Yaser Ali
Episode Summary: AI promises to transform finance processes—collections being one that clearly stands out. But simply adding AI to an inefficient process doesn’t make the process intelligent.
In this episode of the Emagia AI For Finance Podcast, Host Brian Shappell speaks with Yaser Ali, CFO of Phoenix Power Supply, about what it actually takes to put AI to work in collections and credit functions of the modern finance operations. Ali shares a CFO’s perspective on using AI to improve efficiency, strengthen predictive capabilities, and help finance teams make faster, better-informed decisions.
The conversation starts off fast with exploration of real gains, not hype, that can be expected from implementing autonomous finance solutions into day-to-day collections operations. From there, it explores practical applications across areas like financial analysis and forecasting as well as one of the biggest obstacles to successful AI adoption: data quality.
For CFOs and finance leaders evaluating where AI fits into their operating model, the episode offers a practical perspective on getting the fundamentals right before trying to scale autonomy from someone who has been in the trenches at not only some of the biggest companies in North America but startups and points in between.
Speaker highlights: Yaser Ali is currently CFO of Phoenix Power Supply. Ali has spent recent years as a Fractional CFO after spending critical years with giants like Amazon and SunEdison.
With more than 20 years of experience in finance and operations, Ali is a seasoned leader and strategist, notably in the renewable energy, manufacturing and technology sectors. Yaser has overseen financial planning, reporting, and analysis for companies’ global operations, as well as the development and execution of its growth and innovation strategies.
