Finance in Flow

Modernizing finance: From legacy systems to cloud-native platforms: A conversation with Catalina Ibáñez Gutiérrez, Antonia Reither, and Bryan Wong

Episode Summary

In this season finale of Finance in Flow, host Catalina Ibáñez Gutiérrez welcomes Antonia Reither, VP of Customer Excellence, and Bryan Wong, Senior Solution Engineer at Lucanet, to discuss how finance teams can modernize from legacy systems to cloud-native platforms. Together, they explore the key differences between outdated on-premise systems and agile cloud solutions, how built-in “shift-left” security enhances resilience, and why modernization lays the foundation for becoming truly AI-native. Antonia and Bryan share real-world insights on overcoming common challenges—from data silos and mindset shifts to implementing automation and predictive AI tools—while highlighting the human element behind every successful transformation.

Episode Notes

In this season finale of Finance in Flow, host Catalina Ibáñez Gutiérrez welcomes Antonia Reither, VP of Customer Excellence, and Bryan Wong, Senior Solution Engineer at Lucanet, to discuss how finance teams can modernize from legacy systems to cloud-native platforms. Together, they explore the key differences between outdated on-premise systems and agile cloud solutions, how built-in “shift-left” security enhances resilience, and why modernization lays the foundation for becoming truly AI-native. Antonia and Bryan share real-world insights on overcoming common challenges—from data silos and mindset shifts to implementing automation and predictive AI tools—while highlighting the human element behind every successful transformation.

About the guests:

Antonia Reither serves as Vice President of Customer Excellence at Lucanet, where she leads efforts to optimize client engagement, drive high-impact outcomes, and ensure exceptional service delivery across global finance teams. With a deep background in consulting, supported by her earlier role leading consolidation and planning projects, Antonia brings a strategic vision for elevating the customer experience in the evolving world of finance software. At Lucanet, she is instrumental in bridging product innovation with customer success, enabling organizations to transform their finance functions into strategic partners.

Bryan Wong is a Senior Solution Engineer at Lucanet, bringing a strong background in financial systems engineering and enterprise software integration. With deep experience helping organizations transition from manual processes to cloud-based, scalable finance platforms, Bryan specializes in delivering solutions that drive automation, auditability, and strategic insight for finance teams. At Lucanet, he collaborates closely with customers to map complex consolidation, planning, and reporting workflows to best-practice configurations, helping them unlock the full value of the Lucanet CFO Solution Platform.

  

Key Quotes

“Our goal is to make customers confident — to handle their data independently and make the right decisions from it.”– Antonia Reither

“Cloud-native isn’t just storage in the cloud; it’s architecture designed for scale, automation, and agility.” – Bryan Wong 

“Finance teams are under pressure to deliver faster insights, ensure compliance, and stay agile — legacy systems are no longer enough.” – Catalina Ibáñez Gutiérrez 

Time Stamps

00:46 – Meet Antonia Reither and Bryan Wong

02:28 – Why Modernizing Finance Systems Matters Now

02:59 – Legacy Systems vs. Cloud-Native Platforms

07:36 – The Cost of Outdated Data

11:00 – Built-In Security: Shift-Left and Resilience

13:55 – Cloud-Native as the Foundation for AI-Native Systems

17:35 – How AI Is Transforming Professional Services

19:22 – The Human Element in AI Adoption

26:27 – Common Challenges During Transformation

28:09 – Rapid-Fire Round: The Future of Finance

30:20 – Biggest Misconceptions About Cloud Platforms

34:16 – Go-To Sources for Finance News

36:55 – Preparing the Next Generation of Finance Leaders

37:40 – Key Takeaways & Season Wrap-Up

Links

Connect with Antonia on LinkedIn

Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn

Learn more about Lucanet