Hot takes and accounting tips with Ramp Senior Controller Edwine Alphonse

Earlier this month, I joined Ramp’s Community team for an expansive AMA. It covered everything from how I helped scale Ramp’s accounting function from scratch to financial automation in the age of AI.

Here are a few of the top questions that came out of our conversation.

For a full recap, be sure to watch the webinar below.

What’s your hot take?

Accounting is hot.

We see everything—every dollar in and every dollar out. We know how the business actually runs. We have influence, access, and insight. And that means we can assess strategies and risks well before anyone else. But too often, we stay quiet or stay out of the spotlight.

It’s time for controllers to start showing up—and showing off.

What are some of the must-have financial controls every company should implement?

There’s just no overstating the importance of cash flow—and it's your job to make sure it's not flowing out the door.

That’s why I always start with a strong AP process—what’s often called procure-to-pay. Every company needs to know how money moves, who approves it, and why it’s being spent. Even if your team is tiny, you can still set up basic segregation of duties. One person enters the transaction; another approves it. That’s how you build accountability early.

The second control is reporting. Our job in accounting is to provide insight–and quickly. Ramp moves fast, and leadership needs timely, accurate data to make decisions.

So I’m always thinking: How do we improve our close? How do we speed up reporting without compromising quality?

What brought you to Ramp, and what were those early days like?

At my last company, someone submitted a $60,000 expense—five months late. And I liked this person! It made me realize: that there had to be a better way to manage spend.

I started researching, found Ramp, and after just one demo, knew I wanted in. I joined in March 2021—no fancy title, no team, just a big opportunity to build something from the ground up.

At the time, there was no accounting team, and I had to start building the team and the processes from scratch. But we moved quickly. Within the first year, I completed two years of audits, hired two team members, migrated to NetSuite, built out our internal controls, and supported full reporting for our credit line with Goldman Sachs.

I also worked closely with product and engineering from day one, helping shape features I wished I had in my previous roles. I like to say I became Ramp’s first customer—and honestly, I still am.

Speaking of Ramp…what are your favorite underutilized Ramp features?

I’ll admit—I’m a little biased here—but my favorite underused feature is vendor batch payments. I approve all the vendor invoices before money goes out, and being able to approve a bunch of them in one batch? Total game changer. It saves me time and keeps things cleaner for our vendors.

I’m also a big fan of shared funds. We use them for team offsites, events, and stipends—basically anything that multiple people might need to spend against. Everyone can book expenses to the same code, and it all rolls up cleanly. It’s easier for employees, and way easier for accounting.

What trends will shape the future of accounting?

It’s already happening—AI is going to change accounting and finance.

People hear “AI” and immediately think “Oh no, it’s going to take my job!” But I don’t think it will replace accountants. To me, it’s the new Excel. It makes us faster, smarter, and more strategic. Forget the fear; this is our chance to shift accounting from tactical to strategic.

Let AI handle repetitive tasks so we can focus on storytelling, insight, and strategy.

Over the past few years, accounting hasn’t always been seen as strategic the way finance is. But with AI, we have the chance to shift that perception. If we can get rid of the repetitive “silly work,” we can focus on what really matters—telling the story, offering insight, and making strategic recommendations.

That’s how we become valuable partners. That’s how we move from behind the scenes and into the spotlight.

If you could give your younger self some advice, what would it be?

Take the vacation. Have more fun.

When I was younger, I was even more serious and focused—and always working. I literally went fifteen years without celebrating my birthday—because it always fell during audit season. These days, I plan ahead and make sure I take time off, even if it takes a little more effort.

I’d also tell myself to network more intentionally, map out my career earlier, and be really clear about what I wanted long-term.

It’s easy to just go from job to job, but if you want to lead or build something, you have to be strategic about where you're going.

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Thanks to everyone who joined the AMA. And if you missed it, you can join me anytime in the Ramp Community Forum. It’s a great place to discuss the future of AI, share Ramp tips, or just have casual conversations about accounting.

— Edwine Alphonse Senior Controller, Ramp