Spend Culture: Conversations on Spend Management, Procurement, and Finance Leadership

In this Digest edition of Spend Culture, we break down Procurify’s 2026 Buyer’s Guide to spend management software for mid-market finance, procurement, and AP teams. We explore the four levels of procurement maturity, the six core capabilities every modern platform should support—from request to payment—and where ERPs, spreadsheets, and point solutions fall short. You’ll also learn how AI embedded...

AI is reshaping how finance teams work but readiness looks different for every organization. In this expert panel during Pulse 2025, Procurify’s event dedicated to getting the AI edge in procurement, finance and IT leaders share where AI is making a measurable impact, what’s still on the horizon, and how they’re balancing innovation with control. 🎙️ Hear from: Alex Costa, SVP & Security Office...

How AI, Speed, and Visibility Are Transforming Mid-Market Procurement In this episode, we’re joined by Xavier Olivera, Procure-Tech Lead Analyst at Spend Matters, and Jeffrey Hardy, Chief Revenue Officer at Procurify, to explore how mid-market finance and procurement teams are adapting to new challenges with the help of AI, automation, and better visibility. You’ll learn: What’s changing in mid-ma...

Candid conversations about what really happens behind the numbers.   In this episode, we sit down with Vikas Kante, Head of Finance at Mitra Chem, for an unfiltered look into the decision-making moments that shape high-growth companies. From navigating complex tradeoffs to aligning strategy across investors, boards, suppliers, and customers, Vikas shares how finance leaders can stay agile without...

In this Digest edition of Spend Culture, we break down key insights from Procurify’s 2025 Procurement Benchmark Report. Built on $20B+ in real procurement data, this episode explores how organizations can use benchmarking across 11 key KPIs to spot inefficiencies and identify opportunities for optimization. The KPIs are tied to major procurement objectives like maximizing supplier value, cutting c...

Can charter schools beat budget pressure? In this episode, from Procurement Week for Charter Schools, Raj Thakkar, Founder & CEO at CSBM, shares proven strategies from his Fiscal Responsibility Method to help charter schools tackle financial challenges, optimize spending, and ensure fiscal responsibility. Gain actionable insights from an award-winning financial leader with 20+ years of experie...

How are finance leaders preparing for 2025–2026 budgeting? In this episode, from Procurement Week for Charter Schools, school finance leaders share strategies for financial stability, transparency, streamlined operations, and compliance. Get ahead of the curve with insights from experienced leaders on adapting to funding shifts, rethinking staffing models, and navigating the complexities of modern...

Discover how real charter school leaders are enhancing their purchasing and accounts payable workflows in this episode from Procurement Week for Charter Schools. Featuring four innovative charter school leaders at the forefront of procurement transformation, you'll hear firsthand how they’ve optimized purchasing workflows, improved budget visibility, and leveraged technology to streamline operatio...

What does smarter school spending look like in action? This episode, from Procurement Week for Charter Schools, explores how AI-powered procurement and AP tools are helping schools cut costs, reduce manual work, and gain control over every dollar—just in time for budgeting season. Listen to learn about Procurify’s latest features, including AI-powered contract management and AP automation, and lea...

In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Darrell Cox, CFO at Vena Solutions, explains how technology is bridging the gap between finance and everyone else, why self-created uncertainty can be a boost, and the importance of being a business partner as well as a numbers guy.

In this episode, Anna McGovern, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Food Bank for New York City and procurement/supply chain influencer shares how procurement can truly have a seat at the executive table as a business partner. Procurement is often seen as a cost-cutting role, but Anna gives specific case studies and examples on how procurement can truly become a value-driver, and how it can influenc...

Twyla Verhelst joins us to chat about how accounting leaders can adopt an entrepreneurial mindset to their work, and how to elevate themselves to become better business partners to the organizations they work for. In addition, Twyla provides some great tips to deal with change management and automation issues, and how to overcome them.

In this episode, Sam Gupta, the Principal Consultant at ElevatIQ and host of the WBS Rocks podcast joins us to discuss how growing companies can identify whether they are ready for an ERP, and also how to make the best decision on behalf of their organization. We chat about ERP implementations gone wrong, how to evaluate a solution, and getting the right stakeholders on board to make your tech sta...

Pamela Steer, CFO of Payments Canada and CFO of the Year™ award winner for 2019 joins us in this episode to chat about the newest developments in Payments, and also her experiences being a woman finance leader. We chat about how organizations can leverage the newest payment technology to stay competitive in 2021, and how to elevate other women in the finance and accounting sector.   

In this episode, Softbank Vision Fund's CFO and Managing Partner Navneet Govil shares his insights on scaling the vision fund's finance team, how he was able to use technology to make finance strategic, and his opinions on how finance leaders can be better business partners. In addition, he gives a glimpse into how Softbank Vision Fund selects their portfolio companies and how portfolio company CF...

In this episode, Evan Wells, the VP BizOps & Financial Services at Jirav shares the biggest challenges organizations face when budgeting in a remote world. We discuss how finance leaders can make accurate forecasts when we're still in a world of uncertainty, and how Jirav is also navigating the new year as an organization.

In this episode, Scott Omelianuk, Editor-in-Chief of Inc. joins us to chat about the biggest learnings business owners had from 2020, and strategies on how small-medium businesses can regain momentum for success in a new year. Scott also shares his lessons as an entrepreneur himself, and how he helped other companies pivot and scale even within a crisis.

In this episode, Pinder Sekhon, the Sr Director of Finance at Vancouver-based company Unbounce shares her experience as a people-first finance leader who made her transition from the more bureaucratic, traditional industries to the agile, fast-paced culture at Unbounce. She shares how to build a proactive spend culture using technology, and how finance leaders can balance control with trust in fas...

Shouvik Roy, the CFO of Drop joined the company during the 2020 pandemic, having to adapt to a new team and environment while being completely remote. As a seasoned financial executive in the fintech sector, Shouvik discusses the challenges in tech startups during downturns, as well as the CFO's role in setting vision, strategy, and fundraising in 2021

In this episode, Jenny Bloom, the Chief Financial Officer at Zapier shares her learnings as a seasoned finance executive at multiple fast-growing tech companies. She chats with us about how to support team members during remote work, how Zapier has adapted throughout the downturn, and their plans for growth in 2021.

Wajdi Goussoub, the Director of Finance at Plooto gets honest about the changes and sacrifices made during the pandemic, and how he built a successful spend processes that empowers the individual team members within the company. Wajdi also draws to his prior experience as a VC and identifies what makes successful startups stand out from the rest.

Managing Hypergrowth and Achieving IPO in a Downturn Economy In this episode, Jim Kelliher, the CFO at Drift shares how Drift became the fastest growing tech company in Boston, and how they navigated strategic challenges during a downturn by being customer-centric, trusting the team, and investing in the right processes and people. In addition, Jim shares his advice on IPO best practices from his...

Why Finance Leaders Should Stay Informed, Connected, and Humble In this episode, Kingsley Chan, Director of Finance at Finn Ai shares his insights on what makes a forward-thinking, strategic finance leader, and why being informed, connected, and humble and keys to success. In addition, he shares his remote work tips on how Finn Ai was able to adapt with agility to the downturn. Speakers: Kingsley...

In this episode, Dana Small, the Senior Category Manager, Head of Global Commercial Strategic Sourcing at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals, and procurement blogger join us to chat about how women in procurement can thrive in the profession and the category management must-knows for biotech procurement leaders. Speaker: Dana Small, Senior Category Manager at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals & Blogger at Ms. Ca...

In this episode, John Tabis, the Founder of The Bouqs Company shares his thoughts on why building a long-lasting brand is the best investment against a downturn, and his fundraising journeys through Shark Tank and beyond. In addition, he shares why a vision-driven CFO is the best business partner a CEO can get, and what traits to look for in a CFO hire.  Speaker: John Tabis, Founder and Chairman o...