Blog
Published 10.30.25
From Cost Center to Value Driver: How Emanuel Pleitez and Finix Are Harnessing AI to Transform Finance
Emanuel Pleitez on AI and the New Era of Finance at Finix For years, finance teams were often seen as the “cost center” of a company, a group primarily responsible for controlling budgets, approving expenses, and producing reports. Employees would approach finance for approvals or budget checks, receiving a simple yes or no. This limited view shaped how businesses approached finance.
Today, that perception is shifting. Emanuel Pleitez, Head of Finance at Finix, recently discussed this transformation during the PYMNTS B2B Payments 2025 series, “B2B.AI: The Architecture of Intelligent Money Movement.” “Traditionally, the finance team was the gatekeeper of budgets and approvals,” Pleitez said. “But now, in an era of instantaneous data, global market volatility, and heightened investor expectations, CFOs are redefining finance as a creator of enterprise value.” This evolution begins not with technology, but with mindset. Rather than being reactive gatekeepers, finance professionals are now expected to drive returns, ensuring that each dollar spent contributes measurable value. “Every day, we are making financial decisions that need to generate ROI,” Pleitez emphasized. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a key enabler in this transformation, allowing finance teams to move beyond traditional reporting and play a strategic role in enterprise growth. At Finix, AI adoption is deliberate and ROI-focused, rather than experimental.