"Tech Finance" with Sasha Orloff: B2B Fintech | AI | Finance Tech E50: Zuora CFO Todd McElhatton on Why 70% of Finance Stacks Hold Back Growth
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Jul 21, 2025 Todd McElhatton, CFO of Zuora, shares his vast experience from Oracle and VMware, focusing on the evolving role of finance leaders. He discusses the critical challenges posed by outdated systems and the importance of embracing AI in accounting. Insights from the 'Modern Finance Leader' report highlight how technology can streamline operations. McElhatton emphasizes the transformative potential of modern tools for improving efficiency and reducing administrative burdens, positioning CFOs as strategic decision-makers in the face of rapid technological change.
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Costly Home Billing System
- A billion-dollar company had 40 engineers maintaining their own home billing system, costing a lot of money.
- Their backlog for launching new SKUs was at least six months due to these outdated practices.
Legacy Stacks Limit Strategy
- Modern finance leaders are pressured to be strategic, but legacy stacks severely constrain them.
- Complex revenue models and rapid product cycles complicate quoting, billing, and revenue recognition significantly.
Streamline Processes and Catalog
- Analyze your team's time spent on tasks to identify inefficiencies and automation opportunities.
- Reduce product catalog variety if the administrative cost outweighs the benefits.