EXL Service to drive AI-led finance transformation of Whitbread

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, and BEDFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND — EXL Service, a global data and AI company, has secured a major three-year renewal of its partnership with Whitbread, a United Kingdom hospitality firm. 

The expanded collaboration positions EXL to lead a comprehensive, data-driven transformation of Whitbread’s finance and accounting operations, leveraging AI and automation to enhance efficiency and drive significant cost savings.

EXL powers Whitbread’s data-driven finance transformation

EXL Service is a data and artificial intelligence company with a global presence that leverages data, artificial intelligence, and industry expertise to transform businesses and industry leaders. EXL has its headquarters in New York and was founded in 1999 with around 61,000 employees and offers transformative services in the insurance, healthcare, and banking sectors. 

This is the data-driven transformational power that will make the company a strategic partner to big organizations in their quest for operational excellence. 

The hospitality company Whitbread has a workforce of more than 35,000 personnel and operates more than 1,200 locations in the UK and Germany, serving millions of clients per month. Such a powerful company requires highly efficient, data-driven financial processes, which EXL can deliver.

EXL Service previously ranked #16 in the OA500 2025, an objective index of the world’s top 500 outsourcing companies.

Partnership focuses on AI automation to boost efficiency

EXL provides optimized financial operations and delivers tailored solutions specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the hospitality giant, with a sharp focus on streamlining processes and implementing a comprehensive financial service suite. 

This renewal solidifies EXL’s role as the primary architect of a transformation to deliver data-driven financial services and optimize operations across Whitbread’s portfolio.

The partnership’s success is attributed to EXL’s ability to provide scalable, flexible, and insightful solutions that directly support Whitbread’s growth and change programs. 

“EXL supports Whitbread’s growth by providing scalability to our processes and flexibility to support our change programs,” said Iain Strachan, Group Finance Director at Whitbread. 

“This flexibility, combined with the process insight and the team’s dedication, makes EXL a key group partner.”

According to EXL’s Senior Vice President Rahul Arora, the company’s commitment to delivering transformative finance-shared services is exemplified by tailoring solutions to Whitbread’s unique industry needs. 

This collaborative model, driven by EXL’s expertise, has optimized financial operations and delivered measurable business value for the hospitality leader.

AI and automation reshape Whitbread’s finance operations

The implementation of advanced technology and process re-engineering at Whitbread is the direct result of EXL facilitating the major improvements in operations and cost reduction. 

The company has a responsibility to assist Whitbread in meeting critical objectives, such as enhanced financial responsiveness, uniform operations, reduced manual output, and reduced operating costs.

EXL‘s initiatives are specifically designed to significantly reduce operating expenses, enable quick scaling of service lines, and shorten the critical month-end finance cycle, delivering tangible financial and operational impacts. This collaboration also aims to update outdated process flows by implementing new solutions and AI-powered tools. 

The primary objective of this technological infusion, led by EXL, is to generate accurate data and establish efficient workflows that enhance the functionality of Whitbread’s existing platforms, creating a more agile and data-powered finance function.

“By tailoring our solutions to Whitbread’s unique needs in the hospitality industry, we helped them optimize their financial operations and drive business value. Our success together is a testament to the power of a collaborative partnership,” Arora concludes.