Excel Isn’t the Future, But It’s Always the Start

Excel: The Unsung Hero of PE-Backed Growth

In private equity-backed companies, conversations inevitably revolve around scale:

• Scalable models.

• Scalable systems.

• Scalable teams.

But here’s the truth no one includes in the pitch deck: You’re probably still building it all… in Excel.

In a world of AI-powered dashboards and enterprise-grade planning tools, spreadsheets might seem like a relic. But if you work in FP&A, one thing never changes:
👉 It all starts in Excel.

Before the dashboards.
Before the ERP.
Before anyone remembers their system login…

There’s an analyst, a spreadsheet, and a data dump from six different sources.

Whether you’re building a forecast overnight, reverse-engineering someone else’s model, or prototyping a process the business promises will be automated later, Excel is where the work actually happens. It's not always pretty. But it's essential.

Why Excel Still Matters

Excel isn’t just a spreadsheet tool; it’s a thinking tool. It’s where you:

• Prove a hypothesis before it’s automated

• Build consensus around key drivers

• Structure assumptions the business hasn’t articulated yet

• Prototype solutions under pressure, with imperfect data

• Trace errors before they show up in the boardroom

In private equity, where timelines are tight and the margin for error is thin, Excel is a survival skill. It’s how you learn to think structurally.

If you can structure a spreadsheet, you can structure a plan.
If you can trace a formula, you can trace a problem.
If you can untangle a workbook, you can untangle a business.

Closing the Skills Gap: Why Excel Still Deserves Investment

Too often, finance teams are pushed to "skip ahead" toward systems, platforms, and automation, without first mastering the building blocks.

That’s a mistake.

Many of the issues we see in planning and forecasting today stem from misaligned assumptions, broken logic, or poor structure, all of which Excel reveals (and teaches you to fix).

That’s why at Thamesbridge Consulting, we don’t just build models or implement systems.
We train your teams to think like modelers, structure like strategists, and use Excel as a launchpad, not a crutch.

Whether you're:

• Hiring junior analysts,

• Upleveling an underperforming finance team, or

• Standing up a new FP&A function in a PE environment,

We help bridge the gap, not only by delivering the work, but by embedding repeatable skills that support long-term scale.

Want to Level Up? Start Here.

Looking to boost Excel skills on your team? These resources are a great place to start:

🧠 Free & Paid Excel Training Resources

• ExcelJet – Fast, practical tutorials focused on formulas and productivity

• MyExcelOnline Academy – Structured learning, templates, and certifications

• LinkedIn Learning – Excel Courses – Excellent beginner to advanced training (free with LinkedIn Premium)

• Microsoft Learn – Excel Resources – Official content from Microsoft

Final Thought

Excel isn’t going away. And in private equity, it’s not just a spreadsheet, it’s your startup kit. So yes:

✅ Learn your systems
✅ Build toward scale
✅ Automate what you can

But never lose your edge in Excel.

Because more often than not, the roadmap to better planning still starts with: File > New > Workbook.