Data Analyst Power Bi

AFTAB AHMED

Ellicott City, Maryland, ***** +1-410-***-**** *****.*.*****@*****.***

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Results-driven Finance Manager and Strategic Consultant with over a decade of experience leading financial operations, modeling, and strategic planning across public, private, and PE-backed organizations. Expert in designing and implementing financial frameworks that drive profitability, efficiency, and executive-level decision-making. Proven ability to translate complex financial data into actionable insights through advanced tools like Power BI, NetSuite, and Excel. Adept at managing multimillion-dollar budgets, overseeing ERP transitions, and building integrated dashboards that improve reporting speed and accuracy. Currently enhancing data science and analytics capabilities through advanced coursework at the University of Chicago to lead innovation in financial strategy, fraud analytics, and forecasting. Recognized for cross-functional leadership, regulatory compliance expertise, and delivering measurable value across education, utilities, manufacturing, and tech sectors. SKILLS

Financial Modeling & Forecasting

Budget Development & Management

Strategic Financial Planning

Profitability & Margin Analysis

Scenario & Variance Analysis

Capital Investment Evaluation

Private Equity Financial Reporting

M&A and Post-Acquisition Integration

Power BI Dashboarding

Advanced Microsoft Excel (Pivot Tables, VBA)

ERP Systems (NetSuite, MS Dynamics)

Data Cleaning & Validation

Financial Automation Tools

Financial Data Migration

Executive Reporting & Presentations

Cross-Functional Team Collaboration

Compliance with SOX & FERC Standards

Cost Optimization & Efficiency Projects

WORK EXPERIENCE

Senior Strategy Analyst 07/2024 to 05/2025

AEA Investors - Window Nation Inc

Spearheaded the development of enterprise-wide strategic planning processes, aligning corporate goals with market trends and driving a 15% increase in operational efficiency.

Designed and deployed executive dashboards in Power BI and Excel to track key performance indicators (KPIs), enhancing data visibility and accelerating decision-making by 30%.

Conducted in-depth competitive and macroeconomic analysis that informed market entry strategies and improved executive forecasting accuracy by 20%.

Collaborated cross-functionally with leadership and stakeholders to gain buy-in on strategic initiatives, directly supporting the execution of high-impact growth and optimization projects.

Finance Manager 04/2022 to 07/2024

Stride Inc

Managed financial operations for six public charter schools, ensuring compliance with federal and municipal reporting standards.

Developed and implemented a five-year profitability roadmap, resulting in improved long-term budget forecasting accuracy.

Built dynamic financial models to support daily operations and strategic planning across multi-site educational programs.

Designed a product margin calculator that optimized pricing strategies and increased blended sales margins across multiple offerings. Management/Finance Consultant 01/2019 to 03/2022

Tactic Consultancy – Multiple Clients

Designed and implemented a private equity-compliant financial model and a 5-year profitability plan, supporting successful investor presentations and long-term strategic planning (Client: Hudson Global Scholars)

Led monthly executive financial reviews, translating forecasts and actuals into actionable insights for C-suite decision-making (Client Exelon Utilities and Hudson Global Scholars)

Partnered with Sales and Product teams to develop margin analysis tools that improved bundled product pricing strategies and boosted gross margins by over 12% (Client: Hudson Global Scholars)

Led the successful integration of MS Dynamics financial data into Power BI, enhancing reporting speed and cross-functional financial visibility by 40% (Client: Pearson Education)

Transitioned legacy Excel-based financial models into automated Power BI dashboards, reducing manual reporting time by 40% and enhancing decision-making accuracy (Client: Exelon Utilities)

Ensured full compliance with FERC accounting standards and PMP project management protocols, supporting audits and internal governance processes for 9 utilities. (Client: Exelon Utilities)

Oversaw budgeting, forecasting, and financial operations during a period of rapid growth, helping scale revenue by 35%+ while maintaining cost efficiency (Client: Hudson Global Scholars)

Finance Manager 08/2017 to 12/2018

McCormick & Co

Automated month-end close processes, reducing reporting time by 30% through development of custom financial models and workflow improvements.

Led detailed P&L variance analysis on commodities, plant operations, and product mix, uncovering $1.2M in cost-saving opportunities.

Partnered with cross-functional teams to streamline financial reporting, improving forecast accuracy by 25%.

Created and implemented tools to monitor spend performance across production units, increasing budget compliance by 18%. Senior Financial Analyst 01/2014 to 07/2017

Becton Dickinson (BDX)

Developed financial valuation models and performed in-depth licensing agreement analyses to support multi-million-dollar strategic initiatives and M&A activity.

Led Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) internal audits and successfully integrated two acquired entities into BDX's corporate structure, ensuring compliance and operational continuity.

Directed forecasting, budgeting, and performance tracking for the Women's Health product line, resulting in improved financial visibility and data-driven decision-making.

Managed post-acquisition financials, including earn-outs and product payout structures, helping optimize deal value and streamline acquisition integration.

Senior Financial Analyst 08/2012 to 12/2013

Jos. A. Bank Inc

Managed annual budgeting and forecasting for 25 departments, supporting the company's 5-year strategic financial plan and growth projections.

Developed real estate pro-forma models and conducted ROI analyses for new store leases, contributing to expansion decisions across multiple markets.

Performed detailed monthly variance analysis at both store and department levels, identifying cost-saving opportunities and performance gaps.

Prepared quarterly financial presentations for executive leadership and board meetings of this publicly traded retail company. Financial Analyst 07/2011 to 07/2012

Safenet Inc (Gemalto)

Managed annual budgeting process for the marketing department, overseeing $5M+ in planned expenditures and ensuring alignment with strategic goals.

Conducted monthly variance analysis, identifying cost overruns and recommending corrective actions that improved budget accuracy by 15%.

Developed and maintained financial reports that enabled leadership to track campaign ROI and reallocate resources effectively.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline reporting workflows, reducing monthly close cycle time by 20%. Credit Analyst 08/2006 to 06/2011

Stanley Black & Decker and Mercantile Bank & Trust

Conducted comprehensive credit risk assessments and underwrote commercial loans exceeding $80M across diverse industries, enhancing portfolio quality and reducing default exposure.

Developed forecasting models that improved cash flow projections by 25% and supported more accurate credit decisions.

Streamlined financial statement analysis and credit review processes, cutting approval turnaround time by 15–20%.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement risk mitigation strategies, contributing to a 10% year-over-year reduction in loan loss provisions.

EDUCATION

Graduate Certificate: Data Engineering (Candidate) 10/2025 University of Chicago Chicago, IL

Deep understanding into database systems, SQL, data pipelines, dashboards, and analytics to transform data into actionable business insights Graduate Certificate: International Relations/Security 12/2024 Harvard University Cambridge, MA

Deep understanding and study into global markets, government, international relations and its effects on security and relations

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Masters in Business Administration (MBA): Finance and Entrepreneurship 12/2015 University of Maryland, Smith School of Business College Park, MD

Independent Study: 3D printing's effect on Market of future

Capstone Project: Process Mapping of Open-Heart Surgery University of Maryland, at Baltimore Medical School Graduate Certificate: Accounting 12/2015

University of Maryland Global Campus Maryland

Intensive work on high level Accounting courses such as fraud examination, IT audit etc Bachelor Of Arts: Economics 12/2005

University of Maryland College Park, MD

LINCENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

#HRJ#bf8af762-2117-4191-aaae-ad317df00f10# COMPTIA Security+

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