{"id":14889,"date":"2026-10-08T14:15:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T08:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=14889"},"modified":"2026-10-09T20:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T15:03:03","slug":"building-for-what-is-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/news\/stories\/building-for-what-is-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Building for What is Next"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Salesforce on AI, Growth and the Business of Doing Good<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karun Gupta<\/a>, Head of Finance, Salesforce – South Asia, reflects on how the organisation is rethinking finance through AI, building future-ready teams and embedding purpose into everyday business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: As organisations shift towards AI and autonomous technology, how is the role of the finance function evolving, and what does that mean for how decisions get made?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

AI is fundamentally reshaping how organisations operate. The real opportunity is not just tracking performance, it is anticipating it, giving the business the predictive foresight to act with speed and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within our teams, we work across a significant breadth of organisational data. By bringing that data together and applying AI, we can generate insights faster, automate routine activities, and provide greater visibility into performance across the business. For instance, our team uses Tableau<\/a>, integrated with agentic capabilities, to automate the front-end views for our quarterly business reviews, bringing key performance metrics into a single dashboard and generating first-level insights that used to take hours to compile manually. We have also standardised strategic processes such as bonus requests through automated workflows built on Slack, replacing manual, email-based requests with a structured approval process that improves both audit trails and efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That allows finance teams to spend more time partnering with the business, evaluating trade-offs, and directing investment towards the opportunities that will create the greater long-term value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applying agentic AI<\/a> to simplify work, improve decision-making and unlock capacity for high-impact strategy is central to that transformation. At its core, this is about humans and agents working together, each doing what they do best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Building AI fluency and learning agility is a growing priority for organisations everywhere. What does that adoption journey look like in practice?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Salesforce, AI adoption is guided by our Customer Zero<\/a> strategy. Before new innovations are introduced to customers, they are rigorously tested and deployed internally, allowing teams to validate use cases, refine workflows and demonstrate business value at scale. That hands-on experience shapes how AI fluency<\/a> is built across the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The real opportunity is not just tracking performance, it is anticipating it, giving the business the predictive foresight to act with speed and confidence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Building AI fluency<\/a> starts with mindset. Teams are encouraged to adopt a Beginner’s Mindset, stay curious and experiment with new technologies in a practical, purposeful way. When a use case delivers measurable value, it is quickly scaled across the organisation rather than remaining an isolated pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One practical example is the use of Slackbot<\/a>, an AI-powered assistant built into Slack, to synthesise context ahead of meetings and leadership discussions, helping teams spend less time gathering information and more time focused on decision-making. AI fluency<\/a> is not built through training alone. It comes from making these tools part of everyday work, allowing people to build confidence through consistent use while delivering meaningful productivity gains across the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: From a finance and strategy perspective, what frameworks or priorities guide site-wide decisions to ensure both operational efficiency and a unified employee experience?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Operational excellence becomes increasingly important as an organisation scales. From a strategic perspective, the focus is on creating an operating model that enables faster decision-making, stronger cross-functional collaboration and a consistent employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That starts with bringing teams together around shared priorities. Close collaboration across functions helps reduce duplication, improve decision-making and ensure resources are directed towards the areas that create the greatest impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an environment where change is constant and business priorities continue to evolve, operational excellence also depends on people. Investing in employee wellbeing, engagement and a culture of care helps build resilient teams that can adapt, collaborate effectively and sustain high performance over the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What are the core principles that guide the approach to building team capability and developing future-ready talent?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

High-performing teams are built on clarity: about goals, priorities and how individual contributions connect to the bigger picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trust is equally important. Teams perform best when people feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking for help and learning from one another. That takes consistency, transparency and regular conversations rather than one-off interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Development also needs to be intentional. Identifying capability gaps, creating stretch opportunities and providing continuous feedback helps people build new skills while preparing for future roles. Structured goal-setting and development frameworks provide consistency, while giving individuals the ownership to shape their own growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, sustained high performance comes from giving people clarity, creating opportunities to grow and building an environment where they can do their best work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:<\/strong> Inclusion initiatives and corporate philanthropy are central to how companies define their values. What does meaningful impact in this space look like, and where do you see the most significant opportunities for businesses to do more?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Salesforce, we believe that business is the greatest platform for change. Giving back is embedded in how we operate through the 1-1-1 model<\/a>, dedicating 1%<\/a> of the company’s equity, product and employee time to communities around the world. The focus is not simply on delivering programmes, but on creating meaningful, lasting impact for the people and communities they are intended to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equality Groups at Salesforce<\/a> help create an environment where people feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. Being part of these initiatives has reinforced how important psychological safety and a genuine sense of belonging are to building stronger teams and a stronger organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real opportunity lies in embedding inclusion into the rhythm of everyday work, where diverse perspectives become a consistent part of how decisions get made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Salesforce on AI, Growth and the Business of Doing Good Karun Gupta, Head of Finance, Salesforce – South Asia, reflects on how the organisation is rethinking finance through AI, building future-ready teams and embedding purpose into everyday business. 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