In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Oliver Milke from TD, who shares how he built a Data FinOps practice from the ground up inside a large financial institution, starting as a team of one and scaling into a dedicated function.

Coming from a background in economics and finance, Oliver offers a unique perspective on cloud cost optimization. Rather than focusing solely on infrastructure, his team goes one level deeper: tracking and allocating costs at the data layer, down to individual tables, workloads, and user groups.

The conversation explores why traditional FinOps models fall short for shared data platforms, how transparency drives accountability, and what it takes to operationalize cost awareness across thousands of users. Oliver also breaks down the role of education, chargeback, and engineering collaboration in building a sustainable FinOps practice.

Here’s what we talked about:

• What “Data FinOps” is and how it differs from traditional FinOps

• Why shared data platforms require a fundamentally different cost model

• Building cost visibility down to the table and workload level

• Moving from showback to chargeback and how it shifts user behavior

• Platform vs. workload-level optimization strategies

• The role of education and change management in FinOps success

“We recognized that this cannot be a one-off, but it needs to be a permanent ongoing thing.” - Oliver Milke

Connect with Oliver:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-milke/

• Website: https://www.td.com/us/en/personal-banking

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Oliver Milke draws on a background in economics and project management not engineering to make the case that FinOps for a shared data lake is an entirely different discipline than traditional cloud FinOps. He breaks down why a driver based chargeback model changed the way thousands of TD users think about cost, how combining billing data with telemetry is the key to unlocking true workload level insights, and why education isn't a nice to have for a mature FinOps practice it's a core pillar that needs its own dedicated headcount.

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with cloud architect and engineer Shailaja Beeram to explore a fundamentally different perspective: cost inefficiencies don’t start in the billing file, but in architectural decisions made long before deployment.

Drawing on over 15 years of experience across AWS, Azure, and GCP, Shailaja explains how the way systems are designed, scaled, and evolved over time has a far greater impact on cloud spend than most teams realize.

From “zombie” networking resources to overlooked outbound traffic patterns, this conversation unpacks the hidden layers of cloud cost and why FinOps and architecture must converge to solve them.

Here’s what we talked about:

• Why cloud inefficiencies often stem from architecture and not just unused resources

• How NAT Gateways and private endpoints quietly drive unnecessary spend

• What “zombie resources” are and how they accumulate over time

• Why background traffic can mask true resource idleness

• The importance of revisiting architectural decisions as systems evolve

• The growing convergence of FinOps and cloud architectureQuote of the Show:

“FinOps… it doesn’t need to be separated. It should be a part of how you think about the architecture.” - Shailaja Beeram

Connect with Shailaja:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shailaja-beeram-82324310a/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Shailaja Beeram draws on over 15 years of cloud architecture experience across Azure, AWS, and GCP to make the case that most cloud inefficiencies don't start with the bill, they start with the architecture. She breaks down why networking costs like NAT Gateways are among the most overlooked sources of waste, how background traffic can mask idle resources and delay cleanup, and why engineers and FinOps practitioners need to converge around cost aware design decisions from the very beginning.

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

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

Connect with Kevin:

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

• Website: https://www.presidio.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Kevin Mueller draws on over 20 years of engineering leadership to make the case for unit economics as the most powerful and most underutilized tool in FinOps. He breaks down why most companies never get it right, how to start simple and work top down rather than boiling the ocean, and why engineering led optimizations are where meaningful cloud savings actually happen.

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.

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

Connect with Cristian:

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

• Website: https://leanercloud.com/

• Website: https://autospotting.io/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Cristian Magherusan-Stanciu shares how his decades of hands on experience in cloud engineering and optimization have shaped a deeply practical approach to FinOps, and what he’s learned working across startups and complex enterprise environments. He explains why dashboards and cost visibility alone don’t drive results, how meaningful savings come from taking consistent, prioritized action, and why balancing automation with human judgment is key to reducing cloud costs without introducing risk.

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

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

Connect with Nick:

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

• Website: https://investcloud.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Nick Sudarikov shares how his background in finance and capital markets, combined with a deep curiosity for engineering, has shaped his approach to FinOps, and what he’s learned working across startups, cloud resellers, and large-scale enterprise environments. He explains why cost optimization is rarely as simple as what shows up in a dashboard, how a lack of technical understanding can limit a practitioner’s impact, and why getting hands-on with the tools engineers use is critical to driving meaningful change.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Jason:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jward2/

• Website: https://www.chrobinson.com/en-us/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Jason Ward shares how his unconventional path from data center operations into cloud engineering shaped his perspective on FinOps, and what he’s learned after building a practice from the ground up inside a large enterprise. He explains why cost optimization often fails when treated as a purely reactive exercise, how engineers naturally prioritize performance over cost, and why aligning with their perspective is critical to driving meaningful change. The conversation explores the importance of combining cost data with real usage metrics to build trust with engineering teams, how early wins like right-sizing can unlock significant savings, and why consistent engagement is what turns FinOps into a sustainable practice.

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

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

Connect with Loic:

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

• Website: https://aws.amazon.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Loic Fournier shares how his decades of experience across infrastructure, cloud, and customer advisory roles have shaped his perspective on cost optimization, and what he’s learned after working with organizations that treat FinOps as a one-time project instead of a long-term practice. He explains why sustainable cost optimization starts with governance built on people, processes, and technology, how visibility and cost allocation are foundational to any FinOps journey, and why organizations must invest in education and accountability to scale their efforts. The conversation explores how teams can evolve from reactive cost-cutting to proactive cost management, the role of native cloud tooling in identifying and operationalizing savings, and why celebrating wins is critical to driving cultural adoption. Loic also dives into the growing impact of AI on cloud spend, highlighting the importance of early governance, thoughtful model selection, and efficiency-focused experimentation, while emphasizing that effective FinOps not only reduces cost but also supports broader sustainability goals.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Jai:

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

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Jai Padmanabhan shares how his experience leading engineering and platform teams shaped his perspective on cloud cost, and what he learned after seeing organizations treat optimization as a reactive exercise once the bill arrives. He explains why cost must be treated as a first-class engineering concern alongside performance and security, how the shift to the cloud turned every engineer into a daily decision-maker on spend, and why building guardrails, automation, and accountability into engineering workflows is critical to avoiding unnecessary costs.

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

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

Connect with Stijn:

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

• Costra: https://costra.io/

• Website: https://www.euroclear.com/en.html

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Stijn Depril shares how his career evolved from decades in infrastructure and cloud architecture into FinOps, and what he learned after seeing firsthand how many organizations moved to the cloud without fully understanding their costs. He explains why visibility is the foundation of any successful FinOps practice, how a lack of governance leaves teams “flying blind,” and why cost optimization is impossible without first knowing where spend is going.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Chandan:

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

• Website: https://www.procore.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Chandan Bukkapatnam shares how his career started directly at the intersection of cloud and finance and what he learned after realizing that chasing tiny cloud savings doesn’t actually move the needle. He explains why early FinOps efforts often get stuck focusing on granular optimizations, how automation unlocks real impact, and why building systems is far more valuable than building spreadsheets. The conversation also explores the human side of FinOps: influencing engineers without authority, meeting finance and engineering teams where they are, and creating a culture where cost awareness becomes part of everyday decision-making. Finally, they discuss the rise of AI workloads and why context will remain the most valuable skill for FinOps practitioners in an increasingly automated world. If you’re thinking about how FinOps evolves from tactical cost cutting to strategic influence, this episode is worth your time.

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

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

Connect with Henrique:

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

• Website: https://www.crayon.com/us/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Henrique Amorim shares why cloud cost optimization is less about slashing spend and more about building trust, influence, and long-term leverage inside your organization. He explains how to treat early savings as strategic capital, why some “inefficiencies” are actually intentional engineering decisions, and how curiosity beats confrontation every time. The conversation also dives into AI’s growing impact on cloud cost management and why the future of FinOps will belong to practitioners who can bridge engineering, finance, and executive strategy. If you care about sustainable cloud efficiency, not just quick wins, this one’s worth your time.

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

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

Connect with Rense:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rense-siegmund-0b363b1b/

• Website: https://www.gasunie.nl/en

• FinOps Academy: https://finopsacademy.nl/

This episode of FinOps in Action features Rense Siegmund, Founder of FinOps Academy and FinOps Lead at Gasunie. Rense shares why FinOps is about far more than cutting cloud costs. It’s about aligning engineering, finance, and leadership to make smarter, data-driven investment decisions. He explains how collaboration and culture often matter more than technical depth, why behavior change starts with small, repeatable actions, and how organizations can scale FinOps from a single champion to an embedded governance model.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Tamara:

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

• Website: https://www.softwareone.com/en-us

This episode of FinOps in Action features Tamara Lajara, Principal FinOps Consultant at SoftwareOne and certified FinOps professional. Tamara shares how to deliver real business value beyond cost savings by aligning people, process, and technology across organizations at different levels of cloud maturity. She breaks down her four pillars of FinOps value: optimization, governance, culture, and visibility, and explains why long-term impact requires more than dashboards and short-term wins.

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

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

Connect with Trig:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trig-ghosh/

• Website: https://www.accenture.com/us-en

This episode of FinOps in Action features guest Trig Ghosh, FinOps Subject Matter Expert at Accenture Federal Services and certified FinOps instructor. Trig shares how to build a FinOps Center of Excellence, lead initiatives without a formal full-time team, and align finance and engineering by understanding incentives across personas. He also explores how recognition and ownership drive better outcomes than mandates, and how FinOps is evolving in a world of rapidly growing AI-driven cloud spend.

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

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

Connect with Rohit:

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

• Website: https://www.avaloq.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Rohit Mishra, Head of FinOps at Avaloq, explains why cost optimization is only one part of Cloud FinOps and how mature teams create value by shifting left into architecture and design decisions. Rohit shares real-world examples of preventing cloud waste before it happens, earning executive buy-in, and expanding FinOps impact beyond savings into governance, forecasting, and long-term efficiency.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Marit:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marit-hughes/

• Website: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en.html

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Marit Hughes from Deloitte explores why effective FinOps has less to do with dashboards and more to do with business alignment, communication, and decision-making. Drawing on more than a decade of experience managing cloud spend across public and private sector organizations, Marit explains how fear and uncertainty quietly drive over-provisioning, missed optimization opportunities, and decision paralysis. She shares lessons from implementing FinOps across vastly different business models, breaks down why benchmarking often leads teams astray, and clarifies the true role of FinOps as an influencer of cloud decisions. Marit also looks ahead to the future of FinOps, outlining why the practice is shifting left into planning and architecture, and how practitioners can move beyond cost control to enable smarter, value-driven cloud outcomes.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Rick:

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

• Website: https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/us/en/reservation

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Rick Triana, Cloud FinOps Manager at IHG Hotels & Resorts, breaks down why FinOps is about maximizing business value and how teams mature from basic cost optimization into value-driven, accountable cloud organizations. Rick shares lessons from building and scaling FinOps practices across multiple enterprises, explains why EC2 right-sizing is “mostly nonsense” when done blindly, and outlines his value-effort-risk framework for prioritizing high-impact initiatives. He also dives into the leadership and communication skills required to influence engineering and finance, move from showback to chargeback, and build proactive FinOps governance that drives efficiency by design.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Jarred:

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

• Website: https://www.cisco.com/

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Jarred Clore, Cloud FinOps Delivery Leader at Cisco, covers cloud cost shock, usage vs. rate optimization, enterprise-level commitment strategies, centralized vs. distributed FinOps models, and the often-overlooked power of vendor negotiations. Jarred shares real stories from working with Fortune 500 organizations, explains why starting EDP/PPA negotiations early can unlock millions in savings, and reveals how Cisco manages automation, ownership, and governance across one of the world’s largest cloud footprints.

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)

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Zak:

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

• Website: https://www.invesco.com/corporate/en/home.html

In this episode of FinOps in Action, Zak Ali, Global Lead for Cloud FinOps & Cloud Modernization at Invesco, joins to explore the real risks of cloud automation without governance and why FinOps success depends on people, not just tooling.

This conversation covers FinOps automation, AI governance, cloud cost optimization, engineer engagement, and executive alignment, with practical insights for FinOps practitioners, cloud leaders, and finance teams looking to scale responsibly.

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

Quote of the Show:

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

Connect with Dann:

• 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/

In this re-air episode of FinOps in Action, we revisit a standout conversation with Dann Berg, Cloud FinOps Lead at Squarespace. Drawing from years of experience building and scaling FinOps programs, Dann breaks down why the most effective practitioners focus less on enforcing action and more on creating visibility, accountability, and trust. From shortening cost feedback loops for engineers to embedding FinOps into decision-making at every level, this episode highlights the principles that continue to define successful FinOps teams.