Dishen Maharaj, Finance Expert in Johannesburg, South Africa

Dishen Maharaj

Management Consulting Expert

Location
Johannesburg, South Africa
Toptal Member Since
May 24, 2022

Dishen is a seasoned operations executive with over 15 years of global experience. He flourishes in environments where solving complex problems and analytical thinking are required. He fosters collaboration and high-performing teams that thrive in dynamic environments. He has also co-founded SaaS business platforms that assist over 20,000 businesses globally, has reduced operating costs by up to 25%, and has improved revenue collection by over $20 million/month for a large power distributor.

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Career Highlights

Managing Director
Self-employed
Managing Director
YDR Sales & Marketing

Education

Masters Degree
Gordon Institute of Business Science
Bachelor of Commerce
University of South Africa

Case Studies

Image of Business Enabling Toolbox (B.E.T) project
Business Enabling Toolbox (B.E.T)
Mentorship & CoachingSmall & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)StartupsOperationsCost EfficiencyStrategy+ 6 more
Image of Edvysor project
Edvysor
OperationsMicrosoft OfficeSmall & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)ConsultingCost EfficiencyCreative Problem Solving+ 2 more
Image of Various Revenue Assurance and Organizational Optimization Projects project
Various Revenue Assurance and Organizational Optimization Projects
OperationsSmall & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)ConsultingCost EfficiencyCreative Problem SolvingCommunication+ 5 more

Expertise

CEOCOOCreative Problem SolvingEntrepreneurshipInnovationOperationsSaaSStrategy

Work Experience

2017 - PRESENT

Managing Director

Self-employed
  • Co-founded a SaaS digital business mentoring and management web platform that assists startups and SMEs grow, improve, transform, and sustain. Supported over 20,000 businesses globally.
  • Managed the scoping, planning, budgeting, and delivery of various performance improvement projects resulting in a reduction in operating costs by up to 25%.
  • Drove the strategic formulation and execution of organizational growth objectives for clients.
  • Spearheaded the planning, design, and implementation of innovative solutions to retain clients and grow them by at least 5% annually.
  • Fostered, built, and nurtured relationships both internally and externally.
Focus areas: Startups, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Strategy, Operations, CEO, COO, Empathy, Leadership, Negotiation, Innovation, Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Business Models, Business Strategy, Consulting, Creative Problem Solving, Risk Management, Cost Efficiency, Entrepreneurship, Communication, Accounting, Creativity, Finance, Financial Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Lean Six Sigma, Human Resources (HR), Operational Efficiency Improvement, Optimization, Stakeholder Management, Projects, Time Management, Mindfulness, Wellness, Microsoft Office, Large-scale Turnaround & Transformation, SaaS, Process Mapping, Process Improvement, Business Process Optimization, Business Process Analysis, Business Transformation, Process Optimization, Enterprise Software, Management Consulting, Board Presentations, Business Planning
2019 - 2022

Management Consultant

YVR Consulting
  • Oversaw projects over $1m which resulted in on-time delivery and increased revenue by 20%.
  • Collaborated with over 20 external stakeholders to scope, plan and deliver on a $5m project within a large power distributor in South Africa.
  • Planned, designed, and implemented large projects over $1m for listed entities in the FMCG and Education Sectors.
  • Designed a go-to-market strategy that increased revenue by up to 20%.
Focus areas: Consulting, Cost Efficiency, Communication, Creative Problem Solving, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Business Models, Business Strategy, Empathy, Finance, Financial Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Innovation, Leadership, Lean Six Sigma, Management, Mentorship & Coaching, Microsoft Office, Mindfulness, Negotiation, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Operations, Optimization, Projects, Risk Management, Accounting, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Stakeholder Management, Startups, Strategy, Time Management, Wellness, Human Resources (HR), SaaS, Enterprise Software, Management Consulting, Board Presentations, Business Planning
2013 - 2019

Management Consultant

EY
  • Improved the collection of revenues by over $20 million per month for a large power distributor in South Africa.
  • Reduced stockouts by up to 30% in a warehouse optimization initiative with stockholding of +- $10 million.
  • Streamlined operational processes that resulted in a +-25% cost saving (+-$2 million per month) in a shared services environment for South Africa's largest state-owned freight transport organization.
  • Improved revenue by +-15% for a water supplier in Ghana by designing an approach for better management around the scheduling, receiving and dispatching, and recording revenues.
  • Increased revenue collections by 40% for a large power distribution organization based in South Africa.
Focus areas: Operations, Strategy, Projects, Consulting, Management, Stakeholder Management, Accounting, Business Models, Business Strategy, Communication, Cost Efficiency, Creative Problem Solving, Creativity, Empathy, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Financial Modeling, Go-to-market Strategy, Innovation, Leadership, Lean Six Sigma, Mentorship & Coaching, Microsoft Office, Mindfulness, Negotiation, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Optimization, Risk Management, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Startups, Time Management, Large-scale Turnaround & Transformation, SaaS, Process Mapping, Business Process Optimization, Business Transformation, Business Process Analysis, Business Processes, Process Optimization, Enterprise Software, Management Consulting, Board Presentations, Business Planning
2007 - 2017

Managing Director

YDR Sales & Marketing
  • Managed the planning, budgeting, and P&L of various divisions resulting in at least a 10% minimum YoY growth.
  • Consulted with private sector clients and derived and implemented the go-to-market strategy for identifying, buying, pricing, and selling various commodities.
  • Collaborated with various functions to ensure the value propositions of services and products were accurately articulated and communicated to clients.
Focus areas: Operations, Cost Efficiency, Consulting, Management, Projects, Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), CEO, COO, Business Models, Creative Problem Solving, Business Strategy, Communication, Creativity, Empathy, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Go-to-market Strategy, Innovation, Finance, Leadership, Mentorship & Coaching, Microsoft Office, Financial Modeling, Negotiation, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Optimization, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Startups, Strategy, Time Management, Management Consulting, Business Planning

Education

2018 - 2018

Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA)

Gordon Institute of Business Science - Johannesburg, South Africa

2017 - 2017

Post Graduate Diploma in General Management (PGDip) in Business Administration

Gordon Institute of Business Science - Johannesburg, South Africa

2005 - 2009

Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting

University of South Africa - Johannesburg, South Africa

Certifications

JUNE 2021 - PRESENT

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

AIGPE

JUNE 2021 - PRESENT

Master NLP Practitioner

AUNLP