Built on Real Experience
We started glowdatapanel because corporate finance education needed something different. Real analysts teaching practical skills, not theory for theory's sake.
Where We Actually Came From
Back in 2019, I was sitting in another quarterly planning meeting watching junior analysts struggle with basic forecasting models. These were smart people who'd passed their exams, but when it came to building something that actually worked in practice—well, that's a different skill entirely.
Most training programs teach you what financial metrics mean. They don't teach you how to spot when your model's about to blow up because someone entered revenue growth as a decimal instead of a percentage. Or how to structure your assumptions so they're auditable six months later when leadership asks questions.
Started running weekend workshops from my home office in Bunbury. Word spread pretty quickly among finance teams across Western Australia. By early 2021, we had analysts flying in from Melbourne and Sydney for our intensive sessions.
What We're Actually Good At
These aren't buzzwords. They're the skills that make the difference between an analyst who gets by and one who gets promoted.
Model Architecture
Teaching analysts how to build financial models that don't break when assumptions change. We focus on structure that scales and formulas that make sense three months later.
Scenario Planning
Moving beyond best-case and worst-case. We show you how to build scenarios that leadership actually uses when making decisions about resource allocation.
Data Validation
Catching errors before they reach the CFO's desk. We teach practical checks and balances that work with real-world datasets, not textbook examples.
Reporting Clarity
Creating dashboards and reports that busy executives can actually understand. Less chart junk, more signal. We focus on what decisions your analysis needs to support.
Forecasting Methods
Teaching multiple approaches to revenue and expense forecasting. You'll learn when to use driver-based models versus trend analysis, and how to explain your methodology.
Variance Analysis
Going deeper than actual versus budget. We show you how to trace variances to root causes and communicate findings in ways that prompt action.
Who's Teaching This Stuff
Our instructors are current or recently active corporate finance professionals. Not academics, not consultants who left practice a decade ago. People who still remember what it's like to be three hours deep in a consolidation that won't reconcile.
Kelby Thackston leads most of our core programs. He spent twelve years in FP&A roles at mid-sized manufacturing companies before starting to teach. His models have supported board presentations for capital raises, acquisition analysis, and multi-year strategic plans.
What makes our approach work is that we teach the messy parts. How to handle incomplete data. What to do when your business unit leaders give you contradictory information. How to build relationships with operational teams so they actually respond to your data requests.
Kelby Thackston
Lead Instructor, Corporate Finance Programs
Previously: Senior Financial Analyst at Westbridge Manufacturing, FP&A Manager at Cordell Industries. Specialized in manufacturing sector analysis and capital planning processes.
What Drives Our Training
Practical Over Theoretical
We teach skills you'll use Monday morning, not concepts that sound good in conference presentations. Every technique we cover has been tested in actual business environments.
Honest About Limitations
Financial analysis has constraints. Models make assumptions. Forecasts are educated guesses. We teach you how to communicate uncertainty alongside your numbers.
Small Group Focus
Our programs cap at 12 participants. You get hands-on time with instructors who review your actual work. We critique your models, not generic examples.
Continuous Refinement
We update course content based on what's actually happening in corporate finance departments. Regulations change, software evolves, best practices shift.