When an organization operates in more than 37 countries and receives over $100 million in annual funding, the efficiency of its back-office functions becomes a critical enabler of impact. For Operation Smile, a global nonprofit improving the lives of children and adults with cleft lip and palate conditions or other essential surgery needs, enhancing the efficiency of its finance operations behind the scenes is unlocking new capacity to serve patients around the world.
That’s where Netsurit and Southwestern Talent have come together – combining innovative automation capabilities with top-tier talent from South Africa to help Operation Smile strengthen its finance and accounting function and free up more resources for its mission.
“By combining world-class talent with practical automation, we can help Operation Smile run a more effective finance function and ultimately do even more good work across the world,” said Werner Barnard of Southwestern Talent.
The initiative is built around two complementary workstreams. Netsurit, a leader in intelligent automation solutions, is working with Operation Smile to identify high-impact finance processes and implement solutions that improve speed, accuracy, and control.
“Our approach focuses on identifying high-impact use cases first, then deploying automation that measurably improves speed, accuracy, and control across the finance lifecycle,” said Dr. Alex Heublin, President of Innovation at Netsurit.
In parallel, Southwestern Talent is enhancing the organization’s capacity by placing experienced South African finance professionals into key roles. This approach delivers both immediate operational support and long-term efficiency gains.
The partnership began with a multi-day workshop at Operation Smile’s Virginia headquarters, where teams mapped out core financial processes and prioritized the first candidates for AI and automation. Accountants from South Africa have already joined the finance team, with plans to expand in the near term. The roadmap outlines a year-long evolution of finance operations, blending continuous process improvement with strategic automation to streamline workflows and strengthen financial oversight.“This collaboration allows us to modernize the way we work while keeping our mission at the center,” said Jim Siti, Chief Financial Officer, Operation Smile.
“By strengthening our finance operations, we’re creating the foundation to direct more resources where they matter most, toward patient care and sustainable health systems,” Siti says.
By combining AI with skilled financial professionals, the initiative aims to reduce administrative friction, boost accuracy and throughput, and enable greater reinvestment into patient care and program delivery. For Operation Smile, every operational gain means more life-changing surgeries and treatments for patients who need them most.
Southwestern Talent is a workforce solutions company providing exceptional South African talent to businesses, connecting companies with highly skilled accounting professionals who bring exceptional value, work ethic and expertise to organizations. Southwestern Talent is part of Southwestern Family of Companies, a more than 160-year-old company based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Netsurit is a global managed technology partner helping organizations harness AI and intelligent automation to transform the way they work. With a people-first culture anchored in “Supporting the Dreams of the Doers,” Netsurit empowers its teams to turn bold ideas into action—fusing innovation and execution to deliver meaningful impact for clients and employees alike.
Operation Smile believes safe, essential surgery is a human right. For more than 40 years, we’ve transformed lives and strengthened health systems by partnering with local health workers, medical leaders, and ministries of health to deliver cleft surgery and comprehensive care. Together, we build sustainable solutions that expand access to surgical care and advance health equity for patients and communities around the world.