Dinesh Kulkarni

About Dinesh Kulkarni

Results-driven FP & A Director with over 15 years of experience in financial planning, budgeting, and strategic decision-making. Proven expertise in leading high-performing teams, optimizing operational efficiency, and delivering actionable insights to drive revenue growth and profitability. Skilled in financial modeling, scenario analysis, and cross-functional collaboration to support high-growth organizations. Key Achievements: Leadership: Managed teams of up to 400 staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and inclusivity while reducing turnover by 20%. Financial Strategy: Improved forecast accuracy by 85% using advanced SARIMA forecasting techniques, enabling data-driven decision-making. Operational Efficiency: Delivered $5M in incremental revenue by optimizing e-commerce processing efficiencies and reducing overtime costs by 40%. Crisis Management: Successfully navigated a major revenue loss, achieving cash flow positivity within six months through strategic pivots and cost optimization. Passionate about leveraging data and technology to enhance financial performance, scalability, and business growth. Let’s connect to discuss how I can contribute to your organization’s success

Experience

1. Director of Financial Planning and Analysis

   IKEA

   Dec 2022 — Present · CA

   Financial Modeling: Built complex Excel models for scenario analysis, enabling management to evaluate contingency plans and assess the impact of external factors.• Dashboard Development: Designed Power BI dashboards to track key financial and operational KPIs, improving workforce efficiency by 40%.• Operational Efficiency: Spearheaded data-driven initiatives to streamline workforce efficiency, achieving a 40% reduction in overtime costs and saving $250K annually.• Finance Leadership: Led the agenda for an 11-member steering committee, providing comprehensive updates on operational and financial metrics. Proactively identified and communicated potential risks, including changes in shipment volumes, expense controls, and regulatory updates, enabling informed decision-making and ensuring operational continuity.• Leadership: Successfully managed a team of 200 staff across three shifts, driving operational efficiency and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and inclusivity. Delivered weekly presentations to all shifts, sharing operational and financial results, celebrating team wins, and recognizing major life events (e.g, birthdays, weddings, family losses).

Education

• Chapman University

  MBA

• Chapman University

  Bachelor of Science, Accounting, Biology