About us
Making informed financial decisions can be challenging for management, especially when information is incomplete. While financial modelling cannot guarantee future outcomes, it plays a crucial role in enabling data-driven decisions based on current operational and financial conditions and assumptions. When constructed effectively, financial models offer management and key decision-makers clear, actionable insights that help them:
•Evaluate investment opportunities in new or existing ventures
•Secure debt and/or equity financing with confidence
•Identify optimal timing and terms for business or project exits
•Develop budgets and long-term financial forecasts
•Allocate scarce resources strategically
•Assess and manage risk effectively
The value of this support, however, depends on the quality and structure of the financial model itself.
At SFS, we take pride in delivering robust financial modelling solutions that adhere to industry best practices. We are both industry- and geography-agnostic, ensuring our models are tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. Our approach ensures that every modelling engagement is purposefully designed to achieve its intended outcomes.
Our Team
Julian Rennie
Founder & CEO
Julian trained as a financial modeller and project finance debt advisory and arranging specialist, building a 20‑year investment banking career that began with a focus on sub‑Saharan Africa before expanding to cover all emerging markets, Australia, and the UK.
After his investment banking career, Julian served as CFO for several large corporates in the UK and Jersey. Alongside these full‑time roles, he has spent the past decade advising both start‑ups and mature corporates on debt and equity raising, acquisitions, and divestments on a consultancy basis.
Julian’s sector experience is extensive. He has worked in depth across telecoms and media, power (including renewables such as mini‑hydro and battery storage), infrastructure, and mining. His broader experience also includes commodities, upstream and downstream oil and gas, mining services, brewing, retail, hospitality, real estate, and social media.
As a qualified chartered accountant, best‑practice financial modelling and FP&A have been central strengths throughout Julian’s career. In addition, he supports clients across the full fundraising lifecycle, including information memorandum preparation, capital structuring, lender selection, loan documentation support, and covenant and loan monitoring.
Email: julian.rennie@gmail.com
Mobile: +44 (0) 7415 610 849
Best Practice Financial Modelling
Financial models are often exceptionally detailed, complicated and very time consuming to construct. Unfortunately, and frequently for these reasons, the main modelling responsibility is delegated to a junior team member with oversight provided by a senior team member. This approach is acceptable if best practice financial modelling is adopted by the junior team member and the senior team member is aware of these best practices.
By complying with best financial modelling practice, material error and time taken to build, test and troubleshoot issues is significantly reduced. Transparency and consistency are key requirements for reliability. Additionally, a well-structured financial model will reduce misinterpretation and will allow other team members or external parties to easily follow the model logic or to extract relevant outputs to make material decisions with confidence.
Plan and set goals
- Who will be the primary user and will they be competent to adjust?
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What are the key drivers that may require sensitising?
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What decisions will be relying on the output – one decision or ongoing use?
Design
- Provide a guidance tab detailing formatting of specific cells (e.g. input vs output formatting)
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Data input and calculations should be separated. It is often useful to have a control input tab for those assumptions that will be sensitised or to run scenarios
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Output should be neatly displayed and easy to understand. Key financial and operational KPIs used to support decisions should be easy to access.
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Always include a disclaimer if a 3rd party is to rely on the model
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Avoid hard coded numbers unless these are input cells or prior period actual results.
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Simple formulas are easier to understand and audit.
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Limit use of named ranges makes following the model logic and auditing simpler.
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Double check formulas or preferably use a colleague to perform a basic formula test.
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Add comments, footnotes and sources where required.
Sevenoaks Financial Solutions understands the reliance that is placed upon the financial modelling process and we are passionate about providing accurate, reliable and material error free output. We work seamlessly together with corporates, investors and/or their clients to ensure that the process is effectively managed and the scope efficiently delivered.
We do believe that ……………………………..