With every major choice we face we "run through the numbers" to guide our decision-making and legitimise the outcomes. Financial modelling helps managers to make more informed decisions and, crucially, win corporate commitment for those decisions. The ability to construct useful financial models with speed and accuracy is becoming a key skill for all executives to master.

However, this is a skill few managers and businesses know how to develop. For the busy executive or finance officer, an Excel user-manual is no place to start - today's financial models have moved a long way from the original single-sheet spreadsheets that most of us feel comfortable manipulating. Modern spreadsheets allow advanced managers to adopt advanced decision-making and analysis tools, but few have time or programming skills to use the spreadsheets to the full. This book will show managers how they can extend their decision-making capabilities by mastering the use and abuse of financial models.

This is the ultimate book and disk combination that will help finance professionals and business students alike to become more proficient in building Microsoft Excel models and applying corporate finance concepts.

The Mastering Series

are your practical guides to gaining the knowledge you need to succeed in the financial world. With the very latest practical examples, exercises and templates used throughout for ease of understanding, The Mastering Series covers every aspect of the topic from the basic essential skills you need to perform your job effectively to the more advanced skills to get you to the top. Written by practitioners for practitioners, these books give you just what you need - and nothing more - to succeed in finance. Several of the titles also come with companion CDs to allow you to put the book's ideas into action straightaway.

The Mastering Series: Practical, comprehensive, essential.

Alastair Day has worked in the finance industry for 20 years in treasury and marketing functions. He is an associate lecturer in corporate finance with the OUBS, and other publications include books such as The Financial Director’s Guide to Purchasing Leasing.