Started Over Coffee and Spreadsheets
Back in early 2019, a couple of us were sitting in a Sydney café, complaining about how budget variance reports always seemed to confuse everyone except the person who wrote them. We'd both spent years explaining the same numbers three different ways to three different stakeholders.
That frustration became galtrivenosa. We started teaching practical variance analysis—the kind that helps finance teams spot problems early, explain them clearly, and actually fix them. Not the textbook version that sounds impressive but doesn't help when your Q2 actuals are suddenly 18% off projection.
What began as weekend workshops in Auburn has grown into structured programs that finance professionals across Australia actually use. We're still learning, still adjusting our approach based on what works in real companies with real budget pressures.
How We Actually Teach This Stuff
Budget variance isn't rocket science, but it's also not obvious. Here's what makes our approach different from the usual finance training.
Real Scenarios First
We start with actual budget blow-ups we've seen—construction projects, retail expansions, product launches. You learn by working through messy, incomplete data, not perfect textbook examples. Because that's what Monday morning looks like.
Communication Over Calculation
You probably already know how to calculate variance. What you might not know is how to explain a 22% cost overrun to a board member who just wants to know if they should worry. We spend a lot of time on that part.
Tools You'll Actually Use
No proprietary software that only works in class. We teach techniques that work in Excel, Google Sheets, or whatever your company already uses. The goal is making your current workflow better, not replacing it.
Ongoing Support Matters
Questions don't stop when the course ends. Neither does our availability. We've built a community where alumni share solutions, ask questions, and help each other through tricky variance situations.
Who's Behind the Training
We're a small team of finance practitioners who moved into education because we kept seeing the same gaps in how variance analysis gets taught.
Siobhan Falkengren
Lead Instructor
Spent 12 years doing budget analysis for construction firms before realizing she was better at teaching it than doing it. Now develops most of our course scenarios based on projects that actually went off the rails.
Elettra Lindqvist
Program Director
Former CFO of a mid-sized retail chain who got tired of explaining the same variance concepts to new finance hires every six months. Handles program structure and makes sure we're teaching things people actually need.
What You Can Expect From Us
We're not perfect, and we don't claim to have all the answers. But we do promise a few things that seem to matter most to the professionals we work with.
Our programs run on realistic timelines. The next cohort starts in September 2025, and we deliberately keep groups small enough that everyone gets feedback on their actual work. Not automated grading—actual human review from people who've been in finance roles.
- Courses built around problems you'll actually face, not theoretical exercises
- Instructors who still consult so they know what's changed since last year
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees or required software purchases
- Access to past materials and updates as we refine our approach
- Real responses to questions within 24 hours, usually faster
Ready to Stop Guessing at Variance?
Our next program starts September 2025. If you're tired of budget reports that raise more questions than they answer, let's talk about whether our approach might help.
Get Program Details