Strengths

• Extensive experience in financial analysis and strategic planning, with over 8 years in roles that involve budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis (Resume).

• Proficient in building and maintaining dashboards using Excel and Power BI, with a demonstrated ability to meet stakeholder needs and improve decision-making (Interview Transcript).

• Strong background in sales forecasting and pipeline modeling, utilizing cross-departmental collaboration and data from SAP to build dynamic models (Interview Transcript).

• Proven ability to analyze sales data and performance trends, identifying key growth opportunities and presenting insights effectively to stakeholders (Interview Transcript).

• Experience in preparing executive reports and presentations, with a methodical approach to gathering data and incorporating feedback from leadership (Interview Transcript).

• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a remote environment, with experience managing analytics projects across regions (Resume, Interview Transcript).

• Strong communication skills, evidenced by effective stakeholder engagement and presentation of complex data insights (Interview Transcript).

Considerations

• While experienced in financial services and technology, direct experience with US-based sales teams or B2B SaaS sales analytics is not explicitly mentioned (Resume).

• No explicit mention of experience with NetSuite or similar ERP systems, which is listed as a nice-to-have in the job description (Resume).

• Although familiar with CRM tools like Salesforce and Zoho CRM, specific experience with HubSpot is not confirmed (Resume).

• The candidate's experience is heavily focused on financial and strategic roles, which may require adjustment to the specific demands of a sales analyst position (Resume).

• While the candidate has experience in a startup environment, the resume does not specify experience in a scaling environment, which could be relevant to the role (Resume).

• The candidate's experience is primarily regional, which may require adaptation to the cultural and market dynamics of US-based businesses (Resume).

Candidate Name: Nicholas

Executive Summary

A seasoned FP&A professional with over 8 years of experience in financial services, technology, FMCG, and consulting. Nicholas has demonstrated expertise in budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and executive reporting, partnering with leadership teams to optimize portfolios and drive revenue growth. He has a strong background in financial analysis, business case development, and delivering actionable insights that influence performance. Known for his strategic planning and execution skills, Nicholas excels in customer success and client relationship management.

Recent Education

Manchester Metropolitan University, UK - 2023 - MSc, Finance & Strategy

Work Experience

1. Director of Business – Customer Success, Sales & Insights - 2023 – Present

Company: StarApple AI and Analytics
Industry: AI and Analytics
Description: Managed and executed advanced analytics and reporting for clients to drive revenue, client satisfaction, marketing ROI, and business efficiencies across the Caribbean region. Strengthened client relationships through proactive success management, improving retention and satisfaction scores.

2. Senior Business Analyst – Financial & Strategy (Retail Banking) - 2021 – 2024

Company: National Commercial Bank Ltd.
Industry: Banking
Description: Led the development and strategic modeling of product initiatives, achieving a 10% increase in the Affluent customer segment and surpassing loan growth projections by up to 21%. Scoped and implemented a digitization project reducing operational cycle time by 28%.

3. Sales Controller (Anglo-Dutch Caribbean) - 2019 – 2021

Company: Nestlé Caribbean Ltd.
Industry: FMCG
Description: Managed financial performance across 23 P&L entities, optimizing product mixes for profit improvements of up to 4%. Directed pricing strategy and identified cost-saving initiatives reducing costs by 33% on seven popular products.

Tools & Software

Power BI, Tableau, SAP, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Excel

Q1. How did you build a Power BI dashboard to track sales performance from requirements to deployment?
A. I met with stakeholders to understand their needs, documented requirements, and used SQL to source data. I connected Power BI to the data, created a preliminary dashboard, and gathered feedback from sales managers. After making necessary improvements, the dashboard tracked KPIs and was used by the sales team to monitor performance.

Q2. What changed as a result of the sales performance dashboard?
A. The team gained a better understanding of their daily performance, which helped them adjust their sales strategies to improve profitability. It also provided insights into individual and unit performance, aiding in coaching and decision-making.

Q3. Walk me through your process for forecasting monthly sales, including data sources and model adjustments.
A. I collaborated with various departments to gather insights and historical data, then used SAP to pull data and build a comprehensive model. The model included sales numbers, costs, and economic indicators, allowing for adjustments based on current and expected changes.

Q4. How did you measure success in your forecasting?
A. I maintained three versions of forecasts - a static one, a dynamic one adjusted with actuals, and a comparison of the two to measure accuracy. This approach ensured alignment with expectations and reality.

Q5. Tell me how you analyzed a performance trend that revealed a key growth opportunity.
A. We analyzed sales and onboarding costs for a financial institution and discovered that lower affluent customers were more profitable than upper affluent ones. This insight led to a strategic shift in focus and investment.

Q6. How did you ensure data accuracy for the monthly sales report?
A. We compared data from multiple sources, including sales records, finance reports, and IT data pulls, to identify discrepancies. This thorough auditing process ensured alignment and accuracy across departments.

Q7. Tell me how you identified and updated a KPI that wasn't driving the right behavior.
A. We realized that comparing sales per territory was ineffective due to cultural differences. Instead, we focused on investment per territory and sales per person, tailoring KPIs to each region's unique market conditions.

Q8. Walk me through how you assemble and present a monthly sales executive report.
A. I gathered data, met with executives to understand their needs, and created a detailed draft. After incorporating feedback, I refined the report to ensure it met their expectations and effectively communicated performance insights.