• HEY, I'M JAY 👋
• Business manager

I help businesses grow, teams thrive, and operations run like clockwork—backed by 14+ years of experience across diverse industries.

About me

Over the last 14+ years, I’ve worked across industries that couldn’t be more different — wellness, oil & gas, pharma, FMCG — and what I found is that success in any space comes down to one thing: how well people, process, and purpose are aligned.I’ve led teams as small as 5 and as large as 78. I’ve pitched to UHNI clients, closed multi-million-dollar deals, entered new markets with zero roadmap, and built systems from the ground up. I don’t like fluff, I don’t do shortcuts, and I’ve learned that “figure it out as we go” often beats “wait until it’s perfect.”I thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments — not behind a desk, but out where the real work happens solving problems, motivating people, and turning strategy into results.💬 A Few Honest Truths (Working with me)
I don’t love slow meetings, vague goals, or quiet coffee machines. I believe energy drives progress — and caffeine helps 😉.I have a one-liner my team knows well: “Don’t say no until you’ve tried.” At first, they groan… later, they thank me. Because most breakthroughs happen just beyond comfort zones — and I push for those.I’m allergic to cross-talk. If something’s not working, talk to me, not about me. Gossip doesn’t solve problems — conversations do. In fact, I believe most workplace issues can be fixed with a single, honest chat. Just talk — no drama required. And please, don’t assume. I’d rather you ask me 100 questions than guess once and go wrong.Communication isn’t just a value to me — it’s the fix-it button for everything

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work history

BUSINESS OPERATION MANAGER - WELLNESS & TRANSFORMATIONAdvanced Hair Studio LLC - Dubai, UAE
June 2022 - Present

Responsibilities & Achievements

HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT - MEA RegionGerman Imaging Technology LLC - Dubai, UAE
March 2021 - April 2022

Responsibilities & Achievements

SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & OPERATIONS MANAGERRouge Pipeline and Process Services LLC - Dubai, UAE
November 2018 - March 2021

Responsibilities & Achievements

COUNTRY MANAGER - FMCG MARKET LAUNCHFlourish Pure Foods Pvt Ltd - Accra, Ghana
March 2016 - August 2018

Responsibilities & Achievements

OPERATIONS MANAGER - PHARMA PROJECTSBrinda Pharma Technologies Pvt Ltd - Ahmadabad, India
March 2013 - March 2016

Responsibilities & Achievements

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVEShri Ram Audio & Telefilms Pvt Ltd - Rajkot, India
April 2011 - March 2013

Responsibilities & Achievements

Education

Bachelor of Mechanical EngineeringMarwadi University - India
June 2009 - May 2013

Licenses & certifications

Agile Leadership Principles and PracticesUniversity System of Maryland - USA
July 2021

Recruiter Training for leadersBy Craig Brown - Udemy
May 2021

Soft Skill DevelopmentBy Global Arena
May 2012

UAE Driving LicenseBy Roads and Transport Authority

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• The story behind the numbers

• The story behind the numbers

• The story behind the numbers

• The story behind the numbers

• The story behind the numbers

Contact

• +971 52 845 5434

• [email protected]

• Connect with me @ LinkedIn

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let me hear from you !

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Navigating Growth in a Premium, Sensitive Market at Advanced Hair Studio

The COVID Pricing Storm
_{- Restoring Client Trust After the Price Hike}

When I joined in June 2022, the business was in the middle of turbulence. During COVID (Feb 2020–May 2022), prices had been slashed to support clients in tough times. But right before I entered, service costs were suddenly increased by 50–70%.The impact was immediate:
• We were already the costliest provider in the market — 5–10x more expensive than 98% of competitors.
• The steep price hike created chaos among existing clients and made new prospects hesitant.
It felt like I had walked into a storm. Although I wasn’t part of the decision to raise prices, I had to take ownership of the fallout — finding a way to rebuild client trust without undermining company policyAction taken: I knew we had to balance client trust with company pricing policy. I convinced management to allow a 3-month grace period for previously consulted clients, giving them a chance to avail services at the older quoted rates.Outcome: Communicated transparently, the plan worked. In just 3 months, we generated AED 950K from these clients and restored confidence in our services.

Marketing by Long-Distance Relationship
_{- Making Remote Marketing Work for Dubai}

With no marketing team in the UAE, the company had handed over operations to the India branch. But Dubai had its own market dynamics, and waiting for cross-country execution often meant losing momentum.Action taken: I stepped up to take ownership — managing and coordinating every marketing requirement from the Dubai branch and feeding it to the India team for execution.Outcome: To this day, I continue to own the full marketing cycle: campaign calendars, content planning, targeting, brand ambassador/celebrity coordination, and photoshoot planning — ensuring Dubai’s unique needs are never left behind.

Stagnant Growth from Limited Tools
_{- Unlocking Growth Beyond Meta & Google}

We were relying almost entirely on Meta and Google ads. After a while, revenue hit a plateau. The digital funnel was limited, and leads were drying up.Action taken: I introduced WhatsApp marketing — a new channel that tapped into:
• 10 years of client database (previous consultations),
• Leads who hadn’t converted,
• “No-show” clients who booked but never attended consultations.Outcome: This single initiative brought in AED 1.5M+ in sales within 2 years.

Breaking Dependency on Digital Ads
_{- Expanding Growth Through Referrals & Partnerships}

Relying only on digital meant our growth ceiling was capped. We needed new channels, new partnerships, and direct touchpoints with clients.Action taken:
• Hired a Relationship Manager dedicated to business development.
• Launched a highly attractive referral program.
• Built premium partnerships — tying up with 15 salons, 2 clinics, Emirates Platinum, and Transguard Employee Wellness Department.Outcome: These initiatives secured 25 new clients and generated AED 1.1M in revenue.Overall ImpactDespite the chaos, setbacks, and market challenges, the turnaround was clear:
• AED 6.5M+ revenue in 3 years, driven primarily by UHNIs.
• A solid NPS score of 78.33, reflecting trust and loyalty.
• A stronger, more resilient business model that could withstand shocks and still grow.

Transforming Sales & Operations into Sustainable Growth at German Imaging Technologies

Sales Looked Good… Until No One Came Back
_{- Breaking the Cycle of Low Repeat Orders}

When I first joined, sales numbers looked healthy on the surface — but something was missing. After digging deeper into buyer profiles, it became clear: repeat orders were almost non-existent.
Most of our revenue came from small buyers or resellers, and the sales team was chasing business from anywhere just to fill targets. It felt unstable, like running on sand.
The sales model was in place before I joined, but I made it my priority to build a structure that encouraged repeatable, long-term businessAction taken: I knew sustainable growth would only come from strategic, repeatable business. I redefined our sales approach by introducing an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and carefully building new buyer personas. To win the right kind of clients, we launched cost–benefit-driven demo campaigns and onboarding discount offers that spoke directly to this new ICP.Outcome: The shift worked. We acquired 15 new channel partners who fit the profile and went on to generate AED 860K+ in revenue through long-term account engagement.

Four Hours Promised, Eight Hours Delivered
_{- Restoring Service Standards With Faster Response Times}

Another problem hit quickly: client complaints were piling up. Service response times, which were supposed to be within 4 hours, often dragged to 5–8 hours. Clients were frustrated, and the manual record-keeping system made things worse.
I was made aware of this issue even before taking charge of the service team — resolving it became my first responsibility, and I led the turnaround through automation and new KPIsAction taken: We couldn’t afford to let trust erode. I pushed for a software-based centralized data system, automation, and hands-on team training. At the same time, I introduced strict KPIs for the service team to ensure accountability.Outcome:
• Within 35 days, we implemented Salesforce CRM across sales, after-sales, and service.
• Response times dropped to an average of 3 hours or less.
• KPIs were restructured: 20% weightage for responses within 4 hours, and 30% weightage for resolving complaints within 24 hours.The change was immediate — clients felt heard, and the team had a clear performance structure to follow.

Forecast a Mess, Cashflow in Distress
_{- Building Reliable Forecasting to Control Costs}

Behind the scenes, another challenge was draining profits: high cost of goods produced.
The reason? No reliable sales forecasting. Forecasts rarely matched actuals, leaving the production team guessing about inventory needs. Small, frequent purchases had to be made from multiple vendors to meet urgent demands, while large raw material suppliers imposed MOQ (minimum order quantity) requirements we struggled to meet. Costs spiraled out of control.
I hadn’t created the forecasting process, but I knew it needed discipline and accountability to stop profit from leakingAction taken: I tackled both sales and procurement head-on:
• Sales team: Introduced a 90% minimum forecast achievement target per individual, weighted at 40% of their KPI. (70–90% achievement earned 20%; below that meant 0%).
• Procurement team: Negotiated with vendors for 90-day credit lines, ensured timely payments, secured bulk pricing deals, and aligned purchase orders to forecasts.Outcome:
• Bulk raw material procurement began within 2 months.
• Delivery timelines improved dramatically — from 1 week to just 3 days.
• Reduced cost of goods produced by 10% in 2 months, and by 20% over 6 months.
• Improved cash flow management significantly, giving the company breathing space to grow.

Project Rescue & Operational Turnaround at Rouge Pipeline & Process Services

Final Termination Notice = Final Wake-Up Call
_{- Reviving a Multi-Million-Dollar Contract Under Pressure}

A flagship project in KSA was hanging by a thread. The client had awarded us the contract almost a year earlier, expecting manpower and equipment mobilization within 3 months. But after the Project Manager left and with cashflow under strain, no one followed up with the client.
Their calls and emails went unanswered. We only realized the gravity when a final termination notice landed on my desk. If cancelled, the client would seize our USD 500,000 bank guarantee and walk away.
Although the breakdown in communication stemmed from a resigned Project Manager, I chose to step in and take responsibility for rebuilding the relationship. I faced the client directly, listened to their frustrations, and took the initiative to design a recovery plan.
The pressure was immense: the company’s credibility, financial exposure, and a multi-million-dollar relationship were about to collapse.Actions taken:
• With emergency approval from the MD, I flew to KSA with the Estimation/Contracts Manager.
• The first meeting was brutal — the client’s anger was justified. I listened without defending, letting them vent every frustration.
• Bought one week’s time to return with proof of action.
• A week later, I presented a clear recovery plan: manpower and equipment mobilization within one month. After repeated requests, the client gave us a final extension — one last chance.Steps to Deliver:
• Diverted company receivables directly into this project.
• Engaged local partners and equipment rental companies in KSA with advance payments to speed up mobilization.
• Reallocated manpower from standby and other projects, filling requirements in just 15 days.
• Moved idle equipment from Oman and Kuwait into KSA within 20 days.Outcome:
We restarted the project within the agreed timeline, saved the relationship, and revived a USD 5M/year contract (5-year tenure).

The Staffing Circus: Highly Paid, Barely Working
_{- Introducing Smarter Shifts and Fairer Pay}

Onsite operations were constantly under strain. There was a shortage of technical staff, poor shift planning, and high travel/mobilization costs. Worse still, some of our most highly paid staff were underproductive.
If left unchecked, costs would balloon, and project timelines would slip.
This structure was in place long before I joined, but I took on the responsibility of restructuring it into a leaner, more efficient systemActions taken:
• Completely restructured shifts and scheduling.
• Revised pay schemes and site allowances to align with productivity.
• Introduced continuous recruitment via project-based fixed-term contracts.
• Engaged local manpower agencies for peak demand.
• Offered clients manpower under their payroll when feasible.
• Launched a reduced pay grade (20% lower) for Senior Project Managers. Four PMs refused and left, but were immediately replaced with equally skilled contract hires at ~50% less cost.
• Changed the daily allowance system: instead of untracked cash through PMs, allowances were fixed by position and paid directly to employees every 15 days via accounts or prepaid cards.Outcome:
• Optimized staffing levels and reduced travel/mobilization costs.
• Increased productivity across sites.
• Streamlined expense planning and improved cashflow.
• Employees felt empowered — no longer dependent on PMs for their daily expenses.

Buying Blind, Bleeding Cash
_{- Streamlining Procurement With Planning & Controls}

Procurement was another leak. Projects were running on ad-hoc, unplanned orders, heavily dependent on vendors and rental companies. At times, clients themselves procured items on-site at huge mark-ups, just to keep work moving.
It was expensive, chaotic, and unsustainable. These practices pre-dated me, but I made it my mission to stop the leak and build an organized procurement process.Actions taken:
• Introduced procurement planning at the estimation stage.
• Tied project execution plans to cashflow allocation by project phases.
• Made Project Managers accountable for coordinating all consumables, materials, and equipment.
• Issued strict memos: no site-level procurement requests would be honored unless approved by Dubai Head Office.
• Personally traveled across GCC project sites, identifying regional vendors for equipment, parts, and consumables — cutting dependence on UAE shipping.Outcome:
• Stopped all unplanned, local procurement.
• Established an organized procurement and forecasting process.
• Successfully delivered a USD 3M project on time, fully aligned with SLA schedule, and closed with completion certification.

Building a Brand from Zero in West Africa at Flourish Purefoods

I was solely responsible for leading the launch of our business in Ghana. From the first country visit, I immersed myself in market research — analyzing consumer behavior, buying patterns, per capita consumption, and competitor strategies. Based on the data, I proposed launching flavored milk, UHT milk, and fruit juice.The second visit was about execution: identifying distribution channels, negotiating warehousing and logistics contracts, finalizing local partnerships, setting up regulatory compliance, and arranging manpower. By the end of that visit, the foundation was laid.
But with execution came unforeseen challenges — and some hard lessons.

Flop to Fame: How a Fruit Drink Boosted Milk
_{- Turning a Failed Launch Into a Brand-Building Win}

The boldest decision I took was to launch a pure fruit-pulp drink in a market flooded with syrup-based beverages. On paper, the move was validated:
• We did taste tests with 500 consumers, and they loved it.
• Retailers and distributors reviewed the product and pricing and gave us the green light, acknowledging the quality justified the premium.
• Ghana’s hot climate and culture of daily beverage consumption seemed like the perfect fit.But once on shelves, reality diverged from projections:
• Our retail price ended up 50% higher than competing drinks.
• The packaging — with a white face on it — felt foreign to local buyers and created resistance.
• While natural fruit sugar gave an authentic taste, locals were accustomed to syrup-heavy sweetness.
It was gut-wrenching. The market feedback hit me hard because this was my call, my strategy — and it felt like we were losing credibility at the very first step.Actions taken:
• I owned the mistake fully in front of management, explaining the gap between validated feedback and actual retail performance.
• Pivoted quickly: we repositioned the fruit drink away from being a core revenue driver and turned it into a branding tool.
o Sponsored school events, giving kids free exposure to our brand.
o Partnered with beach clubs, where bartenders used it in cocktails in exchange for prominent branding inside the venues.
• Cleared 30% of stock in the liquidation market at half price.
• Increased pricing on flavored milk, which was outperforming expectations and had quickly become a favorite among children.Outcome: We still closed the fruit drink with an overall 30% loss compared to landing cost — but it didn’t break us. Instead, the branding created through fruit drink promotions boosted flavored milk sales. The product that almost sunk us ended up strengthening our flagship line.

Marketing Budget? What Marketing Budget?
_{- Driving Sales Through Grassroots Market Penetration}

The company’s philosophy was “organic growth only” — no paid marketing budgets. For a new entrant in Ghana, that was like fighting with one hand tied. The weight of creating awareness, generating demand, and winning shelf space fell entirely on me and the small local team.Actions taken:
• I knew visibility was everything. If consumers couldn’t see us in stores, no amount of taste tests would matter.
• We aggressively pursued retail presence — not with big supermarket chains, but with smaller distributors who controlled thousands of independent outlets.
• Personally pitched to partners across sectors: schools, fuel stations, ship chandlers, event suppliers, and small shops.
• Built trust one meeting at a time, sometimes convincing distributors who had never dealt with dairy before to take a chance on us.Outcome: Against all odds, we secured 12 distribution partners, flooding smaller markets with our products. Within two years, we achieved USD 650K+ in revenue (after overcoming the fruit drink losses), entirely through persistence and grassroots market penetration. It wasn’t glamorous marketing, but it was real, resilient growth.

Supermarket Shelf Space: The Glamour Trap
_{- Choosing Profitable Channels Over Costly Shelf Fees}

One of the toughest lessons came with Ghana’s major grocery chains. After months of negotiation, we discovered the reality: to get space on their shelves, we would need to pay massive upfront fees. The costs didn’t just eat into margins — they destroyed the model entirely.
At that moment, I faced a dilemma: push for big retailers to gain visibility, or accept that their model wasn’t viable and find another path.Actions taken:
• After painful back-and-forth with supermarket executives, I made the call to walk away.
• Instead of chasing prestige placements, we doubled down on smaller retailers, schools, and private events where margins were healthy and negotiations were straightforward.
• Created direct tie-ups with schools and local events, embedding our brand in everyday community life.Outcome: We avoided unsustainable costs that would have crippled the business. By staying nimble and refusing to be tied down by big-retail politics, we grew through channels that were less visible but far more profitable.

Final Reflection

The Ghana launch tested me more than any other project. I had to balance missteps, cultural mismatches, and resource constraints — but also learned how resilience, humility, and agility can turn setbacks into stepping stones.• A misjudged fruit drink launch became a brand-building tool.
• Lack of marketing support forced us into creative, ground-level execution.
• Walking away from “glamour shelves” kept us profitable and realistic.In the end, despite the hurdles, we established a presence that delivered USD 650K+ in revenue within 2 years — with 20% net profitability (after absorbing the 30% loss from fruit drinks). Not by being perfect, but by adapting relentlessly.

Turning Pressure Into Performance at Brinda Pharma Technologies

The Procurement Leak That Cost a Fortune
_{- Cutting Costs Through Bulk Sourcing & Supplier Control}

A significant portion of our laboratory furniture and equipment required bulk quantities of routine parts such as door handles, small lights, door hinges, aluminum frames, knobs, calibration gauges, pharma-grade machine fans, and exhaust fans.
The company was purchasing these items locally from Indian manufacturers, distributors, and vendors on a per-project basis, which drove costs up and created inefficiencies. (This was a long-standing issue)Solution / Actions Taken:
• Introduced project procurement planning from the bidding stage, supported by forecasting based on historical bid-win rates.
• Standardized bulk sourcing for routine parts and products needed across multiple orders.
• Identified and onboarded six reliable suppliers from China after thorough background checks.
• Hired a local consultant in China to ensure quality inspections, secure payments, and compliance with specifications before shipping.Outcome:
• Established a streamlined procurement and forecasting process.
• Reduced dependency on ad-hoc local purchases in India.
• Achieved USD 250K savings in cost of goods produced through bulk sourcing and supplier diversification.
Challenge 2 – The USA Pharma Giant Project

No Team, No Time, No Excuses
_{- Turning a Visa Crisis Into Early Delivery Success}

We won a prestigious contract from a USA-based pharmaceutical giant. As part of the bidding process, I personally estimated USD 150K for the installation component — covering in-house costs such as visas, flights, accommodation, food, site allowances, and margin.The plan from the start was to send 5 of our in-house technicians along with myself to complete the installation. To mitigate risk, I applied for 10 visas in total, expecting at least 5 approvals. To further strengthen the process, I even engaged a specialized visa consultancy in Mumbai to train our technicians for their US consulate interviews.On paper, everything was in order:
• Complete travel proofs,
• Full documentation,
• An attested invitation letter from the client.Yet, the outcome shocked us: all 10 technicians were rejected — only my visa was approved.We reapplied two more times, correcting every detail, but each attempt ended in rejection. Meanwhile, the goods had already arrived at the client’s facility in the US, but we had no manpower to install them.It was crushing. I had calculated, planned, and mitigated risks — but the assumption failed. This was my estimate, my decision, and my responsibility to fix.Failed Attempt 1:
I explained the situation to the client and requested a waiver of the USD 150K installation fee, offering not to charge them if they arranged manpower themselves. The response was blunt: “Installation was in your scope. You should have anticipated this before bidding.” They refused.Failed Attempt 2:
I traveled to the US myself to find technical subcontractors. Three firms understood the scope — but their quotes were USD 900K just for installation, almost the full value of our USD 1.2M contract. Completely unviable.Last-Resort Solution (Successful):
With the client’s termination notice already in hand, I took one final chance. I placed back-to-back newspaper advertisements for a week, calling for manpower (technical or non-technical) who already held valid US entry visas with at least one year’s validity.We received around 30 applications. After rounds of interviews, background checks, and evaluations, I shortlisted 6 candidates. None came from our industry, but I decided to take ownership — if my initial plan had failed, then I had to be the one to lead the solution.I flew with the 6 recruits, trained them onsite, and personally supervised every stage of the installation.Outcome:
• Installation was completed successfully under my leadership.
• Project was delivered 20 days ahead of the committed timeline.
• Client issued us a completion certificate and final handover approval.
• What began as a failed estimate became a story of accountability: I accepted the mistake, adapted under pressure, and turned a potential disaster into a USD 1.2M success delivered ahead of schedule.