Methmalee Gamage, CFA

Experience

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  Jayasinghe & Co. Chartered Accountants

  Jun 2011 - Dec 2013

  Audit Associate

  Extensive exposure in external auditing, internal auditing, preparation of financial statements, review engagements, due diligence assignments.Also carried out, book keeping, tax filing and monthly closing of accounts for non-audit clients. Additionally, prepared project reports for non-profit organizations, and assisted small scale businesses with business plans.

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  Jayasinghe & Co. Chartered Accountants

  Jan 2014 - Sept 2014

  Audit Manager

  Extensive exposure in external auditing, internal auditing, preparation of financial statements, review engagements, due diligence assignments.Also carried out, book keeping, tax filing and monthly closing of accounts for non-audit clients. Additionally, prepared project reports for non-profit organizations, and assisted small scale businesses with business plans.

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  Inspiro Business School

  Jul 2014 - Dec 2017

  Lecturer

  -Strategic Management & Leadership -Digital Business Strategy

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  Lanka Rating Agency Limited (Previously known as RAM Ratings Lanka)

  Oct 2014 - Dec 2015

  Financial Analyst

  My job responsibilities included;• Detailed analysis of financial statements including ratio analysis, trend analysis and stress testing.• Performing industry analysis and economic analysis• Detailed financial forecasting including impact of industry dynamics, capital expenditure and new product/ market developments.• Monitoring company and industry updates with presentations to senior management on variance and trend analysis.• Maintaining and monitoring database with key industry metrics.• Discussing with the rating committee, the salient rating factors in order to finalize the rating process.• Composing detailed credit rating rationales.• Preparation of sector reports based on research findings on industries. Show less

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  Abans Group Sri Lanka

  Jan 2016 - Dec 2021

  I acted as a strategic business partner, aligning stakeholder interests & driving mutually beneficial outcomes. This role honed my decision making, persuasion & diplomacy skills. Work involved extensive collaboration, boardroom presentations & immersion in operational realities, fostering continuous learning.Key highlights:• Spearheaded the development of Abans Group's 5-year strategy plan, aligning corporate & business strategies with the vision set by the Board & founding family. Guided a diverse team of BU leaders, functional heads & analysts to deliver within 4 months.• Implemented a nuanced pricing strategy, optimizing revenue & profitability by considering brand, credit terms, distribution channels & seasonal variations.• Managed forex risk, leading to significant savings by introducing forward rates in costing process & initiating UPAS LCs.• Advised the Board on investment & dividend decisions, ensuring retention of funds for growth & an optimal investment pipeline. • Led annual financial planning process, aligning sales forecasting, capex, opex planning, and business strategies. • Supported the finance team to implement new controls on costing, pricing, inventory management, credit sales, sales incentives & receivable collection and developed KPIs.• Secured dealerships with global brands Under Armour and Hyundai.• Evaluated the financial feasibility of the Colombo City Center hotel project, negotiated with multiple hotel operators and signed with Marriott International, resulting in the successful launch of Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, boasting 164 rooms & a 4-star rating.• Performed valuation for buy-out of JV partner’s stake in a project and assisted with negotiations (Project value: USD 190 Mn).• Initiated & managed the IPO process complying with regulations. Worked with investment banks on prospectus, company valuation, and pitched to investors. However, the IPO launch was halted due to the sudden economic collapse of the country. Show less This role allowed me to seamlessly integrate my financial acumen & analytical skills into operational contexts and foster a deeper understanding of business dynamics, honing my ability to perceive the broader picture & comprehend issues from multiple perspectives.Key highlights:• Regularly monitored business unit performance, presented quarterly reports to the Board & worked with BU heads to drive continuous improvement. • Evaluated & led significant capital projects, such as establishing refrigerator & deep freezer manufacturing plants and Sri Lanka's first washing machine manufacturing plant. This proactive move gave the company a competitive edge later when the government imposed import controls in the aftermath of the foreign exchange crisis. • Secured funding for new investments through listed debentures, bank financing, private equity & working capital arrangements, while also negotiating concessions & tax breaks with government agencies. • Crafted a 5-year outlet expansion plan & funding strategy for McDonald’s Sri Lanka (Abans is the local franchisee for McDonald’s). • Conducted comprehensive financial forecasting, modelling & strategic market analysis, supporting sales & marketing teams across a diverse portfolio of brands (LG, Apple, Elba, Haier, Toshiba, Philips, Honeywell, JVC, Toto, Skechers, Panasonic, Toto, Vivo, Oppo, HP, Lenovo, Acer, Whirlpool, JBL).• Prepared ad-hoc reports at the request of the Senior Management based on customer & product data (over 8 million customers & 6,000 SKUs). Used PowerBI for data transformation & visualization.• Carried out a comprehensive competitor analysis every quarter and made recommendations to improve market share, topline & profitability.• Collaborated with brand teams & external market research agencies to identify consumer behavior trends & formulate effective business strategies.• Performed customer lifecycle, product profitability & pricing waterfall analyses to drive informed decision-making. Show less While my main responsibility was to support driving the investment agenda through financial analysis, valuations & buy-side due diligence, I also performed the role of a FP&A Analyst by actively taking part in the annual budgeting process & business forecasting.Key highlights:• Liaised with investment banks & industry contacts to seek investment opportunities and managed the deal flow.• Carried out equity & business valuations (Free cashflow, EBITDA, Market multiple based valuations).• Successfully concluded several M&A transactions.• Was a member of the team that brought Company’s profitability up by 300% during a period of 3 years. Key contributions: restructuring sales incentive system, optimizing inventory holding period, improving accounts receivable collection. • Took part in the annual financial planning process, carried out revenue analysis & forecasting, studied industry trends, forecasted economic variables, performed variance analysis and explored cost management & efficiency improvements.• Supported the finance team in preparing the annual report. Wrote industry overview, financial overview & risk management sections. Reviewed other sections of the report to ensure clarity, coherence, & alignment. This annual report won the silver award at the 54th National Annual Report Awards. • Built excel models for the use of operational teams to support their decision making & automate routine decisions.• Restructured ownership of 36 Group companies including 4 amalgamations.• Analyzed quarterly performance against competition.• Was a key member of the team which successfully implemented SAP S/4 HANA across Abans Group companies, streamlining operations & enhancing data management capabilities.• Assisted the divestment of a loss-making subsidiary of the Group. Carried out valuation & took part in the creation of investment pitch deck. • Conducted the financial feasibility study on acquiring the exclusive dealership rights for Hugo Boss in Sri Lanka. Show less

  • Head of Corporate Finance

    Apr 2020 - Dec 2021

  • Manager - Business & Investment Analysis

    Mar 2018 - Mar 2020

  • Investment Analyst

    Jan 2016 - Feb 2018
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  Mercury Institute

  Jan 2018 - now

  Lecturer

  Corporate Finance and Equity for CFA

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  Hemas Consumer Brands - Sri Lanka

  Jan 2022 - Jul 2022

  Head of Strategic Growth

  I collaborated with the leadership team on growth strategy and initiatives to achieve the growth targets set in the five-year plan as well as to formulate business strategies to deal with the economic crisis Sri Lanka was facing at the time. Key highlights include:• Identified and evaluated M&A and partnership opportunities for the business, including subsidiaries in Bangladesh & India providing strategic insights for potential expansions, synergies, increased market share, and enhanced brand awareness.• Led cross-functional teams on transformation initiatives across supply chain, sales, manufacturing, and exports, shortening time lags, eliminating duplicate work & reducing costs.• Built an Excel model to prioritize SKUs based on ‘profitability per one dollar spent on raw material imports', efficiently allocating limited foreign currency resources toward the most profitable SKUs. This proactive approach ensured resource utilization aligns with profitability goals.• Carried out a comprehensive feasibility study of East Africa as a new market. • Held responsibility for pricing of 300+ SKUs to ensure budgeted margins amid raw material & packing material cost escalations and volatile exchange rates. Made the pricing process more agile to accommodate cost increases faster.• Crafted pricing strategies for beauty care, home & personal care, and baby care categories. Optimized revenue and profitability while ensuring market share growth in specific product categories. • Carried out competitor benchmarking to confirm the price pack architecture was optimal, ensuring competitiveness & strategic alignment with industry standards.• Supported channel heads to negotiate with trade partners on price promotions.• Worked closely with category managers to improve the ROI of marketing campaigns, supporting them articulate a more impactful marketing strategy.• Worked closely with category managers, R&D team, and Finance division on new product development and NPD pricing. Show less

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  Freelance

  Jan 2023 - now

  Financial Services Professional

  Business Valuations, Long term forecasts and Business plans, Investment Appraisals, Consultation on strategic planning, product costing & pricing for start ups. I also train the client's internal finance teams once I deliver the valuation/ pricing models so that they can independently use the model for future needs.Client industries: Technology, FMCG, Leisure, Fashion, Real Estate

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  Distance Technologies

  Sept 2024 - now

  DataOps Researcher