Oct 2023 – Oct 2024 · 1 yr · Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Tamara is the leading Payments & FinTech platform in the GCC & the first ever Saudi FinTech Unicorn.
• Reporting to the CEO, I've led the corporate strategy & corporate performance teams in close collaboration with the wider executive leadership team.
• Key Achievements:
• Led the FY24 annual strategy planning exercise with 20+ cross-functional teams, including setting strategic objectives & team targets.
• Led corporate performance management, including KPIs & OKRs setting, monitoring, & regular reporting.
• Published the first-of-its-kind Whitepaper about Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) in the GCC, unraveling its meteoric rise & highlighting the vast potential it holds for businesses & consumers alike (See it in my Publications section).
• Revamped the product & engineering operating model, including domains ownership, organization structure, agile software development lifecycle process, RASIC matrices, SLAs, & governance.
• Established 4 analytical models to support the CEO’s decision making, including 5-year P&L simulations & mitigation mechanisms of removing late payment fees & introducing a buyer protection program.
• Advised the C-Suite on pressing strategic decisions & managed external consultants’ engagements.
• Devised an Instore strategy, tackling awareness, product, & staff training issues.
• Key Skills:
• Strategy | Business Planning | Target Operating Model Design | Entrepreneurship | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Executive Decision Support | Profitability Improvement | Market Sizing | Strategic Planning | Business Strategy | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Project Management Office (PMO) | Business Model Transformation | Strategic Projects | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Competitive Intelligence | Business Process Re-engineering | Thought Leadership | Market Share Analysis | Benchmarking | Organization Re-structuring | Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | RASCI Matrices | Standard Operating Procedures.

May 2022 – Oct 2023 · 1 yr 5 mos · Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Established & led the entire commercial strategy & operations function from scratch, including the below teams across all markets, products, channels, merchant tiers, & sales flows.
• Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy:
• Defined Tamara’s commercial priorities & GTM Strategies for all Payments offerings.
• Developed an analytical market sizing, competitive intelligence, & market share estimation model.
• Led product marketing, setting value propositions, best practices, pitch decks, training, & FAQs.
• Commercial Performance & Analytics:
• Led 3 commercial planning & targets setting exercises for all 6 commercial teams.
• Developed integral analytical models & dashboards to Tamara’s commercial successes incl. Forecasting, Pricing, KPIs monitoring & reporting, & Sales Effectiveness.
• Defined commercial strategic & operational KPIs structure for all 6 commercial teams, at all breakdowns.
• Acted as the custodian of performance, approving pricing & monitoring/reporting all commercial OKRs & KPIs.
• Revenue Operations:
• Designed & executed Tamara’s commissions policy & analytics for all commercial teams.
• Led market scanning, leads generation, & assignments for all merchant categories & channels.
• Devised a fast-track merchant inbound application workflow.
• Supported key BD proposals & pricing analytics.
• Channel Partnerships:
• Defined Tamara’s channel partnerships strategy & led 5+ channel partnership negotiations incl. defining the contractual model, rules of engagement, & revenue sharing arrangements.
• Key Skills:
• Business Planning | Commercial Strategy | Go-to-Market Strategy | Entrepreneurship | Excel Modeling | Pricing Strategy | Executive Decision Support | Profitability Improvement | Operational Excellence | Channel Partnerships | Market Sizing | Strategic Planning | Business Strategy | Data Analytics & Visualization | Forecasting | Project Management Office (PMO) | Performance Optimization | Sales Enablement | Product Marketing | Commissions Design | OKRs | KPIs.

Dec 2021 – May 2022 · 5 mos · Remote

• Led a strategy & operating model design project for a GCC Center of Government Decision Support Center, managing all project phases end-to-end.
• Key Achievements:
• Revamped the strategy, including vision, mission, and values development.
• Conducted a strategic planning exercise, defining 6 strategic objectives and 20 initiatives across 3 key pillars, supported by a detailed 3-year implementation plan.
• Established a budget model, detailing costs associated with the new strategic plan across all departmental levels.
• Proposed a new organizational structure to address existing challenges, refreshing functional statements across departmental, unit, and team levels.
• Redesigned 319 departmental macro-processes for 22 departments, encompassing their entire value chains, including 64 process maps and corresponding RASCI matrices.
• Directed manpower forecasting and planning exercises using both bottom-up (analytical) and top-down (qualitative) approaches (150+ FTEs).
• Proposed new governance structures & performance management mechanisms, incl. KPIs & targets at various organizational levels.
• Drafted an IT and Technology policy covering procurement, development, acceptable use, IT security, incident management, asset disposal, data retention and backup, SLAs, and supplier management.
• Key Skills:
• Strategy | Business Planning | Target Operating Model Design | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Operational Excellence | Strategic Planning | Business Strategy | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Project Management Office (PMO) | Senior Stakeholder Management | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Process Automation | Manpower Planning | People Management | Corporate Governance | RASCI Matrices | Interaction Models | Performance Reporting | Presentations | Project Governance | Team Leadership | Training | Coaching | Decision-Making | Benchmarking | Mentoring | Team Management

Jul 2021 – Aug 2021 · 1 mo · Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands · Hybrid

• Joined a newly established Strategy team to lead and drive strategic initiatives across the domestic appliances organization, following its divestment from the Philips Group and subsequent acquisition by a Private Equity firm.
• Key Achievements:
• Led a 5-year growth strategy exercise for the Garment Care Business Unit, incl. opportunity space definition, market sizing for new product offerings, products portfolio optimization using BCG's Growth Share matrix, Consumer mix analysis, competitive assessment, and go-to-market strategy.
• Developed a financial model to assess various investment decisions. This included forecasting several scenarios of growth, market share/competitiveness, & profitability for the Air Care BU, including P&L simulations at the global, markets, and product category levels.
• Key Skills:
• Strategy | Business Planning | Go-to-Market Strategy | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Executive Decision Support | Market Sizing | Strategic Planning | Business Strategy | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Forecasting | Project Management Office (PMO) | Senior Stakeholder Management | Business Model Definition | Business Model Transformation | Financial Performance | Strategic Projects | Growth Strategy | Sales Effectiveness | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Competitive Intelligence | Performance Metrics | People Management | Competitive Analysis | Portfolio Optimization | Market Share Analysis | Sales Growth | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Performance Reporting | Negotiation | Presentations | Team Leadership | Training | Coaching | Decision-Making | Benchmarking | Mentoring | Target Audience | Team Management | Competitive Assessment | Trend Analysis | Sensitivity Analysis | Scenario Planning.

Jan 2020 – May 2021 · 1 yr 4 mos · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Managed highly skilled consulting, research, and SME teams to solve clients’ most pressing issues. My role included structuring the problem, devising data requests, managing executive client counterparts (C-Suite, VPs, Directors, Vice Ministers, Ministers, etc.) managing the consulting approach, analytics, and synthesis of recommendations, as well as managing the project timelines, budget, and deliverables quality end-to-end.
• Key Projects:
• Developed a 51-initiative National Anti-Commercial Fraud strategy & operating model, involving 13 entities & the private sector, incl. legal reforms, ecosystem governance, supply chain traceability, awareness, & optimizations in operations, standardization, complaints channels, & surveillance.
• Developed a Mn. Culture & Tourism activation strategy for a major GCC city, incl. end-to-end financials, pricing, operating, contractual, & partnerships models & implementation plans.
• Led the establishment of a car parking management company, incl. strategy, business model, operating model, legal structure, & financial model, as well as sector reform recommendations.
• In addition to client engagements, I supported various recruitment, internal "firm-building" initiatives, and played an integral role in supporting Business Development efforts, leading client proposals end-to-end.
• Key Skills:
• Strategy | Business Planning | Target Operating Model Design | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Pricing Strategy | Strategic Planning | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Project Management Office (PMO) | Business Model Definition | Performance Optimization | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Business Process Re-engineering | Process Automation | Performance Metrics | People Management | Enterprise Sales | Technology Requirements | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Organization Re-structuring | Governance Structures | Performance Reporting | Presentations | Project Governance | Team Leadership | Portfolio Definition | Coaching.

Jan 2018 – Dec 2019 · 1 yr 11 mos · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Managed small consulting teams, often on major project workstreams. My role included structuring the problem on a the workstream, devising data requests, managing executive client counterparts, managing the consulting approach, analytics, and synthesis of recommendations, contributing to the successful delivery of consulting projects.
• Key Projects:
• Modernized & automated a complex seaport import process for a GCC customs authority, reducing clearance times from 5 days to < 24 hours.
• Designed a multi-variable analytical algorithm to improve a Customs Authority security targeting, reducing manual inspections of imports by ~80% in Seaports & Airports.
• Designed the value proposition, bylaws, services portfolio, pricing model, processes, & technology requirements to establish/operate an upgraded free zone offering in a GCC country.
• Led the design & PMO of 7 major Sea & Air logistics services, incl. process re-engineering & system integrations within customs departments, with port operators, & with 8 government entities.
• In addition to client engagements, I supported various recruitment, internal "firm-building" initiatives, and supported Business Development efforts contributing to client proposals.
• Key Skills:
• Strategy | Business Planning | Target Operating Model Design | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Pricing Strategy | Executive Decision Support | Strategic Planning | Business Strategy | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Project Management Office (PMO) | Performance Optimization | Business Model Transformation | Financial Performance | Growth Strategy | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Business Process Re-engineering | Process Automation | Performance Metrics | People Management | Competitive Analysis | Enterprise Sales | Technology Requirements | Risk Management | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Organization Re-structuring | Trade Facilitation.

Jul 2016 – Dec 2017 · 1 yr 5 mos · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Key Projects:
• Developed a profitability improvement model, identifying 9-digit USD Mn. uplift for a leading Telecommunications distributor, incl. optimizations in productivity, overheads, & retail footprint across 11 channels.
• Developed a National Ambulance Transportation strategy, incl. merger assessment of 2 providers.
• Developed a post-merger integration (PMI) strategy for 4 Education entities.
• Led change management & communication efforts of a large-scale healthcare privatization transformation.
• Supported 15+ short-term assignments for a Center of Government entity in the GCC, including strategy reviews, best practices identification, market sizing and analytics, opportunity definition, as well as macro-economic and geopolitical assessments, across several public sector industries.
• Key Skills:
• Target Operating Model Design | Financial Modeling | Excel Modeling | Profitability Improvement | Operational Excellence | Market Sizing | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Forecasting | Project Management Office (PMO) | Performance Optimization | Financial Performance | Problem Solving | Competitive Intelligence | Strategic Operations | Business Process Re-engineering | Process Automation | Performance Metrics | People Management | Market Research | Technology Requirements | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Organization Re-structuring | Governance Structures | RASCI Matrices | Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) | Business Requirement Documents | Interaction Models | Performance Reporting | Presentations | Benchmarking | Research.

Jan 2015 – Jun 2016 · 1 yr 5 mos · Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates · On-site

• Key Projects:
• Forecasted energy demand & derived a 10-year fuel allocation strategy for a National Oil Company to enable maximizing both job creation & GDP contribution across 15 energy-intensive industries.
• Recommended a part-time jobs strategy & legal reforms to facilitate students’ job market entry.
• Developed a Media & Communications strategy & operating model (including crises communication and cross-entity collaboration) for a Defense Institution.
• Supported the definition of a Minister of State office key priorities in driving strategic partnerships initiatives for a GCC government.
• Key Skills:
• Excel Modeling | Market Sizing | Data Analytics | Data Visualization | Forecasting | Project Management Office (PMO) | Problem Solving | Competitive Intelligence | Strategic Operations | Business Process Re-engineering | Performance Metrics | Market Research | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Organization Re-structuring | RASCI Matrices | Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) | Business Requirement Documents | Interaction Models | Performance Reporting | Presentations | Change Management | Benchmarking | Research.

Feb 2014 – Nov 2014 · 9 mos · Beirut Lebanon · On-site

• Managed 31 employees in all aspects of store operations (sales, inventory, stock management, reporting, manpower scheduling & zoning, coordination, & customer experience).
• Skills:
• Operational Excellence | Data Analytics | Performance Management | Problem Solving | Performance Metrics | People Management | Client Relations | Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) | Performance Reporting | Sales | Training | Coaching | Decision-Making | Retail Sales | Inventory Management | Merchandising | Team Management.

Sep 2013 – Sep 2013 · 0 mo · Ireland, Dublin

Jul 2013 – Aug 2013 · 1 mo · Hamra Lebanon · On-site

Aug 2012 – Nov 2012 · 3 mos

Nov 2011 – Oct 2012 · 11 mos · Lebanon