Karim Doss, Finance Expert in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Karim Doss

Verified Expert  in Finance

Bio

Karim has helped companies achieve their financial goals, both as a financial advisor at PwC and as a CFO or financial director for startups or Fortune 500 companies, such as Merck and Omnicom. His services include business valuation, financial models, business plans, pitch decks, fundraising, and setting KPIs and policies. Karim has worked with over 50 nationalities in various countries and managed projects ranging from $50,000 to $5 billion in different industries.

Career Highlights

Director of Financial Advisory Services
Z ADVISORS
Chief Financial Officer | Chief Investment Officer
Alliance Business Centers Network
Assistant Manager
PwC

Education Highlights

Bachelor's Degree
Ain Shams University | International Management and Trade Department Business School

Certification Highlights

Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
Institute of Internal Auditors
Certified Financial Manager (CFM)
Institute of Management Accountants
Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
Institute of Management Accountants

Case Studies

Work Experience

Director of Financial Advisory Services

2020 - PRESENT
Z ADVISORS
  • Assisted several startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in fundraising activities, including business plan preparations, financial models, pitch decks, and teasers.
  • Performed as interim CFO for a client, a regional software development and translation group with offices in 10 countries, managing a finance team of 20+ managers, analysts, and accountants.
  • Conducted valuation and developed financial models for businesses from various industries, such as real estate, manufacturing, education, healthtech, hospitality, biodiesel, pharma, media, and others.
  • Assessed the performance of finance departments at several companies and provided tangible recommendations for improvement, which helped enhance cash flow, working capital, and other KPIs.
  • Developed financial policies and procedures for the business to enhance control while improving efficiency levels.
  • Interviewed candidates for the chief financial officer (CFO) and finance director roles on behalf of clients and identified successful candidates.
  • Performed as interim FD for a medium size real estate company, managing a portfolio of almost 1000 residential and retail units.
  • Led the finance transformation and automation across the group entities, including 15 translation companies and three startups in the transportation, training, and outsourcing fields.
  • Arranged bank facilities exceeding CAD 70 million.
Focus areas: Startups, Fundraising, Valuations, Business Planning, Pitch Decks, Due Diligence, DCF Valuation, Valuation Analysis, Valuation Modeling, Financial Forecasting, Internal Control, Process Flows, Dashboards, Coaching, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Interviewing, Family Office, Startup Consulting, Virtual CFO, Presentations, Board Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Working Capital Management, Business Transformation, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Modeling, Cash Flow Management, CFO, Interim CFO, Financial Training, Credit Control, Management Reporting, Reporting Packages, Pricing, Share Purchase Agreements, Business Partnerships, Board Decks, Board of Directors, M&A (Buy-side), M&A (Sell-side), ROI, Key Performance Metrics, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Entrepreneurial Finance, Entrepreneurship, Management Consulting, Trusted Advisor, Business Advisory, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Sensitivity Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Financial Advisory, Microsoft Excel

Chief Financial Officer | Chief Investment Officer

2014 - 2020
Alliance Business Centers Network
  • Collaborated with the CEO to expand the business from local to regional sites while expanding from one country to six.
  • Developed the financial platform and necessary systems to support the business expansion.
  • Hired and coached multicultural cross-border finance, administration, HR, and IT team.
  • Managed the working capital focused on liquidity, credit control, and collection automation.
  • Drove the revenue increase by 30% and cost reduction by 10% by the end of year one, further reducing it by 8% at the end of year two.
  • Negotiated ventures and investments worth $20 million with sovereign funds.
  • Negotiated lease agreements and achieved a 20% reduction over two years. Revised the entire food and beverage cost and pricing.
  • Drove the occupancy increase by 35% during the first year.
  • Worked with the Big Four firms that managed the external audit. Developed financial policies and procedures.
  • Discussed new business opportunities, potential ventures, and franchising deals and finalized agreements with regional investors.
Focus areas: Accounting, Accounts Receivable, Financing, Cost Control, Credit Policy, Contract Review, Contract Negotiation, Contract Drafting, Lease Accounting, Hiring, Team Building, Business Planning, Strategy, Budgeting Consulting, Forecasting, Audits, Intellectual Property Licensing, Licensing, Vendor Management, Vendor Selection, CRM Systems, Pitch Decks, Joint Ventures, Investor Relations, Investor Presentations, Control & Cost Analysis, Marketing, Cash Flow, Expansion Strategy, International Expansion, Entity Selection & Formation, Budget Controls, Investments, Valuation Analysis, Financial Forecasting, Internal Control, Process Flows, Dashboards, Coaching, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Interviewing, Startup Consulting, Presentations, Board Presentations, Working Capital Management, Business Transformation, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Management, CFO, Facilities Management, Credit Control, Management Reporting, Reporting Packages, Property Insurance, Pricing, Share Purchase Agreements, Business Partnerships, Business Development, General Management, Board Decks, Board of Directors, M&A (Sell-side), ROI, Key Performance Metrics, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Trusted Advisor, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Sensitivity Analysis

Finance Director

2012 - 2013
Rotana Media Group
  • Established the finance function and revised the financial policies and procedures.
  • Achieved 40% cost savings through tighter control over various expense lines, such as production, acquisitions, and marketing. Provided a holistic, financial, and cost-benefit analysis to decide on new programs.
  • Introduced best financial practices and trained the staff on new and more efficient methodologies.
  • Realigned the finance team and introduced best-practice reporting and financial processes.
  • Prepared and presented various board presentations.
Focus areas: Financials, Accounting, Cost Control, Budgeting Consulting, Financial Forecasting, Dashboards, Interviewing, Board Presentations, Working Capital Management, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Management, CFO, Management Reporting, Reporting Packages, Pricing, Board Decks, Board of Directors, ROI, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Navision, Microsoft Excel

Finance Director

2009 - 2012
Omnicom Group
  • Assisted the president and managing directors in setting up and executing the region's business strategy.
  • Managed to collect over 80% of more than 20 months of overdue receivables from large clients in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) within the first six months after joining the company.
  • Assisted in driving sales performance by setting proper monitoring and follow-up tools and processes.
  • Hired and coached the entire finance staff and set up the finance function for the EMEA region.
  • Controlled and monitored projects' billing, work-in-progress (WIP), completion percentage, and realization.
Focus areas: Business Setup, Debt Collection, Credit Policy, Credit Control, Project Management, Billing, Hiring, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Budgeting Consulting, Annual Budgets, Budget Controls, Internal Audits, Financial Forecasting, Dashboards, Board Presentations, Working Capital Management, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Management, CFO, Reporting Packages, Pricing, Business Partnerships, Board Decks, Board of Directors, ROI, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Microsoft Excel

Finance Manager

2008 - 2009
Dubai Holding | Universal Studios Dubailand
  • Managed the pre-opening capital and operating budget of $5 billion megaprojects in Dubai, including Universal Studios Theme Park, four hotels, a boulevard with fine dining restaurants, retail outlets, and residential compounds.
  • Assumed full responsibility for the planning, budgeting, and reporting process, including communication across all departments.
  • Coordinated all preopening and launch activities with 15 directors and senior managers from Universal Studios USA, NBCUniversal Media, and the United Arab Emirates.
  • Ensured expenses were within the set budget with less than a 1% deviation.
  • Managed financial relationships with design consultants, a project management firm Parsons Corporation, and contractors, including reviewing completion milestones, controlling cost, and constructing variation orders.
  • Ensured proper documentation and monitoring of all contracts related to contractors, vendors, franchises, and others.
  • Improved compliance with the holding group policy from 40% to 95% within five months.
  • Developed financial models for accurate cash flow projections, staffing, and other project elements.
Focus areas: Accounting, Budget Controls, Annual Budgets, Financial Forecasting, Dashboards, Interviewing, Working Capital Management, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Management, Reporting Packages, Pricing, Oracle, ROI, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Sensitivity Analysis, Microsoft Excel

Assistant Manager

2006 - 2008
PwC
  • Executed and delivered finance transformation projects for a government, quasi-governmental entity, and private companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other GCC countries.
  • Managed teams of consultants and auditors in submitting project deliverables to clients on time.
  • Provided advisory services to key government and public-sector organizations in various sectors, such as civil aviation, real estate development, government procurement, customs, investment authorities, and others.
  • Covered various projects’ scopes, including a strategy, financial process improvement, setting financial policies, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, financial modeling, and others.
  • Developed policies and processes related to financial areas, such as treasury, budgeting, fixed assets, revenue and receivables management, purchasing, procurement, and payments.
Focus areas: Performance Management, Performance Improvement, Process Mapping, Consulting, Business Consulting, Policies & Procedures Compliance, Systems & Procedures, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Integration, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Modeling, Presentations, Project Management, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio, Microsoft PowerPoint, Manuals & Documentation, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Job Descriptions, Financial Model Auditing, DCF Valuation, Valuation Analysis, Valuation Modeling, Financial Forecasting, Process Flows, Dashboards, Coaching, Working Capital Management, Business Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Modeling, Cash Flow Management, Financial Training, Reporting Packages, Management Incentive Packages, M&A (Sell-side), ROI, Key Performance Metrics, Multicultural, Management Consulting, Trusted Advisor, Business Advisory, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Sensitivity Analysis, Financial Advisory

Financial Planning Manager

2000 - 2006
Merck & Co.
  • Assumed responsibility for long-range operating plans (LROP), including capital expenditures, operating expenses, all product lines' revenues, and short-term forecasting.
  • Provided a complete analysis of actual monthly results and estimated and actual budget and contrasted the results with the previous year. Provided a profit and loss (P&L) analysis by a product line to each business unit director.
  • Led the monthly rolling forecast for the company, including all business units and lines of products, such as cardiovascular, hypertension, NSAID, asthma, vaccines, osteoporosis, antibiotics, and ophthalmology.
  • Led the annual budgeting process, interacting and coordinating with all business unit directors and product managers.
  • Prepared board presentations for the country's managing director and EMEA managing director in Paris. Ensured timely submission of budgets to the regional office in France.
  • Provided accurate forecasts and ensured less than a 5% deviation of the actual bottom line versus the forecasted one compared to more than 15% before taking this responsibility.
  • Achieved the Most Accurate Forecast Award in 2005 among all Middle East and Africa (MEA) subsidiaries.
  • Developed various reports to monitor and control department and business unit expenses within a matrix set up.
  • Developed financial models to provide real-time projections for various business scenarios.
Focus areas: Planning, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Forecasting, P&L Management, P&L Analysis, P&L Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Variance Reporting, Financial Analysis, Financial Modeling, Currency Exchange, Foreign Currency, Budgeting Consulting, Annual Budgets, Budget Controls, Budget Management, Zero-based Budgeting, Stock Analysis, Import Costing, JDE, JD Edwards, Financial Forecasting, Dashboards, Presentations, Board Presentations, Reporting Packages, Management Incentive Packages, IBM Cognos, Hyperion, Multicultural, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Sensitivity Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Microsoft Excel

Financial Accountant

1999 - 2000
Schneider Electric
  • Assumed responsibility for a general ledger, payroll, and reconciliations.
  • Led and managed the implementation of the fixed asset module in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and record-keeping automation.
  • Assisted in financial reporting for the senior management.
Focus areas: Accounting, Scala

Credit Analyst | Intern

1997 - 1997
Groupe Credit Agricole
  • Analyzed high-net-worth clients’ financials and profiles to assess their creditworthiness and solvency before granting credit.
  • Identified risk areas as well as potential opportunities.
  • Provided structured reports to the senior management at the credit department, Département des Engagements.
  • Prepared summaries for weekly credit committee to facilitate decision-making.
Focus areas: Credit Analysis, DCF Valuation, Valuation Analysis
1994 - 1998

Bachelor's Degree in Accounting

Ain Shams University | International Management and Trade Department Business School - Cairo, Egypt

JULY 2007 - PRESENT

Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)

Institute of Internal Auditors

MAY 2005 - PRESENT

Certified Financial Manager (CFM)

Institute of Management Accountants

MARCH 2004 - PRESENT

Certified Management Accountant (CMA)

Institute of Management Accountants

Finance

Financial Modeling, Financial Model Auditing, Valuations, DCF Valuation, Valuation Analysis, Valuation Modeling, Financial Management, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Budgeting Consulting, Budget Controls, CFO, Working Capital Management, Cash Flow, Cash Flow Modeling, Credit Control, Credit Analysis, Financial Advisory, Business Advisory, Accounting, Management Accounting, Forecasting, P&L Forecasting, Profit & Loss (P&L), Revenue & Expense Projections, Internal Audits, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Fundraising, Pricing, Due Diligence, M&A (Buy-side), M&A (Sell-side), ROI, Entrepreneurial Finance, Currency Exchange, Zero-based Budgeting, Import Costing, Lease Accounting

Output Software

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Dynamics

Data & Analysis Software

Salesforce, IBM Cognos, Hyperion

Other

Financial Forecasting, Internal Control, Process Mapping, Process Flows, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Performance Improvement, Coaching, Contract Review, Interviewing, Startup Consulting, Business Planning, Pitch Decks, Teasers, Interim CFO, Virtual CFO, Presentations, Investor Presentations, Financial Transformation, Cash Flow Analysis, Cash Flow Management, P&L Management, Management Reporting, Reporting Packages, Management Incentive Packages, General Management, Policies & Procedures Compliance, Manuals & Documentation, Board Decks, Board of Directors, P&L Analysis, Management Consulting, Business Consulting, Consulting, Trusted Advisor, Finance, Reporting, Costing, Decision Analysis, Vendor Selection, Expansion Strategy, International Expansion, Entity Selection & Formation, Integration, Project Management, Microsoft Visio, Job Descriptions, Financials, Investments, Annual Budgets, Planning, Variance Reporting, Financial Analysis, Budget Management, Visio, Financing, Performance Management, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Sensitivity Analysis, Scenario Analysis, Hiring, Team Building, Contract Negotiation, Family Office, Investor Relations, Debt Collection, Financial Training, Facilities Management, Credit Policy, Joint Ventures, Share Purchase Agreements, Business Development, Key Performance Metrics, Cross-functional, Multicultural, Entrepreneurship, Operations, Economics, Compliance, Contract Drafting, Strategy, Audits, Vendor Management, CRM Systems, Billing, Foreign Currency, Stock Analysis, Investor Relations Consultant, Acquisitions, Startups, Business Setup, Board Presentations, Pitch Presentations, Business Transformation, Accounts Receivable, Property Insurance, Cost Control, Oracle, JD Edwards, JDE, Scala, Navision, Business Partnerships, Management, Business Law, SEC Filing, Intellectual Property Licensing, Control & Cost Analysis, Marketing, Systems & Procedures, Licensing

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