MBA Talent Book - Class of 2024

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MBA Talent Book

Class of 2024

Elective

Immersive

Corporate

Global

Our MBA class of 2024 Foreword

“The Newcastle MBA is much more than a management programme. We take our students on a leadership journey of self-discovery and transformation, giving them an opportunity to: enhance their self-awareness; integrate and apply their learning; develop their consulting skills; and contribute to, and lead, multicultural teams. They develop the knowledge and ambition to shape both their careers and the future of an organisation; a winning combination.”

Contents

“Our 12-month intensive MBA programme sets us apart. Taking a relational and experiential approach, we develop our diverse student cohort in three phases: core skill development, preparation for global business and ultimately making a responsible and sustainable impact. Experiential learning is at the core of our programme, empowering our students to apply and critique theory through practice, underpinned by a transformational personal and professional development journey. Throughout the MBA, they work on real-world tasks with live clients. At Newcastle University we take pride in our relational approach thanks to our relatively small cohort size. This invaluable feature enhances social learning and creates lasting professional networks that extend well beyond the programme’s duration. Diversity is a cornerstone of our educational philosophy, and we select a student cohort that is rich in terms of nationality, professional and commercial experiences, and gender representation.

As well as learning from a world-class academic faculty, our MBA students benefit from guest speakers, competitions and a wide range of immersive industry experiences enabling the development of consultancy skills and honing their leadership expertise. The hallmark of a Newcastle University MBA student is their ability to take a valuable new perspective and a critical approach to established practice – as a new recruit, intern or consultancy team member.”

Phase

One

Their leadership journey

Developing their core skills

Students start their journey by developing a comprehensive understanding of business and management.

We’re creating leaders for the jobs of the future, technology that hasn’t been invented, and opportunities we don’t yet know about.

Throughout their MBA studies our students work to enhance their selfawareness; integrate and apply their learning; develop their consulting skills; and contribute to, and lead, multicultural teams.

These next generation leaders are highly adaptable, resilient to change and prepared to question established norms and search for new answers.

They study:

• Accounting and Finance

• Organisations and People Management

• Digital Transformation

• Marketing

• Strategic Management

• Transitions in the Global Economy

Business in Action

Working in project teams, students practise and consolidate their understanding of core business skills in a time-bound series of intensive lectures, industry experiences and interactive workshops.

Year-long development

Year-long development

02 03 02 03

Phase Two

Phase Three

Preparing them for global business Demonstrating their impact

This phase prepares students for the key challenges of business in the 21st century and the changing landscape of the future. Students choose two electives to develop their skill set and knowledge of emerging business trends and thinking.

They study:

• Business Analysis for Decision-Making

• Entrepreneurship

• Corporate Social Responsibility

And choose two electives, one from each group:

Group A

• Finance and Investment

• Digital Marketing

• Strategic Human Resource Management

Group B

• Emerging Economics: Challenges and Opportunities

• Managing for Innovation

They can also replace an elective module choice with an international elective overseas at one of our international partners.

Personal Development Experience

Students develop their skills as a leader and team player by working with peers in a developmental environment. Through a series of exercises, they embrace new challenges that lead to real personal growth, as they learn from constructive feedback provided by practitioners, academics and fellow students.

Students apply their MBA learning to a range of projects, enabling them to investigate and make an original contribution to issues of current concern to business.

Boardroom Challenge

Students leverage their new knowledge and leadership skills from the Business Analysis for Decision-Making module and take this opportunity to start to think like a director.

They gain an understanding of what it means to present a thorough business case to corporate executives. It’s more than education and training. It’s about developing the language, positioning, value and confidence that makes them ‘boardroom ready’.

Management Consultancy Project

Students work with a live client on a team-based consultancy project to address a current business issue.

Individual Project

Students apply their learning to a corporate consultancy project, an entrepreneurial business plan or a research project.

Year-long development

Year-long development

Year-long development

Year-long development

Transforming their business thinking

Running throughout the year, this module focuses on providing experiential learning that builds on their consulting skills, integrates their knowledge, develops their self-awareness, and enhances their personal management style.

They study:

• Personal and Professional Transformation

Throughout the programme, business professionals are invited to contribute to the teaching and learning experience. Students are invited to attend industry-led events and participate in intensive leadership and personal development challenges.

Access our MBA talent

Every year, our influential MBA students make a significant contribution to business regionally, nationally and internationally. Our MBA programme combines world-leading research with experiential learning, enabling our MBA students to make an immediate contribution to your business or organisation during their programme or following graduation.

We have a variety of knowledge exchange activities for businesses and individuals to take advantage of that will:

• establish a working relationship with our Business School

• give you exposure as a potential employer to our MBA cohort

• increase your capacity to improve your core business or pursue a new initiative through consultancy.

Recruit our MBAs

Regular engagement with our MBA students offers you and your organisation insight into the talent our MBA programme develops. We provide our students with a programme of self-discovery that complements their in-depth industry experience, develops enhanced leadership skills and blends their academic experience with cutting-edge knowledge. It is this combination that will give your organisation the edge.

Internships

Offering an MBA internship is a great and costeffective way to increase your resource. Our MBA students have substantial work and multicultural experience, which can add value to your organisation. Gaining UK business experience is important to our MBAs and through an internship, they can do this, while providing your organisation with fresh insight on a one-off project or issue relevant to your organisation.

Consultancy projects

Each year, our students work on real-time consultancy projects to investigate strategic business challenges. You can benefit from:

• a flexible resource with the option to work with either a management consultancy team or an individual selected through a competitive process

• research-led solutions and recommendations

• fresh insight, dynamism and knowledge

There are two opportunities to utilise our consultancy offer: a team-based Management Consultancy Project, where you will be allocated a team to work with, or an individual Corporate Consultancy Project where you will choose who you want to work with from our MBA cohort. Briefings commence in January each year with project delivery and recommendations varying depending on the option you choose.

Get in touch

If you would like to recruit one of our MBA students for your organisation, or you would like to be involved in any of the opportunities outlined, please contact our experienced team via external.engagement@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Accomplished Chief Operations Officer at an international plastic recycling company, where key achievements have included significant increased production output and reduced shipping costs. With a background in computer science and Google certifications in customer analytics and project management, aspiring to excel in leadership roles within the energy sector.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

2010–2014 COVENANT UNIVERSITY, Ota, Nigeria

FT Bachelor of Computer Science

• Member of several clubs: Basketball, Nigeria Association of computer science students covenant university chapter

• Awarded: Oracle Java applications programming award

• Awarded: Certificate of leadership diploma

Experience

2019–2023

2021–2023 RECYCLAN GLOBAL SERVICES LIMITED, Lagos, Nigeria

(Plastic recycling company with operations in eight African countries.)

Chief Operations Officer

Led operations synergy with the British Department for International Trade which fostered business relationships with British companies and resulted in a 5% increase in revenue.

• Improved trading operations export numbers by 260% within three years.

• Restructured export and shipping department to accommodate 50% growth.

• Improved sales and revenue growth by 200% from 2021 to 2022.

• Developed and increased B2B channel sales of post-consumer plastic waste by 20% quarterly.

• Managed ethical sourcing of post-consumer plastic waste from accredited vendors.

2019–2021 Head of Operations

Led the expansion of business operations to eight African countries in two years. Provided senior level direction and oversight for procurement programmes. Successfully initiated and supervised recycling production services in Ghana and Cameroon which increased revenue by 10%.

• Secured 40% freight reduction for exportation of recycled plastic waste.

• Implemented lean operational strategies reducing workforce by 20% and improving revenue by 15% monthly.

• Developed and implemented quarterly impact assessment and sustainability report.

2018–2019 SEDIC TRADE Co, Lagos, Nigeria (Logistics and haulage company.)

Operations Lead

• Implemented strategies to curb diesel theft by 40%.

• Managed and oversaw a fleet of 20 vehicles.

Nurtured ongoing relationships with vendors and worked to minimise issues.

Additional Skills

Languages

IT Skills

Interests Other Yoruba (conversational).

Sustainability reporting frameworks: SASB, TCFD, GRI. Skiing (two years – Level 4), member of the athletics team of the NYSC Lagos chapter. Breast cancer awareness campaign; Landmark beach clean-up – plastic recycling campaign and awareness; Rolan Foundation NGO entrepreneurship training to Rolan Youth4SDGs Ambassadors; Customer Analytics certification (2023); Foundation of project management certification (2023).

Alok BALSEKAR

a.balsekar2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

An intuitive and focused IT professional with close to two decades of experience dealing with international clients in IT service delivery, digital transformation, release management, database administration, MS Dynamics 365 Solutions and customer service in various sectors – logistics, airlines, eCommerce, charities, premium beverages, crop sciences, telecom and pharma. Possesses strong communication and interpersonal abilities and a people-first attitude, with an aim to mentor, advance and achieve with colleagues.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship

1998–2002 MUMBAI UNIVERSITY, Mumbai, India

FT Bachelor of Engineering (Computer)

Experience

2014–2022 CAPGEMINI TECHNOLOGY SERVICES INDIA, Berlin, Germany / Mumbai, India

Senior Technical Consultant

• Worked with various UK clients including Royal Mail, London Heathrow Airports and Bayer, among others, as well as other high-profile clients from Italy, Germany, North America and Australia.

• Responsible for release management of the implemented software solution (Berlin, Germany).

• Successfully drove to completion a stalled digital transformation project resulting in the expansion of the contract and winning additional business across other markets.

• Mentored inexperienced staff thereby increasing the skill profile and productivity of the team.

• Successfully liaised between business process owners and the technical implementation team leading to the enhancement of the solution.

Created standard operating processes for streamlining operations.

2014–2014 SVC BANK, Mumbai, India

IT Officer – Database Administration

• Successfully implemented the consolidation of the bank’s distributed databases thereby increasing efficiency and security.

• Created and implemented the Best Practices handbook for Database Maintenance and Disaster Recovery Processes.

• Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the core banking solution.

2012–2013 CLOVER INFOTECH PVT LTD, Mumbai, India

Technical Associate – Database Administrator

• First responder for database-related outages at client sites.

• Primary liaison for the bank’s support software databases.

2006–2009 STREAM GLOBAL SERVICES, Mumbai, India

Team Manager – Operations

First manager to be entrusted with a challenging new market within North America.

• Oversaw the expansion of the team from 13 to 29 line reports.

2003–2006 VARIOUS FIRMS, Mumbai, India

Customer Service Agent

• Successfully resolved incoming customer queries.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests Hindi. MS Dynamics 365, MS SQL Server Database Administration, Jira. Classic motorcycle restoration and racing.

Phitchakorn BURANAVORASIL

p.buranavorasil2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Fascinated by business development and management and adept in project management and an experienced project manager and sales engineer. Possesses strong analytical, communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills with never-give-up and optimistic mindsets acquired via valuable work experiences. Looking forward to solving new challenging business projects.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2015–2019 KASETSART UNIVERSITY, Bangkok, Thailand FT Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering (International Undergraduate Programme.)

Experience

2021–2023 CPF THAILAND PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED, Bangkok, Thailand (Thailand’s number one leading company in agricultural and food industry and top 10 of Asia.) Project Manager

• Managed CPF’s Western Swine Business for Sustainability throughout their supply chain optimisation (21 farms, five factories and three sales channels) in terms of financial performance, operational processes and strategy, and sales strategy and performance.

• Developed sales strategies and action plans with the team to achieve sales target and market share growth, resulting in increased sales from £47M to £85M.

• Led factory capacity expansion project increasing capacity by 100% (construction, production and facilities).

• Led machine product quality improvement project resulting in a 30% reduction in complaints regarding machine operation.

• Managed farms for the provision of pigs to factory ensuring alignment to stock management regarding customer needs, logistic quality for products and cost control.

2021–2021 CSPM THAILAND LIMITED, Bangkok, Thailand (Thailand’s leading facilities system of data centre provider company.) Project Engineer

• Completed three installation projects of facilities system in data centre room (one air-conditioning system project and two fire suppression system projects).

• Ensured that the project implementation was in accordance with schedules, budget, contract specification, approval plans, specification and scope of work (on-site project management and control).

2019–2020 ANDEN CORPORATION COMPANY LIMITED, Bangkok, Thailand Sales Engineer

• Achieved sales targets of 20% from £337K to £404K through my sales expertise and communication skills.

• Sold facilities system of data centre room such as air-conditioning system, fire protection system, battery, battery monitoring system, CCTV system, access control system and uninterruptible-power supply system.

• Successfully increased sales from existing customers by 50%, this was achieved by maintaining a good relationship with existing customers and by always solving problems as quickly as possible.

• Doubled company customer portfolio, increasing from 28 to 58 clients by implementing personalised product/service proposals and streamlining the sales process.

• Directed and strategised pork products management across the company’s supply chain, aiming to fulfil customer demand in a specific region, ensured product quality and aligned production costs with the company’s financial targets.

Additional Skills

Languages

IT Skills

Interests

Other Thai (native), Laos (intermediate).

Microsoft Excel (strong), Microsoft Project, Power BI, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, C+, Python. Teaching English, mathematics and physics, football, gym, swimming, flute, bass, pong lang. Alms House and Afforest Volunteer, License for Professional Practice (Associate Mechanical Engineer), International Students Coordinator at Kasetsart University, Awarded Engineering E-Sport Player Champion (ROV).

Anusha CHANDRASEKARAN

a.chandrasekaran2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

An adept and enthusiastic professional with over three years of experience working directly with the co-founders in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. Expertise in executing strategic programmes and building products to aid business expansion and profitability. Experienced with handling customers across the globe, working with multifunctional teams, closing an enormous number of deals, and growing market share.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2015–2019 ALAGAPPA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, ANNA UNIVERSITY, Chennai, India

FT Bachelor of Technology Industrial Biotechnology

• Placement and class representative of the 2019 Biotechnology Batch

• Awarded both merit-based scholarships and national-level-funded summer research fellowships

Experience

2020–2023

2021–2023

FLEXIPLE, Bengaluru, India

(Flexiple helps companies build tech products by finding the appropriate freelance talent.) Head of Marketplace

• Acted as the principle point of contact for fulfilling client requirements and converted 30 deals amounting to approximately $1.15M in 10 months, boosting the company’s month-on-month revenue by 25%.

• Managed a team of three community managers to grow the community by ~15 onboards/week, analysed community responses and guided the team with strategies to improve efficiency.

• Devised strategies to streamline the fulfilment workflow and reduced the conversion time by 40%.

• Led the end-to-end product life cycle of Flexiple’s recommendation engine (V1) used to shortlist the right talent from the database, enabling the fulfilment team to save time by more than 40%.

• Built the minimum viable product of a resume calculator on Google Sheets to analyse the quality of the details added, defined the product features, and scaled the scoring logic for the resume product. Worked with senior leadership to design the internal management tool tailored to suit varied use cases, monitored performance, and course-corrected the system, saving more than one hour per day, per person on data updating.

Designed an automated report generation module and lead tracking system to track talent onboarding to the community.

2020–2021 Sales Manager

• Promoted the brand and onboarded freelance talent to the community via LinkedIn outreach; overachieved targets week over week by 40–50%.

• Analysed past data and devised pitching strategies, tracked the effort using quantifiable metrics and drove the initiatives to success, achieving a 25% increase in the monthly onboarding rate. Drafted an email playbook with templates for cold outreach using proven ways to increase the response rate and helped the team save more than 20% of the time spent on cold leads.

• Teamed up with the COO to define and execute strategies to regulate supply and demand dynamics to boost long-term business success, and improve customer satisfaction and retention.

• Worked with the CTO to automate a technical interview scheduling process and upscaled it from two slots a week to more than 15 slots a week.

Additional

Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests Other Tamil (native), Telugu (fluent), Hindi (conversational).

Zoho CRM, Airtable CRM, Zapier, YAMM, Mail Merge, Vocus, Bubble.io, Phantom buster, Apollo. Fashion designing – beginner, photography, content creation and personal blogging. Worked as a National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteer from 2015 to 2016.

yuyao.chu@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Over 10 years’ sales management experience in online advertising. An accomplished sales leader with a track record of surpassing targets, fostering efficient teams and driving diversified company growth. Proven expertise in strategy, key account management and culture development. Eager to evolve into a successful global industry leader by embracing diverse career challenges and learning opportunities.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2014–2019 TIANJIN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, Tianjin, China

Bachelor of Management in Project Management

2018–2019 PEKING UNIVERSITY, School of International Studies, Beijing, China

Certificate Program in International Organization and International Public Administration

Experience

2019–2023 BEIJING LRAD TECHNOLOGY, Beijing, China

General Sales Manager

• Developed and implemented a sales strategy aligned with the corporate strategy and achieved annual sales targets in the region.

Formulated an overarching development strategy which included exploring new ventures to foster diversified and sustainable company growth, resulting in a yearly 5–10% increase in revenue.

• Built efficient sales teams and a customer services department to establish a new service architecture to comply with the standards specified in the integrated management system (IMS) and to meet required customer standards.

• Oversaw employee management, training, career development and the growth of corporate culture.

• Assisted and supervised the financial department and legal departments in managing risk control.

2008–2019

2018–2019 ZIBOLAN NETWORK TECHNOLOGY, Beijing, China

National Sales Director and Deputy General Sales Manager in North China

• Formulated the annual sales target, developed and implemented sales strategies, and led the sales team in achieving the annual sales target, generating incremental revenue in the region.

Developed the company’s growth strategy, explored new opportunities, continuously monitored market trends, strengthened the competitive position of the company in the industry.

Developed and maintained sound business relationships with major customers and improved customer satisfaction via coordinated customer care functions across all regions.

• Established and maintained good relationships with key media partners, such as Baidu, Sogou, Ali.

• Oversaw employee management, training and career development, and built up the corporate culture.

2014–2018 Key Account Sales Director

• Set annual sales targets and made monthly, quarterly, annual and other incentive policies for the sales team; achieved business revenue goals by using a disciplined sales process of account planning, funnel management, forecast accuracy and key opportunity tracking.

• Collaboratively executed the corporate strategy and built a streamlined sales team of 30–40. Won the Best Team Award for two consecutive years, and also Best Zibolan Person award (the highest honour award of the company).

2011–2014 Sales Manager

• Led the team to complete the company’s annual, quarterly and monthly targets.

• Collaboratively executed corporate strategy, built a streamlined sales team of 8–12 members.

• Developed and maintained long-term key account customer relationships through identifying and capitalising on opportunities that immediately satisfy customer needs. Won the Best Team Award and Best Management Award.

2008–2011 Sales Representative

• Developed new customers and created demand of products and services for targeted customers.

• Achieved annual sales target and became the sales champion for two consecutive years.

Additional Skills

Languages Interests Chinese (native). Travelling, tennis, movies, hiking, fitness.

Cristobal CORREA MELENDEZ c.correa-melendez2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

An enthusiastic and dedicated industrial engineer with more than seven years of professional experience in the evaluation of projects and management control in port operating, industrial and investment companies. Demonstrable expertise in managerial accounting, financial planning, budgetary planning and control, financial investments and wealth management. Proven analytical leadership and teamwork skills. Able to proactively manage multiple active projects within short deadlines. Seeking to continue developing a career in finance, investments and business management.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2019–2020 UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE, Santiago, Chile

PT Diploma, Investments and Financial Markets

2010–2015 UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL NORTE, Antofagasta, Chile

FT Bachelor of Science Industrial Engineering Degree

• President of the Industrial Engineering Students’ Union

• Undergraduate teaching assistant at the course Applied Statistics

Experience

2019–2023 INVERSIONES VOLCAN CHOSHUENCO SA, Santiago, Chile

(Family Office of the von Appen Lahres family, one of the wealthiest in Chile.)

Head of Projects

• Management of financial portfolios and decision-making aligned with the search for profitability within the defined risk and asset allocation parameters. In charge of commercial and operational relationships with some of the most important banks in the country and the world (AUM$200M USD).

• Elaboration and monitoring of annual budgets for different business units, such as a 62.000 DWT bulk ship, a small forest company, and a vineyard, among others.

• Financial management (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) of the businesses controlled by the Family Office.

• Responsible for reporting all the above to the company board via monthly meetings.

2020–2022 UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA DEL NORTE, Antofagasta and Coquimbo, Chile

Adjunct Lecturer

Designed, planned, and taught Applied Management Control, a professional course for students of the Antofagasta Department of Industrial Engineering and the Coquimbo School of Engineering.

2018–2019 ULTRAPORT, Valparaiso, Chile

Head of Projects

• Planned, modelled and conducted technical/economic evaluation of service bids for nationwide business units.

• Preparation, monitoring and control of the annual budget of the company’s commercial management.

• Implementation of new reports and commercial presentations.

• Responsible for leading the processes of certification, or re-certification, of the business units in the different existing platforms and suppliers’ qualification systems that exist.

2016–2018 ULTRAPORT, Antofagasta, Chile

Project and Development Engineer

• Prepared, controlled, and monitored the annual budgets of each business unit of the branches located in the north region of Chile (from the XV to the III Region).

• Led bidding processes and quotations, coordinated the different functional areas of the company, and supported business units in the generation of new business proposals.

• Provided technical and economic evaluation and modelling of new projects in regional branches; generated proposals for new services, both to current and potential customers.

Macros,

Planning and Consolidation (BPC), Power BI, QlikView, Minitab, Arena Simulation. Playing and watching football, travelling, listening to music, hanging out with family and friends.

Career Profile

An experienced auditor with six years’ experience. Knowledgeable in accounting, finance, operations auditing, audit planning, reporting and procedures and project management. Proven ability in helping to improve internal controls and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements, excellent adaptability and communication skills, including high-level management.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2013–2017 ATMA JAYA CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA, Jakarta, Indonesia

FT Bachelor of Economy, Accounting

Experience

2021–2023

MANDIRI CAPITAL INDONESIA, Jakarta, Indonesia

Internal Audit Manager

• Managed the internal audit department. Presented the findings, improvements and mitigation strategies directly to C-level management to strengthen business processes and internal controls.

• Constructed the audit modelling, planning and execution related to internal audits within deadlines for numerous business processes, such as investments, compliance, HR and risk management.

• Established and developed detailed and comprehensive standard audit procedures based on the best practice audit implementation to reduce internal control ineffectiveness.

• Evaluated internal controls and identified control deficiencies in business processes and procedures through in-depth research and assessment.

• Built and maintained strong working relationships with all levels of management and across departments by showcasing excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

2017–2021

2019–2021 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, Jakarta, Indonesia

Senior Associate

• Led a team of three for a venture capital company client, organising the planning, selecting staff, assigning workloads and involved in day-to-day operations during the audit engagement. Reviewed audit documentation to achieve an accurate and clear understanding of the audit findings and built strong relationships with clients.

• Determined potential risks and evaluated internal controls to help clients reduce deficiencies in business processes for financial institutions such as insurance, credit guarantee and corporate venture capital companies.

• Communicated the audit findings and recommendations to management and stakeholders through comprehensive reports in a clear manner.

• Evaluated compliance with applicable standards and regulations while maintaining quality control through extensive audit documentation and review.

2017–2019 Associate

• Reconciled and analysed clients’ accounts accurately to eliminate discrepancies by reviewing balance sheets and income statements for proper bookkeeping assurance and proposed correcting entries.

• Conducted walkthroughs with clients for an extensive understanding of the business processes.

• Assisted multiple senior auditors with various assignments on executing audit procedures.

2017–2017 Vocational Employee

Reviewed documentary evidence of the company transactions to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

• Developed an understanding of the company’s business process through audit procedures.

m.c.p.dayalan2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Experienced marketing and communications specialist. Eager to branch out into management consulting and business development using the principles of marketing and experience gathered over years of working in thriving business environments. Devoted to working with highly reliable teams with strategic insights and impactful projects to enable exceptional business growth and results.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

2012–2015 MOP VAISHNAV COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, Madras University, Chennai, India

FT Bachelor of Science Electronic Media

Experience

2021–2023 JOY TECHNOLOGIES, Chennai, India

(One of the fastest-growing Marketing-as-a-Service companies from India.)

Branding and Communications Specialist

• Contributed to various aspects of branding including visual guide creation, setting the marketing and communication tone, brand positioning of all the subsidiaries like LinkDoctor, ContentMarketing.io, Appoiments.co.

• Responsible for the outreach communication used to acquire new clients through email marketing, performance and branding channels.

• Responsible for generating 1000+ sales qualified leads through multi-channel marketing campaigns.

2019–2021 OMINIA DIGITAL, Chennai, India

2016–2018

(360-degree digital marketing agency aimed at servicing brands across varied niches.)

Head of Creative Operations and Client Service

• Led a team of creative talent roles including designers, copywriters, social media executives and interns to ensure smooth creative operations.

• Devised core digital marketing strategies for all clients across various industries and niches.

• Responsible for all the client deliverables and liaison between the internal team and clients.

2017–2018 FULLY FILMY, Chennai, India

(First south-Indian film merchandise brand with a popular YouTube channel.)

Head of Operations – YouTube division

Content ideation and implementation of all videos planned by the team for the YouTube channel. Responsible for end-to-end operations of the YouTube channel which included a video achieving one million views in two days.

2016–2017 Social Media Analyst – Retail division

• Ideated all marketing campaigns to drive online and store sales that led to exponential business growth.

• Wrote copy and worked closely with designers to execute proposed ideas and campaigns.

2015–2016 BEHINDWOODS, Chennai, India

(The most popular online media group in India.)

Junior Sub Editor – Film News

• Wrote news stories, mainly focused on the entertainment industry.

• Active film critic with extensive portfolio of film appreciation and celebrity interview pieces.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills

Tamil (native), Kannada (fluent), Hindi (conversational).

All social media tools and analytical dashboards.

Interests

Other

Professionally trained Indian classical dancer, film critic, writer, cook. TKT certificate holder for Young Learners, from Cambridge Assessment – English. Meera Chithirappaavai DAYALAN

Career Profile

An MBA candidate with six years of professional experience particularly in business development, marketing and client handling. Proven record of organisational skills as an ex-production officer with excellent leadership and management abilities. Ambitious and creative individual with excellent communication skills, ready for challenging environments. Brings positive change in the society and works for sustainable goals.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Award

2013–2017 TEZPUR CENTRAL UNIVERSITY, Tezpur, India

FT Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering

Experience

2019–Present

(A wedding film-making and photography firm.)

Co-founder/Business Owner

• Responsible for the development, marketing and operations of the entire business across north east of India and covered 350+ projects in over four years.

• Implemented a series of marketing strategies: search engine optimisation (SEO), print media marketing, digital marketing, D2D marketing which increased sales from £18,000 (FY 19–20) to £50,000 (FY 22–23) with a profit margin of 55% (FY 22–23). In addition, designed several brochures, posters and flyers.

• Addressed customer queries, consulted, organised meetings with clients, prepared quotations, and delivered presentations.

• Collaborated with B2B vendors and platforms like Justdial to generate client leads. Efficient use of Excel for systematic work scheduling, forecasting of sales and marketing strategies, including client service, expenses and P&L in the database.

• Oversaw the selection of vendors, fixing quality standards for all the products and services.

• Distributed work force according to the booked schedule and required service and managed five teams simultaneously on different wedding projects.

Continuously motivated the entire workforce to provide better service to the clients and occasionally conducted leisure tours and office parties to boost morale.

2017–2018 BERGER PAINTS INDIA LIMITED, Assam, India

Production Engineer

• Shift supervisor in the filling section of the solvent base plant, responsible for production planning and control, increasing total production volume from 100KL to 500KL in just 12 months.

• Planned with the immediate superior for achieving daily production targets. Distributed labour in all the machine lines as per stock keeping unit (SKUs). Implemented a series of Good Manufacturing Practices like 5s, KAIZENS, POKE YOKE, OPL etc in the shop floor.

Maintained log sheet, documentation of reports for analysis and circulated daily production report to the entire departments.

• Handled ORACLE ERP application for batch creation and closing, planning of raw materials and packaging materials through the system.

• Facilitated training and motivational sessions for a workforce of 15. Responsible for fire and overall safety inside the shop floor.

• Implemented and provided training on WMS (Warehouse Management System) within six months.

• Followed up with the quality department for releasing of batches. Corrected a total of 12 failed batches with the manufacturing officer.

• Attended minor breakdowns for the three automated machine lines and informed the maintenance department in case of a major breakdown.

Career Profile

Performance-oriented digital sales leader offering an exceptional record of achievement over a four-year career. Tenacious manager with a strategic and analytical approach to solving problems, bringing in customers and accomplishing profit targets. Talented in identifying and capitalising on emerging market trends to provide affordable financial services.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Responsible Impact Scholarship (full fee)

2016–2019 UNIVERSIDAD DEL PACIFICO, Lima, Peru

FT Bachelor of Business Administration with honours

• Awarded: Scotiabank Digital Innovation Scholarship (full fee)

Experience

2023–2023 COMPARTAMOS FINANCIERA, Lima, Peru (Largest microfinance institution in Peru.)

Growth Product Owner

• Collaborated closely with cross-functional teams (eg big data specialists, business designers, marketers and quality assurance) to ensure digital channels met customer needs and were delivered on time and within budget.

• Led a team of front end developers, UX designers and digital marketing specialists to execute the product backlog of two financial products: digital savings account and digital micro-credits for small entrepreneurs.

• Coordinated A/B testing for consistent improvement of conversion rate in acquisition channels (eg social media, landing pages and the Compartamos Financiera Official app).

• Responsible for ideation and prototyping to validate new business ideas through experimental design.

• Opened 2.5K digital bank accounts and raised £210K in savings, exceeding the quarter goal by 25%.

2021–2023 INTERBANK, Lima, Peru

(Second largest bank in Peru.)

Growth Lead

• Exceeded sales goals by 35% (£2.1M) and increased profitability through effective sales strategy and business planning.

• Increased profits by 15% through excellent customer service and personalised buyer experience.

• Encouraged cross-selling of additional insurance products through inbound marketing techniques and acquired an understanding of customer business needs.

• Led a team of UX designers and full-stack developers to increase the conversion rate of critical steps of the digital purchasing process.

Investigated and integrated new strategies to expand business operations and grow customer base.

2020–2021 RIMAC INSURANCE COMPANY, Lima, Peru

(Largest insurance company in Peru.)

Growth Analyst

• Responsible for improving the company’s market expansion by 10% by analysing performance and goals, experimenting with digital strategies, testing outcomes and analysing data.

• Worked with AI and Analytics to design an affordable car targeting the low-income market, resulting in 4.5K insured clients.

• Attracted 35K new clients by creating and implementing innovative marketing strategies.

• Identified appropriate marketing channels and targeted customers for campaigns.

Created customised marketing ads to increase product awareness. As a result, the conversion rate of social media campaigns rose from 0.9% to 1.7%.

Oracle Applications, Adobe- Lr, Ps and Pr. Photography, music, cooking, travelling, hiking. Investor in the Indian and US Stock market since 2020. Also kick-started a tour operating company named OGHOORY which specialises in providing raw and nomadic experience to travellers in the north east of India.

SCATTERED ART STUDIOS (SAS), Guwahati, India
Hindi (fluent), Assamese (native), Bengali (conversational).

Career Profile

Resilient and passionate professional with a strong work ethic, analytical acumen, problem-solving and excellent interpersonal skills. Experienced in events, design and creative management, open to diverse fields where these strengths can thrive. Particularly inclined towards roles that resonate with my goal of creating a positive impact on the world.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2020–2021 MUDRA INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATIONS, Ahmedabad, India

Post Graduate Certificate in Managing Brands and Marketing Communications

2010–2013 UNIVERSITY OF DELHI, New Delhi, India

BSc Life Science

Experience

2021–2023 GEMS FROM JAIPUR, Jaipur, India

Director Production/Founder

• Directed jewellery production operations resulting in streamlined processes and high-quality output.

• Managed the manufacturing facility maintaining operational efficiency.

• Facilitated cross-departmental collaboration, promoting seamless communication between sales, design, production and vendors.

Supervised procurement of gold and precious stones for production.

Successfully boosted client acquisition by formulating the brand identity and a social media marketing strategy for the company.

• Monitored and ensured quality standards were met through supervision of final product assessments.

2019–2023 MELA by Surabhi Bhowmick, Jaipur, India

Assistant Director and Project Manager

• Conceptualised the design and visualisation of each event using a sustainable approach.

• Responsible for understanding client requirements, budgets, developing designs tailored to the client’s specifications.

• Defined budgets to meet client needs and timelines to improve workflow.

Sourced fabric, props and/or any material required through thorough market research. Pre-production designing and sampling of customised props, structures and installations. Reviewing on-site layouts and aesthetics.

• Coordination between clients, vendors, production and event management teams to ensure successful execution of the project.

• Managed social media and PR content creation and posting for Mela.

2015–2019 SEHER, New Delhi, India

Senior Project Manager

Orchestrated nationwide projects through strategic planning, line-up curation and execution.

• Led client servicing responsibilities, fostering effective communication and strategic project development.

Prepared and implemented quality assurance measures to ensure smooth operations. Managed artist hospitality and technical requirements for a performance including backline, logistics, payments, sound check schedules, interviews, for seamless performance experience and event success.

• Developed proposals with creative concepts and budgets for sponsors, established key associations with embassies and corporates for impactful sponsorships and partnerships.

• Oversaw digital and print media communications and designed strategies for marketing and PR.

• Defined timelines, priorities and revenue target for each project, optimising project management.

• Coordinated between vendors, artists and client, adhering to all technical requirements to execute the event to the finish ensuring meticulous adherence to requirements leading to event success.

• Successfully closed events, providing project stakeholders with thorough success reports.

Additional Skills Languages

(native).

Career Profile

Experienced professional with cross-functional background spanning general management, commercial excellence, supply chain and sales. Proficient in managing P&L, project management, customer marketing, and demand and supply planning. Open to both planning and operational management roles to leverage experience and skills.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Sustainable Leadership Scholarship

2018–2022 CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTS, UK

Professional Degree of Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)

2002–2006 INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY, Bangladesh FT Bachelor of Business Administration

Experience

2020–2023 GSK BANGLADESH PRIVATE LIMITED (subsidiary of Haleon plc), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Country Manager

• Responsible for managing the business ensuring revenue growth, cost optimisation, investing in brand and fostering a culture of excellence with the team. Between 2020 and 2022 achieved an impressive, above industry, CAGR both for revenue and operating profit.

• Collaborated with internal and external stakeholders to translate global strategy into local needs, navigated compliance and regulation requirements, ensured corporate governance and risk management.

• Managed brand divestment and demerger activities and implemented an anti-counterfeiting strategy, which not only safeguarded consumer safety but also fuelled the brand’s growth. Continuously assessed the market landscape and feasibility of introducing a new product and category. In 2020, successfully introduced a food category which became 9% of total turnover by 2022. Generated annual budget in line with regional business goals. Responsible for presenting performance reports and improvement plan to the regional leadership team.

Represented Haleon plc in Bangladesh. Engaged with trade associations, government departments and community stakeholders to uphold company vision and mutual interest.

2013–2020 2019–2020 GLAXOSMITHKLINE BANGLADESH LIMITED (Subsidiary of GSK plc), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Commercial Excellence Manager

• Responsible for developing and implementing a strategy across the GTM channel in line with the principles of managing trade spending effectively and efficiently to improve net revenue.

• Implemented consumer-facing trade marketing policy in general trade and an effective Path to Purchase in modern trade and eCommerce channel.

2016–2018 Demand and Supply Planner

• Responsible for overall process and governance landscape of the sales and operational planning cycle of Bangladesh.

• Managed multiple KPIs including forecast accuracy and bias, inventory optimisation and service level.

2013–2016 Regional Manager

• Responsible for regional revenue and profitability. Planned and implemented Go-to-Market strategy for the brand Horlicks in the rural markets of Bangladesh.

2007–2013 RECKITT BENCKISER BANGLADESH LIMITED (subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser Group plc), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Regional Sales Manager (last held position)

Worked in multiple implementation and leadership roles in sales and trade marketing.

s.jain7@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

A highly astute and dedicated person who keeps a keen interest in her work, possessing skills and capabilities concerned with SAP Finance and GRC along with other such analytical processes with an efficient work performance aptitude.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

• Appointed: Startup Ambassador with the NCL Startup Team

2015–2018 DELHI COLLEGE OF ARTS AND COMMERCE, DELHI UNIVERSITY, New Delhi, India

FT Bachelor of Science Mass Communication

Experience

2022–2023 DELOITTE USI, Bengaluru, India Consultant

Worked in Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory with SAP-GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) consultancy as the sub-market offering.

• Assisted the audit team with understanding complex ERP systems and specific industry processes to quickly identify key controls and where risks are most likely to exist.

• Trained in business requirements gathering workshops, Blueprint documentation, process design and mapping to SAP.

• Assisted in mapping key business processes to SAP and its smooth implementation.

2021–2022 MARKETXLS, Galway, Republic of Ireland

Freelance Writer

Authored articles after analysing Microsoft Excel-based extensions, templates and functions developed to simplify the process of investing and portfolio management for clients.

2018–2021 KPMG INDIA, Gurgaon, India

Associate Consultant

• Worked as a SAP consultant for the finance module with a thorough understanding of the ERP processes related to finance for various clients from different sectors.

• Assisted the audit team with understanding complex ERP systems and specific industry processes to quickly identify key controls and where risks are most likely to exist.

• Adhered to system consistencies and compliance with a set code of conduct defined for SAP users.

Performed end-to-end implementation of SAP – FI (Finance) module. Designed complex scenarios related to Indian Taxation structure, withholding tax setup, procurement to pay cycle, asset accounting, bank reconciliation and financial reporting in the system.

• Documented the planning and consolidation process for the firm as per the industry’s best practices.

• Project-managed operations for multiple clients. Responsible for timely delivery, quality assurance and business process restructuring.

• Worked on SAP support projects as a finance specialist and executed gap analysis to enhance the current procedures and automate the same with the help of custom programs that led to increased efficiency through an in-depth ERP system study. Assisted in deploying corrective measures, system improvisations and business strategies.

• Developed complex reports adhering to integration between finance and procurement to accumulate data and modulate it for easy user access.

• Implemented roll-out of projects.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests Hindi (native). SAP FI (ECC and S4HANA). Reading, crochet.

Aryan KAUSHAL a.kaushal2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Environmental sustainability enthusiast and a passionate hospitality professional with five years’ experience in delivering exceptional customer service. Adept in financial and operations management, with proven record of creating opportunities to maximise growth and achieving excellence in a fast-paced work environment.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

2021–2022 GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, Toronto, Canada

FT PG Certificate Advanced Wine and Beverage Business Management (Dean’s Honour List)

2017–2019 GLION INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Montreux, Switzerland

FT MSc in International Hotel Management

2014–2017 INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY (IGNOU), New Delhi, India

FT BA Tourism Studies (First Division)

Experience

2022–2022 MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Sharjah, UAE Outlet Manager

• Planned, monitored and controlled everyday operations for multiple restaurants along with a team of 20+.

• Responsible for monthly budget forecast for the restaurants and critiquing against actuals.

• In collaboration with the Director of Culinary, achieved an increase in guest satisfaction score by 20% and revenue by 10% against forecast.

• As a certified departmental trainer, led training and development sessions for over 40 team members.

2021–2022 THE DISTILLERY RESTAURANTS CORP, Toronto, Canada

Restaurant Manager

Responsible for supervising daily restaurant and café operations, alongside a dynamic team of 40, ensuring a guest satisfaction score of 4.4/5.

• Developed a successful cross-functional training programme for the team, increasing growth potential and efficiency.

• Co-led the implementation of the new beverage programme along with the Director of Operations, increasing sales by 10%.

2019–2020 MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Sharjah, UAE

Food and Beverage Operations Supervisor

• Oversaw the functioning of six outlets and banquet operations, achieved a guest satisfaction score of 90+. Supervised a passionate team of 50, along with collaborating with the Food and Beverage Manager to undertake departmental administrative responsibilities.

• Accomplished the target score of 90+, in the Brand Standard Audit as part of a dedicated team.

2018–2019 MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, Dubai, UAE

Food and Beverage Voyager

• Collaborated with the UAE’s area team of Operational Innovation to drive result-oriented projects for three hotels, benefitting them in savings of at least US$20K.

• Led projects to streamline various processes in different departments of a hotel, resulting in improved guest experience and higher satisfaction score.

2014–2016 THE OBEROI HOTELS AND RESORTS, New Delhi, India

S.T.E.P. Associate (Systematic Training and Educational Programme.)

Additional Skills

IT Skills Interests Other

Opera PMS, Oracle, Salesforce, Medallia, MICROS, SAP systems for hotels, OpenTable, MS Office. Food, mixology, travelling, cricket, fitness, binge-watching sitcoms.

Lean Six Sigma Certified – Green Belt, WSET Level 2, Prud’homme Beer certification Level 2, Marriott International’s certifications – Voyage (Global Leadership Development Program) and Foundations of Leadership, e-Cornell certification (by Cornell University, USA).

Zaheen Nawaz KHONDKAR

zaheen.khondkar2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

A self-motivated leader who has worked in finance, sales and service for 12 years. Experienced in logistics, banking and fintech. Particularly knowledgeable with start-up companies and has a strong history of helping teams reach their goals and achieve respective targets.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

2008–2011 MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY, London, UK

FT BSc Mass Communication

Experience

2018–2023 PHONEPE INDIA PVT LTD, Kolkata, India

Regional Sales Manager

• Led sales team of 39 to 100% of their annual sales target in 11 months.

Successfully expanded the business from operating in two states to eight states.

• Retained existing customers and substantially grew customer base, product line and sales volume.

• Responsible for sales and operations of eight states (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal).

2017–2018 MOBIKWIK, Kolkata, India

Area Sales Manager

• Increased merchant onboarding by 15%.

• Implemented new staffing management strategies that reduced attrition rate by 5%.

Analysed sales to identify top-performing products and used information to launch new products.

2016–2017 FREECHARGE, Kolkata, India

Vertical Head

• Identified discrepancies in stocks through regular inventory management.

• Achieved 100% target of department objectives, monthly sales and procurement targets.

• Managed a team of 22 people to achieve sales target and ensured exceptional after sales service.

2015–2016 GROFERS INDIA PVT LTD, Kolkata, India

Senior Deputy Area Manager

• Dealt with day-to-day operational issues of four hubs across Kolkata.

• Generated ideas and concepts for marketing which led to cost-effective marketing schemes.

• Ensured on-time delivery of products ordered by customers.

2013–2015 HOMELAND AGRO, Kolkata, India

Product Manager

Managed business stocks, components and materials ensuring appropriate levels.

Coordinated external stores with the production team regarding requirement of products.

2011–2013 BANK OF BARODA, London, UK

Associate Reconciliation

• Treasury operation – handled reconciliation of inter-currency deals.

• Responsible for monitoring activity and reports of daily transactions and creating reports for auditors.

• Conducted investigation of breaks in cash account within bank.

Hindi (fluent), Bengali (native). Microsoft Office, KTP. Football, cricket, swimming.

Career Profile

Global professional with four years of managerial level experience in brand building, optimising operations flow, relationship management and supply chain coordination. Experience in leading and working with multicultural and diverse teams with a focus on increasing revenue, brand and product/service awareness, and customer satisfaction by optimising end-to-end organisational processes.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2018–2019 UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK, Coventry, UK

FT MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management

2016–2017 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, Texas, USA

FT MSc Industrial Engineering

2012–2016 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, Dubai, UAE

FT BSc Mechanical Engineering

Experience

2022–2023 BROWNSALT, Mumbai, India

(A luxury dessert and gifting-oriented cloud kitchen catering to corporate, occasion and festive events.)

Head of Growth and Supply Chain

• Designed a holistic brand strategy by reviewing historic data and analysing market trends which saw an instant increase in monthly revenue by 80% and customer repeat purchase rate of 70%.

• Managed a dispatch and logistics team of 10 to improve operational efficiency; improvement in dispatch outbound flow by over 98% and reduction in product wastage by 95% within three months.

• Negotiated financing and trade deals for product placement and international exports which doubled the availability of products and services throughout the country and two major international sectors in Asia.

• Led supply chain coordination from customer order creation to planning for order delivery.

2020–2022 BOMBAY HEMP COMPANY, Mumbai, India

(Pioneers of the medical and wellness hemp industry in India catering to niche products.)

Assistant Manager, Strategy and Business Development

• Optimised retail and distribution channels by partnering with trade stores and strategic distributors which led to an average increase in monthly sales of approximately £12,000.

• Led a team of three to oversee lead generation and database creation by analysing geographic data and customer trends leading to an increase in outbound calls and customer queries by over 85%.

• Researched and recommended changes in product design and packaging by evaluating existing issues and customer feedback which saw over 90% lower product damage issues within three months. Presented the founders with a monthly review of organisational progress by projecting key metrics, bottlenecks, customer issues and recommended solutions.

2019–2019 KUEHNE + NAGEL, Derby, UK

Customer Care and Operations Executive

• Researched and evaluated global and European custom laws to manage Brexit-related customs queries.

• Led a review of warehouse and inventory systems leading to operational changes to improve movement of goods and warehouse efficiency.

2016–2016 LUCY ELECTRIC, Dubai, UAE

Manufacturing Engineer

• Conducted a lean methodology analysis project by analysing the end-to-end production lead time and recommended an alternate process flow to lower the lead time and increase production rate.

Additional Skills

Career Profile

An accomplished automotive professional with over nine years’ experience in after-sales, service. Proven track record of increasing revenue through a customer-centric approach with a focus on elevating the satisfaction index, retention and overall brand recognition. Possesses both technical problem-solving skills and the acquired business acumen which allows for strategic organisational goals to always remain in focus.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

2009–2013 M S RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India FT Bachelor of Engineering – Mechanical

Experience

2020–2023

2021–2023

MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD (MSIL), Karnataka, India Regional Technical Manager

Responsible for resolving technical concerns of 24 vehicle models and 100 plus variants.

• Oversaw the analysis of various on-field vehicle control system data which provided key product feedback to the production team.

• Ensured zero defect in more than 130,000 new vehicles delivered to customers in a year by laying out stringent pre-delivery inspection processes at dealerships across the state.

• Ensured 100% training of dealer technical leaders (DTL) thus building their technical capabilities.

• Supported dealer profitability by ensuring zero warranty leakages through apt technical advice.

• Recognised twice nationally for case studies and for technical suggestions that helped reduce the cost burden on the organisation (approximately £3.5M).

2020–2021 Territory Service Manager

• Administered MSIL dealership operations and led the introduction of a digital initiative Smart Pick.

• Oversaw service operations of more than 200,000 vehicles a year while ensuring Maruti Suzuki service assurance standards were followed.

• Conducted frequent process reviews and capability building of role holders within dealer facilities which improved customer experience index (CEI) and consequently contributed to better CAPs (Customers as Promoters).

• Helped improve dealer revenue from £26.4M in FY19–20 to £30.1M in FY20–21 through a focused approach of enhancing the service load by 20%, plugging revenue leakages, better parts penetration, increasing per vehicle labour, reducing warranty rejection.

• Awarded star performer for my KPI performance in FY20–21.

• Role holder of key regional business drives such as free service retention, running repair to paid service conversions, hyperlocal marketing, extended warranty penetration.

2014–2020 MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD, India Area Manager

• Analysed market coverage and proposed a profitable channel expansion strategy which resulted in the opening of nine new workshops within the state of Karnataka.

• Worked with the spare parts team to ensure desired inventory levels and helped them with the parts ABC analysis.

• Received a national award for the successful launch and implementation of the Mega Service Camp.

• Recognised by the auto-sector president for improving turnaround time across bodyshop units in the state.

• Conducted model-specific service camps and helped dealers improve their customer retention from 57% to 64% (vehicle ownership within seven years).

Career Profile

Experienced Chartered Accountant (CPA) with a history of working in the audit assurance industry. Experience with International Accounting Standards, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), UK GAAP, US GAAP and SOX Audit. Strong accounting professional qualified from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and Hong Kong Institute of Certificated Public Accountants (HKICPA). Major audit engagement portfolio across retailing, trading, telecommunication, higher education and healthcare industries.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2014–2018 THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Hong Kong FT Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting and Management)

Experience

2022–2023 KPMG, London, England Audit Assurance Assistant Manager

• Led a team of over eight accountants across KPMG UK and KPMG Hong Kong offices under multi-firm engagement to perform a first-year engagement for a leading telecommunication company in the UK and Asia Pacific.

• Performed risk assessment on a brand-new client, and designed audit procedures and working papers to complete the first-year engagement while meeting the firm’s quality control standard.

• Conducted revenue business process audit for a public interest entity (PIE) retail company in the UK, as a first-year engagement auditor.

• Coached onshore junior team members and offshore staff in KPMG India to perform cash receipts to revenue predictive analysis for shop sales and subscription sales of £7BN across UK, US, France and Hong Kong operations.

Fostered an open, safe and inclusive environment within the multicultural team projects by promoting a ‘talk and listen’ culture during status update meetings as an engagement in charge through embracing collaboration.

• Awarded Audit Quality and Culture Awards (AQCA) as one of the 511 winners among KPMG UK as a recognition of team collaboration.

2018–2022

2020–2022 KPMG, Hong Kong Audit Assurance Assistant Manager

• Headed a team of over six accountants to carry out statutory audits, US GAAP and IFRS group reporting engagements for leading multinational markets, large-scale corporations and trading companies.

• Proactively created a digital dashboard, allocated tasks and managed work performance for team members. The project-lead time was reduced by 15% and audit efficiency improved.

Performed SOX 404 audit by discussing the scope, length, purchases and expected results of controls relevant to clients’ financial reporting processes with group and component auditors.

Assessed the reliability of clients’ internal control and accounting evidence through the adoption of financial and trend analysis to ensure effective compliance with the relevant accounting standards.

• Coordinated with both local and overseas clients, group auditors, component auditors, tax specialists and team members from the US, Amsterdam, Mainland China and Hong Kong in various languages to facilitate communications and liaison between parties. Awarded Core Bravo Award as a reward for the strong project management capabilities with extraordinary leadership and communication skills.

2018–2020 Audit Graduate Trainee

Performed substantive analytical procedures for revenue, expense, PPE, accruals and provisions, creditors, debtor’s recoverability and financial statement disclosures.

• Performed testing for design and implementation and operation effectiveness of internal control procedures.

Additional Skills

Malayalam (native), Kannada (native), Hindi (fluent). MS Office, Diagnostic tools (SDT – Suzuki, GTS – Toyota), Power BI. Playing cricket and badminton, reading, watching movies, stock market investments.

Career Profile

Education professional with nine years’ experience and a strong background in counselling programmes in education. Recognised for exemplary leadership and significant achievements in educational development. Proven ability to lead teams and spearhead professional development initiatives. Skilled in successfully navigating complex authorisation processes for educational programmes and fostering robust partnerships with universities.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2002–2006 FOREIGN LANGUAGE UNIVERSITY OF PLA, Henan, China FT Bachelor of Arts

Experience

2014–2023 ZIBO SHIYAN HIGH SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL DIVISION, Shandong, China

Director of Counselling Department

Led team to develop and implement a comprehensive curriculum to ensure alignment with students’ future goals and aspirations.

• Managed team in providing college counselling services for over 500 students, guiding them through the university application process and ensuring successful outcomes.

• Led professional development programmes for 30 staff members, organising training sessions and workshops to enhance their teaching skills and expertise.

• Collaborated with school leaders to complete the IB World School authorisation process and successfully passed the IB Diploma Organization audit on two occasions.

• Fostered and maintained partnerships with over 50 prestigious universities worldwide, establishing networks and resources for students’ college applications.

• Served as a mentor and counsellor for over 200 students, providing guidance and inspiration to explore their academic and personal potential.

2010–2014 ZIBO LIANCHI PRIMARY SCHOOL, Shandong, China

English Teacher

• Instructed elementary school students in foundational English language skills.

• Developed engaging lesson plans, monitored student progress and provided constructive feedback to promote academic growth.

• Acted as a homeroom teacher, maintaining regular communication with parents, and addressing their inquiries or concerns.

• Organised and facilitated various extracurricular activities to promote English language learning and application.

2007–2010 BEIJING NEW ORIENTAL EDUCATION GROUP, Beijing, China Teaching Supervisor Assistant

• Developed and delivered comprehensive English language lessons to middle school students.

• Collaborated with teaching supervisors to design and implement effective teaching methodologies and strategies.

• Assisted in the creation of the teaching syllabus, ensuring alignment with educational standards and student needs.

• Communicated regularly with parents to provide updates on student performance and address any concerns or questions.

Additional Skills

Languages

(native). Microsoft Office and Excel. Pilates, squash, badminton.

Career Profile

A problem-solving head for business, boundary breaker and a passionate heart for learning. With five years’ experience in marketing and strategic consulting, successfully co-founded and managed multiple business ventures, leading a diverse team and delivering exceptional results for clients. Level-headed, dynamic and task orientated, always looking to optimise productivity and efficiency.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2017–2020 UNIVERSITY OF DELHI, Delhi, India FT Bachelor of Commerce Honours

Experience

2019–2023 MARKETING MUSKETEER, Delhi, India Co-founder/Chief Marketing Officer Co-founded a successful digital marketing agency specialising in paid marketing and branding which has worked with over 450 clients.

• Responsible for the recruitment, training and management of a skilled team, ensuring consistently highquality service delivery and client satisfaction.

• Managed a team of 30 professionals, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work culture and ensured the delivery of high-quality services within established timelines and budgets.

• Successfully managed agency operations, including financial planning, budgeting and resource allocation which led to profitable growth.

• Established and maintained strong client relationships, resulting in 100% growth year-on-year.

2021–2023 CRAFTY DORA LLC, Wyoming, USA Director

• Established an E-commerce brand selling apparel in the USA and Europe which has sold over 21,000 units.

• Successfully managed all aspects of the business, including product development, marketing, sales, hiring and customer service.

• Led a team of 10 people to achieve company goals, fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration.

• Managed sourcing, inventory and quality control processes to ensure product excellence.

• Cultivated and maintained strong relationships with suppliers, negotiating favourable terms and ensuring timely deliveries.

2020–2021 The ARTMENT, Delhi, India Social Media Manager

• Developed and executed social media paid and organic strategies to promote home decor products which led to increased sales by 25% month-on-month.

• Oversaw community management, responding to customer enquiries and fostering positive brand image which increased social media engagement by 34%.

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align social media efforts with business goals.

2018–2019 JUST BE WITTY, Delhi, India

Founder

Oversaw all aspects of website management including content creation, editing and publishing.

• Managed a team of writers, providing guidance and ensuring high-quality and timely content delivery.

• Built partnerships and collaborations with industry influencers and brands for content promotion.

• Successfully raised seed funding from angel investor of £12,000.

Additional Skills

(native).

Web design and SEO, branding and marketing, paid advertising, team management, copywriting, strategic planning, shopify development.

Travelling, adventure sports, social work, badminton, reading.

Fellow at Jagriti Yatra, NSE Academy Certified Capital Market Professional (NCCMP), Volunteer to NGO working for blind people, Export Experts Global certificate, UN Volunteer.

Santhoshkumar MANOHARAN

s.manoharan2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Dynamic and results-oriented professional with a solid foundation in engineering design and a passion for sustainability. Possessing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, I bring a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic business acumen. am committed to driving organisational success through innovative solutions that balance environmental, social and economic considerations.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2014–2014 SUVIDYA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Mumbai, India

PT Postgraduate Certificate in Piping Engineering

• Piping system design and development of equipment layout, piping layout, and Industrial Plot Plan

• Analysis system using CAESAR II software, pipe supports and loop calculation

2008–2012 PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY, Pondicherry, India

FT Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering

Experience

2022–2023 TECHNIP ENERGIES, Chennai, India

Assistant Project Manager (Client: Qatar Petroleum)

Successfully delivered the North Field Expansion Project, including the development of four new LNG trains and eight wellhead platforms. Enabling the production of 11,000t per day of liquefied petroleum. Managed projects from conception to completion, ensuring on-time delivery of engineering documents.

• Demonstrated in-depth understanding of project contracts and scope, identified deliverables, estimated man-hours, and efficiently managed project resources.

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams, fostering strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

2021–2022 LARSEN & TOUBRO ENERGY – Advanced Value Engineering & Technology (AdVENT), Mumbai, India (AdVENT is a new dimension for the company in the arena of Green Energy and Technology.)

Assistant Project Manager

Developed and executed strategies for the successful design and execution of the Green Hydrogen Plant. Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless project integration and delivery. Implemented rigorous quality control measures, ensuring compliance with industry standards.

2019–2021 LARSEN & TOUBRO ENERGY – Hydrocarbon Engineering, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia

Material Controller (Client: Saudi Aramco)

• Analysed the cost impact due to design changes and managed procurement for priority items.

• Performed procurement activities for piping commodities and specialty items.

• Ensured risk mitigation and implemented purchasing strategies in line with procurement objectives.

2017–2019 DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, Chennai, India

Senior Piping Engineer

• Oversaw piping engineering activities and deliverables on onshore facilities – specifications, materials, layouts, stress coordination, supports, isometrics, model reviews and client interface.

2012–2017 NMDC ENERGY (formerly NPCC), Mumbai, India

Piping Layout Engineer (Client: ADNOC – Abu Dhabi National Oil Company)

• Designed and developed plant layout as per project specifications and requirements.

• Finessed LFM technology, SP3D, PDMS and Navisworks for model review.

Project, SP3D, Navisworks, CEASAR II, Power Bi. Sustainability, fitness, wellness.

Certified Associate in Project Management, Knowledge of International codes and standards ASME B31.3, ASTM, API, OISD, SAES, ADMA, BOSIET training, GTSC Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Career Profile

Skilled learning and organisation development professional with a focus on sustainable means of progress. Broad experience in project management, corporate communications and community building. Extensive knowledge of working in diverse cultural settings. Outstanding people skills needed to excel in fast-paced environments.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2006–2009 UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI, Karachi, Pakistan

Bachelor (Hons) of Public Administration, majors in Human Resource Management

Experience

2021–2023 MIMA INC CONSTRUCTION CIVIL AND INTERIOR WORKS, Karachi, Pakistan

Manager Organisation Development and Training

Implemented learning engagements across the company which improved soft skills of employees and enhanced their productivity at work.

• Conducted training sessions on leadership, communication, sales techniques, cultural intelligence, marketing skills, customer service, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, facilitation, decisionmaking skills and personality development.

2018–2021 KORANGI ASSOCIATION OF TRADE & INDUSTRY, Karachi, Pakistan

Deputy Secretary Corporate

Wrote press releases, research reports, minutes of meetings, also drafted speeches, produced newsletters, developed an annual magazine, and attained sponsorship for the annual publication of Pakistan’s vibrant trade association.

• Handled member complaints by effectively communicating with relevant public departments.

• Led and organised annual corporate event attended by 1,000 guests.

2015–2017 INJAZ PAKISTAN (member of junior achievement worldwide), Karachi, Pakistan Manager Programmes and Networks

• Supervised the planning, implementation and tracking of all programmes in coordination with project staff and volunteers.

Carried out project tasks with the project team on a regular basis to ensure that it met standards. Communicated and liaised with all stakeholders to arrange training sessions.

Tracked projects to ensure they met required levels of quality.

Evaluated the outcomes of projects and made informed decisions for achieving goals.

• Held training sessions related to work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy streams.

2013–2015 JUBILEE LIFE INSURANCE, Karachi, Pakistan

Sales Trainer

• Facilitated internal and external training on soft skills and personality development at one of Pakistan’s largest insurance companies.

• Planned, coordinated and facilitated training programmes including Training Need Analysis, and monitored sales activities at company branches.

Led multiple training projects delegated by the Manager of Training and Development.

2012–2012 INSTITUTE OF BEHAVIORAL PSYCHOLOGY, Karachi, Pakistan

Training Specialist

• Researched employees’ organisational behaviour, work relationships and work environment.

• Initiated motivational training for employees of K-Electric, Karachi city’s largest electric supplier.

• Arranged post training sessions with participants to enhance their working skills.

• Produced reports of training sessions.

Additional Skills

Languages Interests Other Urdu (native), Hindi (conversational).

Public speaking, writing, reading, running, table tennis.

Cultural Intelligence Certified Facilitator-Cultural Intelligence Centre, USA. Diploma in Global Studies, Denmark. Best Delegate Speaker Award at the Model Asia-Europe Meeting, China.

Abhishek NAROIA

a.naroia2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

A self-motivated leader with 10 years of experience in sales management, operations management, project management and artificial intelligence. Experience in leading by example and managing different teams across country in the SaaS (Securityas-a-Service) and iron and steel industries, ensuring world-class goods and services and implementing business goals.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship 2020–2020 XLRi, Jamshedpur, India

Management Development Programme in Leadership and Change Management

2011–2014 THE GLOBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, New Delhi, India Bachelor of Computer Applications

Experience

2021–2023 AP SECURITAS PVT LTD, New Delhi, India

Assistant General Manager

• Supported enterprise clients by providing solutions to used cases and receiving excellent customer feedback with renewal of contracts.

• Generated revenue (CAPEX + OPEX) from PAN India locations.

• Researched and implemented strategies to break into new markets leading to an increased revenue of 40%. Organised and conducted both weekly and monthly meetings to track the progress of ongoing projects across the business to ensure various projects were on schedule.

2020–2021 KOCHAR INFOTECH LTD, Gurugram, India Senior Manager

• Identified new MSMEs and enterprise markets and opportunities in the North India region to clinch new customers.

• Implemented strategies to maximise profits from existing clients and also sourcing new clients, resulting in a 28% increase in revenue.

• Represented the company for new product launch resulting in upsell and cross-sell to existing and new clients.

2016–2020 SIS INDIA LTD, Gurugram, India

Team Leader

• Headed a team of sales and customer relationship managers to cater for the B2C market with 60% penetration within six months in Gurugram, India.

• Launched niche product in Indian market over OPEX model, with successful market reach of 30% in one year.

• Implemented and achieved sales strategies to meet quarterly and yearly targets.

• Induced CRM technology (Bizzy Pulse) to track daily progress of customer transitions and lead generation.

2016–2016 JINDAL INTELLICOM PVT LTD, New Delhi, India Team Leader

• Managed relationships of international clients in the USA, UK and Canada, to cater software support with 98% resolution rate.

• Successfully recruited, trained and onboarded a team of sales and solution engineers.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests

Other Hindi, Punjabi. Software/OS Troubleshooting, MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook. Music, sports. Playing snooker and cricket.

Jubulee NAYAK

j.nayak2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

An energetic and self-motivated professional with more than 16 years of experience in software development and project management. Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills, capable of working independently and leading teams. Possesses diverse experience spanning multiple domains including automotive, healthcare, retail, telecom, networking, and insurance.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

1999–2003 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST), BERHAMPUR UNIVERSITY, India FT BEng (Electronics and Communication)

1996–1999 SANJAY MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Odisha, India

FT Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunication

Experience

2006–2023 IBM INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, Bangalore, India Project Lead

• Maintained high-quality communication with clients to provide regular updates on project status, ensuring seamless coordination and transparency throughout the project lifecycle.

• Addressed escalations concerning client non-delivery in the projects, with swift and effective solutions, including identifying and resolving issues that could potentially impact project timelines. Facilitated knowledge transfer sessions with colleagues, focusing on sharing expertise, processes and services to enhance team collaboration and improve project outcomes.

• Reviewed, monitored and managed service requests and deliverables for optimal execution, ensuring services align with client requirements and industry standards.

• Actively engaged in the review and preparation of proposals to ensure quality and relevance, demonstrating a proactive approach to project initiation.

• Managed and granted final approval for projects, reports and service requests, ensuring compliance with set standards.

• Created projects and assigned appropriate project codes/charge codes based on specific requirements, enabling efficient tracking of project resources and expenditure.

• Monitored the status of service requests and oversaw team workload to continuously meet deadlines, optimising resource allocation and project management.

• Processed service approval templates for finance and invoicing, post resolution of service requests, ensuring accurate financial documentation and billing practices.

2004–2006 ACCENTURE SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED, Bangalore, India

Software Engineer

• Conducted thorough investigations and analysis of production errors, ensuring prompt and effective resolutions.

• Prepared detailed technical specification documents to guide development and maintenance processes.

• Implemented code changes, followed by meticulous unit testing to ensure robustness and functionality.

• Developed work patterns specifically tailored to problem resolution.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests

Odia (native), Hindi (fluent), Kannada (conversational).

IBM Mainframe, COOLGEN, Machine Learning.

Travelling, cooking, music.

Trained and certified in machine learning from IIRS (Indian Institute of Remote Sensing)-ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

Pongsakorn PRATEEPSRITORN

p.prateepsritorn2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Experienced in business transformation, change management, operations management, time management, leadership skills, product development, stakeholders management and well-equipped with entrepreneurial mindset. Dedicated to creating a meaningful impact on business, individuals and communities.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2014–2018 THAMMASAT UNIVERSITY (TU), Bangkok, Thailand

FT Bachelor of Economics (International programme) Major in Business, Minor in Finance

Experience

2022–2023 SYNERGIC BIOTECH (SO), Bangkok, Thailand

Co-founder

• Turned a domestically unwanted marine product into a high-protein fish cracker (25g of protein / 50g of cracker), as a new alternative source of protein for health-conscious consumers.

• Led company in research and development to develop a protein supplement from anchovies; resulted in prototypes with 0.7g of protein per 1 gram of powder which is comparable to that of Whey Protein. The project was later founded as an ingredient for the healthy snacks which is known as SO SNACK.

2020–2023 SYNERGIC MARINE GROUP (SNGM), Rayong, Thailand

Partner

Grew an anchovy export business into a mid-cap revenue company from £2M to £4.75M.

Expanded domestic business by selling anchovy (core business) to eight Korean-cuisine restaurants in Bangkok. This expansion increased product profit margin by 300%.

Led the transition process from traditional business (family business) to digital business by creating the new internal workflow process and adopting the process with current labourers and employees which helped lower operating costs.

• Developed the company’s application to streamline internal data collection process, by establishing a basis for real-time updates, increased transparency and control over operation and management.

2018–2019 FRONTIS CONSULTING FIRM, Bangkok, Thailand

Analyst

Supported Thailand civil service to build the Data Exchange Platform for government agencies and private sectors and collected requirements and feedback from government agencies.

Solely designed the social listening topics dashboard on Power BI for one of the ministries in Thailand to increase its service quality and reduce complaints to government service.

2016–2018 ARCTERUS (EDTECH), Bangkok, Thailand

Sales and Marketing Strategist (part-time)

• Managed content for Clear Application (note sharing app for students) and its social media channels, contributed to its No. 1 rank in education category in the Apple app store in 2018.

2018–2018 CIMB BANK, Bangkok, Thailand

Credit Analyst Intern, Treasury Department

• Analysed listed and unlisted companies on its credit quality and liquidity through income statement, B/S, and CFS and financial ratio; reported weekly to bond traders and risk management team.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Other Thai (native).

Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint; intermediate in Power BI; novice in Python. Member of Thai committee 23/24 welfare officer, Co-founder of faculty voluntary camp. Head of stage creation for faculty drama club. Awarded the winning team on a civil education project to create a new job opportunity for Bang Krachao locals by bringing in Thai traditional mask specialists to teach their profession.

Shefali SACHDEVA s.sachdeva2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Result-oriented tech leader with 7.5 years of expertise in the fintech, consulting and telecom industries. Certified and experienced scrum master and QA with a proficient record in both agile and waterfall methodologies. Actively exploring prospects in management opportunities and challenging business projects. Adept at leading with a strategic and analytical approach, excelled in achieving customer acquisition and profit targets across various service and product-based companies.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2016–2018 BANGKOK UNIVERSITY, Bangkok, Thailand

FT MEng (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

• Received: Scholarship

2008–2013 RAJASTHAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, Jodhpur, India

Bachelor of Technology (Computer Science Engineering)

Experience

2023–2023 CLOVERBAY TECHNOLOGIES, Bangalore, India

Scrum Master

• Led a cross-functional team of 30 people through the end-to-end product lifecycle, implementing servant leadership tactics for a 30% team efficiency boost.

• Collaborated with product owners, business analysts, and the scrum team to define solutions and drive progress and timely delivery.

2022–2023 SIRIUS TECHNOLOGIES, Bangkok, Thailand

Senior QA Engineer

• Led two R&D projects as QA Lead, implementing agile testing strategies, reducing testing cycles by 20% and achieving stakeholder satisfaction.

• Oversaw QA activities, resulting in a 15% improvement and successful integration of web/mobile apps, provided quality metrics to management, and mentored team as a scrum master in improving product development.

2021–2022 THOUGHTWORKS, Bangkok, Thailand

QA Consultant

• Managed a high-performing team as squad representative, optimising test strategy, planning and execution, leading to a 25% increase in testing efficiency as an iteration manager in each sprint.

• Demonstrated strong leadership in agile practices by coaching the team while facilitating scrum ceremonies proactively, ensuring cross-functional collaboration.

2018–2020 ALLIANZ TECHNOLOGY, Bangkok, Thailand

QA Analyst

• Collaborated in an agile development environment, with developers and users to analyse business requirements and functional specifications.

• Recognised as Employee of the Month for aligning processes, reducing development iterations and improving quality metrics, including a 15% increase in testing efficiency and a 10% reduction in defect rate through black box testing and automation of test scripts with Robot Framework.

IT Skills Other JIRA, Trello, Confluence, Test Automation (Robot Framework), Test Management Tools (XRay, AIO, Zephyr), Project Planning and Execution, Agile Coaching, Test Planning, and Decision Making.

Advanced Certified Scrum Master (ACSM) | Scrum Alliance | April 2022

Certified Scrum Master (CSM) | Scrum Alliance | Aug 2021–April 2024

Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) Scrum Alliance Aug 2021–April 2024

Certified Agile Leadership Essentials (CAL-E) Scrum Alliance Aug 2021–April 2024

ISTQB Certified Foundation Level Software Tester. Diploma in Manual Testing.

Additional Skills

s.salam2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Experienced professional with a proven track record in business development and strategic planning. A self-driven individual and motivated to pursue goals that align with the organisation’s missions and values. Committed to providing highest standard of work through teamwork that supports the organisation’s mandate.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

2016–2020 IESEG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, Lille, France and LOYOLA COLLEGE, Chennai, India FT Bachelor of Business Administration

Experience

2019–2023 ROYAL RICH AIR TRAVEL SERVICES PVT LTD, Mumbai and Palakkad, India Head of Business Relations

• Conducted market research estimating the growth potential of travel and tourism industry post Covid-19 in India.

• Brought forward initiatives to partner with private airlines to charter flights during Covid-19 while entire operations were disrupted due to grounding of commercial flights worldwide leading to a revenue of £10M.

• Participated in seminars, events organised by Ministry of External Affairs and to network with various government officials and foreign embassy attachés.

2022–2023 AL SALAM INDIA, Palakkad, India

(A boutique travel arrangements agency recognised by the Ministry of Haj and Umrah, Saudi Arabia.) Partner

• Developed strategies to increase the brand awareness and increase customer acquisition by 13%.

• Built strategic alliances and partnerships with airlines and hotels leading to cost reduction by 8%.

• Managed administrative functions, audited departmental budgets and their expenses.

2019–2019 GMR AERO TECHNIC LTD, Hyderabad, India

(A leading airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul facility provider.) Business Development Officer

• Studied the Kenyan Aviation MRO market and prepared a detailed financial report on building/acquiring an infrastructure in Kenya and its revenue potential of US$400M.

• Prepared financial projections on the potential revenue that could be earned upon marketing specific workshops.

Aided the BD manager in hosting the event C-check 500 where we celebrated the completion of 500th C-check.

2018–2018 JUBILANT MOTORWORKS, Chennai, India

(Dealer-managed showroom of Audi India.)

Marketing Officer

• Provided support in planning and preparing a budget of £4.57K for the Q-drive event.

• Assisted in organising the tail lamp event and prepared an expense sheet for the inhouse audit by Audi.

• Part of a five-member team in devising innovative marketing strategies like phygital marketing and using augmented realities.

2017–2017 MERCURE CITY CENTER HOTEL, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

HR Officer

• Reviewed budgets of different departments for resource allocation.

• Assisted the HR Manager in detailing the requisites for the iftar party and prepared a budget of 2.8K.

• Managed the inventories and documents for the audit from Accor SA.

Additional Skills

Languages Interests Malayalam (native), Hindi and Tamil (conversational), French (intermediate). Travelling (visited eight countries), books, podcasts, TV.

Career Profile

A financial specialist with robust problem-solving skills and experience in loan portfolio management for SMEs having credit exposures of more than £2M. A banking experience of 10 plus years handling a wide range of verticals including branch banking, credit analysis, risk mitigation and customer relations.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship

2010–2013 UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT, Thrissur, India

Bachelor of Commerce

Experience

2021–2023 SOUTH INDIAN BANK, Mumbai, India

Relationship Manager-SME (Small and Medium Enterprises)

Ensured stability of income from the existing set of clients and brought in new clients for the employer.

• Increased the revenue by 20% for the bank under my portfolio (£2M–2.4M for financial year 22–23).

• Structured and implemented financial strategies pertaining to the efficient use of their working capital, acquired favourable loan terms, and project finance.

• Performed financial analysis for various companies to examine their ability to avail credit from banks.

• Maintained CEO/CFO relationships with SMEs to originate leads for additional revenue generation.

• Managed the relationship with customers by growing the book size of the bank.

• Maintained an existing client base of 70 customers having a total exposure of over £2M and acquired 15 new SME clients for the bank in the financial year 22–23.

• Increased revenue by cross-selling third-party products such as insurance and forex services to various clients.

• Achieved individual targets and grew account profitability while maintaining a high service standard and compliance.

2016–2021 SOUTH INDIAN BANK, Tamil Nadu, India

Assistant Manager (Branch Operations)

• Managed the daily operations of the bank branch related to cash flow, routine transactions and customer service.

• Supervised and trained the staff such as tellers and loan officers, involved in the creation of work schedules and duty rosters.

• Processed loan applications and reviewed credit reports to determine the eligibility of borrowers. Developed and implemented marketing plans to attract new customers and sold financial products that ultimately opened 250 new savings accounts in one week.

Assisted the Bank Manager in administering and successfully evaluating the branch performance and goals. Focused on customer satisfaction through timely feedback and regular problem resolution for them.

2013–2016 SOUTH INDIAN BANK, Kerala, India Clerk (Branch Operations)

• Processed routine transactions, cashed cheques and maintained high net worth customers.

• Maintained customer and financial data.

Additional Skills

Languages IT Skills Interests Awards Malayalam (native), Hindi (fluent), Tamil (conversational). Finacle (banking software).

Cricket, badminton, driving.

Various certifications obtained from IIBF (Indian Institute of Banking and Finance) like Certified Credit professional, Certificate course of MSME, Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers, Certification in AML and KYC.

r.a.suberu2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Experienced and highly motivated operations manager with over seven years’ experience spanning quality and operations management. Skilled in streamlining operational processes, managing staff, managing product quality and ensuring optimal performance. Possesses excellent analytical, communication and leadership skills needed to drive projects to success.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2010–2015 UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, Ibadan, Nigeria FT Bachelor of Agriculture

Experience

2017–2023

2022–2023 SARO LIFECARE LIMITED, Ibadan, Nigeria Production Operations Lead

• Managed day-to-day operations, including staffing, performance metrics and budgeting. Managed and operated the production ERP – track inventory and production activities.

• Streamlined operations by implementing process improvements that reduced production time by 15%.

• Implemented an inventory management system that improved stock availability and reduced stockouts by 10%.

• Led cross-functional teams to improve product quality and quality management systems.

• Oversaw the development and implementation of policies and procedures that ensured compliance with regulatory requirements.

2019– 2022 Quality Assurance Lead

Implemented additional control points on the production lines which successfully reduced production defect rates from 2% to 0.5% month on month for three years.

• Created and successfully implemented strategic plans for the department which led to the revamping of our laboratory facility, subsequently improving the lead time for product analysis by 40%.

• Worked routinely with regulatory bodies to ensure processes were up to industry standards.

• Responsible for environmental and production facility management.

• Reduced packaging material defects received from vendors to less than 1%.

• Worked with a cross-functional unit to ensure the company was up to code with environmental regulatory standards – implemented a waste management system that included effluent management, solid waste recycling and microbial resistance monitoring.

2018-2019 Quality Assurance Executive

• Responsible for overseeing all quality control practices on the production floor.

• Carried out periodic training activities for interns and shop floor workers which increased the workers’ productivity by 15%.

• Carried out chemical analysis for all our product ranges.

• Researched and formulated new laboratory analytical procedures for new products.

• Ensured all safety protocols were adhered to on the production floor and PPEs were used appropriately.

2017-2018 Research and Development Executive

Worked with a cross-functional team responsible for all packaging material development, successfully developed and launched Purit Antiseptic Powder. Researched and created analytical procedures for all products undergoing development.

• Developed a tracker for ongoing new product development and ensured timelines were adhered to.

Additional Skills

IT Skills

Other Microsoft office, Dynamic NAV, Microsoft PowerApps, Teams. Quality Management and Process Improvement – University of Illinois, Value Chain Management –University of Illinois, Six Sigma: Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt – Six Sigma Academy Amsterdam.

Hanna TALEBI h.talebi2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

An enthusiastic, self-motivated, reliable, responsible, fast-learning and hard-working professional with six years of experience within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Passionate about start-ups and educating those working in the entrepreneurial space. Experienced in working under pressure, adhering to strict deadlines, adapting to situations, and working within a team. Focused on creating meaningful collaborations with a strong history of building relationships with stakeholders from various backgrounds.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Advancing Women in Leadership Scholarship (full fee)

2015–2018 UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN, Tehran, Iran

FT Master of Science, Entrepreneurship – New Business Creation

2010–2014 SHAHID BEHESHTI UNIVERSITY, Tehran, Iran

FT Bachelor of Science, Industrial Management

Experience

2018–2023 KAREN CROWD FINANCING AND INVESTMENT COMPANY, Tehran, Iran

(The first official financing and investment broker in Iran.)

Director of the Education Department and Mentor

• Provided strategic support and mentorship for more than 100 start-ups regarding financial and business planning with approximately 33% of these ventures succeeding past the start-up phase.

Introduced and conducted more than 100 educational webinars for start-ups and entrepreneurs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Identified common issues relating to start-ups and responded by organising and running more than 100 training workshops on financing, business planning and human resources to educate founders.

• Provided strategic support and mentorship to more than 50 Iranian start-ups participating in investment events in Russia and Austria (Invest Austria 2020 and 2021) and GITEX in Dubai.

2017–2018 ICT CENTRE FOR STARTUP BUSINESSES, Tehran, Iran

Business and Entrepreneurship Education and Research Expert

• Edited articles related to the field of entrepreneurship and business to increase website traffic. Formulated the content strategy for website and social networks which increased subscriptions. Coordinated and communicated with colleagues in the Department of Education about internal strategic objectives.

2016–2017 FARZAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CONSULTANCY, Tehran, Iran

Business and Entrepreneurship Education and Content Production Expert

• Designed smart packages technology that helped entrepreneurs to structure and organise their business plans and business models.

• Designed and prepared online courses in the field of business and entrepreneurship. Reviewed and prepared educational videos, content and articles about business and entrepreneurship.

Additional Skills

Languages Interests Other Persian (fluent). Hiking, swimming.

Business model development, business plan development, designing educational plan for start-ups.

b.h.utomo2@newcastle.ac.uk

Career Profile

Finance and accounting manager with experience in providing end-to-end financial operation and accounting processes within Indonesia’s leading insurance company, with assets worth US$2.270BN. Familiar with accounting standards, financial operations, relevant financial tax and adept in managing branch operations. Experience in effective handling of a diverse range of functions including finance, accounting, general affairs, human resources and asset management.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Scholarship from Asuransi Kredit Indonesia Ltd, Jakarta, Indonesia (full fee)

2008–2013 AIRLANGGA UNIVERSITY, Surabaya, Indonesia FT Bachelor of Accounting – Faculty of Economics and Business

Experience

2014–2023

2023–2023 ASURANSI KREDIT INDONESIA LTD, Jakarta, Indonesia Section Head of Accounting Reporting and Analysis

• Led team of two to generate standalone and consolidate monthly, quarterly and yearly financial statements for Board of Directors and Holding Company.

• Examined adjustment journals for monthly, yearly and audited financial statements.

• Provided data and analysis of financial statements for clients and stakeholders.

• Conducted financial analysis and reported to managing director monthly.

• Contributed to the roll-out of the ERP Oracle accounting system to replace older accounting system.

2017–2022 Head of Finance and General Affair, Palembang and Manado, Indonesia

• Managed the complete accounting cycle, preparing documents, finalising monthly reports.

• Monitored financial operations, transactions and budgets, and compliance for taxation.

• Cooperated with senior leaders to create operating budgets, initiating financial planning.

• Organised, planned and coordinated lead functions over branch office support activities in finance, accounting, human resources, and general affairs with 11 direct staff.

• Responsible for operational risk assessment process to identify current risks in the process.

2016–2017 Head of Finance and Claim, Ternate, Indonesia

• Managed the complete accounting cycle, preparing documents, finalising monthly reports. Analysed and settled all insurance claims matters accurately and fairly based on company’s guidelines. Handled end-to-end insurance claim cycle until payment.

• Cooperated with senior leaders to create operating budgets, initiating financial planning.

• Monitored financial operations, transactions and budgets, and compliance for taxation.

• Organised, planned and coordinated lead functions over branch office support activities in finance, accounting, human resources, and general affairs with four direct staff.

• Responsible for operational risk assessment process to identify current risks in the process.

2014–2016 Finance and General Affair Officer, Medan, Indonesia

• Provided the complete accounting cycle, preparing documents, finalising monthly reports.

• Cooperated with senior leaders to create operating budgets, initiating financial planning.

• Managed office buildings operation and maintenance.

2013–2013 GOVERNMENT OF EAST JAVA, Surabaya, Indonesia

Assistant of Treasurer-Civil Servants

• Examined all invoice matters and prepared payment documents.

• Prepared budget financial report documents for disbursement funds and financial accountability documents.

Additional Skills

Languages

IT Skills

Interests

Other Indonesia (native).

Microsoft Excel, accounting software. Football, swimming, travelling, fitness.

ISO 22301:2019 Security and Resilience-Business Continuity Management Systems-Requirements (2021), Leadership for Junior Manager by Indonesia’s Banking Development Institute/LPPI (2020), active member in IDX.

Career Profile

A result-oriented executive with over four years’ experience in diverse roles across market research and analysis, consumer insights and operations, and consulting. Dedicated to identifying customer needs and delivering effective solutions to all problems. Excellent time management skills combined with a superior knowledge of the marketing industry and customer success management with a desire to gain real-world experiences.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: MBA Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2015–2018 JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY, New Delhi, India FT Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)

Experience

2019–2023

2022–2023

XENO PVT LTD, New Delhi, India (An AI-driven CRM platform.) Customer Engagement Lead

• Established and led the client support vertical to optimise engagement processes for 100+ brands and increased developer bandwidth by 25%.

• Conceptualised and implemented go-to-market strategies that resulted in a successful launch of the Xeno product, onboarding and activating 500+ users for 50 brands, generating £100K MoM in revenue post Covid.

• Managed over 20 projects to enhance the Xeno software as part of overseeing the product development life cycle, achieving a significant 60% increase in customer satisfaction rate.

• Introduced automated ticketing system, improving issue tracking and resolution efficiency by 70%.

2020–2022 Senior Marketing Consultant

• Led and managed a team of six associate consultants, enabling them to achieve their KPIs through training and guidance.

• Demonstrated a deep understanding of remarketing concepts and strategies in the retail and food and beverage industries, resulting in a 25–30% increase in customer retention rates for retailers.

• Delivered MoM ROI targets with a consistent monthly incremental revenue uplift of 5–10% for enterprise clients and large-scale businesses.

• Successfully managed strategic alliances and partnerships with 20+ renowned enterprises increasing their customer lifetime value by 10–15% and delivering 7–10% dormant reactivation rates.

• Spearheaded the design of the first onboarding structure for clients, leading to 10x faster onboarding and a 50% reduction in onboarding time.

• Led the onboarding process for 12 brands, overseeing the entire life cycle and taking ownership of client relationships from completed sale to go-live stage across six GCC countries.

2019–2020 Associate Consultant

• Conducted in-depth market research, analysed critical data and prepared insightful reports for clients in the retail and food and beverage sectors, enabling informed decision-making.

• Executed multi-channel marketing campaigns, delivering an impressive 10x ROI and driving substantial revenue growth for clients.

• Enforced advanced segmentation techniques to create customer clusters based on personas and behaviour, enabling highly targeted and personalised marketing strategies.

• Designed and implemented successful loyalty programmes, resulting in a significant 60% increase in data collection and more than 100k enrolments for a client.

Leveraged RFM, category and market basket analysis to develop data-driven CRM and digital strategies, effectively boosting client performance by delivering a 15% improvement in customer retention rates.

Career Profile

Experienced professional with over seven years in steel trading business working with multinational partners. Adaptable in diverse environment, working experience includes working across multiple roles in this area. Eager to find a suitable new challenge. Result-oriented and reliable in problems-solving with a high emphasis in effective communication.

Education

2023–2024 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK FT MBA Programme

• Awarded: Developing Talent and Leadership Scholarship

2005–2010 CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY, Bangkok, Thailand

FT Bachelor of Political Science (Public Administration)

• Awarded: Kumamoto Gakuen University Scholarship Award 2008, Kumamoto, Japan

Experience

2021–2023 MARUBENI-ITOCHU STEEL (THAILAND) PTE, Bangkok, Thailand

(Leading steel trading corporation in Japan, with office and branches in more than 20 countries.) Sales Manager (Japanese)

• Oversaw end-to-end process for colour-coated steel for local market focusing on high-quality project such as clean room, average sale 200MT per year.

• Oversaw delivery process of silicon steel import 1000MT monthly from Japan to local client, to ensure delivery schedule was up to date to client.

• Collected forecast production and sale information from clients in Thailand and discussed with HQ in Japan for adjustment and response to clients’ requirements.

• Conducted market research in E-commerce project in Thailand, collecting and providing potential market data to HQ as reference for evaluation and decision-making to continue or terminate project.

2016–2020

2018–2020 NIPPON STEEL NISSHIN (THAILAND), Bangkok, Thailand

(Top four in steel manufacturer in Japan, before merge with Nippon steel in 2020.) Business Development Manager

• Oversaw end-to-end sales process for steel, both local and international markets. Average domestic sale of 1,200 tonnes per year.

• Oversaw the operation of a company’s affiliate in Bangkok, Thailand, including sales, business development, logistic and client management.

• Served as bi-lingual liaison (Japanese and English) between HQ in Japan and local office in Thailand to ensure that projects were well executed and aligned with headquarters’ direction.

• Worked closely with clients in Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore to gather technical/business requirements, collaborated with engineering team to develop technical and business solutions for automotive, construction and electronic appliance sectors.

• Visited headquarters office in Japan for regional meeting to discuss current market trends and product development for future market. Implemented the plan with team based on the decision from a meeting.

2016–2018 Assistant Manager

• Managed post sales services in the steel market within a diverse client portfolio: JTEKT, Thai summit, TTEI, TTTC, Toyota Tsusho.

• Served as a project facilitator, coordinating with Japanese engineers and local clients to ensure the projects timely completion and customer satisfaction.

• Assisted the Managing Director in executing sales strategies, analysing industry trends and identifying prospective clients.

Conducted research on trends in real estate and property development in Thailand. Prepared promote plan and visit customer to introduce new product to local market.

• Collaborated with business team to develop sales strategies upon the research findings and reported to the headquarters in Japan. As reference for making decision in future planning.

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Acknowledgements

Editing: Newcastle University Business School

Design: GDA

Print: Statex Colour Print

Photography: TyneSight Photographic

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