In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Kevin Mueller, Principal Architect of Cloud FinOps at Presidio, to unpack one of the most talked-about and most misunderstood concepts in FinOps: unit economics.

With over 20 years of experience spanning software engineering, AWS SaaS architecture, and cloud financial management, Kevin shares a grounded, practical perspective on why most organizations struggle to implement unit economics and how to actually get started.

The conversation explores the gap between visibility and action, why traditional cost allocation models fall short, and how engineering, product, finance, and sales all benefit when cloud spend is tied directly to business value. Kevin also dives into real-world examples, from optimizing SQL queries and Kubernetes workloads to navigating the growing complexity of AI-driven infrastructure.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move beyond dashboards and into meaningful optimization, or how to prove that your cloud investment is truly productive, this episode is for you.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why most companies still aren’t doing unit economics (and what separates those who do it well)
• The difference between unit metrics and unit economics
• How to move from high-level allocation to actionable, engineering-driven insights
• How to approach tagging without overcomplicating your system
• Why AI is the next major FinOps challenge (and opportunity)
• The biggest challenges with shared resources like Kubernetes and what actually drives optimization

Chapters:

00:00 - Cloud Cost Tradeoffs

01:31 - Kevin’s FinOps Journey

03:13 - Unit Economics Reality Check

04:18 - Defining Unit Economics

05:46 - How to Implement It

09:26 - Metrics That Drive Action

14:10 - Allocation Products vs Teams

20:26 - Tagging Without Pain

23:02 - Kubernetes Cost Challenges

24:51 - K8s Optimization Basics

26:18 - Architecture Choices with Units

28:04 - AI as Shared Spend

30:13 - Measuring AI Value

32:28 - AI for FinOps Teams

35:41 - Life on the Farm

37:54 - Wrap Up and Where to Connect

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “It's so easy in FinOps to measure all of this stuff, put it in a dashboard and look at it and feel happy that it's there, but you need to drive towards action.” - Kevin Mueller

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmueller/ 
• Website: https://www.presidio.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu, Founder and Cloud Optimization Specialist at Leaner Cloud. With over 20 years in systems engineering and a background at Nokia, HERE Technologies, and AWS, Cristian built AutoSpotting, an open source tool that has helped more than 10,000 customers save money on EC2.

Cristian shared his hard-won framework for turning cloud cost insights into real savings, why automation alone will never be enough, and how AI has multiplied his output as a solo operator by an order of magnitude.

We also covered the hidden business context that can turn a routine optimization into a $30K/month win, and why cost avoidance is just as important as cost reduction when your cloud bill keeps growing.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Dashboards are only half the story and prioritize action over visibility. The biggest gains come to teams that actually implement recommendations, not just track them.
• Right size incrementally, not aggressively. Cutting a resource by 8x in one step is risky instead halve it, observe, and iterate to avoid introducing performance problems.
• Match your optimization approach to the application’s needs. Latency sensitive workloads, HA setups, and DR resources may appear wasteful but serve critical purposes and always bring engineering context into the conversation.
• Look beyond the metric to find the real opportunity. A $30K/month Aurora IO bill pointed to a forgotten database no one needed anymore and the fix wasn’t optimization, it was deletion.
• Track cost avoidance, not just savings. In high-growth environments, a flat or rising bill can still represent millions saved and measure what you would have paid without the work.
• AI has changed the game for solo practitioners. Cristian built in weeks what previously took a year or two, enabling him to ship a SaaS product and 30+ optimization tools as a one-person shop.

Chapters:

00:00 - Dashboards Don't Save Money

00:19 - Show And Guest Intro

01:47 - Take Action First

04:00 - From Level Zero To Savings

06:08 - Prioritize Engineer Time

07:35 - Automation Without Breaking Things

10:07 - Working With DevOps And Devs

12:05 - When Engineers Push Back

14:17 - Cost Vs Risk And Context

16:09 - Big Wins That Repeat

20:00 - Common Waste Patterns

21:17 - The 30K Database Shutdown

24:19 - Proving Value Amid Growth

31:44 - AI Boosting FinOps Output

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• "In just a few weeks with AI, I built what previously would have taken me a year or two. It's at least an order of magnitude more output per unit of time." - Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristimagherusan/ 
• Website: https://leanercloud.com/ 
• Website: https://autospotting.io/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Nick Sudarikov, Finance Director of Technology Operations at InvestCloud, to break down how a background in finance and capital markets can actually make you a sharper, more effective FinOps practitioner.

Nick shares how he went from investment banker to hands on FinOps engineer, built a local AI powered stack to query billing data in plain English, and uncovered years of forgotten cloud spend hiding in plain sight.

We also cover why most cost tools will never catch your biggest waste, how to map cloud spend to real business value, and what it actually takes to have meaningful conversations with engineering teams. 

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why FinOps practitioners should set up their own cloud accounts and get hands-on experience with the technology
• How understanding engineering workflows changes the conversation with tech teams
• The hidden cost problem that anomaly detection tools will never catch
• How Nick uses DuckDB, Parquet files, and AI to query billing data in plain English
• Why AI is set to boost FinOps productivity by a factor of 10 and which tools risk losing market share if they don't adapt
• The importance of mapping cloud spend to business value before making any optimization recommendations 

Chapters:

00:00 - Cost Tool Reality Check

00:17 - Show Intro and Guest

01:36 - Why FinOps Needs Hands On

03:28 - Automation and AI Effort

04:23 - From Finance to Tech

06:57 - Early Cloud and Cost Lessons

10:58 - Startups vs Enterprise Scale

12:04 - Legacy Workloads and Risk

14:32 - Value Chain Before Optimizing

17:30 - Finding Hidden Waste Patterns

19:48 - Local AI for Billing Data

26:30 - Future AI and Closing

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• "If you haven't started a Docker container ever in your life, probably you're missing out on a lot of things in FinOps." - Nick Sudarikov

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaysudarikov/
• Website: https://investcloud.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Jason Ward, Lead FinOps Practitioner at C.H. Robinson, to break down how to take control of cloud spend without slowing down engineering.

Jason shares how he went from mechanic to FinOps leader, built a FinOps function from scratch, and uncovered massive savings, including a 90% cost reduction from a single optimization.

We also cover how to work with engineers (not against them), why most cost recommendations fail, and what it really takes to build a sustainable FinOps practice.

Here’s what we talked about:

• How to cut cloud costs without impacting performance
• Why data, not recommendations should drive decisions
• How to get engineers to actually buy into FinOps
• The importance of tagging and cost visibility early on
• When NOT to optimize and why some “waste” is intentional
• How AI is changing cloud spend and what to watch out for

Chapters:

00:00 - Why Engineers Ignore Small Savings

01:45 - From Mechanic to Cloud Engineer

03:48 - Discovering Cloud Cost Impact

04:48 - Starting FinOps at CH Robinson

06:17 - Early Wins VM Right Sizing

07:19 - Handling Engineer Pushback

09:51 - Tooling Shift to Datadog

11:12 - AKS Tuning 90 Percent Savings

13:15 - Building a Real FinOps Program

14:29 - Executive Buy In and Chargeback

17:38 - Kubernetes Scaling and Hybrid Costs

24:31 - AI Spend and Career Wrap Up

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Without that executive buy-in… most engineers… don’t care so much about the bottom line.” – Jason Ward

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jward2/
• Website: https://www.chrobinson.com/en-us/

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Loic Fournier, Senior Technical Account Manager at AWS and 2025 AWS Technical Field Community Legend. With over 25 years in technology, from mainframes to modern cloud, Loic has become one of the most recognized voices in AWS cost optimization.

Loic shared how the biggest mistake organizations make is treating FinOps as a one-time project rather than an ongoing practice, and what it actually takes to build governance that sticks across people, processes, and technology.

We also covered the AWS native tools available to every organization for free, the link between cost optimization and sustainability, and how AI workloads are reshaping FinOps priorities heading into 2026.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why FinOps fails when treated as a project
• The three pillars of FinOps governance
• How to get executive buy-in
• AWS free tools you should activate today
• The hidden savings hiding in your EBS volumes
• FinOps as a proxy for sustainability
• Managing AI costs before they spiral

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Introduction & Loic’s Background
• 01:29 – The #1 Mistake in FinOps Adoption: Project vs. Practice
• 03:14 – Building FinOps Governance: People, Process & Technology
• 05:15 – Real-World Story: Going from Zero to 30% Cost Savings in 2 Years
• 08:30 – The CFM Capacity Assessment & Measuring FinOps Maturity
• 10:33 – What Separates High-Scoring vs. Low-Scoring FinOps Organizations
• 13:00 – AWS Free Tools: Cost Optimization Hub & Compute Optimizer Explained
• 17:16 – The Efficiency Score: Turning Potential Savings into Real Savings
• 19:38 – The Most Common (and Costly) Cloud Waste: EC2, EBS & Databases
• 25:08 – The Cloud Efficiency Hub & Why FinOps = Sustainability
• 29:35 – AI & FinOps in 2026: Managing Model Costs with Bedrock & Routing
• 37:14 – Life in Geneva, Midnight Climbing & Closing Thoughts

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “FinOps is a proxy for sustainability. When you help a customer perform better in FinOps, you are also helping save the world a little bit.”- Loic Fournier

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loicfournier/
• Website: https://aws.amazon.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Jai Padmanabhan, who shares why cloud cost is no longer just a finance concern; it’s a core responsibility for engineering teams. Drawing on decades of experience leading platforms in complex and regulated environments, Jai explains how the shift to the cloud fundamentally changed how organizations think about cost, and why treating it as an afterthought leads to reactive, high-pressure optimization later on.

He breaks down how teams can build cost awareness into their day-to-day workflows, from setting budgets and enforcing guardrails to leveraging automation that scales infrastructure up and down based on real demand. 

Jai also explores the trade-offs between efficiency and reliability, emphasizing why SLAs should always take priority in production and how over-optimization can introduce unintended consequences. From storage strategies in regulated industries to the hidden complexity of data transfer costs, he shares practical insights on where organizations commonly overspend and how to avoid it.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The dangers of reactive cost optimization after the bill shows up
• Building cost awareness into engineering teams through budgets and guardrails
• How Kubernetes changes the approach to cost optimization
• Storage optimization strategies, especially in regulated industries
• How AI usage is impacting cloud spend (and why it’s still early)
• Why FinOps should be treated as everyone’s responsibility

Chapters:

00:00 - FinOps First Class & Guest Intro

01:14 - Cost Becomes Engineering

06:59 - Kubernetes Autoscaling

10:26 - Risk Versus Savings

12:48 - Dev Prod Mindset

14:36 - Storage In Regulated

18:31 - Big Savings Surprises

22:24 - Day One Playbook

24:40 - AI Spend Management

27:57 - Security And Compliance

31:58 - Final FinOps Advice

37:03 - Connect And Wrap

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ Treat cloud costs as if you were paying a bill from your credit card.” - Jai Padmanabhan

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaishankar-padmanabhan-software-executive/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Stijn Depril, FinOps Architect at Euroclear and Co-Founder of Costra. He shares why cloud visibility is the starting point for any successful FinOps practice. Drawing on decades of experience in infrastructure and cloud architecture, he explains how many organizations rushed into the cloud without fully understanding the financial implications and why FinOps is ultimately about building the right culture, not just cutting costs.

Stijn discusses the importance of governance, leadership buy-in, and engineering collaboration when managing cloud spend. He also explains why engineers hold more influence over cost optimization than many organizations realize, and how FinOps teams can empower them to make smarter decisions without slowing innovation. The conversation explores what it really takes to move from reactive cost management to a proactive, organization-wide mindset around cloud efficiency.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why visibility is the foundation of effective FinOps
• The risks of moving to the cloud without cost awareness
• How governance helps guide engineers toward optimization
• Why FinOps is as much a cultural shift as it is a financial discipline
• The role engineers play in controlling cloud spend
• What leadership support means for a successful FinOps program

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

2:16 Stijn's FinOps Origin Story

4:07 Financial Problem or Engineering Problem?

5:59 Where FinOps Goes Right (and Wrong)

9:05 Should FinOps Be on the Pitch? Crawl, Walk, Run

11:31 What Does a FinOps Architect Actually Do?

16:44 Optimization in Action (The Hackathon Story)

32:17 AI and FinOps: Opportunities & Risks

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “I don’t need to have all the trophies on my back here. That’s not necessary. I want the organization and the engineers and the architects to do the right job for the organization.” - Stijn Depril

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdepril/ 
• Costra: https://costra.io/ 
• Website: https://www.euroclear.com/en.html 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Chandan Bukkapatnam, Senior Cloud FinOps Analyst at Procore Technologies, to unpack what it really takes to mature a FinOps practice from tactical cost-cutting to strategic influence.

Chandan shares how he intentionally built his career at the intersection of cloud architecture and finance, why he initially focused too heavily on granular optimizations, and how automation changed everything. He explains why small “one-off” savings often waste engineering time, and how building systems is what truly scales cloud cost optimization.

The conversation also explores one of the most important skills in FinOps: influencing without authority. Chandan breaks down how to build trust with engineers, secure leadership buy-in, and meet finance and engineering teams where they are, using the language that matters to each.

Finally, the episode dives into the future of FinOps in an AI-driven world. From FinOps for AI workloads to AI for FinOps automation, Chandan shares how he sees artificial intelligence amplifying the practitioner’s role.

 Here’s what we talked about:

• Why focusing on tiny cloud savings can backfire
• How to prioritize high-impact cloud cost optimization
• Building automation workflows that scale
• Gaining leadership buy-in for FinOps initiatives
• FinOps for AI vs. AI for FinOps
• The evolving strategic role of FinOps practitioners

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ AI is taking over the world… but context is still number one.” - Chandan Bukkapatnam

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandan426/ 
• Website: https://www.procore.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Henrique Amorim, Business Analyst and FinOps Specialist at Crayon. He shares an honest look at what it really takes to build a successful FinOps practice. From resisting the urge to immediately slash costs to navigating engineering relationships and preparing for the AI-driven future of cloud spend, this conversation goes far beyond surface-level optimization tips.

Henrique breaks down why FinOps isn’t about being the “cost police”. It’s about building influence, trust, and a culture of cost awareness across engineering, finance, and leadership. If you’re working in cloud cost optimization, FinOps, or AI cost management, this episode will challenge how you think about leverage, execution, and long-term impact.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why you should treat early cloud savings as strategic leverage
• The difference between theoretical savings and truly actionable optimizations
• How AI is reshaping the FinOps function
• The importance of building dashboards, processes, and visibility before scaling savings
• Why some “cost inefficiencies” are actually architectural features
• The role of community in accelerating your FinOps maturity
• Managing up: how to communicate FinOps impact to executives

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Identify those savings and keep them as an ace up your sleeve while using that as leverage to get your roots in the system.” - Henrique Amorim

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henriqueamorim/ 
• Website: https://www.crayon.com/us/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Rense Siegmund, Founder of FinOps Academy and FinOps Lead at Gasunie, shares a practical perspective on what FinOps actually is and why it’s about far more than technical cloud optimization.

With a background in coaching and team development, he brings a unique lens to cloud cost management: collaboration, culture, and data-driven decision-making.

If you’ve ever wondered how to scale FinOps beyond a single practitioner, or how small and mid-sized organizations can manage $1M–$3M in annual cloud spend without a dedicated FinOps team, this conversation is packed with insight.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The realities of FinOps for smaller organizations managing $150K–$3M in annual cloud spend
• How to embed FinOps into company OKRs and governance
• Why behavior change starts with small, repetitive actions
• The growing impact of AI as a cloud cost driver
• The importance of “fail fast, learn fast” in cloud cost optimization
• Why collaboration between engineering, finance, and leadership is the biggest challenge in FinOps

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Behavior comes from repetitive small actions, so the sooner you get the first actions in the organization, the easier it becomes.” - Rense Siegmund

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rense-siegmund-0b363b1b/ 
• Website: https://www.gasunie.nl/en 
• FinOps Academy: https://finopsacademy.nl/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Tamara Lajara, FinOps Principal Consultant at SoftwareOne, to break down what real FinOps value looks like and why culture, governance, and visibility matter just as much as savings. 

Drawing from more than a decade of consulting experience across industries, cloud maturity levels, and organizational cultures, Tamara shares why FinOps succeeds when people, process, and technology are aligned and fails when even one of those elements is ignored.

This conversation dives deep into the realities FinOps practitioners face: getting engineering buy-in, navigating organizational politics, avoiding costly long-term cloud commitments, and proving value when ROI isn’t immediate or obvious.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why FinOps fails when it’s framed only as cost optimization
• How to think about FinOps value across four key pillars: optimization, governance, culture, and visibility
• How to get engineering buy-in when savings aren’t immediate or obvious
• The risks of “lift, shift, and commit” cloud strategies
• Why tagging, governance, and accountability unlock future savings
• What AI will (and won’t) replace in FinOps
• How cloud-native teams think differently about FinOps than legacy organizations

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “It’s about finding the right motivation for each team, not assuming everyone thinks the same way.” - Tamara Lajara

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaralajara/ 
• Website: https://www.softwareone.com/en-us 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Trig Ghosh, FinOps SME at Accenture Federal Services, certified FinOps instructor, and founding contributor to the Cloud Efficiency Hub, to unpack what actually drives lasting FinOps success.

Trig shares hard-earned lessons from building a FinOps Center of Excellence, aligning finance and engineering teams, and leading FinOps initiatives without a formal full-time team. From incentive alignment to leadership mindset, this episode goes deep on what it really takes to operationalize FinOps inside complex organizations.

Here’s what we talked about:

• What a FinOps Center of Excellence is, and how it differs from a traditional FinOps team
• How to align finance, engineering, security, and leadership around shared incentives
• Why over-provisioning happens, and how to work with engineers instead of against them
• How recognition and ownership drive better FinOps outcomes than mandates
• Trig’s practical definition of what FinOps actually is
• How FinOps is evolving in a world of AI-driven cloud spend

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ To lead a FinOps team, you have to understand the incentives of all of these different personas. You have to be able to step into their shoes.” - Trig Ghosh

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trig-ghosh/ 
• Website: https://www.accenture.com/us-en 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Rohit Mishra, Head of Cloud FinOps at Avaloq, to challenge the idea that FinOps is only about cost optimization. Drawing from over a decade of experience in cloud infrastructure and capacity management, Rohit explains why cost savings are just the starting point, and how mature FinOps teams drive long-term value by shifting left into architecture, design, and decision-making.

Rohit shares lessons from his early FinOps journey, including what he got wrong when trying to optimize everything alone, and why collaboration across infrastructure, application, finance, and architecture teams is critical to success. He breaks down how speaking the right “language” to each team builds trust, unlocks execution, and accelerates impact.

He also explores how FinOps teams justify their value when cost savings plateau, covering topics like cost allocation, tagging governance, forecasting, and capacity planning. Finally, Rohit offers practical advice for FinOps practitioners at every stage, including why early wins matter, how to earn executive buy-in, and where FinOps as a discipline is still underdeveloped.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why cost optimization is only one piece of Cloud FinOps
• What “shifting left” really means and how it prevents cloud waste
• How FinOps teams collaborate with architects, engineers, and finance
• How to justify FinOps value beyond direct cost savings
• Why early wins and low-hanging fruit are critical for management buy-in
• Where FinOps is heading as cloud environments grow more complex

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ Shifting left is going to be a very important turning point in how FinOps is perceived amongst different teams and how FinOps is actually done.” - Rohit Mishra

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit-mishra-6aa1bb14b/ 
• Website: https://www.avaloq.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Marit Hughes, one of the most experienced FinOps practitioners in the industry, to explore what actually drives good (and bad) cloud cost decisions.

With over a decade of hands-on experience managing cloud spend, from early AWS billing days to today’s multi-cloud, AI-driven environments, Marit shares why business alignment, communication, and fear play a far bigger role in FinOps outcomes than dashboards alone.

We also covered how FinOps changes across industries, why benchmarking often misleads teams, and how fear quietly drives overprovisioning, missed optimization opportunities, and decision paralysis.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why FinOps practices don’t translate cleanly between organizations
• How fear influences cloud architecture, optimization, and commitment decisions 
• What FinOps practitioners get wrong about benchmarking and “best practices”
• Why communication breakdowns often matter more than cost overruns 
• How FinOps is shifting left into planning, architecture, and strategy 
• What the future of forecasting looks like in a world of AI, SaaS, and variable usage

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ If security is job zero, FinOps should be job 0.5.” - Marit Hughes

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marit-hughes/ 
• Website: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en.html 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Cloud FinOps Manager at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Rick Triana, to explore why cost savings are actually the smallest part of FinOps, and why focusing on “spend reduction” can stunt your FinOps maturity.

Rick shares how he evolved from treating FinOps as a cost-cutting function to building a value-driven program rooted in leadership, communication, and accountability. He explains why most right-sizing recommendations fail, how to avoid losing trust with engineering, and what FinOps “nirvana” really looks like.

We also break down Rick’s value–effort–risk prioritization framework, how to influence without authority, and why soft skills matter more than technical expertise in this field.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why focusing only on savings misses the true purpose of FinOps: maximizing business value
• How communication and soft skills matter more than technical tools in driving adoption
• Rick’s value × effort × risk scoring model for prioritizing optimization work
• Why dashboards drive awareness but chargeback drives accountability
• How FinOps teams mature through the crawl–walk–run lifecycle — and how practitioners mature personally, too
• What separates seasoned FinOps leaders from those who only know right-sizing and savings plans

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “If that’s your focus is just saving money, I think you missed the big picture.” - Rick Triana

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardotriana/ 
• Website: https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/reservation 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Jarred Clore, Cloud FinOps Delivery Leader at Cisco and the first AWS hire focused on cloud cost optimization. 

Jarred shares candid stories from his early days helping Fortune 500 companies navigate cloud cost shock (including getting yelled at by customers) and the hard lessons he learned about culture, executive sponsorship, and the limits of “hoping for the best.”

He breaks down why rate optimization often beats engineering optimizations in terms of impact, how to balance usage vs. commitment decisions, and why starting vendor negotiations early can save more money than most technical tuning efforts. Jarred also explains Cisco’s unique hybrid model for FinOps and why centralized governance paired with distributed ownership drives the best results.

We also covered how culture—not tooling—is often the biggest barrier to FinOps success, and why executive sponsorship is essential for driving change inside large organizations.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why executive sponsorship is the make-or-break factor in FinOps
• The difference between “FinOps in action” and “FinOps in action”
• Why rate optimization is often the biggest untapped savings opportunity
• Cisco’s hybrid model: centralized governance with distributed ownership
• How to automate safely without breaking critical workloads
• How to balance usage optimization with commitment–based discounts

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Optimization is supposed to be a concurrent task with innovation. It’s not supposed to be an afterthought.” - Jarred Clore

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarred-clore/ 
• Website: https://www.cisco.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Zak Ali, Global Lead for Cloud FinOps and Cloud Modernization at Invesco.

Zak unpacked the real-world risks of over-automation, why “humans in the loop” still matter, and how to drive FinOps adoption without mandates or chargeback.

With over 20 years of experience in technology and cloud transformation, Zak shares hard-earned lessons from automation gone wrong, plus the unconventional strategies he’s used to get engineers and executives to actually take action.

We also covered how FinOps maturity evolves beyond dashboards and tooling, and why communication, marketing, and business context become just as critical as technical optimization. Zak explains how shifting from micro-level cost discussions to macro business impact changes behavior across the organization.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The biggest mistake FinOps teams make when they over-automate without governance
• Why “humans in the loop” are still essential for cloud optimization and AI-driven FinOps
• How automation can quietly increase risk when there are no circuit breakers
• Creative ways to drive engineer engagement through gamification, recognition, and simplicity
• Why engineers do take action once they understand the real financial impact
• How a “cloud utility bill” reframed cloud spend for executives and sparked action
• What actually creates accountability in a showback model (without chargeback or mandates)

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Simplify the language. No techie speak, talk in dollars.” - Zak Ali

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakirhali/ 
• Website: https://www.invesco.com/corporate/en/home.html 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this re-air episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Dann Berg, Cloud FinOps Lead at Squarespace, to revisit one of our most practical and mindset-shifting conversations. Dann shares how the most effective FinOps teams create accountability without micromanagement, shorten feedback loops for engineers, and build trust across engineering, finance, and leadership.

Whether you’re building a FinOps practice from scratch or trying to move beyond reactive cost optimization, this conversation offers a timeless blueprint for driving real behavior change.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why trying to “get engineers to take action” is the wrong mental model
• How shortening the cost feedback loop changes engineering behavior
• Why FinOps works best when it creates accountability, not control
• How visibility, trust, and executive sponsorship unlock real impact
• Why FinOps is as much about culture and communication as it is about cost

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “ One of the ways that people can be strong FinOps practitioners is to go into it seeking knowledge.” - Dann Berg

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannberg/   
• BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/dann.fun  
• Company website: https://www.squarespace.com/  
• Personal Website: https://dannb.org/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down to talk through key takeaways from 2025. I look back on dozens of interviews with FinOps leaders across industries to surface the four most repeated and most impactful insights from this year. Whether you’re scaling a new FinOps practice or leveling up a mature one, these insights will help you drive deeper engineering alignment, stronger executive support, and more business value in 2026.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why you should stop telling engineers what to do and empower them instead
• Why FinOps must be a top-down initiative
• How FinOps practitioners must think like salespeople
• Why FinOps is more than just cost savings… It’s about business value

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “Focus on business value. It's really important. It makes the conversation a lot easier, a lot more mature, but don't forget to optimize cost.” - Alon Arvatz

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alon-arvatz/ 
• Website: https://www.pointfive.co/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this special compilation episode of FinOps in Action, we tackle one of the toughest challenges facing FinOps programs: showing business value to gain executive buy-in for the FinOps program.

Featuring:

Emily Cornock - Suncorp Group

Zach Johnson - Splunk

Tammy Burnitt - UiPath

Erik Norman - British Airways

Amy Race - Citizens Bank

These experts share how they tackle the shift from simple cost-cutting to value-showing. From drafting elevator value pitches to consistent executive involvement, these stories and strategies are guaranteed to get you thinking about the value of FinOps.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why shifting to asking what business value the cost is generating builds a much better culture and understanding of the cloud
• How to find the right metrics for the audience you are presenting to
• Why a “value pitch” can come in handy when you’re face-to-face with executives
• How you really need the “day-to-day” support from the top of the house

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 

Connect with these featured guests:

• Emily Cornock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycornock/ 
• Zach Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-johnson-86581342/ 
• Tammy Burnitt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammyburnitt/ 
• Erik Norman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-norman/ 
• Amy Race: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-jacobs-race-1882054/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Gilad Katz, FinOps Lead at Riskified, to explore why world-class FinOps isn’t about knowing every technical detail or pushing engineers to make changes; it’s about neutrality, trust, and telling the right story with data.

Gilad describes the moment he realized that trying to “know everything” in cloud infrastructure was slowing him down and why the real turning point in his career happened when he shifted from feeling pressure to recommend solutions to embracing his role as the person who brings clarity, context, and facts. As he puts it, “I’m not a recommendation guy, I’m a data guy.” That mindset reshaped the way he collaborates with engineering and finance, and why the most important part of FinOps work is often diplomacy, not technical expertise.

We also talk about what happens when cloud costs spike, why looking backward slows teams down, and how practicing FinOps “with a smile” builds long-term credibility. Gilad pulls back the curtain on how Riskified manages monthly business reviews, how he keeps engineers engaged without blame, and why empathy and composure often matter more than technical mastery.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why trying to “learn everything” in cloud infrastructure actually slows FinOps practitioners down
• What it means to act as the “UN” between Finance and Engineering, and why neutrality drives influence
• Why reporting to the COO removes bias and prevents CTO–CFO misalignment from derailing cost decisions
• What “death by dashboard” looks like and why FinOps needs stories, summaries, and context, not dozens of charts 
• Why looking forward matters more than looking backward when costs spike, and how to avoid blame cycles
• How to communicate cloud costs in a way that reduces tension and increases cooperation
• Why FinOps is a marathon of relationship-building, not a sprint of optimizations

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “It's like being exactly where the money is, where decisions are being made.” - Gilad Katz

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%E2%98%81%EF%B8%8Fgilad-katz-b989549a/ 
• Website: https://www.riskified.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Zach Johnson, Head of FinOps & Cloud Platforms at Splunk to unpack why world-class FinOps isn’t about dashboards or reports, it’s about business value, executive alignment, and proactive decision-making.

Zach shares how one of his earliest lessons in FinOps was realizing that “presenting data isn’t the same as solving the problem.” That insight shaped the way he approaches communication with engineering, finance, and the C-suite and why the right metric depends entirely on who’s in the room. He explains why executives care more about unit economics and unallocated spend than tagging compliance, and how connecting cloud usage to business outcomes changes how organizations prioritize optimization.

We also dive into why rate optimization drives the biggest impact at scale, how Zach’s team uses AI-generated insights and Slack automation to make FinOps proactive rather than reactive, and why people skills often matter more than technical depth when driving adoption. From building monthly business reviews to modeling commitment purchases with data science, Zach offers a transparent look into how Splunk achieves over $100M in annual cloud savings.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why “more dashboards” is not a FinOps strategy and why presenting data is not the same as solving the problem
• The metrics executives actually care about (and why tagging compliance usually isn’t one of them)
• How business context, margin goals, and unit economics shape every FinOps decision Splunk makes
• Why proactive FinOps beats reactive FinOps and how Slack automation + AI insights help teams get ahead of cost changes
• How to communicate cloud spend in a way that Finance, Product, and Engineering all understand
• Why rate optimization drives the biggest financial impact in large-scale SaaS environments
• How Zach’s monthly business review framework aligns engineering, product, finance, and FinOps around shared priorities

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “A terrible engineer with fantastic people skills can oftentimes make a lot more progress than a fantastic engineer with horrific business skills or people skills.” - Zach Johnson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-johnson-86581342/ 
• Website: https://www.splunk.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Borja Martínez, EMEA FinOps Lead at NTT DATA Inc, to explore why successful FinOps starts with understanding your company’s business context, not just its cloud bill.

Borja shared how his unconventional path from 12 years as a professional basketball player to FinOps leader shaped the way he views teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement. He explains why two companies with the same cloud footprint may need completely different FinOps strategies, and why knowing whether your organization sees cloud as a cost center or a growth driver changes everything.

We also cover why cost optimization is never really “done,” how to shift conversations from cost to value, and why FinOps data (even if not the FinOps person) must have a seat at the executive table. From low-hanging fruit to advanced architectural efficiency, Borja brings practical guidance for any FinOps practitioner looking to evolve their program.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why treating cloud optimization as a one-time project is one of the biggest mistakes beginners make
• The two types of companies: cost-center vs. growth-engine, and why each requires a different FinOps strategy
• How understanding business context and organizational structure shapes your entire FinOps approach
• Why “start with the basics” is still the right advice for most companies
• Why FinOps data needs to be at the decision-making table, even if the FinOps team isn’t
• How to move conversations from cost to value (and why this shift matters to executives)
• What professional basketball taught Borja about communication, teamwork, and FinOps execution

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “If you are focused only on savings and not on the value, definitely you will need a FinOps strategy.” - Borja Martínez

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bormartinez/ 
• Website: https://www.global.ntt/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Erik Norman, FinOps Lead at British Airways, to unpack why true FinOps maturity isn’t about cutting costs, it’s about creating value.

Erik shared how a disastrous “do not delete” incident early in his FinOps career shaped his philosophy: that understanding business context and risk matters more than chasing quick savings.

He also explains why tagging isn’t a strategy, why executive sponsorship makes or breaks FinOps success, and how shifting FinOps left into architecture and design can prevent costly mistakes before they happen.

From challenging the Iron Triangle to redefining what it means to “follow the value,” Erik brings a mix of hard-earned lessons, humor, and practical wisdom that every FinOps and engineering leader will appreciate.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The horror story that taught Erik why risk assessment beats “quick wins” every time
• Why cost optimization without value awareness can backfire and how to fix it
• The truth about tagging: “It’s a tool, not a strategy.”
• Why every FinOps initiative needs executive sponsorship from the CIO and CFO
• How to make shift-left FinOps real by embedding cost awareness in architecture
• The difference between cost reduction and value realization
• Why the Iron Triangle is outdated (and what to use instead)
• How to measure and communicate FinOps value even when costs don’t go down

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/

Quote of the Show:

• “Tagging is not the goal. The tagging is a tool.” - Erik Norman

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-norman/ 
• Website: https://amach.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Tammy Burnitt, Director of FinOps at UiPath. Tammy discussed her 25 years of experience in IT and capacity management and how she founded the FinOps program during her time at Shell.

Tammy shared how she transformed resistance into engagement, proving that FinOps success is as much about people and persuasion as it is about data and dollars.

We also covered the mindset shifts and leadership skills needed to “sell” FinOps internally, from empathy and active listening to aligning with business value and executive goals.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The early resistance Tammy faced when introducing FinOps and how she turned skeptics into supporters
• Why selling FinOps internally requires empathy, patience, and a great elevator pitch
• How a community of practice can turn cost optimization into collaboration and shared success
• Why “FinOps plus something else” (like AI or security) helps teams see real business value 
• Tammy’s approach to finding quick wins that deliver big savings with minimal effort
• How measuring engagement (not just spend) can accelerate adoption across the enterprise

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

Quote of the Show:

• “People aren't gonna do something that they don't like, or they don't find fun, or they don't see value in. That's your job: to figure out how to sell that, right?” - Tammy Burnitt

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammyburnitt/ 
• Website: https://www.uipath.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Amy Race, Head of Infrastructure, Cost Management, and Cloud FinOps at Citizens Bank, to dive into how her company moved 99% to the cloud.

Amy shared how her team went from inconsistent tagging and cloud chaos to a structured, scalable FinOps practice. She explains how clear ownership, executive buy-in, and automation helped enforce a 100% tagging policy.

We also covered how making FinOps fun by introducing leaderboards, badges, and recognition turns FinOps into a company-wide movement.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The one mistake most FinOps teams make when launching a tagging strategy
• How Citizens Bank went from “advisory” tagging to 100% enforcement
• Why executive buy-in is the make-or-break factor in FinOps success
• The creative ways Amy’s team made FinOps fun, with leaderboards, badges, and friendly competition
• How top-down accountability turned optimization into a company-wide habit 

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/

Quote of the Show:

• “Going back and doing something is much harder than doing it right from the beginning.” - Amy Race

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-jacobs-race-1882054/ 
• Website: https://www.citizensbank.com/homepage.aspx 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Emily Cornock, Executive Manager of Core Data Platforms and Cloud FinOps at Suncorp Group, to explore how her team is embedding FinOps principles into everything they build — from data platforms to AI systems.

Emily shares her journey from early cloud adoption to becoming a FinOps leader, including how she shifted conversations from “why is it costing so much?” to “what value are we getting from this?”

We also discuss how Suncorp builds FinOps into its AI and data DNA, the realities of managing large-scale data platforms, and how empathy and education transform FinOps from “the bad guys” into trusted partners.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Shifting FinOps from cost savings to business value

• Embedding FinOps into AI and data platform governance

• Building a healthy FinOps culture with empathy and education

• Partnering with AWS and Databricks to drive efficiency

• Measuring ROI and optimization in AI-driven environments

If you’re working on FinOps in complex data or AI environments, this episode offers a masterclass in how to align cost, performance, and business impact.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

 Quote of the Show:

• " A FinOps practitioner's role is to be a storyteller and to actually turn a lot of data into something that has context and is something that people can action.” -Emily Cornock

Connect with Emily:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycornock/ 
• Website: https://www.suncorpgroup.com.au/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Idaliz Baez, Founder and Director of RealOps, who has one of the most fascinating journeys into FinOps — from contamination engineer at NASA to FinOps instructor and leader.

Idaliz has trained more than 200 FinOps practitioners worldwide and brings a unique perspective on how education and awareness can unlock collaboration across engineering, finance, and procurement teams.

We dive into:

• How a NASA engineer found her way into FinOps

• Why focusing only on cost reduction is a common mistake

• How training builds a shared FinOps language across teams

• Why clean data and strong tagging practices are critical to success

• What makes financial concepts harder for engineers to grasp

• When to bring in external trainers vs. build programs in-house

If you're growing your FinOps team, building better collaboration between tech and finance, or just starting your FinOps journey, this episode gives you the mindset and methods to build smarter from day one.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  

 Quote of the Show:

• "A common mistake [I see people make] would be to just focus on reducing cost and to not really think about, ‘Well, what is our cost getting us?’" - Idaliz Baez

Connect with Idaliz:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idalizbaez/ 
• Website: https://realops.io

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Tom Cross, FinOps Lead at Aer Lingus and a member of the FinOps Foundation Technical Advisory Council, to talk about building FinOps culture, engaging engineers, and shaping the global FinOps framework.

Tom shared how he transitioned from software engineering to FinOps leadership, why optimization became his passion, and how he balances governance with empathy to drive adoption without slowing delivery.

We also discussed what’s next for the FinOps Framework, how usage-based anomaly detection is changing cost management, and why the future of FinOps is as much about relationships as it is about data.

Here’s what we talked about:

• How Tom went from engineering to FinOps leadership

• Why FinOps is really about helping engineers make better decisions

• Lightweight enforcement and governance that actually work

• Usage-based anomaly detection and root cause tracking

• What’s new at the FinOps Foundation Technical Advisory Council

• How the FinOps Framework continues to evolve for practitioners

If you’re leading a FinOps practice or trying to make engineering collaboration part of your culture, this episode is full of practical, hard-won insights.

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/  

Quote of the Show:

• "Engineers want to do the right thing. We don't want to do a bad job. If you give them the right incentives and they're prioritized to optimize things, then things will shine." - Tom Cross

Connect with Tom:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcross/
• Website: http://www.aerlingus.com 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Peter Crenshaw, Manager of FinOps and M&A at IEM, to unpack one of the biggest questions I hear from FinOps leaders everywhere: when does it make sense to build, and when should you buy?

Peter shared his journey leading FinOps at UKG and IEM, including what he learned from building an in-house FinOps platform and why simplicity, scalability, and resource awareness matter more than any feature list.

We also dove into how FinOps connects with M&A, how to educate teams across finance and engineering, and what it really takes to show ROI — even when your FinOps practice is still maturing.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why most teams should buy FinOps tools instead of building them

• Evaluating FinOps platforms for your size and maturity

• Building FinOps foundations early in the cloud journey

• Connecting FinOps and M&A to uncover savings and integration value

• Showing ROI and business impact with simple, scalable practices

  
  

If you’ve ever wondered where to start with FinOps tooling or how to build the right foundations for scale, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons and practical guidance.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/ 

 Quote of the Show:

• " Don't overspend and don't buy the Rolls Royce when you just need a Toyota Corolla. You don't need all the bells and whistles to get the data you need out for your organization, depending on what your use cases are.” -Peter Crenshaw

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petercrenshaw/ 
• Website: http://www.iemfg.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this special bonus live stream for National Podcast Day, I, Alon Arvatz, stepped into the guest seat to be interviewed by Casey Cheshire. After nearly 50 hours of conversations, I shared my journey and my biggest takeaways from interviewing top FinOps leaders this year.

We explored the core of what FinOps truly is and what it takes to drive action:

• The FinOps Mandate: I explained why the official definition of FinOps is to help organizations understand the value they get from cloud investment , which boils down to cleaning up waste and driving the best business outcomes.
• FinOps is a People Work: The most common idea on my show is that FinOps cannot be successful without collaboration across engineering, executives, and finance. As I've learned, the FinOps person doesn't have the keys to the cloud, the engineers do.
• The Biggest Industry Challenge: My guests consistently highlight that the biggest challenge is engagement with engineers. With engineers juggling quality, security, performance, and now cost , it’s extremely hard to get them to act due to competing priorities and a knowledge gap.
• My Podcasting Evolution: I shared how I overcame early challenges, stopped relying on a bank of questions, and now focus on what the guest is passionate about to make the conversation fun and authentic. My one hook question for every guest is: "What is the one thing you got wrong when you started your FinOps career?"
  
  

If you're a FinOps practitioner who needs a platform to learn and grow, or if you're trying to figure out how to drive real engagement with your engineering teams—this conversation is packed with personal stories and industry insights.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 

 Quote of the Show:

• “The three words [I would use to describe FinOps in Action] would be: Elevate. FinOps. Leaders.” - Alon Arvatz

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alon-arvatz    

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Gordon Douglass, VP of Cloud Assets & Risk Management at SAP NS2, to talk about the real-world challenges of running FinOps in government and enterprise-scale environments.

Gordon shares why commitments are one of the scariest parts of FinOps, how to balance anomaly detection with meaningful action, and what it means to wear “many hats” as a FinOps leader. He also explains how regulations, procurement, and engineering collaboration add layers of complexity — and how to navigate them successfully.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why commitments can make or break FinOps strategy

• How to balance speed and accuracy in anomaly detection

• What FinOps looks like in regulated industries like government cloud

• The “many hats” of a FinOps practitioner and leader

• Lessons from SAP NS2’s approach to cloud cost management

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/

 Quote of the Show:

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordondouglass/ 
• Website: https://sapns2.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I was joined by Tim Nolan, Senior FinOps Engineer at DataRobot, who saved over $1M in AWS costs in just four months and achieved 99% tagging compliance.

Tim shares his journey from engineering to IT finance to FinOps, and why negotiation skills, procurement partnerships, and tagging discipline are just as critical to FinOps success as cloud cost visibility. He explains how to approach AWS renewals, build efficiency projects that scale, and why engineers and FinOps must work hand-in-hand.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why FinOps is more than usage optimization

• Negotiating AWS commitments and renewals with confidence

• How procurement and FinOps collaborate on vendor management

• Achieving 99% tagging compliance (and the Kubernetes challenge)

• Turning efficiency projects into business value

If you’re navigating cloud negotiations, tackling tagging compliance, or partnering with procurement—this episode is full of practical FinOps insights you can apply today.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• "You have to know what you know and know what you don't know, and understand there are other engineering experts out there in your company and use that [to make the most impact]. Right? And be a cheerleader. Make sure to celebrate their wins." - Tim Nolan

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-nolan-559a1710/ 
• Website:  https://www.datarobot.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Peter Brauer, Senior Enterprise Architect at T-Mobile, who has led FinOps governance frameworks responsible for over $150M in savings.

Peter shares lessons from his transition from TBM (Technology Business Management) to FinOps, and why shadow IT has become one of the most overlooked yet critical costs in the cloud era. He explains why governance isn’t just rules but remediation and flexibility, and why not everything belongs in the cloud despite the hype.

Here’s what we talked about:

• How TBM and FinOps overlap (and where they differ)
• Why shadow IT is exploding in the cloud era
• Governance frameworks that actually work in FinOps
• When moving to the cloud makes sense — and when it doesn’t
• The hidden costs of SaaS and licenses most companies miss

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://www.finopsinaction.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• " Putting things in the cloud is inexpensive. Getting things out of the cloud, data, interacting with the things in the cloud, that's where your cost is." - Peter Brauer

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbrauer/ 
• Medium: https://medium.com/@p.b.brauer 
• Website: https://www.t-mobile.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Swapna Samuel, Head of FinOps and Clarity Business Management at BMO and FinOps Foundation Ambassador, to explore how culture, collaboration, and community have been key drivers in her FinOps journey.

Swapna shares how joining the FinOps Foundation helped her avoid common pitfalls, why engaging engineers with transparency and the “why” is crucial, and how BMO uses office hours to create a safe space for collaboration. She also dives into her passion topic: business value — why cost alone isn’t the full picture, and how to build KPIs that truly measure impact.

Here’s what we talked about:

• How the FinOps Foundation community accelerates success

• Tips for engaging engineers and explaining the “why”

• Creating FinOps office hours to share wins and stories

• Moving from cost savings to business value in FinOps

• Building culture and collaboration inside a financial institution

If you're trying to scale a FinOps practice, engage engineering teams, and reduce cloud waste—this conversation is packed with insights you can use right now.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• "When someone says you're not building something right, [to engineers] that is kind of offensive. And so, I think that's where the messaging needs to change, right? It's not that engineers are not building things right, it's how do we build it to maximize value?" - Swapna Samuel

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swapna-samuel-792745111/ 
• Website: http://www.bmo.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Ben de Mora, former FinOps Lead at GitLab, to explore how FinOps needs to evolve beyond tooling into governance, collaboration, and product management thinking.

Ben shares his unique journey from security and engineering into FinOps, and explains why champions programs, federated FinOps models, and executive sponsorship are essential for success at scale. He also dives into how sustainability metrics can engage engineers, and why policies and governance need to evolve — not just be written once and forgotten.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why tooling alone doesn’t solve FinOps challenges
• How FinOps is like product management
• Building scalable FinOps with champions and federated models
• Using sustainability data to motivate engineers
• Governance done right: policies, guardrails, and continuous improvement

If you're trying to scale a FinOps practice, engage engineering teams, and reduce cloud waste—this conversation is packed with insights you can use right now.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• "When you show somebody any data that shows that they're making a positive impact on the planet, they care. They really care. And a lot more focus is put into doing things." - Ben de Mora

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendemora/

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this special episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Taylor Houck, FinOps Specialist and co-creator of the Cloud Efficiency Hub at PointFive, to trace his career journey across the FinOps landscape: starting as a practitioner at a mid-sized company, scaling cost optimization at NBCUniversal, and now working on the vendor side.

Taylor shares the pros and cons of each career path, what he learned along the way, and how the FinOps role changes depending on scale, complexity, and organizational goals. Whether you’re just getting started or considering your next move, this episode is a roadmap for building a FinOps career that lasts.

 Here’s what we talked about:

• What it’s like starting a FinOps career at a small-to-midsized company

• How enterprise FinOps roles differ from smaller orgs

• The career leap: moving from practitioner to vendor

• Building the Cloud Efficiency Hub as a community resource

If you're trying to scale a FinOps practice, engage engineering teams, and reduce cloud waste—this conversation is packed with insights you can use right now.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• " The biggest thing is humility and trusting that everyone is good at their job and wants what's best for the company " - Taylor Houck

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/twhouck/ 
• Website: https://www.pointfive.co/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this special compilation episode of FinOps in Action, we bring together insights from FinOps leaders at Choice Hotels International, Sysco, Under Armour, and Carlsberg Group.

Featuring:

• Mike Routier - Choice Hotels International
• Sonal Gupta - Carlsberg Group
• Amy Ashby - Under Armour
• Prasshant Sharma & Polly Fabry - Sysco

These experts share how they’ve built trust with engineering teams, reduced cloud waste, and created a culture where FinOps thrives. From communication strategies and gamification to accountability and long-term adoption, this episode shows what it really takes to make FinOps work at scale.

Here’s what we talked about:

• How to engage engineers in FinOps without slowing them down
• Why culture is more important than dashboards or reports
• Best practices for building trust and accountability
• The role of gamification and storytelling in FinOps adoption
• Practical steps to reduce waste while building cloud efficiency

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

Connect with these featured guests:

• Mike Routier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-routier/ 
• Sonal Gupta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonal-gupta-20793b22/ 
• Amy Ashby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyashbymke/ 
• Prasshant Sharrma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasshantsharrma/ 
• Polly Fabry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollyfabry/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I am joined by TJ Johnson, Lead Architect for Platform Economics at MGM Resorts International. With over 25 years in IT and 15 years focused on public cloud and optimization, TJ shares a refreshing look at what really drives impact in FinOps—from relationship-building and soft skills to sustainability reporting and unit economics.

TJ breaks down how to move from KPI-driven thinking to momentum-based KMI frameworks, why partnership language changes FinOps collaboration, and how to engage engineers in meaningful ways—without relying on one-off gamification tactics.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why soft skills and trust-building are critical to FinOps success

• How to incentivize engineering teams without creating bad incentives

• The difference between KPIs and KMIs—and why it matters

• Sustainability modeling in cloud and how to build your own

• What "cost to serve" really tells you about engineering maturity

If you're trying to scale a FinOps practice, engage engineering teams, and reduce cloud waste—this conversation is packed with insights you can use right now.

 🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• " If you find a measurement is no longer giving you what you're looking for, it's no longer effective. If it shifts from a decision making measurement to an awareness measurement, you need to find another one, because all of your measurements should require an action. Otherwise, why are you measuring it?" - TJ Johnson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyrjohnson/
• Website: https://www.mgmresorts.com/en.html

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Sridhar Ayala, Director of FinOps at Adobe, to explore how Adobe approaches FinOps at scale—shifting the focus from just cost savings to enabling engineering efficiency, reducing waste, and expanding margin.

Sridhar shares Adobe’s unique FinOps strategy, including how they define waste as "unintentional spend," how they use gamification and marketing to drive adoption, and why understanding engineering context is critical to long-term success. He also reveals Adobe’s flagship initiatives like “ARM 24 for 24” and “CPU 26 for 26,” designed to drive cloud efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why Adobe defines cloud waste as “unintentional spend”

• How to gamify FinOps to engage engineering teams

• The marketing mindset that helps FinOps teams drive adoption

• Long-term FinOps campaigns that actually work

• Why engineering context is key to cloud cost optimization

If you're trying to scale a FinOps practice, engage engineering teams, and reduce cloud waste—this conversation is packed with insights you can use right now.

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• "There's no one definition of waste. Waste is only unintentional spend. As long as you're intentionally doing something, it can't be wasteful." - Sridhar Ayala

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sridharayala/ 
• Website: https://www.adobe.com/  

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Matan Ben-Ishay, FP&A, Engineering at Credit Karma, to explore what it really takes to build a cost-aware engineering culture and scale FinOps sustainably across an organization.

Matan shares his approach to balancing developer velocity with cloud governance, managing GCP commitments strategically, and why FinOps can’t live only in finance or engineering—it needs both.

We discuss:

• Why trust and education are more effective than top-down controls

• How Credit Karma built guardrails without blocking dev teams

• The difference between tactical waste and structural waste

• How to handle long-term cloud commitments in a fast-moving org

• What happens when FinOps sits under finance vs. under engineering

🎧 Subscribe for more FinOps leadership conversations → https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

 Quote of the Show:

• “ By not calling it FinOps, we're basically saying every engineer is expected to do FinOps. ” - Matan Ben-Ishay

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matan-ben-ishay/ 
• Website: https://www.creditkarma.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Substack: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/ 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I’m joined by Victoria Levy, FinOps Engineering Lead at Alteryx, to explore how FinOps teams can learn from security, prioritize cost optimization alongside engineering, and get serious about forecasting cloud and SaaS spend.

Victoria shares her journey from physics to FinOps, lessons learned working with engineering and product teams, and why organizations should stop calling it "cost optimization" and start treating it like a "risk to the budget."

You’ll hear:
- How to build a culture of accountability for cloud cost optimization
- What security teams do better than FinOps—and how to apply it
- How FinOps can approach SaaS spend like Snowflake and Datadog
- Real-world FinOps for AI: what tracking and optimization looks like today
- The role of anomaly detection, cost spikes, and "major incident" policies

If you're a FinOps practitioner, cloud engineer, or cost-conscious leader—this one’s for you!

Subscribe to our Substack for more FinOps conversations: https://finopsinaction.substack.com/

Quote of the Show:

• “ Security has done a great job of making sure that they are a priority, even though they might not be the purpose of the business, and that's something that FinOps can learn from.” - Victoria Levy

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriarlevy/ 
• Website: https://www.alteryx.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency 

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sat down with Sherri Wooldridge, Manager of Cloud FinOps at Carnival Cruise Lines and former FinOps lead at 3M, to explore the foundational role of data classification and tagging in cloud cost management. Sherri shares early lessons from her FinOps career, explains why weak tagging can derail M&A activity, and stresses the importance of aligning with finance teams on how costs are tracked and reported.

Together, we dive into key topics, including:

• Why scalable tagging strategies are critical for accurate reporting and savings

• The value of cost avoidance and collaboration between engineering and finance

• How to educate leadership on the variable nature of cloud spend vs. CapEx

• Tips for building relationships through agile meetings and one-on-one conversations

• The cultural challenges of cloud-first transformation post-acquisition

Sherri also touches on the future of FinOps in AI, and shares a glimpse into her life in Utah—from book recs to downtime between initiatives.

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more real-world FinOps insights, cloud cost best practices, and expert leadership strategies!

Quote of the Show:

• “ Fix what you can, because it's very foundational. Tagging is so foundational at the resource level.” - Sherri Wooldridge  

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherri-wooldridge/ 
• Website: https://www.carnival.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f25a9d18-c12f-4ee4-93f5-2aa96e509b55 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finops-in-action/id1790497808 
• iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/268443483/ 
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/finops-in-action-5958339 
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3IpjMc3qxDXZAjic5Zq21t 
• Transistor: finopsinaction.com 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PointFiveCloudCostEfficiency