Ramp’s Glyman Draws Inspiration from AI Trailblazers to Drive the Next Era of Fintech

Eric Glyman, who co-founded and serves as CEO of fintech company

, has sought advice from some of the most seasoned leaders in technology as his firm approaches unicorn territory. With Ramp now valued at $22.5 billion and reaching $1 billion in annualized revenue, Glyman has engaged in open discussions with other prominent entrepreneurs, such as Fidji Simo, the new CEO of Applications at OpenAI, and Satya Nadella of Microsoft. These exchanges have played a key role in guiding Ramp’s strategy, particularly regarding AI integration and expansion plans.

Glyman attributes Simo’s success to her exceptional talent for bringing out the best in her teams, highlighting her leadership at Instacart and her current responsibilities at OpenAI. At OpenAI, she leads product innovation and company growth, which frees Sam Altman to concentrate on research and safety priorities. Glyman also commended Simo’s subtle yet significant influence, especially in making information and health resources more accessible to everyone.

Satya Nadella, who has spent ten years reshaping

into a global tech powerhouse, has also provided valuable mentorship. Glyman pointed to Nadella’s inquisitive mindset and his company’s early, substantial investments in artificial intelligence, including a $10 billion partnership with OpenAI. Nadella’s focus on “servant leadership” and cultivating a growth-oriented environment has helped shape Glyman’s approach to assembling Ramp’s team, which now serves more than 45,000 clients.

The swift expansion of Ramp and its commitment to AI are indicative of larger industry shifts. Ramp’s AI Index shows that by April 2025, 32.4% of U.S. businesses were purchasing OpenAI’s AI models, platforms, and tools, up from 18.9% in January. OpenAI now leads the field, far outpacing Anthropic, which has an 8% adoption rate, and Google AI, whose share fell from 2.3% to 0.1%. This data underscores OpenAI’s leadership in enterprise AI, with projected annual revenues expected to hit $127 billion in 2025 and $294 billion the following year.

Glyman’s leadership style centers on recruiting top performers—those excelling in sales, marketing, and engineering—and creating an environment where employees are encouraged to capitalize on their strengths rather than focus on shortcomings. This approach mirrors the culture Nadella has fostered at Microsoft, where every team member is recognized as vital to the company’s achievement. Additionally, Glyman has looked to Simo’s emphasis on building scalable solutions that help alleviate time constraints for both low-income households and busy business owners.

As Ramp advances with its AI-driven autonomous finance tools—setting its sights on rivals like

and Chase—the company is already reaping the rewards of a growth-oriented philosophy. Glyman is convinced that assembling a team focused on curiosity and measurable impact is essential for competing in the fast-evolving AI landscape. With Microsoft recently surpassing a $4 trillion valuation and increasing its AI investments, the future for AI-powered fintech companies looks poised for substantial growth.