Finance Lab Session 11- Financial Modelling and Excel Are Not Dead. Stop Believing the AI Slop

Hosted by Lance Rubin and Paul Barnhurst

Fri, Jun 19, 2026

12:00 AM UTC (1 hour)

Virtual (Zoom)

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AI-Powered Accountant
Lance Rubin, Andrew Siah, and Iris Meng
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What you'll learn

Why strong modelling skills matter MORE not less with AI

Backed with live data: AI tools score 20–64% quality on the same DCF an expert human scores 97%. AI gaps will be shown

The orchestrator-modeller workflow that actually works

A 5-step framework for using AI in finance without shipping garbage: who defines purpose, where you stay in control

How to spot AI slop before it costs you (big time)

The 7 failure modes that show up in every test (circularity, three-statement integration, commercial reality.

Why this topic matters

In a world where LinkedIn declares Excel and financial modelling “dead” every other week, the data tells a very different story. Independent studies from Wall Street Prep, ICAEW, MIT, and METR — plus Lance’s own head-to-head case study of five AI builders versus a human-built MSFT model — consistently show the same thing: even the best AI tools underperform trained humans.

You'll learn from

Lance Rubin

Leading financial modelling expert, Founder & CEO of Model Citizn & Chief Excel Office of EXL Cloud

20+ years in finance across PwC, KPMG, Investec Bank, NAB, and multiple fintech CFO roles. Built models for property, banking, infrastructure, and private equity.

Co-authored the CA ANZ study guide on financial modelling. Certified trainer of the Financial Modeling Institute. Judge at the world's first Financial Modeling Innovation Awards and Power BI Global Summit presenter.

Founded the Future of Finance Lab, a community helping accountants cut through AI hype and build real skills. "Everyone's doing AI first and forgetting the foundations. That's a big problem."

Becoming AI-Powered doesn't mean forgetting Excel, & data skills; in fact, those skills are even more important.

Those who stand to gain the most from AI already have strong foundations upon which they augment & enhance with AI.

Paul Barnhurst

Helps FP&A Professionals provide value to their businesses

Helps FP&A Professionals provide value to their businesses | World-Class Trainer | Founder of The FP&A Guy | Host 3 Finance podcasts | Microsoft MVP | Cofounder FP&A Hub | FPAC Certified | AFM Certified | FPAP Certified

MVP

Microsoft
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