Black Diamond Podcast

S1E5 | A Finance Leader's Platform Journey


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What happens when someone who's "grown up" in the Oracle ecosystem discovers OneStream?

Mike Burens from Univar Solutions, a finance systems veteran moved from Oracle HFM and BPC to OneStream and discovered what he'd been missing all along...

The "Single Platform" Reality Check

Mike shares what it actually means to consolidate from separate planning and consolidation systems onto one platform. After nine months on OneStream, his team is experiencing something they never had before: everyone looking at the same data, speaking the same language, using a single global chart of accounts.

What you'll discover:

  • The real difference between having separate systems vs. one integrated platform
  • Why the vendor relationship matters more than you might think (especially coming from Oracle)
  • What a proper OneStream roadmap looks like: from basic implementation to driver-based forecasting, people planning, capital planning, and account reconciliations
  • The challenge of AI adoption in finance: technology vs. organizational comfort
  • The Attention Factor

    Coming from the world of massive enterprise vendors, Mike reveals what it's like to work with a company that's still focused on growth and customer success. Sometimes smaller really is better—especially when you can feel the difference in partnership and attention immediately.

    Looking Forward: The AI Question

    As someone who's "been in this industry a really long time" and seen trends come and go, Mike offers a grounded perspective on AI in finance. The technology is impressive, but the real challenge isn't technical—it's getting CFO organizations comfortable with leveraging AI from security and cultural perspectives.

    Perfect for finance leaders evaluating platforms, anyone curious about vendor relationships in enterprise software, or those wondering whether the AI hype in finance will actually stick.

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