Data Analyst Business Development

Jonah Andrew Zari ACMA/CGMA

Business Leader (Commercial, Finance and Operations)

**** ****** **** *, ****** • *********@*****.*** • +263-***-******/ +263-***-****** PERSONAL STATEMENT

Strategic Business Leader with 15+ years of expertise in strategic leadership, operations transformations, commercial and financial excellence and multi-site leadership across Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and Mozambique. Proven success in driving revenue growth, operational efficiency, and profitability through supply chain optimization, cost reduction (10–20%), and retail network transformation. Adept at mentoring and leading high-performance teams, stakeholder engagement, procurement excellence, and exceeding P&L targets in competitive markets.

I am currently serving as Head of Commercial & Retail Operations at Nash Paints Incorporations in Zimbabwe, where I excelled in leading enterprise wide Commercial &Retail, Operations and Financial transformations that drove substantial revenue growth across several markets. KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCES

● Strategic Planning, leadership & Business Development

● Agriculture Sector Expertise (Chemical Manufacturing, Fertilizers, Supply Chain with ETG Curechem)

● Multi-Country Operations Management (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique)

● P&L Management (ROCE & Gross Profit Improvements)

● Market Expansion & Revenue Growth (B2B, B2G, Distributor Networks,30+ Branches)

● Procurement & Supply Chain Optimization (Cost Reduction, Vendor Management)

● Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

● Data-Driven Decision Making (ERP, Power BI, SQL)

● Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Sustainability

● Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

● Wide Industry Experience (Banking, Telecommunications, Oil and Gas, Manufacturing – Chemicals, Paints and Pharmaceuticals)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

NASH PAINTS INC Graniteside, Harare

Head of Commercial & Retail Operations Aug 2023 – Current Led enterprise-wide commercial strategy, retail operations, marketing, and financial transformation across 4 markets (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique).

● Commercial Strategy: developed and led commercial strategy for B2C, B2B, B2G sales, market expansion, and client acquisition across 4 markets (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique).

● Strategic Operations Leadership: Transformed and directed 30+ Retail branches into profit centers, driving 20–25% YoY revenue growth and aligning operations with profitability targets.

● Budgeting and Reporting: Developed and monitored budgets and forecasts, supporting long-term financial sustainability and resource allocation. Optimized CRM-aligned sales reporting for data- driven forecasting, enhancing pipeline tracking accuracy.

● Supply Chain Excellence: Reduced operational costs by 20% via logistics streamlining, ERP automation, and inventory optimization.

● Cross-Functional Collaboration: Aligned sales, marketing, and logistics to expand client engagement and market share.

● Strategic Relationship Management: Managed 30+ key accounts, transforming retail branches into profit centers via strategic partnerships and service excellence.

● Performance Management: Directly supervised and mentored 10+ Regional,30+Branch Managers and Commercial Managers on financial reporting interpretation, KPI tracking, and operational best practices.

Selected Achievements

- Transformed 30+ underperforming branches into profit centers, driving 20–25% YoY revenue growth.

- Won MAZ Superbrand Award (B2B) through market expansion into regional territories in Zimbabwe and SADC, opening new branches resultantly increasing market share by 5% in B2B, B2G segments

- Optimized CRM-aligned sales reporting, enabling data-driven forecasting and pipeline tracking. ETG CURECHEM Belmont, Bulawayo

Finance and Operations Manager Sept 2021- Jul 2023 Directed end-to-end Finance and operations for FMCG multi-site business, covering finance, procurement, logistics, warehousing, and HR.

● Ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the ETG Curechem Pvt Ltd by providing leadership in: o Managed cash flows, accounts (GL, AR, AP), inventory, and statutory compliance, ensuring operational efficiency.

o Oversaw key operational functions, including sales, procurement, logistics, administration, warehousing, and HR, ensuring safe and cost-effective management.

● End-to-End Operations: Oversaw procurement, warehousing, logistics, and HR for FMCG multi-site operations.

● Budgeting & Forecasting: Led budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis, supporting decision- making for regional growth and profitability.

● Financial Strategy & Reporting: Developed budgets, forecasts, and IFRS-compliant financial reports, ensuring long-term sustainability

● Key Stakeholder Management: Partnered with banks, auditors, and government bodies on financing and compliance.

● Profitability Strategy: Developed pricing frameworks and market analysis to identify growth opportunities, increasing revenue by 15%.

● Regulatory Compliance & Quality: Ensured 100% adherence to agrochemical quality standards and statutory requirements.

● Procurement & Cost Leadership: Reduced operational costs by 15–20% through procurement optimization.

● Inventory Management: Cut spoilage by 5% via inventory tracking systems and expiry management. Selected Achievements

- Ensured 100% compliance in contracts and SLAs across multi-site operations.

- Revenue Growth: Boosted sales by 15% via B2B pricing strategies and new product lines for farmers/distributors.

- Reduced operational costs by 15–20% through procurement optimization, reinvesting savings into client acquisition.

PLUS 5 PHARMACEUTICALS KELVIN INDUSTRIALS, BULAWAYO COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT SEPT 2018- AUG 2021

● Managed full controllership of plant financials, overseeing assets exceeding US$10M in plant assets and provided insights on Capital Investments, Asset Management, Business cases and Cost Optimizations projects.

● Optimized product costing for 32+ lines, directly supporting sales margin strategies and client pricing negotiations, increasing gross margins by 12%

● Partnered with sales teams to develop business cases for new market entry and product expansion

● Led plant financial analysis, budgeting, and variance reporting aligned with manufacturing operations.

● Developed internal control policies, ensured compliance, and coordinated internal/external audits.

● Managed the month-end close, financial reporting, and variance analysis

● Prepared and presented plant financial reports to the executive team and the board of directors, highlighting financial performance, risks, and recommendations Selected Achievements

- Boosted gross margins by 12% through cost restructuring and competitive B2B pricing frameworks.

- Enhanced production efficiency by 5% via ERP implementation and work-study projects

- Secured $5M external investment for new production line; managed $12M+ plant assets. ZUVA PETROLEUM SOUTHERTON, HARARE

PERFORMANCE AND REPORTING ACCOUNTANT NOV 2015- AUG 2018

• Led budgeting, forecasting, and financial modelling for multiple depots and business units.

• Prepared weekly and monthly performance reports (Product, Customer, BU or cost Centre profitability analysis) including variance analysis against targets.

• Monthly analysis of sales, cost of sales, Product Costs Gross Profit Margins and delivered margins performance.

• Financial Modeling: Developed pricing strategies and profitability analyses for 10+ depots, aligning with market benchmarks

• Reviewed monthly departmental financial performance. Reports, operational KPIs, Gross profit and provide detailed analysis for EXCO and HODs as well as analytical support activities around cost control, capital allocations, payback, projects feasibility and other ad hoc reports.

• Inventory Control: Reduced losses by 8% via enhanced tracking systems and obsolescence mitigation. EDUCATION

Associate Chartered Management Accountant (ACMA) – Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

(CIMA, UK) – 2017

Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) – Association of international Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA, UK) – 2017

Bachelor of Arts honors in Sustainable Performance Management - Metropolitan Manchester University, UK

– 2016

Master of Science in Data Analytics - Chinhoyi University of Technology (ZIM) – 2020 Data Analyst Associate (PowerBI) - Microsoft Certified -2020 SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence – Udemy-2022 Financial Modelling and Valuation Analyst (FMVA) – Corporate Finance Institute

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