A financial model is a piece of professional infrastructure. If it cannot be opened by a third party and understood in fifteen minutes, it has failed. We build models that survive due diligence, board challenge and the inevitable handover to the in-house team a year later.
When clients come to us
When a model needs to stand up to a credit committee or investor process. When an existing model has accreted complexity over the years and nobody is sure what it is doing anymore. When a CFO wants a single, audited operating model rather than three competing spreadsheets. Often before a transaction, sometimes after a near miss with one.
How we work
A senior modeller scopes the model with the CFO and agrees the structure first — inputs, calculation, output — before any cell is written. The build follows a documented standard, with sensitivity, scenario and scenario-comparison logic in place from the start. Every model ships with a written assumption book and a walk-through with the in-house team.
What we deliver
- Fully integrated three-statement model
- Sensitivity, scenario and scenario-comparison sheets
- Documented assumption book with sources
- Output pack ready for board or lender use
- Model audit and integrity check by a second hand
- Walk-through and handover to the in-house team
Typical engagement
Model build runs three to eight weeks depending on scope. Model review runs one to three weeks. On our side, a senior modeller leads, with a second senior reviewer for integrity. On the client side, the CFO is the principal counterpart. The model is delivered with full open access — there are no locked sheets.
Why CGLA
The senior modeller building the model is the one whose name is on it. We work to a single internal modelling standard across the practice, which means a model handed off to a second CGLA partner reads exactly the same. That consistency is rare in a market where modelling is often delegated to whoever is available.
