Dishen is available for hire
Hire DishenDishen Maharaj
Verified Expert in Finance
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.
Career Highlights
Managing Director
Self-employed
Managing Director
YDR Sales & Marketing
Education Highlights
Masters Degree
Gordon Institute of Business Science
Bachelor of Commerce
University of South Africa
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Work Experience
Managing Director
2017 - PRESENT
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, B2B, Forecasting, Business Plan Consulting, Product Licensing, Growth Strategy
Management Consultant
2019 - 2022
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, Forecasting, Business Plan Consulting
Management Consultant
2013 - 2019
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, Forecasting, Business Plan Consulting
Managing Director
2007 - 2017
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, Forecasting
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