Experienced FP&A professional, Ashok Manthena, discusses the importance of automating manual finance processes at Google. He shares insights on the future of automation and AI in FP&A departments. The podcast also covers topics like the power of meetups, the prevalence of Excel in finance teams, and the evolution of the finance tech stack. Additionally, they explore the benefits of face-to-face interactions and the significance of having sufficient data for predictive analytics.