How CFOs Can Fight Process Friction with Nikhil Patel, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for the City of Detroit
June 24, 2025
In this episode of CFO Weekly, Nikhil Patel, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for the City of Detroit, joins Megan Weis to navigate the critical challenges of process friction in both government and private sectors, as well as ways to reduce it by optimizing and streamlining operations.
In this episode of CFO Weekly, Nikhil Patel, Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer for the City of Detroit, joins Megan Weis to navigate the critical challenges of process friction in both government and private sectors, as well as ways to reduce it by optimizing and streamlining operations.
With vast experience across management consulting at Boston Consulting Group, startup leadership, and public sector finance, Nikhil brings a unique perspective to operational efficiency and process optimization. His background includes a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan, along with an MBA from Harvard Business School.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to define process friction through key metrics
- The "Black Box" approach to breaking down complex organizational processes
- Why understanding legacy systems and regulatory constraints is crucial for implementing change in government organizations
- How to balance thorough analysis with agile decision-making in large-scale projects
- The strategic framework for implementing automation and AI in traditional financial operations
Learn more about Nikhil:
Episode resources:
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Previous guests include: Tom McDermott, CFO at Career Certified, Claire Bramley, CFO at Teradata, Chris Miles, Founder of Money Ripples, Ranil DeSilva, CFO & COO at CARE, Jordan Grumet, Financial Independence Expert & Host of Earn & Invest & William Washington, Global CFO at Baker McKenzie
Check out some of our most recent episodes:
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- Why CFOs Are the Chief Everything Officers with Claire Bramley
- Why Traditional Financial Advice Fails and What To Do Instead with Chris Miles
- NGO Finance Secrets: CARE’s $900M Strategy with Ranil DeSilva
- What Lights You Up? with Jordan Grumet
- Become a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with William Washington
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