Jason Ward, C.H. Robinson: Reducing Cloud Costs Without Sacrificing Performance
Why are your cloud costs so high and what actually fixes them?
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.