Shimayel Zafar Alvi
Dubai
Summary
A dynamic business-minded Finance Manager promoting more than 14 years of expertise overseeing financial operations and business performance. A highly collaborative individual with a track record of optimizing financial performance, reducing costs and driving profitability. Adept at developing and implementing strategic financial initiatives to enhance overall business efficiency. Strong analytical skills coupled with a deep understanding of distribution processes, inventory management, and supply chain dynamics. Possess expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and credit risk management to support informed decision-making.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Regional Finance Manager
IFFCO Sales & Distribution
04.2023 - Current
- Scope: GCC countries (UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), revenue of US$ 350 MN
- Working closely with the, , following are the responsibilities I manage:
- Key Result Areas:
- Driving Growth – Lead the agenda of going Global in QSR business through the establishment of COE (Center of Excellence)
- Unlocking Profitability –As the owner of P&L along with the CEO, I designed a Go-to-Market strategy with sales heads for delivering sustainable profitability of 10%+ annually driven by market penetration, cross-selling, and entering new markets beyond GCC
- New business model – Capitalized on the broad and wide structure of the group by introducing a commission-based model for sales by principal partners
- Product Portfolio – Unlock high-margin categories and increase their weightage in Annual Budget, Forecasts, and Projections through bundle offers, and channel-specific strategies
- Financial Governance –Direct the preparation of long-term financial plans, annual budgets and monthly forecasts, demonstrated improvement in regional DSO for 5 GCC countries vs
- Internal benchmark through effective governance of credit control, reviewing policies, and setting benchmark practices
- People management – Lead with empathy ensuring optimal utilization of resources and developing a conducive mindset focused on key deliverables
- Financial business consultant – Lead the monthly demand reviews with planning and commercial, focusing on sales gaps and advising on maximizing revenue and margins
- Personal Time-Off
- Self-development, pursued opportunities in startup ecosystem, freelance consulting
- Strengthened internal controls through diligent financial oversight and adherence to established policies and procedures at each regional location.
- Developed and executed successful business plans that resulted in improved market share and profitability within the region.
- Collaborated with executive leadership to establish long-term objectives, drive growth initiatives, and align regional efforts with corporate goals.
- Introduced cost-saving initiatives to reduce losses and increase profit margin.
- Spearheaded market expansion plans for senior leadership.
- Streamlined financial processes by implementing efficient systems for budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
- Increased profitability by developing pricing models to maximize revenue while maintaining competitive market positioning.
Finance Planning Senior Analyst & Business Partner
BRF Foods
10.2019 - 09.2022
- Middle East, Europe, Asia, Africa & Americas
- Key Result Areas:
- FP&A Advisory – Strategic Finance Business Partner to all the functional and regional leaders
- CFO’s Office routines – Close collaboration with Marketing, Planning, HR & Logistics functions in driving executive leadership agendas on new opportunities and scopes
- Financial Planning – Translating the company’s strategy into Annual Budget, Forecasts and Projections
- Revenue & Margins – Co-pilot the Operating & Overhead margins in generating 20%+ in Gross Profit and ~10% in EBITDA
- P&L Results – Conduct business performance reviews vs
- Budget, Previous Year with drivers for variances and commentaries for executive leadership
- CAPEX Spend – Focal point for Global HQ in International Markets for Capital expenditure (Capex) spending and reporting
- OPEX Spend – Delivered 6% savings (US$ 18Mn) vs
- Budget in 2021 in OPEX governance (Overheads) by driving savings agenda across Marketing, Logistics, Admin, Consulting and Travel packages
- Automation – Spearheaded Power BI project to automate performance management decks for key stakeholders enabling Real-Time access to live numbers on OPEX including deep dive up to Cost Centres and GL accounts level
- Commercial Finance – Play an active role in target setting and pricing strategy, keeping in consideration the macroeconomic trend
- Value Added Portfolio – Drive profitability through restructuring of Value Added portfolio by delivering insights and partnering on initiatives to strengthen the brand’s footprint
- Skills: Business Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting, Strategic Thinking, Adaptive Communication Style
- Enhanced team productivity by streamlining workflow processes and implementing time-saving strategies.
- Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration, breaking down silos and encouraging information sharing to drive positive business outcomes.
Regional Team Leader - Shared Services Center
BRF Foods
08.2016 - 10.2019
- Receivable, Payable, and Tax (GCC Markets, Team Management – Managed a team of 10+ analysts and associates to effectively turn around Accounts Receivable & Accounts Payable functions
- Process Management – Provided strong leadership and oversaw the efficient, accurate, and timely processing and recording of transactions
- Closing Activities – Presented monthly management reports to support business with better insights on risk management
- Credit Risk Management – Monitored credit insurance of US$ 150+ million and mitigated financial risk through receivable finance thus enabling better working capital position
- Controlling activities – Ensured accurate provisioning of accruals, and amortization plans in P&L and Balance Sheet as per IFRS guidelines
- Process re-engineering – Operational supervision of ledger clean-up, timely reconciliations, audit support, and process improvement initiatives
- Significant Accomplishments & Projects:
- Played a pivotal role in the acquisition of distributions in Oman, Kuwait, Qatar & UAE
- Successfully implemented ERP SAP in three distributions post-acquisition by BRF
- Achieved a cost reduction of 15% in employee headcount through process automation, introducing proper controls and Sox compliance
- Designed & implemented VAT framework for UAE & KSA
- Skills: Working Capital Management, Budgeting, Risk Management, Governance based on IFRS, Team development, Taxation
- Led cross-functional teams to execute projects on time, within budget, and with high-quality outcomes.
- Streamlined workflows for increased efficiency, reducing turnaround times for critical tasks.
Regional Pricing Analyst
BRF Foods
06.2014 - 07.2016
- Setting up a Transfer Pricing process in the Middle East region of US$ 20 million EBITDA in the Middle East region in alignment with global HQ thereby optimizing tax benefit
- Assisting the CFO and Commercial Director in the analysis of distribution contracts and benchmark pricing
- Facilitating the legal team in the preparation of commercial contracts with 3rd party distributions.
Commercial Assistant
Kraft Heinz Middle East
05.2013 - 06.2014
- Owner of product price structures – preparation, seeking sign-offs, and updating in ERP
- Custodian of price structures of all the SKUs in the Middle East and Africa region (more than 100 SKUs)
- Responsible for Variance analysis, Monthly forecast dashboard, and pricing
- Assist the Senior Planning Manager with ad hoc managerial report requests.
Finance Assistant
Hakan Agro DMCC
01.2011 - 05.2013
- Responsible for finance & accounting functions for 4 SBUs located in Africa- handled a team of 4 remotely
- Responsible for managing and reporting budget, revenue & cost
- Variance analysis for deviance between budget & actual.
Analyst
American Express
03.2010 - 12.2010
- Responsible for Fixed assets and accounts payables invoicing.
Executive Trainee
HSBC
02.2009 - 08.2009
- Responsible for project feasibility for setting Finance Center of Excellence and Migration of Finance functions from Canada
- I travelled to Vancouver, Canada to conduct the study which resulted in successful migration of finance functions to India.
Financial Analyst
E-Businessware India Pvt Ltd
10.2007 - 02.2009
- Responsible for conducting qualitative research on companies
- Providing meaningful information for periodic finance magazines
Associate
Bank of America
03.2007 - 09.2007
Education
CMA -
IMA USA
03.2025
MBA - General Management
Indian Institute of Management
09.2021
MBA - Finance and International Business
Lucknow University
05.2006
Skills
- Stakeholder Management
- Business Partnering
- Performance Analysis
- Financial Management
- Financial Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Strategy Development
- Proactive and Focused
- Relationship Building
- Prioritizing and Planning
- Team Building Leadership
- Problem-solving abilities
References
References: Available on Request
Timeline
Regional Finance Manager
IFFCO Sales & Distribution
04.2023 - Current
Finance Planning Senior Analyst & Business Partner
BRF Foods
10.2019 - 09.2022
Regional Team Leader - Shared Services Center
BRF Foods
08.2016 - 10.2019
Regional Pricing Analyst
BRF Foods
06.2014 - 07.2016
Commercial Assistant
Kraft Heinz Middle East
05.2013 - 06.2014
Finance Assistant
Hakan Agro DMCC
01.2011 - 05.2013
Analyst
American Express
03.2010 - 12.2010
Executive Trainee
HSBC
02.2009 - 08.2009
Financial Analyst
E-Businessware India Pvt Ltd
10.2007 - 02.2009
Associate
Bank of America
03.2007 - 09.2007
CMA -
IMA USA
MBA - General Management
Indian Institute of Management
MBA - Finance and International Business
Lucknow University
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