Bilal Hashmi

I have co-founded Cloud CFO Solutions to help ambitious founders, business owners, and key stakeholders gain clarity, control, and confidence in their financials and start looking at their challenges from a financially informed perspective. I help UK businesses gain the financial clarity and control they need. I set them up a base, agree on targets, and provide a financial perspective so they stay focused on their growth objectives.

• Managed finance strategy and operations for a diversified downstream construction and manufacturing group.
• Controlled financial reporting, management reporting, financial consolidation, banking and other regular finance
functions.

This is one of the largest medical device companies in the world. I successfully implemented the Hyperion across
MENA, integrating budgeting and actuals with the global reporting structure.

• Led £25M treasury operations.
• Led high-profile global M&A of Knoll Pharmaceuticals in Pakistan.
• Received the Presidents Award (Chicago Head Office) for excellence in planning and execution.

• Led the feasibility and launch of 35 new international flights.
• Recognised as Employee of the Year (1999).

One of the UAE’s major groups, operating across automotive dealerships, trucks, buses, cars, and motorbikes, including workshops, tyres, and batteries, as well as retail and industrial trading, including electrical and lighting dealerships, travel agencies, cargo, real estate, and investments, covering B2B & B2C multi-product and multi-site operations, both internationally and locally.
Key Achievements:
• Favourably impacting margins through proactive commercial business partnering, deal making, vendor engagement, cost optimisation and growth initiatives.
• Business transformation, namely ERP implementation, BI implementation, IPO readiness, Shared Services restructuring, etc.
• Regulatory compliance, namely VAT implementation, CT readiness, IFRS adoption, etc.
• Business Process Improvement through ERP, RPA, synergies and consolidation of teams and functions, etc.
• Startups, including public transportation tenders in Oman, a car rental venture in Dubai, and several automotive dealerships across the UAE, and travel operations overseas.
• Strengthened governance through LOA and mandates.
• Brand new standardised reporting across the Group through Power BI dashboards and KPI frameworks.
• Developed a system of 5-year strategic business planning with annual updates.
• Due diligence for a major M&A and investment appraisals leading to major Investments and Capex.
• Stakeholder engagement, including Board, Shareholders, Investment Bankers, Auditors, Lawyers, Consultants, etc.

Responsibilities:
• Led finance, procurement, and warehousing for the Group, managing a large team.
• Controlled financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting (FP&A).
• Controlled banking relationships, mandates, and cash management for a large treasury.
• Oversaw AR, AP, GL and financial reporting function, including statutory audit.
• Approving stock acquisition decisions and credit decisions.
• Direct Balance Sheet control through working capital intervention and cash flow planning.
• Support the Group CEO and several divisional GMs as a finance business partner with strategic planning, decision-making and achieving their growth and budget targets.
• Contributed to Investment Committee and Project Management Office initiatives.
• Led monthly Executive Committee reporting and Board and other stakeholders’ presentations.

This is one of Europes major in
parks The following is the summary of my functions:
• Transformation and integration of operations following an International PE-backed M&A.
• Led business process improvement and restructured group reporting.
• Led financial reporting, including audit, and FP&A.
• Delivered 1 8-month rolling cash flow forecasts and complex funding analysis.
• Implemented Oracle Financials & Hyperion Consolidation across Europe & China.
• Transitioned the groups business model from developer-trader to trader-investor. Partnered with Citi, PwC, and EY on due diligence for a successful Exit.

Manufacturing & Distribution
• Managed group finance for manufacturing and distribution businesses in tobacco, soft drinks, and real estate.
• Oversaw multi-country operations, financial reporting and consolidation.

EY is recognised as one of the Big Four in the accounting profession in the world.
• Managed audits for multinational clients in sectors including Oil & Gas, Banking, and Manufacturing.
• Laid the foundation of a career in finance leadership.