Can empathy, sales skills, and gamification be the secret to driving FinOps success?

In this episode of FinOps in Action, I sit down with Tammy Burnitt, Director of FinOps at UiPath. Tammy discussed her 25 years of experience in IT and capacity management and how she founded the FinOps program during her time at Shell.

Tammy shared how she transformed resistance into engagement, proving that FinOps success is as much about people and persuasion as it is about data and dollars.

We also covered the mindset shifts and leadership skills needed to “sell” FinOps internally, from empathy and active listening to aligning with business value and executive goals.

Here’s what we talked about:

• The early resistance Tammy faced when introducing FinOps and how she turned skeptics into supporters
• Why selling FinOps internally requires empathy, patience, and a great elevator pitch
• How a community of practice can turn cost optimization into collaboration and shared success
• Why “FinOps plus something else” (like AI or security) helps teams see real business value 
• Tammy’s approach to finding quick wins that deliver big savings with minimal effort
• How measuring engagement (not just spend) can accelerate adoption across the enterprise

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Quote of the Show:

• “People aren't gonna do something that they don't like, or they don't find fun, or they don't see value in. That's your job: to figure out how to sell that, right?” - Tammy Burnitt

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tammyburnitt/ 
• Website: https://www.uipath.com/ 

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