Michael Nikrou
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Toptal member since November 17, 2021
Michael has 10+ years of experience in senior private equity and corporate roles in multi-billion dollar companies focused on M&A and transformation projects across China, MENA, and Asia-Pacific. He has worked with high-profile CEOs and investors, leading M&A deals valued from USD 1 million to USD 1 billion under tight timeframes and overseeing the post-deal value creation and transformation programs. Michael joined Toptal to increase his global reach and help more businesses meet their goals.
Career Highlights
Case Studies
Pricing Optimization Dashboard
Real-option Valuation Model for USD 20 Million Capacity Investment
Software Expertise
- Microsoft Excel
Other Expertise
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Private Equity
- Project Management
- Revenue & Expense Projections
- Valuation
Work Experience
Financial Controller
Fonterra
- Rolled out revised credit policy to reduce exposure in countries with elevated macroeconomic risk.
- Negotiated and signed large customer agreements resulting in significant increases in EBITDA.
- Developed and rolled out a credit modeling approach which improved the effectiveness of the credit management team.
General Manager
Abano Healthcare
- Was accountable for acquiring the largest competitor in the market and managed the company post-acquisition until the integration phase was complete.
- Hired a dedicated SWAT team to extract post-acquisition synergies, significantly improving the EBITDA.
- Completed integration activities and handed over the entity to the business.
Vice President
Rank Group
- Undertook numerous acquisitions with NZD 300+ million in cumulative value targeting the FMCG and retail sectors (FMCG/Retail Roll-Up).
- Acted as the right hand of the CEO and key advisor to shareholders in driving transformation initiatives to turn around a portfolio of acquired companies with significant EBITDA gains achieved.
- Led and mentored the finance team through acquisitions and post-acquisition phases.
Finance Director
Fonterra
- Set up a strategic joint venture for an FMCG company with local partners in the Middle East region—USD 100 million in revenue.
- Hired and mentored the local team and developed financial frameworks, systems, and processes for the joint venture.
- Designed and implemented a sales and distribution model that reached thousands of retailers and on the ground third-party manufacturing partnerships.
- Drafted and negotiated all joint venture-related legal and commercial agreements with local investors and partners.
- Developed the strategy and business plans along with the forecasts and budgets, valuation, and funding model.
Investment and Strategy Analyst | Program Manager
Fonterra
- Managed numerous large-scale investments, M&A, and Joint Ventures deals across the agriculture, manufacturing, and FMCG sectors in China—USD 1+ billion with an average IRR of 15%.
- Led the China footprint optimization workstream resulting in CAPEX savings of USD 40 million.
- Developed a business case for setting up cropping farms in China using dairy farm fertilizer.
- Presented the business case proposal to the steering committee and subsequently implemented the solution as the project manager—USD 40 million CAPEX; USD 100 million annual revenue; 20% ROI.
Education
Graduate Diploma in Science with Distinction in Mathematics
Massey University - Palmerston North, New Zealand
Bachelor of Business Studies Degree in Finance and Economics
Massey University - Palmerston North, New Zealand
Skills
Finance
Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Revenue & Expense Projections, Corporate Finance, Budgeting, Data Analysis, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Valuation, Comparable Company Analysis, M&A Modeling, Profitability Analysis, Economic Value Added, Cash Flow, Profit & Loss (P&L), M&A (Sell-side), Valuation Modeling, Private Company Valuation, Credit Control, Income Tax, Accounting, Market Research, DCF Valuation, Three-statement Modeling, Rollup, Rollups, Profitability Optimization, Commercial Finance, Funding Process, Cash Flow Modeling, Value Creation, Pricing, Price Analysis, Cost Efficiency, M&A (Buy-side), Credit Risk, Credit Analysis, Taxation, Financial Accounting, Cash Management, Order to Cash (O2C)
Output Software
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint
Data & Analysis Software
Power Pivot, R, MATLAB, IRI
Geographic Expertise
China, Middle East
Other
Cost Modeling, DCF Modeling, FMCG, Business Cases, Business Plan Consulting, Sales Forecasting, Organizational Analysis, Project Management, Marketing Research & Analysis, Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Office, Monte Carlo Simulations, Acquisition Analysis, Joint Ventures, Information Memoranda, Term Sheet Negotiations, Negotiation, Program Management, Excel VBA, Power Query M, Turnaround Consultant, Cost Analysis, Cross-border Projects, Value Chain, Business to Consumer (B2C), Term Sheet Advisory, Investments, Investment Analysis, Business Strategy, Small Business Management, Business Models, Startups, Microsoft Dynamics AX, Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Finance, Economics, Economic Analysis, Financial Analysis, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Abstract Mathematics, Differential Equations, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Algebra, Matrix Algebra, Analysis, Modeling, Contract Negotiation, Leadership, Board Presentations, Research, Market Sizing, Business Planning, Post-merger Integration, Merger Benefits, Synergy Cost Project Management, Budget Modeling, Annual Budgets, Profit Optimization, Profit Maximization, Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), Manufacturing, Interim CFO, People Management, Change Management, Distressed Assets, Distressed/Special Situations, Turnaround, Turnaround Management, Costing, Presentations, Stakeholder Management, Power Query, Integration, Inventory Management, Standard Costing, Sell-side, Sales, Procurement, Sourcing, Price Sensitivity, Stochastic Modeling, Option Pricing, Farms, Buyouts, Acquisitions, Operations, Operational Efficiency Improvement, General Management, Buy-side, Credit Policy, Credit Modeling, New Business Development, Compliance, Procure to Pay, Legal, Legal Contract Drafting
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