Agthia Group PJSC

Digital & Technology Business Partner for all BU Presidents and Head of D&T Commercial for Agthia (ADQ).

In my first year, I have established a strong partnership with the Water, Snacks and Agri business units, enabling brands such as Al Ain Water and Zadina to set up and execute their digital transformation strategy.

Main achievements include:
- Recruitment of new teams, including 7+ new roles from scratch, to enable Digital Marketing and Ecommerce (Direct to Consumer (D2C/DTC), Bricks & Clicks, Quick-Commerce etc.) technical and business delivery to work cross business units
- Launch of a new operating model for the Al Ain Water delivery business in the UAE, positively impacting more than 80,000 users yearly, enabling new KPIs (e.g. via Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity) to measured and discussed, cross-functionally for the first time ever. As a result, we have enabled pre-emptive customer compensation policies across call center agents, better process for handling whatsapp messages reducing waiting time from average 45+ min to <10 min, tracking water delivery "on time" and action plans to improve these and other leading and lagging KPIs
- Improvements and launch of a new omni-channel app and website, with multiple enhancements including live wallet balance updates (vs. up to 3 days before), new live subscription confirmation (vs. up to 3 days before), product detail pages loading time reduced from 9 seconds to 1 second, launch of Apple Pay (now accounts for 60% of payments via apple devices), completely re-designed user interface focused on customer experience and conversion optimization (resulting in +4% checkout success rate, and more
- Launch of ecommerce operating model for Agrivita App, giving the BU the data needed to start optimizing the app, used by thousands of Emirati farmers
- Zadina.ae D2C ecommerce operating model, driving +32% organic traffic, +11% search ranking and +22% sales
- Launch of Zadina brand on Amazon, Instashop, Deliveroo and Careem

Sr. Director Digital & Technology - Commercial Head

Clube Bora Fazer

Embaixador do Clube Bora Fazer em Dubai. Uma plataforma dedicada ao compartilhamento de conhecimento, de brasileiros para brasileiros, sem fins lucrativos, encabeçada pelo fantástico Fernando Seabra. Saiba mais em www.clubeborafazer.com.br

Embaixador / Ambassador Clube Bora Fazer

AIR (Advanced Inhalation Rituals) / Al Fakher

• Created an ecommerce channel from zero, worth 2MM USD+ within 9 months
• Launched social media account for OOKA and acquired 35,000 followers in 6 weeks, 60,000 in 4 months organically on Instagram, making it the main source of traffic and conversion for OOKA.com
• Defined Digital Marketing and Ecommerce strategy including organic and paid Social Media, Influencer and Affiliate Marketing programs and CRM Email Marketing automated journeys for Al Fakher and other 2 brands to enable B2C and B2B businesses worth 150MMUSD+ / year
• Created team from scratch: Social Media, Ecommerce, Customer Service and more.
• Outlined SEO and Consumer Journey optimization strategy and operating model
to launch OOKA D2C website in Mar’23

Head of Digital Marketing & Ecommerce AMEA

Worked directly for the General Manager Ecommerce, on a 50MMUSD business.
• Established a new operating model across warehousing, picking and packing, customer service, sales, digital marketing and more areas.
• Implemented and operationalized a completely new technology stack (Magento, Plytix, Hubspot, Klaviyo, Yotpo and more).
• Delivered a smooth transition, with ZERO losses in sales due to the program, SEO rankings back to top 10 within 2 weeks and 40% of conversion going through automated CRM email program.

Head of Ecommerce Digital Transformation USA

Reckitt

• Led Global Digital Transformation program for Media, Marketing and Ecommerce, controlling a budget of 7+ MMGBP / year
• Led the creation, operationalization and governance of the program’s 4 pillars: Category Levers, Hygiene Levers, Organization Enablers, Digital & Data Enablers with Global CMO Hygiene, Chief Digital Officer Hygiene and CIO Hygiene, as well as 24+ Country General Managers, Marketing and IT Directors
• Insourced / Created 56 FTE positions across 8 digital media hubs we created in USA, UK, Brazil, Mexico, India, Poland, Malaysia and UAE
• Partnered with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Google, Mighty Hive, Publicis, Omnicom and Artefact and other top firms to deliver the program
• Executed 100+ digital media tests, which positive results were scaled up geographically, driving media ROI up by 30%
• Leveraged machine learning to create scalable audience segmentation (Auto-ML such as H2O / DataRobot). Custom audiences are pushed to Facebook, DV360 and Amazon, delivering up to 200% incremental sales.
• Used machine learning to deliver a fit-for-purpose solution to measure media performance, with less dependancy on external measurement (e.g. Nielsen MMX / MMM, BCG Marketing Catalyst).

Global Head Digital Transformation

• Accountable for E2E IT services in the Hygiene business unit, including offices, plants and distribution center sites
• Started a partnership that launched a pioneer data & analytics program in the region, sponsored by myself, Marketing and Sales directors.
Achievements Summary:
- Positioned Mexico as a global innovator with data & analytics: Used Machine Learning to increase Vanish’s and Lysol’s gross margin by 2%+ and analyzed supply chain, trade spend and net sales data to propose an indirect channel transformation that reduced logistic costs by 5%+;
- Re-designed the IT and business organizations and strategy to stabilize operations with a newly implemented SAP ERP (ECC);
- Strengthened IT participation and equity across business areas (Business relevance of IT grew from 3.2 to 4.5, out of 5.0 as per other areas' directors);
- Created a talent pipeline and exported 2 key IT talents to Brazil – biggest LATAM market at Reckitt, and eventually Europe.

IT Head / CIO Mexico and Central America (CAMEX) - Hygiene and Home

Created Data & Analytics team’s capability and operating model from scratch, managing 5 people in the team
• Drove team’s priorities to be in line with Sales Directors and LATAM CEO
• Delivered 50MMGBP in actionable insights to Hygiene and Health business units using Knime, Power BI, POS data and down the trade sell-through data
• Received “Gamechangers” Award in the category “Partnership”

Head of Data & Analytics LATAM

Procter & Gamble

• Defined and executed service strategy with Data Availability of 99%+ and Data Quality of 98%+
• Strengthened sales reporting services by creating service automations on Knime and training different functions to do the same, saving 3+ FTE worth of time across IT, supply chain and sales

LATAM POS Data Service Delivery Manager

• Promoted from Intern to Coordinator and then manager within 2.5 years
• Chosen to lead a 1MMUSD outsourcing project in Cincinnati for 6 months at P&G Headquarters and then manage its service delivery delivering 450K+ USD savings.
• Awarded “Power of You” Gold Award for top performance 
• Acquired P&G certifications: Project Manager, Vendor Manager and others

North & Latin America EDI Service Delivery Manager

Windsor Idiomas

English teacher for advanced level students.

English Teacher

Foursys

First experience working with IT, programming COBOL for bank institutions.

Programmer

WIZARD IDIOMAS

English teacher for students of all levels.

I enable CEOs and General Managers to deliver their objectives while modernizing their teams and operations via Digital Transformation, with a positive and relationship-oriented approach.

I am a Digital Transformation, Digital Marketing and Ecommerce professional with technology and engineering background, a born leader and communicator, lover of people development and enthusiast of customer-centered attitude.

I have worked as project, program and service manager for IT, digital media, supply, sales, marketing and other area-related deliverables. I loved my time working as a CIO and how we transformed the IT team's perception in Mexico and Central America with delightful service experience to employees leveraging basic IT services so we could drive an innovation agenda focused on data analytics and how insights can transform decision making.

I bring experience leading grand scale global digital transformation programs and I can make technology teams speak "business" for I have been in sales and digital marketing jobs myself.

Guilherme Altieri do Amaral

Stealth start-up fintech

Building a stealth start-up fintech in the banking and financial services space.

Building a start-up fintech | Programme Director | Operations Director | SaaS | Blockchain

Career Break

Supporting extended family

OMNIO

Omnio Group is a Cards & Payments FinTech, also creating Banking-As-A-Service (BaaS), transitioning from start-up to scale-up.

Objective
Recruited by the CEO to enable accelerated revenue growth, and reduce programme delivery costs through better, faster delivery and leadership of a central team.

●	Full lifecycle delivery management using multi-disciplinary teams

●	Led the creation of a white-label current account, both the technology aspect and BAU operational processes including KYC, AML, compliance and support

●	Led an additional ring-fenced team of 30 people supporting key clients on highly unstable legacy platforms the pending availability of the new Omnicore platform

●	Reduced delivery costs by: facilitating uplifts in individuals performance using coaching and feedback; designing and implementing Agile methodology and governance; identifying and mitigating risks and issues early using the new methodology and reporting

●	Reduced remedial work and costs by: allocation of quality assurance resource; enhanced Sprint planning; better control of requirements documentation and Change Requests

●	Created new Change Management function, leading a team of programme and project managers, business analysts and PMO

●	Revenues accelerated by: earlier delivery rather than many months late

Results
Improved financials by over £5 million pa by mitigating the risk of lost revenues, managing key supplier relationships and accelerating new revenue growth. Reduced delivery and remedial costs by over £1.5 million pa, and mitigated programme overruns.

Program Director

The private equity investors asked me to lead a subsidiary business PCT London with a team of 30, to move key clients, suppliers and staff to the core Omnio business and then close the PCT limited company, at the same time as continuing programme delivery and business as usual operational activities.

Managing Director

Aion Digital

Aion Digital is a FinTech company creating digital banking applications across the Middle East, transitioning from start-up to scale-up.

Objective
To enable accelerated revenue growth, reduce programme delivery costs through better, faster delivery and leadership of a central team.

●	Full lifecycle program management simultaneously in 3 countries across the Middle East, using multi-disciplinary teams

●	Revenues accelerated by; earlier completion payments through delivery on time rather than typically 2 months late; better programme planning; careful management of Project Managers across Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai

●	Delivery costs reduced by: delivering on time by designing and implementing a programme delivery framework based on Agile methodology with structured governance and oversight; facilitating an uplift in Project Manager performance through regular development reviews, feedback and coaching; creation of transparent internal and external reporting, enabling early communication of issues and remedial actions

●	Remedial work costs reduced by: control of business requirements documents and Change Requests; enhanced Sprint planning; allocation of quality assurance resource

●	Established new Delivery function leading a team of programme and project managers, business analysts and PMO

Results
Improved financials by over $5 million pa by mitigating the risk of lost revenues, managing key supplier relationships and accelerating new revenue growth. Reduced delivery and remedial costs by over $1 million pa, and mitigated programme overruns.

Transformation Director

Williams Lea

Williams Lea Tag is a global marketing and communications business.

Objective
Mitigate delivery risk by turnaround of failing GDPR programme

●	Full lifecycle programme management

●	Mixture of onshore and offshore teams

Results
Delivered 2 months ahead of plan and 42% under budget

Program Manager

Post Office Ltd

Joint venture with Bank of Ireland.

Objective
Increase revenues by the turnaround of a failing strategic programme where 4 others had failed.

●	Deployment of tablet technology and digital content to 500 strategic locations

●	Recovery of broken relationships with 3 of the 4 key IT suppliers

●	Full lifecycle programme management

●	Leadership of multi-disciplinary onshore and offshore teams

Results
Revenue increase in excess of £15 million pa.

Deloitte

Objective
Increase revenues by creating a new service following my direct approach to the UK Managing Partner with a new business idea.

●	Design and implementation of a new data analytics service

●	Full lifecycle programme management

●	Matrix organisation leading multi-disciplinary teams

●	Sale of service to key strategic clients to ensure year 1 profitability

Results
Revenues in excess of £5 million pa.

Capa

Capa is a boutique consultancy. Delivery of finance programmes at large retailers.

Some jurisdictions refer to this as Programme Manager.

MERIDIAN COST BENEFIT LIMITED

Meridian is a boutique consultancy. Delivery of finance programmes in local authorities, legal, retail, manufacturing, engineering and utilities sectors.

Project Manager

EURODEBT FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED

Financial Services franchise selling to personal customers.

Owner

Programme Director. I help CEOs of UK-based Fintech businesses, deliver annual revenue growth of £15m+, by leading the change and client delivery performance effectively.

Are you a CEO in FinTech or financial services and want to accelerate your revenue growth?

Do you fear the next meeting with investors and shareholders?

Are you frustrated about not being able to get the revenue performance from the assets you have?

Are you worried for your position as CEO even?

Wouldn’t it be better if your revenue growth gained the spring in its step that you keep promising?

If your meetings with investors were handshakes and not ass-kickings?

And if it came without having to throw a whole ton of budget at delivery and sales functions?

It’s because your delivery capability is not optimised, and revenues are slow to be captured. The SDLC and governance are lacking, and sub-optimal delivery decisions are made against this context.

This is good news, because it’s not expensive or radical to fix. It just needs diligent and experienced delivery leadership. Then your revenues will grow faster – happy days.

In my 15+ years’ experience I have led the delivery contribution to revenue growth of c. £15m pa, including my last two roles. That’s why a fintech former colleague said of me:

"…Strategic/critical thinking, excellent communication/articulation and strong analytical ability. He has an ability to focus on business outcomes as well as stated objectives and operates confidently at the Board level."

The same types of issues arise repeatedly – I expect them, am adept at negotiating them and have done so many times.

If you would like me to help you increase revenues by leading and optimising your Change or Delivery function, then direct message me on LinkedIn now.

Paul Meredith

🌟 FinTech friends and financial services leaders — let’s have a real chat about change. Because, honestly, it’s not just about growth anymore. Sometimes, it’s about survival. 

🌟 I’ve been in the Change & Transformation game for over 20 years now. And here’s something I’ve noticed: a lot of people talk about change like they want it — but what they really mean is they want everyone else to change. 

Funny how that works, right? The truth is, change can be scary when it means changing yourself.

Why is that?

➡️Maybe people don’t feel totally ready for what’s coming
➡️Or maybe they’re just comfortable where they are
➡️Ambiguity? It can freak people out
➡️And if someone’s been burned by messy change efforts before, why would they jump back in?

So, how do we make this less scary?

➡️Talk openly - explain the what, the why, the when, and what’s in it for them
➡️Get everyone involved early, especially those doing the day-to-day work — they know the pain points better than the exec team
➡️Tailor your communication — Board members want slides, end users want Q&As

Give the right training
➡️Keep the support going after launch
➡️And most importantly, listen. Feedback is gold for tweaking and improving

When we do change right, it sets us up for success — real success tied to actual business goals, the stuff we promised when we started the journey.

How are you embracing change in your organisation? Any lessons or tips you’ve picked up along the way? Let’s swap stories.

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Building a startup fintech. I help fintech CEOs deliver annual revenue growth of £15m+, by leading the change and client delivery function effectively

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