Open to opportunities

Talaha Iqbal

@talahaiqbal

Message

I build scalable finance functions that improve margins, profitability, and enterprise value.

United Arab Emirates

Message

What I'm looking for

I'm looking for FTE or FTC finance leadership opportunities in the wider GCC, where I can shape financial direction, scale finance functions, and partner with founders and boards on growth, profitability, and strategic decisions.

At SQUATWOLF, I scaled finance across UAE, KSA, UK, EU, and US entities as revenue grew from 3.7M AED to 75M+ AED. I improved gross margin from 55% to 75%, moved the business from a 20% loss to 6% profitability within 12 months, and led a 37M AED Series A process.

I've also supported Cloudways through its DigitalOcean acquisition and managed end-to-end finance operations at D-ZEE Textiles. I connect FP&A, pricing, supply chain, fundraising, tax, ERP, BI, and AI-enabled reporting to give founders and boards clear commercial direction.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Head of Finance

Current

SQUATWOLF

Dec 2019 - Present (6 years 8 months)

Scaled finance operations from 3.7M AED to 75M+ AED revenue across e-commerce, retail, and B2B channels. Led a finance team of 10, managed multi-entity consolidation, and drove profitability through pricing and cost restructuring.

Senior Finance Executive

Cloudways

Nov 2016 - Dec 2019 (3 years 1 month)

Served as a finance business partner in a high-growth SaaS/cloud hosting company, supporting the business through its acquisition by DigitalOcean. Prepared IFRS-compliant financial statements, managed budgeting and forecasting, and led VAT and corporate tax compliance across European jurisdictions.

FP&A Financial Reporting IFRS Budgeting and forecasting Financial Policies Internal Controls Accounts Receivable Accounts Payable Working Capital Management VAT Compliance Corporate Tax External Audit Coordination Financial Visibility Governance Performance Optimization

Financial Controller

D-ZEE Textiles

Mar 2014 - Nov 2016 (2 years 8 months)

Managed end-to-end finance operations including AP, AR, GL, reconciliations, and month-end close for a textile distribution business. Prepared financial statements, oversaw working capital management, and coordinated with sales, logistics, and warehouse teams to improve financial control.