In this special crossover episode of Beyond Spend and The Accounting Podcast, recorded live at Emburse in Motion 2025, hosts Adriana Carpenter (CFO, Emburse) and Blake Oliver sit down with Olga Pavlova (Finance Systems Manager, PizzaExpress) to discuss how AI is being applied practically in finance today.

From spend categorization to receipt validation, they unpack how automation is saving time, improving accuracy, and reshaping how finance teams work.

Takeaways:

• Successful AI adoption begins by unifying spend data across cards, invoices, and reimbursements to uncover hidden costs and streamline approvals.
  
  
• Automating repetitive tasks like receipt scanning and categorization frees up finance teams to focus on strategic analysis and business partnership.
  
  
• AI works best when finance teams trust the tech, starting small, identifying high-volume pain points, and continuously refining based on real outcomes.

Whether you’re just getting started with AI or scaling your automation strategy, this episode offers practical insights from leaders on the front lines of financial transformation.

Please check out all Emburse podcasts here:
https://embur.se/beyond-spend

Follow us on social!
https://www.linkedin.com/company/emburse/
https://www.facebook.com/emburse/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAK_opRNScOFADAhgPHcCA
https://www.instagram.com/emburse

Higher education finance teams are under increasing pressure to optimize budgets, ensure compliance, and adapt to shifting enrollment trends. In this episode, host and Emburse CRO, Michele Shepard sits down with Zach Tussing, Director of Partnerships at Ellucian, to explore how AI-driven automation, real-time analytics, and seamless integrations are revolutionizing financial operations in higher ed.

Key Takeaways:

✔ How financial trends and declining enrollment rates are reshaping budgets, including travel and expense management.
✔The power of real-time visibility and AI-driven spend forecasting to improve budgeting decisions.
✔ How institutions can streamline finance operations by connecting Emburse, ESM Solutions, and Ellucian for real-time compliance and efficiency.

🎧 Listen now to learn how finance teams can future-proof their strategies in an evolving higher ed landscape!

Please check out all Emburse podcasts here:
https://embur.se/beyond-spend

Follow us on social!
https://www.linkedin.com/company/emburse/
https://www.facebook.com/emburse/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAK_opRNScOFADAhgPHcCA
https://www.instagram.com/emburse

AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s transforming how finance teams operate.

In this episode, we dive into how businesses like our customer, Sixt are using AI to drive real results—boosting efficiency while keeping data privacy, sustainability, and long-term impact front and center.

Key takeaways:

• Why purpose-built AI models are more effective—and more sustainable—than massive, generalized ones
• How companies can balance innovation with compliance, privacy, and ethical automation
• What finance and travel leaders need to consider to future-proof their AI investments

Please check out all Emburse podcasts here:
https://embur.se/beyond-spend

Follow us on social!
https://www.linkedin.com/company/emburse/
https://www.facebook.com/emburse/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAK_opRNScOFADAhgPHcCA
https://www.instagram.com/emburse