Niloufer Afzal, MBA, CM, Finance Expert in Toronto, ON, Canada
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Niloufer Afzal, MBA, CM

Verified Expert  in Finance

Bio

A growth strategy expert with tier 1 companies, Niloufer led the transformation of a $300 million pet business that was acquired for two times EBITDA. Her areas of expertise are strategic planning, innovation, customer strategy, and eCommerce transformation. She is an award-winning architect of iconic brands across North America, Europe, and Asia; J.M. Smucker, Reckitt, Philips, Kraft-Heinz, McCain, GSK, Tetra Pak, and Mars. Nilo joined Toptal to help organizations unlock and accelerate growth.

Career Highlights

Lead Consultant Strategy and Innovation
G2G Impact Group
Senior Marketing & Innovation Lead
Groupe SEB
Senior Brands & Trade Marketing Lead
J.M. Smucker Foods

Education Highlights

Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA)
University of Karachi

Certification Highlights

Certified Culture Coach
Waterstone Culture Institute
Coaching for High Performance
Queen's University
Project Management for Innovation
Tetra Pak University

Case Studies

Work Experience

Lead Consultant Strategy and Innovation

2015 - PRESENT
G2G Impact Group
  • Designed sales effectiveness and customer strategy solutions for a personal healthcare business, helping optimize trade spend, resulting in over 3% margin improvements in year one.
  • Facilitated the North American reorganization of a food service and retail business through the visioning and five-year strategic planning that resulted in annual roadmaps and breakthroughs for each functional area.
  • Led the end-to-end innovation strategy for a pet food business, spanning process audits, articulating the fuzzy front end, shrinking the product development cycle, and developing a launch blueprint.
  • Headed omnichannel development for a healthcare company, launching a digital pharmacy based on consumer digital journey research that clearly articulated the moments of truth.
  • Conducted training and coaching workshops to sharpen skills and boost capabilities–facts to insights and strategic decisions, visioning and strategy articulation, storytelling, creative briefing, and agency management.
  • Directed the website restructuring of a large not-for-profit organization to represent their DEI vision, where inclusivity also covered disabilities like vision and hearing.
  • Spearheaded the culture transformation for a large global business as a certified culture coach, implementing the culture operating system that focuses on creating parity and mitigating unconscious bias.
  • Drove segmentation and demand space research to uncover high-value beauty segments and need states, then defined the innovation strategy and articulated innovation platforms across horizons.
Focus areas: Innovation Management, Strategic Planning & Execution, Finance, Future-Proofing, Customer Service, Strategy, Digital Transformation, Branding, Brand Positioning, Brand Guidelines, Digital Marketing Strategy, Stakeholder Engagement, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Revenue Modeling, Business Strategy, Business Models, Startups, Marketing Strategy, B2B, Business to Business (B2B), EMEA, Management Consulting, eCommerce, Pitch Decks, Pitch Deck Consulting, Design, Fundraising, Pitch Preparation, Drop Shipping, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Early-stage Startups, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Cases, Business Planning, Marketplaces, Data Analysis, Forecasting, Health & Wellness, Wellness, Looker, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Financial Modeling, Market Research, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, Real Estate, Hospitality, Logistics, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Product Development, Solar, Market Research & Analysis, Fintech, Fintech Consultant, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Plan Consulting, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), Consulting, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Marketing Leadership, SWOT Analysis, Blockchain, Marketing Mix, Sports, Growth Marketing, Paid Advertising, Advertising, Go-to-market Optimization, Advertising Campaigns, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Price Positioning, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, United States, Software, Human Resources, HR Tools, Company Strategy, Business Consultant, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Beauty Products, Health, Communication Strategy, Employee Experience, Communication, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Sales, Nutrition & Supplements, Financial Services, Healthcare, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Consumer Health, Pharmaceuticals, Revenue Strategy, Revenue Analysis, Organizational Design, Organizational Strategy & Design, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Venture Capital, Employee Engagement, Onboarding, Agile Project Management, Integration, Program Management, Product Management, International Growth, Marketing Plans

Senior Marketing & Innovation Lead

2018 - 2020
Groupe SEB
  • Designed and delivered strategic transformation of the Kitchen Electrics portfolio by leading net revenue optimization across customers, resulting in the growth of net sales by over 22% and operating income by 4+ points.
  • Led multi-brand white space mapping and new product development within key segments, delivering gross margin improvement of 16+ points across the Kitchen Electrics portfolio.
  • Created the brand architecture for Lagostina Electrics, focusing on channel management to drive retailer differentiation.
Focus areas: Customer Service, Strategy, Innovation, Innovation Strategy, P&L Management, Marketing, Branding, Brand Positioning, Brand Guidelines, Digital Marketing Strategy, Go-to-market Strategy, Marketing Strategy, B2B, B2B Partnerships, Business to Business (B2B), EMEA, eCommerce, Pitch Decks, Pitch Preparation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Cases, Business Planning, Marketplaces, Data Analysis, Forecasting, Health & Wellness, Wellness, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Market Research, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, Logistics, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Product Development, Market Research & Analysis, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Marketing Leadership, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), SWOT Analysis, Marketing Mix, Growth Marketing, Paid Advertising, Advertising, Go-to-market Optimization, Advertising Campaigns, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Price Positioning, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, United States, Company Strategy, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Beauty Products, Communication Strategy, Communication, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Revenue Strategy, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Product Management, International Growth, Marketing Plans

Senior Brands & Trade Marketing Lead

2014 - 2017
J.M. Smucker Foods
  • Led the creation of a 5-year business roadmap, crafting the business vision, governing strategies, and plans; year one resulted in over 3% growth in OI.
  • Revitalized the channel mix by adding branded e-shops and e-tailers, i.e., Amazon, PetSmart, and Shopify, delivering 10% incremental NSV.
  • Created an ‘Always On’ innovation mindset within the organization, building a 3-year innovation pipeline that grew topline sales by over 6% within dog treats, while boosting profitability by more than 5%.
  • Delivered margin accretive omnichannel strategies through customer resource management and trade spend optimization.
  • Led the creation of a central unifying idea for each brand to anchor creative development across all consumer touchpoints–TV, radio, print, in-store, digital, social, experiential, and influencer campaigns, effectively managing agency relations.
Focus areas: Digital Transformation, Brand Marketing, Innovation, P&L Responsibility, Manufacturing, Trade Marketing, Customer Journeys, Branding, Brand Positioning, Brand Guidelines, Digital Marketing Strategy, Stakeholder Engagement, Marketing Strategy, eCommerce, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Cases, Business Planning, Marketplaces, Data Analysis, Forecasting, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Market Research, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, Logistics, Financial Modeling, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Product Development, Market Research & Analysis, Go-to-market Strategy, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Marketing Leadership, SWOT Analysis, Marketing Mix, Growth Marketing, Paid Advertising, Advertising, Go-to-market Optimization, Advertising Campaigns, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Price Positioning, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, United States, Human Resources, Company Strategy, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Communication Strategy, Communication, Change Management, Project Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Sales, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Revenue Strategy, Revenue Analysis, Organizational Design, Organizational Strategy & Design, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Onboarding, Integration, International Growth, Marketing Plans

Senior Marketing Manager

2011 - 2013
Philips
  • Oversaw the systems and process integration, harmonized pricing, and transitioned the customer base, gaining over ten share points.
  • Maximized portfolio profitability, driving topline sales and optimizing marketing and trade spending to grow profits by over 2%.
  • Launched five SKUs to increase the share of the shelf at retail by more than 5%, supported by media and CRM initiatives.
  • Delivered trade marketing effectiveness by balancing short and long-term business goals, step-changing trade spending across key retail partners, and delivering mutual value and profitable growth.
  • Led the new product development process for the epilators' range of beauty devices.
Focus areas: Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), P&L Management, Pricing, Strategy, Brand Marketing, Branding, Brand Positioning, Brand Guidelines, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketing Strategy, B2B, B2B Partnerships, Business to Business (B2B), eCommerce, Pitch Preparation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Cases, Business Planning, Data Analysis, Forecasting, Health & Wellness, Wellness, Growth Strategy, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Market Research, Logistics, Financial Modeling, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Three-statement Modeling, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Product Development, Market Research & Analysis, Go-to-market Strategy, Medical Devices, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, SWOT Analysis, Marketing Mix, Sports, Growth Marketing, Paid Advertising, Advertising, Go-to-market Optimization, Advertising Campaigns, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Price Positioning, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, United States, Company Strategy, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Beauty Products, Health, Communication Strategy, Communication, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Sales, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Revenue Strategy, Revenue Analysis, Organizational Design, Organizational Strategy & Design, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Onboarding, Integration, Product Management, International Growth, Marketing Plans

Trade Marketing National Accounts Lead

2010 - 2012
Reckitt
  • Developed a cross-category shopper conversion model, creating new key promotional periods that drove more than 6% growth.
  • Initiated the distribution and placement strategy for dish detergents driving category growth by more than 5% and brand growth by more than 9%.
  • Built a customer portfolio strategy to maximize resources and investment and boost customer profitability by more than 13%.
  • Led the GTM strategy and execution for the skin care brands Clearasil and Veet.
Focus areas: Trade Marketing, Category Management, Customer Success, Strategy, Customer Service, Marketing Strategy, Launch Strategy, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Planning, Data Analysis, Health & Wellness, Wellness, Growth Strategy, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Market Research, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Market Research & Analysis, Go-to-market Strategy, Consulting, SWOT Analysis, Marketing Mix, Growth Marketing, Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Price Positioning, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Beauty Products, Health, Communication, Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Sales, Consumer Health, Pharmaceuticals, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Marketing Plans

Marketing Manager

2006 - 2010
Tetra Pak
  • Grew profitability by more than 7%, identifying the highest impact investment areas and managing portfolio margins.
  • Repositioned Tetra Pak as an environmentally conscious company, delivering 5% category lift and 5% brand lift.
  • Launched Tetra Pak in three new categories; coconut water, wines, and smoothies, creating multi-million dollar new segments in North America.
Focus areas: Future-Proofing, Innovation, Sustainable Advisory, Category Management, Branding, Marketing Strategy, B2B, B2B Partnerships, Business to Business (B2B), EMEA, Management Consulting, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Planning, Data Analysis, Growth Strategy, Market Research, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, Hospitality, Logistics, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Market Research & Analysis, Business Plan Consulting, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Consulting, SWOT Analysis, Marketing Mix, Growth Marketing, Advertising, Advertising Campaigns, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Communication Strategy, Communication, Project Management, Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Marketing Plans

Account Manager

2000 - 2006
NielsenIQ
  • Created business performance dashboards to help clients plan and evaluate key metrics.
  • Delivered consumer and shopper analytics to support go-to-market plans and optimize customer strategies.
  • Exceeded budget target in 2004 by more than 7% and 2005 by over 6% respectively.
Focus areas: Customer Success, Research, Market Insights, Innovation, Client Management, Management Consulting, Growth, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Planning, Data Analysis, Market Research, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, PowerPoint Design, Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Market Research & Analysis, Business Plan Consulting, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Consulting, Price Positioning, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Nutrition & Supplements, Consumer Health, Organizational Design, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis
1991 - 1993

Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA) in Marketing & International Business

University of Karachi - Karachi, Pakistan

OCTOBER 2022 - PRESENT

Certified Culture Coach

Waterstone Culture Institute

JANUARY 2019 - PRESENT

Coaching for High Performance

Queen's University

JANUARY 2008 - PRESENT

Portfolio Management

Tetra Pak University

JANUARY 2007 - PRESENT

Project Management for Innovation

Tetra Pak University

Finance

Portfolio Analysis, Fundraising, Data Analysis, Financial Modeling, Market Research, Revenue & Expense Projections, Budgeting, Total Addressable Market (TAM), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Pricing, Revenue Modeling, Forecasting, Three-statement Modeling, Blockchain

Output Software

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word

Industry Expertise

Health & Wellness, Health, Early-stage Startups, Real Estate, Hospitality, Logistics, Sports, Software, Financial Services, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Venture Capital

Geographic Expertise

United States, EMEA

Data & Analysis Software

Tableau, Salesforce, Looker

Other

Innovation Management, Coaching, Team Leadership, Marketing, Porftfolio Strategy, Portfolio Reporting, Innovation Strategy, Strategic Planning & Execution, Future-Proofing, Digital Transformation, Innovation, Brand Marketing, Trade Marketing, Strategy, Market Insights, Consumer Trends, Strategic Planning, Business Transformation, Marketing Mix, Branding, Brand Positioning, Stakeholder Engagement, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Strategy, Marketing Strategy, B2B, B2B Partnerships, Business to Business (B2B), Management Consulting, eCommerce, Pitch Decks, Pitch Deck Consulting, Design, Pitch Preparation, Launch Strategy, Idea Validation, Growth, Sales Growth, Go-to-market Plans, Analysis, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Business Cases, Business Planning, Wellness, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Sales Strategy, Product Strategy, Workshop Facilitation, Workshops, PowerPoint Design, Presentations, Executive Presentations, Knowledge Management, Product Development, Market Research & Analysis, Business Plan Consulting, Opportunity Identification, Product-market Fit, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI), Consulting, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), SWOT Analysis, Growth Marketing, Paid Advertising, Advertising, Go-to-market Optimization, Advertising Campaigns, Price Positioning, Market Sizing, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Human Resources, Company Strategy, Business Consultant, Excel 365, Consumer Insights, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Competition Research, Market Research Analyst, Beauty Products, Communication Strategy, Employee Experience, Communication, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Business to Consumer (B2C), B2C, Market Segmentation, Sales, Nutrition & Supplements, Marketing Leadership, Customer Service, Customer Segmentation, Product Management, Market Demand, R&D, Operating Models, Target Operating Models, TOM, Consumer Health, Revenue Strategy, Organizational Design, Organizational Strategy & Design, Data Analytics, FMCG, Industry Analysis, Employee Engagement, Onboarding, Agile Project Management, Integration, Program Management, International Growth, Marketing Plans, International Projects, Value Innovation, Sprints, P&L Management, P&L Responsibility, Customer Journeys, Category Management, Research, Client Management, Planning, Brand Guidelines, Digital Marketing Strategy, Business Modeling, Financial Statements, Business Models, Startups, Drop Shipping, Marketplaces, Solar, Fintech, Fintech Consultant, Medical Devices, HR Tools, Subscriptions, Subscription Pricing, Technology Trends, Revenue Analysis, Slack, Finance, Manufacturing, Customer Success, Sustainable Advisory, Business Validation, Portfolios, Cultural Operating System, Facilitation

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