The Prototype Mindset

About this episode

Inna Kogan discusses her career journey and insights on leveraging AI in accounting and finance.

Inna Kogan shares her journey from Big Four audit in Moscow to driving finance transformation at Amazon, revealing how she built BI tools that revolutionized complex M&A modeling and now experiments with AI for contract reviews and business insights. She discusses the cultural shifts between Russian and British finance practices, the importance of in-person networking for career growth, and why starting small with everyday problems is the key to scaling innovation in large organizations. Inna also explores how accountants can leverage AI to move beyond compliance work and provide deeper business intelligence across entire organizations. (00:00) - Welcome to Accounting Intelligence (03:05) - Inna's Career Journey (04:56) - Transition to Amazon and Embracing Automation (09:30) - The Importance of Networking and In-Person Interactions (18:20) - Cultural Differences in Finance (21:53) - Building a BI Modeling Tool (24:53) - Leveraging Internal Tools for Innovation (25:42) - Transitioning from BI to AI (26:11) - Early Experiences with AI in Accounting (27:05) - AI's Rapid Development and Adoption (29:22) - Challenges and Successes in AI Implementation (36:55) - Experimenting with…

People in this episode

Host: Isaac Heller

Guest: Inna Kogan

Topics covered

• finance transformation
• AI in accounting
• networking
• cultural differences
• business intelligence
• innovation

Keywords

• finance transformation
• AI
• business intelligence
• networking
• M&A modeling
• innovation
• cultural differences

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Amazon, Big Four, Trullion

More episodes of AI: Accounting Intelligence

• A New Trust Equation: AI at the Heart of the CFO–Auditor Handshake · November 10, 2025 · 43 min
• AI in Action: How Internal Audit & Advisory Can Bridge the CFO-Audit Gap · November 10, 2025 · 26 min
• The New Era of Audit · August 26, 2025 · 1h 0m
• Why Every Accountant Needs to Become Visible (Or Risk Being Invisible) · July 29, 2025 · 53 min
• The Accountant Storyteller: Building Financial Narratives at High-Growth Startups · July 1, 2025 · 53 min
• Deterministic vs. Probabilistic: The Right Tech for Finance Problems · June 3, 2025 · 53 min