Sailesh Balasubramanian
Verified Expert in Finance
Management Consulting Expert
Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Toptal member since September 7, 2022
Sailesh is a seasoned management consultant who has helped billion-dollar companies grow while at Boston Consulting Group. He has worked with diverse APAC clients, from strategy to transformation. As the chief of staff in a leading startup, he has executed a large-scale acquisition, raised over $20 million, and reached a 100% CAGR in topline growth. In addition, Sailesh advises startups and MNCs on strategy, planning, and transformation areas.
Career Highlights
Education Highlights
Certification Highlights
Case Studies
Expertise
Work Experience
General Manager, ASEAN
Limitless Technology Sdn Bhd
- Acted as the owner of P&L for South East Asia regional business with A$ 25 million in revenue.
- Oversaw various departments such as operations, customer service, performance marketing, SEO, eCommerce management, B2B business, and business intelligence.
- Managed operations across five markets, covering Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia.
Head of Regional Operations (Southeast Asia)
Limitless Technology Sdn Bhd (Flower Chimp, LVLY, Bloomeroo)
- Oversaw backed operations processes, including sourcing, flower range production, dispatching, logistics, and customer service for Southeast Asia operations spanning Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
- Led product and process innovation efforts, driving the development of new products and ranges across multiple markets.
- Managed a team of 150+ across five markets with eight direct reports.
Strategic Advisor
Bloom
- Organized a strategy workshop for senior management where we developed objectives, key results, epics and initiatives, user stories, KPIs, and tracking processes for all departments.
- Advised regarding strategy and financials on a time-to-time basis.
- Assisted the senior management in tracking and steering the strategy execution process.
Agile Expert | Advisor
Maybank
- Worked as part of the Agile at Scale transformation team at Maybank, one of the top three banks in South East Asia.
- Advised the in-house team on Agile at Scale best practices implemented in global banks (as part of my BCG experience).
- Provided a detailed roadmap and plan for the Agile journey and implemented the key pillars of transformation.
Chief of Staff
Limitless Technology Sdn Bhd (Flower Chimp, LVLY, Bloomeroo)
- Led the creation of a three-year strategy design and translated it to the business plan for 2022, coordinating with business heads and the C-suite.
- Oversaw the end-to-end process for a major acquisition target, starting from the negotiation stage and seeing the deal through until completion and integration.
- Built robust in-house SEO marketing processes and capabilities, increasing organic traffic by more than 50%.
- Designed and developed the investor pitch deck, including storylining, that contributed to the series-A fundraising pitching delivered to 50+ investors.
Consultant
BCG
- Designed and implemented a scaled agile transformation for key business units, which led to more than 20% profitability growth for a Malaysian bank.
- Revamped the pricing strategy, approach, and overall processes on wholesale banking products for a Southeast Asian bank.
- Developed a retail branch network strategy and designed a Malaysian bank's "branch of the future" using data-driven analytics technology.
- Created and implemented cost-saving network initiatives for a local telecommunications company, resulting in more than 5% cost reductions.
Senior Associate
BCG
- Designed two corporate functions, Digital and ESG, devised a target operating model, and drafted an implementation plan for a multi-billion dollar chemicals company.
- Identified cost savings opportunities of up to 10% reduction and devised an implementation plan for a toll roads operator in South East Asia.
- Developed strategy and roadmap for an Indonesian bank to become the top three merchant acquiring player in the country.
Management Intern
Tata Group
- Developed a business plan for a sustainable grass-roots football academy in Mizoram.
- Devised a target operating model to ensure both financial self-sustainability and high performance of the academy.
- Conducted extensive market research and benchmarking with global leaders.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad - Ahmedabad, India
Bachelor of Technology Degree in Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi - New Delhi, India
Certifications
CFA Level II
CFA Institute
Skills
Finance
Financial Modeling, Data Analysis, Market Research, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Valuation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Forecasting, Pricing, Fundraising, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), Debt Raises, Debt
Output Software
Microsoft Excel
Geographic Expertise
Asia-Pacific (APAC), Singapore
Data & Analysis Software
Tableau
Industry Expertise
Technology
Other
Modeling, Strategy, Presentations, Financial Analysis, Business Planning, Reporting, Data Analytics, Excel VBA, Analysis, PE rollup, eCommerce, Management Consulting, Growth Strategy, Growth Strategy Consultants, Business Strategy, Market Sizing, Market Research & Analysis, Direct to Consumer (D2C), Pitch Deck Consultant, Pitch Decks, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Investor Presentations, Storytelling, Pitch Presentations, Data Visualization, Organizational Design, Market Research & Analysis, Market Research, Mechanical Engineering, Storylines, Python, Digital, Digital Economy, Digital Banking, Business Cases, Business Analysis, Large-scale Projects, Startups, Market Segmentation, Customer Segmentation, Cap Tables, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), eCommerce Management, Digital Marketing Strategy, Marketplaces, Go-to-market Strategy, Business Models, Fintech Consultant, Go-to-market Plans, Equity, Operational Excellence, Business Operations, Business Process Management (BPM), Market Research Analyst, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Microsoft, Benchmarking, Digital Media, Early-stage Venture Capital, Fintech, Agile Transformation, Digital Transformation, Planning, Operating Models, Web Design, Digital Strategy, Strategy Planning, Agile, Operations, Management, Online Business, Business Process Flow (BPF), Gifting, General Management
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