AKSHAYA BALAJI

· Led variable cost transparency project, enhancing material cost visibility by 5-10% quarterly, impacting $50 million-$100 million for better negotiation and decision making.

· Optimized cash flow through inventory analysis, contributing to $5 million-$10 million SMOG improvement.

· Developed reliable five-year CM/NIBIT forecast model with VP and GM to enhance decision-making processes.

· Delivered strategic support for high-impact ad-hoc requests, recognized by senior leadership for timely and insightful analysis.

· Handled the Planning and Budgeting, Latest Estimate (LE), and QPA discussions with VP & GM of Shell Catalyst & Technology (SC&T) along with Product Pricing as SME, demonstrating effective multitasking and time management.

· Supported month-end closure for four U.S. manufacturing plants, ensuring timely and accurate reporting under Group reporting and IFRS standards.

· Optimized inventory revaluation processes by integrating quarterly standard-to-standard variance logic into monthly automation macros, reducing manual effort by over 250 hours annually.

· Initiated and implemented first automated quarterly product pricing release in production system, partnering with IT to streamline execution and minimize manual tasks.

· Automate GR/IR reporting based on monthly raw material purchases, saving over 100 hours annually.

· Designed inventory movement dashboard to identify top MoM material changes, saving 2–3 hours per analysis cycle.

· Developed Purchase price variance (PPV) dashboard - Identified and resolved PPV discrepancies using totaling $10–15 million due to incorrect PO configurations, ensuring accurate financial reporting.

· Served as product pricing SME, leading automation and process improvement initiatives across departments.

· Recognized with multiple CFO award nominations (2022-2024) for contributions to automation and cost visibility initiatives.

· Delivered monthly OPEX performance and energy variance analysis to leadership, enabling informed strategic decision-making.

· Initiated MJE reduction project, eliminating redundant journal entries and saving 200+ analyst hours yearly.

· Supported the ESSA (Elimination, Simplification, Standardization, Automation) journey across manufacturing reporting saving 100+hours annually.

· Contributed to Solomon benchmarking reports, enhancing operational efficiency insights for Bukom assets.

· Initiated process improvements that delivered over 100+ hours annual savings by streamlining manpower time-writing and recovery activities across project departments, contributing to non-FO benefits.

· Took on additional FTE responsibilities during resource bottlenecks with minimal handover, ensuring continuity and stability in financial operations.

· Initiated $0.5M billing recovery from long-pending third-party customers, improving cash realization and coordinating within/across teams and get the “Delivery through others”.

· Conducted statutory audits, tax audits, and VAT audits, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and enhancing client trust.

· Supported income tax assessments and Appeal proceedings by preparing detailed financial submissions and appeared before income tax officers and assistant commissioners to present cases.

· Managed multiple client portfolios while mentoring 6-8 junior associates for timely delivery.