Syed ALI

Business partnered with C-suite on performance management, decision support, and strategy, producing monthly Board and FP&A packs with actionable insights. Galvanised change in resource allocation strategy, increasing margin from 34% to 40% and achieving a £2M EBITDA uplift. Automated reports via Power BI, slashing MI turnaround from 30 days to 2 days, and launched a new forecasting model.

Business partnered with Manufacturing Commercial Director and Head of External Sales, leading budgeting, commodity price reviews, and commercial tender processes for a £175M B2B portfolio. Benchmarked competitors to launch a new wholesale revenue stream, generating circa £1.6M pa EBITDA growth. Identified low margin product lines and uplifted margin rate by 3ppt through price improvement and cost

Business partnered with Commercial, Trading, and Marketing teams, providing decision support and investment appraisals for margin improvement and growth. Led financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting for the online division, identifying and modelling £227M cross-functional benefits for Omni and Click & Collect projects. Challenged marketing strategy, delivering £500K per year in P&L savings,

Established two global e-commerce brands in USA and Canada, leveraging global marketplaces and integrated supply chain management. Led P&L management, commercial negotiations, and working capital management, while developing a five-year business plan and implementing a rigorous KPI monitoring system. Introduced a dynamic pricing system and negotiated attractive financing deals and favorable credit

Engaged on high-profile interim assignments, contributing to finance transformation, management reporting, and profitability initiatives. Developed business cases for automated management reporting, achieving £375K pa savings, and helped design new finance target operating models. Played a pivotal role in M&A deal structuring, leading post-merger integration, and rolling out Hyperion Planning for

Managed internal reporting, finance systems, and various financial planning and reporting projects, leading a team of two direct reports. Supported the implementation of a company-wide financial planning and reporting system, integrating four separate systems and automating reports, resulting in £337K pa FTE cost savings. Developed new financial models for revenue, margin, working capital, cash fl

Provided finance expertise in financial planning, analysis, and reporting strategies across EMEA, reporting commercial opportunities and sales. Partnered on EMEA APP consulting projects, developing business cases including risk and opportunity profiling and ensuring compliance with FP&R policies. Improved profit margin by 4% on a global account through commercial restructuring, recovering £1.5M un

Worked with COO and Senior Managers to identify, track, and report cost/benefits of various business turnaround initiatives for a £450M retail business. Conducted cross-functional cost studies, recommending restructuring options to improve operating leverage and financially evaluating after-sale warranty service agreements, increasing GM by £450K and EBITA by £300K pa. Crafted a new commercial pri

Enjoyed a progressive and successful early finance career, leading teams of up to 13 people and contributing to consolidated financial reporting, annual operating plans, and quarterly forecasts. Played a key role in monthly analysis, performance reporting, and cost reduction programs. Successfully implemented finance systems and established a new finance department.

Grade: First Time Passes

Achieved First Time Passes in the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants USA examinations.

Specialized in IFRS as part of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification.

Grade: PG. Dip

Awarded a Postgraduate Diploma from Leeds Metropolitan University.

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Karachi.

Obtained PRINCE2 Practitioner certification from APMG.