EPISODE · Jun 22, 2026 · 15 MIN
From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How AI is Quietly Transforming the Back Office, Ariana Semetana, Ep. 545
from Take it from the Ironwoman · host Susanne Mueller, Ariana Smetana
Ariana is the CEO & founder of AccelIQ.digital, an AI strategy + product firm with the ExcelInsight AI solution. ExcelInsight AI transforms spreadsheet analysis sprawl into reliable, decision-grade reporting, modernizing finance and operations fast. With 20+ years in corporate finance (Shell, PwC, Continental/United Airlines) and my own ventures, she has directly experienced the pain of manual processes and messy data. In 2021, she launched AccelIQ to build bespoke AI solutions that solve complex operational problems and drive measurable business results. Additionally, she serves as a Program Leader for the Kellogg Executive Education program, AI Strategies for Business Transformation, guiding 6,000+ global executives to bridge the gap between AI experimentation and enterprise value. Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianasmetana/ ***********Finalist "Women in Cloud - Podcast of the YEAR" - #empowHERaccess Global Prestige Awards 2026Susanne Mueller / www.susannemueller.biz TEDX Talk, May 2022: Running and Life: 5KM Formula for YOUR Successhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT_5Er1cLvY Join Substack: https://substack.com/@susannemuellernyc?Enjoy one coaching session for free if you are a yearly subscriber. 800+ weekly blogs / 500+ podcasts / 1 Ironman Triathlon / 5 half ironman races / 26 marathon races / 4 books / 1 Mt. Kilimanjaro / 1 TEDx Talk
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What this episode covers
🔹 Ariana's origin story spans from PwC to Continental Airlines to Shell Oil, she kept seeing the same problem: sophisticated companies still stitching reports together manually in Excel. 🔹 Studying digital transformation led her to AI, and she realized your own data holds the key to solving your business problems. 🔹 She is working with Mid-market companies in construction, industrial, mining, and manufacturing with big reporting demands, lean back-office teams. 🔹 How she works is with the "augment, don't destroy" philosophy. She recommends to meet people where they are. Keep humans in the driver's seat. Upgrade the process, don't blow it up. 🔹 Kellogg Executive Education where 5,000+ executives have been trained. AI literacy is now a leadership essential, not a tech niche. 🔹 What can teh future of AI teach us? it's about lifelong learning in microdoses, curiosity isn't optional anymore. If you stay still then someone takes your spot. 🔹 What's next? A product launch for fractionals and solopreneurs with enterprise-grade AI tools at an accessible price point. Always checking for the entrepreneurs for their work life balance: 🔹 She enjoys daily nature walks in Austin. Even the always-on entrepreneur needs a sanity place. 🌿
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From Spreadsheets to Strategy: How AI is Quietly Transforming the Back Office, Ariana Semetana, Ep. 545
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