In this episode of Financial Modeler’s Corner, host Paul Barnhurst sits down with Luke Phillips, Senior Business Analyst at Access Analytic. Luke shares how he transitioned from Division I basketball to financial modeling, and how he helps clients solve complex budgeting and reporting problems using Solver, Excel, and Power BI.

Luke Phillips is a chartered financial modeler and the Senior Business Analyst at Access Analytic. He works with clients across mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, and professional services to streamline budgeting and reporting through Solver and Excel. Luke holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he also played Division I basketball.

Expect to Learn

1. How a bad college project helped kickstart Luke’s modeling career
2. What Solver is and how it supports complex planning and reporting
3. Tips for simplifying models without losing value
4. The role of communication in building useful models
5. Luke’s take on AI and dynamic arrays in Excel

Here are a few quotes from the episode:

1. “We're not hiring you for your technical ability, we're hiring you for your potential.” – Luke
2. “I love spreadsheets, the way you can pull complex calculations together and form a view of a company.” – Luke

Luke Phillips brings a grounded, real-world perspective to financial modeling, shaped by both professional experience and athletic discipline. His approach blends technical skill with a clear focus on communication and usability. Whether solving client challenges with Solver or exploring new Excel features, Luke keeps modeling practical and purpose-driven.

Follow Luke:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-phillips-75859013a/

Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/access-analytic/

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In today’s episode:

[02:09] - Life in Australia & Background

[03:16] - First Model Mistake & Lesson

[04:46] - From Basketball to Finance

[08:49] - What is Solver & Luke’s Role

[10:33] - Learning Supply Chain & Ops

[13:11] - Simplicity vs. Complexity

[18:24] - AFM & CFM Exam Journey

[22:46] - XLOOKUP Over INDEX MATCH

[27:46] - AI in modeling & Challenges