As part of our “From Data to Insights” course, we were pleased to welcome Silvar Ribeiro (Group Controlling, BASF) as our guest speaker.
In his session, he connected key course concepts with practical insights from his work in finance and controlling at BASF, offering a compelling perspective on how digitalization and AI are transforming the finance function.

Here are our key takeaways:
▪️ Standardization & automation of reporting processes
Silvar illustrated how BASF leverages digital tools to streamline reporting structures and automate processes at scale.
▪️ Combining Python & ChatGPT for deviation analysis
In a particularly insightful use case, bridging data analysis and decision-making, he demonstrated how numerical inputs are analyzed in Python, interpreted using ChatGPT, and translated into a final management report.
▪️ AI-based finance assistance tools
Silvar also introduced BASF’s Fox Client, a Copilot-like prototype, that integrates internal company resources with external data sources to support employees in finance tasks and analyses.

We would like to thank Silvar for sharing these insights and for the engaging discussion with our students and we are already looking forward to welcoming you again at our institute!