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.
Dishen is available for hire
Hire DishenCareer 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
Select Certifications
Case Studies
Edvysor
OperationsMicrosoft OfficeSmall & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)ConsultingCost EfficiencyCreative Problem Solving+ 2 more
Various Revenue Assurance and Organizational Optimization Projects
OperationsSmall & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)ConsultingCost EfficiencyCreative Problem SolvingCommunication+ 5 more
Expertise
CEOCOOCreative Problem SolvingEntrepreneurshipInnovationOperationsSaaSStrategyWork 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