Subhash Tibrewal : From Strategy To Sustainability, A Finance Leader Bringing Growth Beyond Numbers
Subhash Tibrewal
Chief Financial Officer
With over two decades of experience across India and the US, he has built a career around strategic thinking, optimizing productivity, reducing costs, and increasing profitability.
From building the financial infrastructure of high-growth SaaS startups to positioning finance as a true partner in decision-making, Subhash has established himself as a strategic partner to the business.
Share your career journey and what keeps you motivated.
I began my career in 2002 with a Bangalore-based company, and in 2005 joined the apparel division of the Aditya Birla Group where I discovered my passion for business beyond numbers.
In 2010, I moved to the US and joined BlueJeans Network, Inc. as an Accounting Manager, later transitioning into finance leadership. Today, I am the CFO of Observe.AI with over two decades of experience in finance and accounting.
What drives me today is the opportunity to deeply understand businesses, align with their strategic priorities, and make a tangible impact on growth. Working in a fast-paced startup like Observe.AI keeps me energized, as each day brings new challenges and opportunities to create value.
How do you ensure finance aligns with overall business strategy?
Alignment begins when the finance team clearly understands the company’s vision, priorities, and growth roadmap at both global and regional levels. I stay closely connected with leaders across functions so finance works
as a strategic partner rather than in isolation.
On a day-to-day basis, I’ve built regular cross functional reviews where finance collaborates with sales, operations, product, and engineering to align budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation with strategic objectives.
In a global environment, I place strong emphasis on agility, adapting to local market realities while staying anchored to broader organizational goals.
How do you navigate new trends and disruptions in global markets?
The key to navigating global financial shifts is staying informed, agile, and prepared. I track macroeconomic indicators, policy changes, and market sentiment, while also learning from my industry network. This helps me identify early signals of change.
Scenario planning plays a big role in my approach. I assess best, worst, and most likely outcomes, then design strategies for each. That way, we don’t just react to events but position ourselves to manage risks and capture opportunities. For me, it’s about staying proactive, not reactive.
How do you balance growth, profit ability, and risk?
I make sure every growth initiative connects to the company’s long-term vision and creates measurable value, whether through revenue growth, market expansion, or operational efficiency. I focus on striking the right balance between investing in opportunities and keeping costs under control.
For risk, my approach is to stay prepared. I build strong forecasting models, stress-test key assumptions, and ensure the business maintains a healthy cash cushion and runway.
How do you evaluate opportunities for growth and expansion?
When I look at new initiatives or international expansion, I start by understanding the opportunity, the problem it addresses, and the impact it can create. From there, I assess how well it aligns with Observe. AI’s long-term vision and goals.
On a day-to-day basis, I’ve built regular cross functional reviews where finance collaborates with sales, operations, product, and engineering to align budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation with strategic objectives.
In a global environment, I place strong emphasis on agility, adapting to local market realities while staying anchored to broader organizational goals.
The purpose of finance is to propel business growth with openness, transparency, and strategic vision
How do you navigate new trends and disruptions in global markets?
The key to navigating global financial shifts is staying informed, agile, and prepared. I track macroeconomic indicators, policy changes, and market sentiment, while also learning from my industry network. This helps me identify early signals of change.
Scenario planning plays a big role in my approach. I assess best, worst, and most likely outcomes, then design strategies for each. That way, we don’t just react to events but position ourselves to manage risks and capture opportunities. For me, it’s about staying proactive, not reactive.
How do you balance growth, profit ability, and risk?
I make sure every growth initiative connects to the company’s long-term vision and creates measurable value, whether through revenue growth, market expansion, or operational efficiency. I focus on striking the right balance between investing in opportunities and keeping costs under control.
For risk, my approach is to stay prepared. I build strong forecasting models, stress-test key assumptions, and ensure the business maintains a healthy cash cushion and runway.
How do you evaluate opportunities for growth and expansion?
When I look at new initiatives or international expansion, I start by understanding the opportunity, the problem it addresses, and the impact it can create. From there, I assess how well it aligns with Observe. AI’s long-term vision and goals.
I then weigh the investment required against the expected outcomes, whether that means revenue growth, market share, or cost efficiencies that improve margins. For me, it is about balancing ambition with discipline and choosing opportunities that build sustainable value for the company.
What role do technology and data play in finance for you?
Technology and analytics are more than just tools to me. They shape how I see the business, make decisions faster, and ensure my work creates measurable impact.
At Observe.AI, we use data analytics to track key metrics in real time, run “what if” scenarios, and uncover patterns that traditional reports often miss. This helps us stay ahead, spot opportunities for growth and efficiency early, and manage risks before they become bigger challenges.
What is your future destination?
I see value as a continuous journey of growth rather than a fixed destination. For me, it’s about progress, both personally and organizationally. At Observe.AI, I’m focused on building a finance function that is strong, scalable, and globally impactful, positioning us to lead in the conversational AI space.
I believe the role of finance is evolving from being a gatekeeper to becoming a true strategic catalyst. My goal is to go beyond numbers, working cross functionally to drive the business forward and create lasting value for Observe.AI.
Subhash Tibrewal, Chief Financial Officer, Observe.AI
Subhash Tibrewal, CFO at Observe.AI, is a result driven finance leader with 20 years of experience across finance, accounting, and operations. His expertise spans strategy planning, pricing, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, cost optimization, M&A, investor relations, and business growth strategy.
•Hobbies: Listening to Hindi music, Gardening, Hiking
•Favorite Cuisine: Home cooked
•Favorite Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things
•Favorite Travel Destination:
Any National Park
What role do technology and data play in finance for you?
Technology and analytics are more than just tools to me. They shape how I see the business, make decisions faster, and ensure my work creates measurable impact.
At Observe.AI, we use data analytics to track key metrics in real time, run “what if” scenarios, and uncover patterns that traditional reports often miss. This helps us stay ahead, spot opportunities for growth and efficiency early, and manage risks before they become bigger challenges.
What is your future destination?
I see value as a continuous journey of growth rather than a fixed destination. For me, it’s about progress, both personally and organizationally. At Observe.AI, I’m focused on building a finance function that is strong, scalable, and globally impactful, positioning us to lead in the conversational AI space.
I believe the role of finance is evolving from being a gatekeeper to becoming a true strategic catalyst. My goal is to go beyond numbers, working cross functionally to drive the business forward and create lasting value for Observe.AI.
Subhash Tibrewal, Chief Financial Officer, Observe.AI
Subhash Tibrewal, CFO at Observe.AI, is a result driven finance leader with 20 years of experience across finance, accounting, and operations. His expertise spans strategy planning, pricing, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, cost optimization, M&A, investor relations, and business growth strategy.
•Hobbies: Listening to Hindi music, Gardening, Hiking
•Favorite Cuisine: Home cooked
•Favorite Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things
•Favorite Travel Destination:
Any National Park