Is it too soon to leverage agentic automation to drive AI transformation, streamline workflows, and boost productivity in finance? And how do you calculate the ROI of AI? Today’s guest runs a high-functioning finance team at a company that's at the forefront of AI, where bonuses are tied to AI adoption. In this episode, CJ interviews Hitesh Ramani, Deputy CFO and Chief Accounting Officer at UiPath. After sharing wisdom from his years at Deloitte on the “muscle memory” that a company needs pre-IPO and mistakes to avoid after going public, he explains how his company is using its own technology to transform the finance function. He breaks down the difference between agents, robots, and workflows, describing what each does and how they interact. The conversation covers what it’s like to manage org charts that include humans and AI agents, how to hire for the future of tech-savvy finance teams, and UiPath’s vision for near-autonomous finance operations. Hitesh also reveals real-world AI use cases inside UiPath and offers lessons learned on embracing AI as a powerful productivity partner while maintaining trust and governance.

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LINKS:

LINKS:Hitesh Ramani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitesh-ramani-a4a78118/UiPath: https://www.uipath.comMeghan Curtin McKenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-curtin-mckenna-%F0%9F%94%A5-66a5022b/ FIF Collective: https://www.fifcollective.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:04) Sponsor – Pulley | Brex | Aleph

(06:19) Going Public Versus Being Public

(09:50) The Need for a Company-Wide Operating Rhythm Pre-IPO

(12:30) Top Mistakes To Avoid Before Going Public

(16:01) Sponsor – RightRev | Navan | Rillet

(20:06) Common Foot Faults After Going Public

(23:57) Robots Versus Agents

(30:17) RPA Versus AI

(31:09) Agents & Workflows

(34:05) Accountability: Outsourcing Your Agency

(39:46) How To Measure ROI on AI

(45:06) Scaling With Robots & Agents

(48:15) Budgeting for People and Automation

(50:41) High-Impact Versus Low-Impact Ideas in AI Implementation

(53:36) Hiring & Developing Tech-Savvy Finance Talent

(57:36) Build Versus Buy & Building an Autonomous Workflow

(1:00:15) The Future of Autonomous Finance

(1:01:14) Use Cases for AI at UiPath

(1:03:18) Long-Ass Lightning Round: A Career Mistake

(1:04:25) Advice to Younger Self

(1:05:58) Finance Software Stack and the Future of In-House Systems

(1:10:14) Craziest Expense Story

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SPONSORS:

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Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/run

RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.

Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that can give you access to exclusive, proprietary Nasdaq-validated data that reveals what's happening with corporate travel investments. See the Navan Business Travel Index at https://navan.com/bti.

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