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7079020077076905984

Sign up for the Advanced Financial Modeler Accreditation today and get 15% off using the code “Podcast” at https://bit.ly/497oAqW

In Today's Episode:[00:00] - Introduction & Dr. Eric Kelley[02:10] - Eric’s Finance Journey[03:17] - The Top Modeling Skill[04:40] - Understanding Your Model[05:33] - Common Modeling Mistakes[08:03] - Excel eSports Explained[10:31] - Performing Under Pressure[11:51] - Coaching Excel Champions[14:22] - Excel eSports in Modeling[17:13] - Teaching with FMI Cases[18:57] - The Future of Financial Modeling

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(153)

Stop Letting AI Do All Your Thinking in Financial Modeling with Danielle Stein-Fairhurst

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Danielle Stein Fairhurst to discuss how AI is reshaping financial modeling, what modelers need to do to stay relevant,...

13 Okt 20min

AI, Excel and the Changing Role of Financial Modelers with Danielle Stein Fairhurst

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Danielle Stein Fairhurst to discuss how AI is changing financial modeling, why modelers need to keep learning, and how...

6 Okt 49min

Poker, Probability, and Financial Modeling with Dan Mayoh

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Dan Mayoh to discuss his career in financial modeling, lessons from model auditing, and why he sees Excel as one of th...

29 Sep 46min

Financial Modeling, Deal Making, and the Skills Every Analyst Needs with Oren Klaff

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Oren Klaff, Private Equity Fund Manager and bestselling author of Pitch Anything, to discuss how financial modeling ca...

22 Sep 20min

Building AI for the Top 1% of Excel Users with Peter Fuller

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, the Mod Squad, Ian Schnoor, Giles Male, and Paul Barnhurst, speak with Peter Fuller about AI-powered financial modeling and the rapidly changing future o...

15 Sep 50min

Pitch Anything's Oren Klaff: From Spreadsheet to Deal Table

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Oren Klaff about how financial modeling can become a powerful tool for deal-making, investment decisions, and career growth. O...

8 Sep 49min

Why AI Makes Financial Modeling Best Practices More Important with Marli van Staden-Basson

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Marli van Staden-Basson about best-practice financial modeling, AI, model design, and the skills needed to build reliable mode...

1 Sep 53min

What Separates an Excellent Financial Modeler From a Technically Good One with Diarmuid Early

In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst speaks with Diarmuid Early about what separates great financial modelers from technically capable ones, the rise of AI in financial modeli...

25 Aug 49min