FinOps in Action

Why do so many FinOps programs struggle to prove business value?

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 ...

Why does FinOps work better when teams own outcomes instead of being told what to do?

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 fin...

Why can’t FinOps teams rely on cost savings alone?

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 sh...

How do FinOps leaders make better cloud decisions when every organization is different?

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 envi...

Can developing soft skills like communication and conflict resolution accelerate FinOps maturity faster than tooling?

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 FinOp...

What does FinOps look like at massive enterprise scale?

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, exec...

Can FinOps really be automated? Or do humans still need to stay in the loop?

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 clou...

What does it really take to drive action in FinOps…. without chasing engineers?

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 engineeri...

What did the world’s top FinOps practitioners learn in 2025? What should you change in your practice heading into 2026?

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 ...

How do leading companies shift FinOps from cost-cutting to strategic business value?

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 expe...

Is “death by dashboard” holding your FinOps program back more than you realize?

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 every...

How do you turn FinOps from a reporting function into part of the company’s operating system?

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 realizi...

Are you treating FinOps like a one-time project instead of an ongoing value engine?

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 t...

Is “cost optimization” the wrong goal for FinOps?

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 sa...

Can empathy, sales skills, and gamification be the secret to driving FinOps success?

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...

Can enforcing a simple tagging strategy transform your entire FinOps program?

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, ex...

How do you balance cost optimization, business value, and innovation in the age of AI?

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...

What does good FinOps look like inside a large engineering organization?

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 c...

What does good FinOps look like inside a large engineering organization?

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 bec...