Jan 2025 – Present · 1 yr 2 mos

May 2024 – Present · 1 yr 10 mos · Gurugram, Haryana, India · On-site

Apr 2022 – Nov 2023 · 1 yr 7 mos · Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

May 2016 – Apr 2022 · 5 yrs 11 mos · Mumbai Metropolitan Region

• First CFO with responsibilities for Finance, Legal & Compliance, IR, Commercial, ERP, PR & Corporate Affairs. Managed the Board including PE investors (6 numbers) and 5 legal entities:
• 1/ Together with the Founders, Board & CXOs proactively shape strategic direction, allocate resources & ensure agile & powerful execution
• 2/ Ensured fully funded business with 3 each rounds of Debt & Equity infusions (2 New investors)
• 3/ Navigated business through significant macro-economic challenges pole vaulting Pepperfry to category leadership & potentially the only viable furniture specialist eCommerce in India
• 4/ Build Finance team, creating a culture of service, discipline and learning. Defined & delivered Finance Agenda including governance, risk, taxation, information, controls etc
• 5/ Led Pepperfry approach to IPO readiness including choices of venue (India/USA), platform, peer benchmark, regulation, partners (Banker, Lawyers) etc
• 6/ Undertook & delivered highly complex legal restructuring (1st of its kind in India ) involving cross border reverse merger while protecting tax shields etc

Jul 2014 – Aug 2015 · 1 yr 1 mo · Goa, Panjim, India

• Responsible for Finance, IT, Taxation, Legal & Secretarial. 9 legal entities with project underway in Liberia. Member of Business Exco, Finance Leadership Council and Board Member of 3 entities
• Significant cost reduction (2010 cost in 2015) through policy advocacy (export duty, Goa Permanent Fund), business restructuring, re-negotiations and other initiatives
• Managed borrowing portfolio, raised new debt and enhanced treasury efficiencies
• Transformation of Finance - re-organised (capability & customer), restructured (30% reduction) while building bench strength, careers and team development
• Strategised and led legal agenda across spectrum of challenges as industry limped back to a new normal
• Stepped up governance as Director on the Board of 3 legal entities together with membership of Audit, Remuneration and CSR Committees

Oct 2010 – Jun 2014 · 3 yrs 8 mos

• Head Financial Planning and Analytics at the corporate center. Provided actionable insights to Unilever’s Global CFO and leadership
• Steered business to exceed targets across all years. Turnover exceeded €50b, operating margin improvement of +70bps, cash flow in excess of €4bn
• Established Unilever Financial Growth Model; center piece of Unilever external communication, strategic planning and business targeting
• Strategically influenced performance and behaviors through new profit / earnings measures (Core Margin), new P&L design (Brand Investments) & revamped reward schemes
• Established Unilever Overheads framework; investing behind competitive capabilities yet targeting all functions
• Core member of global learning team. Designed & deployed ‘Driving Business Performance’ – highly successful learning programme aimed at senior finance leaders.

Jan 2008 – Dec 2010 · 2 yrs 11 mos

• 1st International Assignment in a high growth, high-risk geography. Leadership position in a Joint-Venture setup including local board management responsibilities
• Sustained share gains with double-digit growth taking revenue to €250m by 2010. Operating margin improvement of +370bps vs. 2007. Cashflow growth of 15% per year
• Significant shareholder value creation through capital reduction (40% of paid capital), debt financing (30+% reduction in interest cost) and one-off tax gains
• Multiple transformative initiatives including legal restructuring (13 to 5 entities), SAP implementation, tax efficient regional framework, shared services, new customer module etc
• Created burning platform driving out cost. 2010 overhead cost lower than that in 2007. Reorganised finance and restructured team (from 130 down to 100)
• Built and led a young team. Fostered culture of individual learning, recognition and team spirit

Jan 2005 – Jan 2008 · 3 yrs

• Pioneering finance role as Unilever transformed to globally run category organisation. Established finance credential at the heart of category
• Co-crafted business strategy and shaped 1st strategic plan for Home Care Asia-Africa (revenue €2bn) garnering disproportionate resource allocation from ULE
• Portfolio management and resource allocation across 4 categories (20+ Brands), 6 Clusters (50+ countries) and 4 technology platforms. Sustained share gains and double digit growth
• Evaluated multiple M&A / disposal opportunities. Led business case and valuation for acquisition of Colgate’s Fabric Cleaning business in SEA.
• Led through collaboration margin improvement roadmap for the category. Ensured 100% buy-in and saw through Year 1 of implementation
• Defined finance role in the newly created category structure. Recruited, trained and built my finance team (based in 5 countries)

Jan 2000 – Jan 2004 · 4 yrs

• Led finance & supply chain in an independently managed business (€20m). Doubled the size and turned profitable. A learning hothouse across procurement, pricing, negotiation, 3P management, taxation, commodity, exports and forex risk.

Jul 1997 – Aug 2000 · 3 yrs 1 mo

• 1st job. Managed team (size 40). Responsible for financial controls, accounting, reporting, budgeting, and customer service. Led various change initiatives – 1 day closing (R2R), New Field Distribution Module (O2C), Integrated Branch Consolidation Module etc.