Saththiyaseelan Ponnambalam
@saththiyaseelanponna
Experienced CFO driving growth, strategic finance, and operational transformation.
AustraliaWhat I'm looking for
I am an experienced strategist and progressive finance executive with more than 20 years delivering commercial impact across corporate, higher education and government-related projects. I focus on building businesses, challenging the status quo and driving sustainable growth.
As a financial leader I have led group finance functions, restructured systems, improved reporting cadence and implemented strong internal controls to support executive decision-making and growth initiatives.
I have a track record of securing funding and facilities, improving cash flow and treasury outcomes, obtaining consecutive government grants, and materially increasing international revenue and FOREX gains through effective hedging and commercial management.
I excel at cross-functional leadership, major ERP and systems restructures, project finance for large capital programs, and delivering measurable operational improvements that enable strategic expansion.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Chief Financial Officer
Commtel Network Solutions Ltd
Jan 2011 - Oct 2024 (13 years 9 months)
Led group finance, securing $20M in loan facilities, tripling international revenue over eight years and increasing annual FOREX gains by over $2M through hedging while overseeing treasury, reporting, tax and audit functions.
Consultant / Financial Services Manager
Deakin University
Jan 2008 - Jan 2010 (2 years)
Selected by KPMG to restructure financial management services, cut faculty reporting window by 25%, managed shared services and $900M in fixed assets, and developed a research costing model.
Finance Controller
PDG Corporation Ltd
Jan 2007 - Jan 2008 (1 year)
Restructured the finance and commercial division to clear backlogs, improved reporting and internal controls, implemented leasing procedures and arranged funding to improve cash flow and project budget control.
Project Finance Manager
Motorola Ltd
Jan 2005 - Jan 2007 (2 years)
Managed Australia & New Zealand budgetary control for $500M, developed financial methodologies and pricing for a $60M Zeon Digital Radio Network and supported completion of 38 sites.
Financial Controller
Melbourne Cruisers Ltd
Jan 2000 - Jan 2005 (5 years)
Oversaw company financial controls and reporting functions, supporting operational and project finance activities to improve financial governance and reporting accuracy.
Financial Management Specialist
World Bank
Jan 1998 - Jan 2000 (2 years)
Served as a Financial Management Specialist providing project financial management support and strengthening financial controls for development projects.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
UMUniversity of Melbourne
Master of International Business, International Business
Master of International Business from the University of Melbourne.
CACPA Australia
Fellow, CPA Australia, Accounting
Fellow member of CPA Australia, indicating senior professional membership in accounting.
C(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Fellow, CIMA, Management Accounting
Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
C(Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
Associate, CIM, Marketing
Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
AustraliaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
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