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 across intake-to-pay is reshaping approvals, risk control, and spend visibility.  Finally, we share a practical framework for comparing vendors and choosing a platform that can scale with your business in 2026 and beyond. Explore the full Buyer’s Guide: https://www.procurify.com/resource/spend-management-software-buyers-guide/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2601_General_Spend_Management_Buyers_Guide_MKTG  This episode was generated using AI narration to deliver insights quickly and efficiently.

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 Officer, IT at PSC Group Elizabeth Parish, Director, Enterprise Vendor Management Office at Questrade Damon Norris, VP, Finance at Basis Ed 🔑 Key takeaways: Rollout playbook: how to assess readiness, pick first use cases, and land early wins Smart governance: keeping AI fast, safe, and compliant Control vs. automation: when to let AI run — and when to keep humans in the loop Avoidable pitfalls: common rollout mistakes (and how to sidestep them) Tune in to hear how real finance leaders are moving from hype to hands-on adoption—and what they’ve learned along the way.  For more resources, visit procurify.com

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-market procurement—and why it matters The top priorities for finance and procurement leaders in 2025 How scalable tools are closing workflow and visibility gaps Real-world stories of procurement transformation in action Whether you're a CFO, procurement leader, or ops manager, this conversation will help you better understand how modern teams are boosting agility and control across spend processes. Topics Include: AI in procurement Workflow automation and visibility Unified platforms for smarter decision-making Best practices for scaling mid-market procurement For more resources, visit procurify.com

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 losing control.   We unpack: The inflection points that actually moved the needle — from tech stack shifts to workflow redesigns How to scale finance operations without compromising strategic vision The role of AI and automation in shaping the next era of spend management   About Our Guest Vikas Kante brings a rare blend of investor insight and operational rigor to his role at Mitra Chem, a pioneer in domestic cathode manufacturing. With over $200M raised in private and government capital and a career spanning private credit to startup leadership, he offers a front-row view into what it really takes to scale strategically in volatile markets.   About the Podcast Spend Culture Conversations is where finance, procurement, and AP leaders get real. In each episode, we go beyond the buzzwords to talk about the real-world decisions that impact budgets, teams, and business outcomes.

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 costs, and tracking procurement’s impact on financial health. We walk through the report’s major objectives, highlight the critical metrics, and share how you can use these benchmarks to assess performance and guide future improvements. https://www.procurify.com/resource/procurement-benchmark-report-2025/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2505_General_Benchmark_Report_Social_MKTG This episode was generated using AI narration to deliver insights quickly and efficiently.

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 experience in charter school finance, and discover how to prepare your school for long-term stability and growth.

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 charter school finance.

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 operations. Learn how to tackle rogue spending, gain real-time spend visibility, and stay compliant as budgets tighten and regulations increase.

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 learn how these tools can help your school save time, stretch your budget further, and eliminate procurement headaches during budgeting season.

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 influence innovation within organizations big and small.

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 stack a success.

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, 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. Category Management Dana Small is the current Senior Category Manager, Head of Global Commercial Strategic Sourcing at BioMarin Pharmaceuticals. Dana has over 13 years of experience in finance, with 10 supporting the sales and marketing function including FP&A and Global Category Management Procurement/Sourcing, and over 17 years of experience within the Pharmaceutical / Biotech (BioPharma) Industry. Also known as “Ms. Category Management” on LinkedIn, Dana is also a blogger and public speaker who is passionate about sharing her learnings with the audience.  Please visit her on her website at - https://mscategorymanagement.com/

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 of The Bouqs Company  John is a proven brand builder and entrepreneur with deep experience in innovative media ventures and consumer products, John Tabis is the Founder and Chairman of The Bouqs Company. In 2012, along with co-founder Juan Pablo Montúfar, Tabis launched the Marina del Rey, California-based company, now an industry leader in the online floral space that delivers flowers and plants fresh from eco-friendly, sustainable farms around the world to doorsteps nationwide. Prior to launching Bouqs, Tabis worked in corporate brand strategy for Disney and ShoeDazzle and advised Fortune 100 clients at Bain & Company.

In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Karthik Rama joins us to chat about how procurement can find alignment with finance and work together as business partners, and how procurement leaders can successfully lead a cross-departmental digital transformation project.    Speakers: Karthik Rama, Procurement Doctor Karthik is all about Procurement Transformations, with over 16+ years of experience in helping organizations from varied industries, from all over the world. He is inquisitive to understand the subtle differences in industries and regions and has a complete grasp of the Source to Pay cycle. Karthik has worn multiple hats over the years, right from being the Procurement guy to the IT guy deploying the Procurement System - this gives him an edge when speaking the language of technology to the IT teams and Procurement to the Procurement teams.

In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Daniel Barnes chats with us on procurement and contract management horror stories he's seen throughout the years, and how to combat the biggest blockers to procurement efficiency. In addition, we chat about how procurement leaders can build a personal brand, and how to communicate the value of procurement in organizations.    Speakers: Daniel Barnes, Founder of The World of Procurement  Daniel Barnes is an independent commercial, procurement, and supply chain consultant that specializes in driving cost savings and adding value to your business. He is also the producer & host of the World of Procurement podcast - talking about all things procurement, supply chain, and contract management. His website, World of Procurement also provides procurement and supply chain content, tips, and thought leadership for the procurement profession. 

In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Cynthia Del'Aria shares the challenges of launching a startup as a tech CEO, and how to determine the product-market fit for your organization and to validate an idea before seeking investment capital. Cynthia also shares her thoughts on making the right strategic calls on investment to truly build a sustainable business that lasts even during recessions.    Speakers: Cynthia Del'Aria, CEO/COO of Raika Technologies Cynthia is the CEO & COO of Raika Technologies, a company that works with small business owners to turn their tech ideas into higher profits and higher margins for their business. She is passionate about helping new app and tech entrepreneurs spend as little time and money as possible evaluating their idea, helping them get to a go-no-go decision quickly and efficiently.

How to Fundraise and Use Your Startup Capital for Growth In this episode, Roy Stein, the CEO and Co-Founder of Babelbark shares how to set a healthy foundational spend culture for early-stage startups, and how to secure your first stage of VC funding - and spend it wisely to grow effectively and efficiently.   Speakers: Roy Stein, CEO & Founder, Babelbark Roy Stein is the founder and CEO of Babelbark - BabelBark is a comprehensive software platform with mobile applications, intelligent cloud analytics, and marketing tools that connects owners, their dogs, veterinarians, and vendors in a comprehensive and completely integrated solution.  Roy is a serial entrepreneur and former executive in companies ranging in size from public corporations with thousands of employees to idea & seed-stage startups, with a proven track record in building businesses and turning a problem or company around.

Category Spend Management Lessons Learned from Zuora & Salesforce In this episode, Maria Centeno, Head of Procurement at Zuora shares her learnings from her many years of strategic sourcing for tech giants such as Salesforce and eBay. She tackles how to best manage marketing and tradeshow spend, and how procurement can work with finance to make the best spending decisions.     Speakers: Maria Centeno, Head of Procurement, Zuora Maria Centeno is the current Head of Procurement at Zuora, a publicly-traded enterprise software company that creates and provides software for businesses to launch and manage their subscription-based services.  Prior to her role at Zuora, Maria led strategic sourcing efforts at Salesforce as the Director of Strategic Sourcing and also held the role of Strategic Sourcing Manager at Ebay.  Maria is a procurement leader experienced in supplier relationship management, contract negotiation, capturing supplier innovation, category strategy development, and execution.

How Future Driven CFOs Approach Crisis Management In this episode, Adam Metzger, Managing Partner at ACM Consultants and ex-financial trader shares his unique perspective regarding what sets top leaders apart in times of crisis and black swan events, and how to leverage the downturn as an opportunity for growth.   Speakers: Adam Metzger, Managing Partner, ACM Consultants Adam Metzger has almost 20 years of leadership experience in finance & capital markets, investment management, and business development. For the past five years, Adam has been working as a fractional CFO/advisor for startups and growth-stage companies to provide them with strategic, financial, and operational guidance. His financial and operational expertise in this realm spans a diverse array of industries including saas, media, healthcare, and CPG. Previously, Adam held positions with leading trading institutions including Caxton Associates, Morgan Stanley Asset Management, BNP Paribas, and Loop Capital. Adam received his B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley where he majored in Political Economy of Industrial Societies and was Captain of the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Waterpolo Team. He and his wife, Jenny, currently live in Brooklyn, NY with their five-month-old baby.

Scenario Planning for the New Normal In this episode, Debbie Rosler, Outsourced CFO at Burkland & Associates chats with us about best practices for scenario planning, how to get started with an easy five-step approach, and the tactics to extend your runway and cash flow.  Speakers: Debbie Rosler, On-Demand CFO, Burkland & Associates Debbie Rosler is an on-demand CFO at Burkland & Associates. She has 20 years of experience with companies in a broad range of industries and sizes, from early-stage start-ups to Fortune 500 Companies.  With expertise in financial planning and analysis, corporate strategy and financial modeling, Debbie has helped companies establish finance and accounting functions and identify opportunities to improve business processes. She is currently working as an Outsourced CFO  for several early-stage companies.

Lessons Learned from a Fully Remote Virtual CFO Firm In this episode, Jody Grunden, the CEO and Co-Founder of Summit CPA shares his tips on successfully working remotely as a pioneer in the virtual CFO space, and also what well-run companies do differently from a financial perspective within a crisis.   Speakers: Jody Grunden, CEO & Co-Founder, Summit CPA Group Jody Grunden is the Co-Founder and CEO of Summit CPA Group, the leading provider of Virtual CFO Services in North America. He is passionate about changing the way people think about accounting. Author of Digital Dollars and Cents, Jody literally wrote the book on helping digital companies create a financial roadmap to success.

In this episode, Ryan Lazanis, the forward-thinking founder of Future Firm shares his insights as a veteran fully remote accounting firm owner on how accounting and finance teams can adapt to the changes to remote work, and how to modernize processes for the future.  Speakers: Ryan Lazanis, CPA, CA  - Founder, Future Firm Ryan Lazanis, CPA, CA founded Xen Accounting in 2013, a 100% cloud-based accounting firm. Following its acquisition in 2018, Ryan started Future Firm, which provides resources to firms looking to modernize and stay on the cutting edge. He has a free weekly email called Future Firm Weekly Top 5 that curates the top 5 pieces of content that firm owners need to know about each week to help modernize their firm.

In this episode, Steve Watson, the CFO of CFSS Arizona shares his insights as the wearer of two pivotal hats - the CFO and CHRO. As a healthcare CFO, Steve shares the challenges of adapting to a remote work model, and how his essential service was able to transition. Steve also shares his passion for helping others save costs related to employee benefits when he founded Trendbreakers.

In this episode of Spend Culture Stories, Helina Patience, CEO of Entreflow joins us to talk about her experience scaling Canadian tech and manufacturing organizations. implementing best practices for finance teams, and change management during times of economic downturn. Entreflow is a boutique management and financial consulting firm with a team of 18 finance legends, HR leaders and marketing ninjas. They're a licensed public practice CPA, accounting firm, licensed recruitment agency and Growth Marketing Strategy Practice.

Having the right finance leader is more critical than ever in these uncertain times. John Kasian, Director of Operations at Signature Analytics breaks down the 'who does what' in key finance leadership roles, and also gives some easy to follow tips on the best internal control practices that every venture-backed company should know.

In this episode, executive recruitment expert Nakita Gates shares her best practices and insights on finding the right procurement leader for your organization, and what makes a strong candidate stand out amongst the rest.

In this episode, seasoned remote CFO and finance executive Suzanne Shifflet of Gym Launch joins us to chat about strategies on managing spending and finance teams in a distributed workforce, and how to keep teams motivated and engaged during the shift to remote work.

In this episode, Anthony Clervi, the CEO & Managing Partner at UNA Purchasing solutions shares his thoughts on why the C-Suite needs to empower procurement as a function, and the role of group purchasing and how it affects organizational spend culture.

Anna Sun, CPA is a former auditor at PwC and now is the newest member of our finance team at Procurify. In this episode, she shares why many CPAs are flocking to startups, and why she refuses to work for a company that does not use technology to level up their finance team.

In this episode, John Evans, the CEO of leading procurement consulting firm Procureability discusses how high growth companies can develop the right procurement strategy to properly track spending and catch maverick spending as they grow.

In this episode, Kelly Barner from Buyer's Meeting Point chats with us on the new role of the procurement executive, and how procurement can reclaim itself as a key function in an organization. She explains the hilarious and shocking stories behind how the role of procurement is behind everything that we see.

Nilly Essaides, the Senior Research Director of Finance at the Hackett Group chats with us and discusses what digital transformation looks like for the finance function, how tech will impact future work and what the trends look like for 2020 and beyond.

In this episode, Veronica Cook, the Audit Senior Manager at Peterson Sullivan shares all you need to know about the Uniform Guidance in a straightforward and engaging way, and how to align your procurement procedures with the UGC.

Mason Brady is a finance and operations leader who is passionate about empowering finance leaders to act as strategic partners within an organization. In this episode, Mason shares how an inquisitive mindset can bridge departmental gaps, and why people are the key to building a better spend culture.

In this episode, Barry Jahansetan, serial CFO for late-stage SaaS startups, shares his learnings for what a SaaS startup needs to know before going public, including the top KPIs to take note of, when to implement technological tools, and how to scale your finance leadership team to get IPO ready.

In this episode, Jim Gellas, VP Finance and CFO for hire at Kruze Consulting shares the biggest challenges and growing pains startups face when building their finance function. Jim shares the biggest red flags to look for, what investors care about, and how to prepare your people, processes and systems for success, to scale with your organization.

In this episode, Jake Tyler, the CEO of Finn.ai, talks conversational banking, scaling a business effectively with spend culture, and balancing growth perspectives while also being financially responsible.

In this episode, Sabas Carillo, the CEO of Adnant Consulting shares his insights with Aoife Kelly on KPIs to track and what to look out for when going public in cannabis, and how Spend Culture in cannabis will evolve.

In this episode, Lisa Rangel, executive resume writer, job search expert, and executive recruiter extraordinaire shares the secrets behind a well-written resume for a C-level finance hire, as well as key considerations to ace your interview as a new CFO.

In this episode, Steve Gormley, the President and CEO of International Cannabrands, Inc. shares his perspective on running a profitable cannabis business, considerations on taking a cannabis business public, and the KPIs investors look for.

Bruce Joliff, cannabis CPA and CFO for hire, shares his insights to establishing internal controls and compliance requirements for tax bill 280E for cannabis CFOs.

Scott Berdell, the CEO of cannabis business Stryps and former dispensary CFO shares his views on software and technological tools that cannabis business owners use, and his learnings on operating a successful business.

In this episode, Chris Cody, CEO of Highly Functioning LLC and former cannabis dispensary owner shares his insights on how to manage cash flow and the mistakes cannabis small businesses make when it comes to operations.

In this episode, chartered professional accountant Andrew Hunzicker, the founder of Dope CFO shares his insights on what cannabis business owners get wrong about accounting, and how to properly set your books up for success in the fast-growing cannabis industry.

In this episode, Perry Wiggins, the CFO of APQC discusses the changing face of the healthcare industry, and the new role and challenges of the CFO. Perry also shares his insights on adopting an unrestricted Spend Culture built on trust and accountability.

In this episode, Jon Brodsky, the Country Manager of Finder.com shares his insights on understanding the why behind company spending, how to manage multi-locational teams, and how to align your culture with company spend processes.

Brittany Nasso is a Financial Controller at Voices.com. Before Voices.com, she worked with Deloitte as a Chartered Accountant before moving into the world of tech. In this episode, Brittany shares how to drive change and efficient processes that are positive on the bottom line, and also how she made the switch from big four accounting to leading finance teams in fast-growing companies.

Tania Seary is the president and founder of Procurious, the world’s first online community dedicated to procurement and supply chain professionals, which now has 60,000+ followers and members in 140 countries. In this episode, Tania shares how to create a fulfilling career in procurement, embracing diversity, and what the next generation of procurement professionals need to know.