Pradeep Vasudevan Panicker
Farmington
Summary
As a visionary CFO, I drive transformative financial strategies that optimize business performance, foster sustainable growth, and create long-term value. With extensive international experience and strong operational background, I possess a deep understanding of diverse markets, cultures, and financial landscapes, enabling me to propel business growth, streamline operations, and implement strategies that align with both international standards and local nuances for sustained success.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Advisor & Investor
Tarform Motorcycles Inc.
Brooklyn
01.2022 - Current
- Company Overview: Tarform is a start-up electric motorcycle company headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. While fully electric, Tarform´s commitment to sustainability goes far beyond just making an electric motorcycle by using high-performance biomaterials that can be recycled.
- As a role of a Strategic Advisor and Business Partner, I am providing counsel, advice and support on all Financial & Operational matters to the CEO and help grow the business profitably.
- Tarform is a start-up electric motorcycle company headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. While fully electric, Tarform´s commitment to sustainability goes far beyond just making an electric motorcycle by using high-performance biomaterials that can be recycled.
Vice President Finance & CFO - Americas
Thule Group
Seymour
06.2015 - Current
- Company Overview: $1 billion in revenue with a market cap of $3.5 billion, Thule is a leading global brand offering luxury outdoor and transportation products for active lifestyle.
- Responsible for financial strategy and operational excellence across the Americas region, overseeing all aspects of finance, strategic planning, KPI management, business development, M&A, taxation, compliance, and audit.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the President of Region Americas while leading a high-performing 24-member team across eight offices and manufacturing plants in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil.
- Chair the U.S. 401(k) Investment Committee with full fiduciary authority over plan management and administration.
- Strategic M&A Leadership: Orchestrated transformative acquisitions, including Chariot Strollers (Canada), Case Logic (U.S.), Tepui Tents (U.S.), and Denver Outfitters (U.S.), reinforcing market leadership in the outdoor sector. Led valuation, negotiations, integration, and purchase price adjustments.
- Operational Optimization: Streamlined North American legal entity structure from nine entities to two, achieving significant reductions in debt and tax liabilities while unlocking capital for innovation and growth.
- Profitability & Efficiency Improvements: Revolutionized costing methodologies to ensure accurate pricing, optimize plant efficiency, and enhance margin precision, driving measurable bottom-line results.
- Innovation-Driven Financial Systems: Pioneered the adoption of advanced budgeting and analytics platforms for precise, real-time reporting to executive leadership and the board. Automated cash application and deduction processes through AI, significantly improving operational efficiency.
- $1 billion in revenue with a market cap of $3.5 billion, Thule is a leading global brand offering luxury outdoor and transportation products for active lifestyle.
- Analyzed market trends to identify opportunities for growth within existing markets or new ones.
- Collaborated with executive team members on major decisions regarding company-wide initiatives.
- Formulated policies that improved operational efficiency and productivity.
- Cultivated a culture of collaboration among department heads to facilitate cross-functional project execution.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors for services, products and supplies.
- Implemented process improvement procedures that resulted in cost savings across the board.
- Established performance standards for staff members in order to drive productivity levels up.
- Directed business development initiatives, including acquisitions and joint venture agreements.
- Advised senior executives on approaches for resolving complex issues impacting operations.
- Managed financial operations, overseeing budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis activities.
- Identified problems and implemented solutions to better streamline operations.
- Optimized supply chain to reduce materials costs and improve distribution.
- Leveraged trends in customer industries and marketplaces to shape solutions and approaches.
- Oversaw technological improvements, successfully reducing waste and eliminating business bottlenecks.
- Developed comprehensive tax planning strategies that minimized liabilities while maximizing profitability.
- Directed treasury operations including cash management functions; monitored foreign exchange exposure risks.
Global Operations Controller & Director
Stanley Black & Decker
New Britain
01.2014 - 01.2015
- Company Overview: Global head of Finance & Controllership for the Operations group for $1.5 billion Business Unit Stanley Engineered Fastening.
- Managed operational performance, balance sheet, and KPIs of 40+ plants and 10 distribution centers worldwide.
- Led global team of 6 direct and 19 indirect reports.
- Harmonized global standard costing methodology across all plants to ensure accuracy and consistency.
- Global head of Finance & Controllership for the Operations group for $1.5 billion Business Unit Stanley Engineered Fastening.
Director Finance & Business Controller - Americas
Philips Consumer Lifestyle
Stamford
01.2013 - 01.2014
- Head of Finance for the Supply Chain Organization for North and South America supporting an annual revenue of $1.2 billion.
- Oversaw all financial operations for the supply chain organization across North and South America, driving strategic initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and deliver cost savings.
- Provided financial leadership for commercial and industrial business strategies and transformation projects across the region.
- Led 5-member, geographically dispersed team.
- Strategic Footprint Optimization: Led the implementation of a new distribution and manufacturing footprint for the North American consumer business, achieving $15M in cost savings over five years.
Director & CFO - Indian Subcontinent
Philips Consumer Lifestyle
New Delhi
01.2011 - 01.2013
- Responsible for overall financial management, strategic planning, policy development, taxes and audit.
- Business Partner to the President of the Indian Subcontinent.
- Led staff of 12 across the region.
- Business Turnaround: Transformed a loss-making consumer business into a profitable, cash-rich operation with a robust balance sheet.
- Delivered cost reductions through productivity improvements, revenue optimization, improved gross margin and slashed working capital by 82%.
- Tax Strategy: Developed and implemented a robust corporate tax framework to ensure full compliance with Federal and State tax regulations governing pricing, imports, intercompany transactions, and transfer pricing.
- Achieved a significant reduction in the region's effective tax rate.
- Governance & Risk Management: Established an integrated risk management and internal control system, resulting in a clean audit from KPMG after three consecutive years of audit red flags.
- Award-Winning Performance: Earned the CEO's Outstanding Award for Internal Policy & Compliance Deployment in 2012/2013.
Global Business Unit Controller
Philips Healthcare
Parsippany
01.2004 - 01.2011
- Oversaw finance and accounting operations across multiple countries, US, UK, Italy, China, and Hong Kong.
- Served as a strategic business partner to the Head of Global Business Development at Philips, performing financial valuations of businesses and technologies for potential acquisitions.
- Managed a 14-member global finance and accounting team spanning five countries.
- Strategic Financial Leadership: Directed financial strategies for the Business Unit, achieving 600% revenue growth over five years through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.
- Surpassed revenue and EBIT targets for 17 consecutive quarters.
- M&A Excellence: Led three key acquisitions that transformed the business.
- Global Recognition & Leadership Development: Honored with Philips' 'Top Potential' global award, resulting in a fast-track promotion and an overseas expat assignment to lead a high-visibility Capstone project.
- Research Contribution: Recognized in the European Cystic Fibrosis Research Journal for designing an innovative 'Patient Compliance Model,' enabling physicians to analyze treatment patterns and improve patient adherence.
Financial Analyst
The Linde Group (BOC Gases)
Murray Hill
01.2001 - 01.2004
- Oversaw financial planning and analysis for the Distribution & Logistics department in North America, preparing monthly and annual financial performance and operational reports for senior management.
- Monitored profitability and distribution costs across locations and key customer accounts.
- Established cost and operational standards for distribution centers, tracking monthly variances in key areas.
- Led the global team responsible for transferring best practices to emerging markets.
- Cost Optimization & Profit Growth: Designed and implemented a financial and mathematical algorithm for Linde Group, accurately calculating bulk gas distribution costs across North America, ensuring precise customer pricing and generating $30 million in additional profits annually.
- Award-Winning Performance: Honored with the Outstanding Performance Achievement Award by Linde Group and inducted into the President's Club for exceptional contributions.
Financial Analyst - Corporate M&A
Chemoil Corporation
San Francisco
01.2000 - 01.2001
- Provided guidance on investment decisions based on current economic trends and forecasts.
- Assessed potential risks associated with new investments or acquisitions.
- Conducted research into industry-specific market conditions and competitor analysis.
- Evaluated new business opportunities and conducted feasibility studies to assess financial viability.
- Provided financial analysis support during merger and acquisition (M&A) activities.
Management Consultant, Market Intelligence
Nestlé Philippines, Inc.
Metro Manila
01.1999 - 01.2000
- Gathered and analyzed data to identify trends, opportunities, and potential solutions.
- Developed segmentation models to better understand target audiences and their buying behavior.
- Maintained databases of competitor information including pricing, product offerings, marketing strategies.
Project Engineer
Center for Management Development
India
01.1995 - 01.1998
- Created detailed reports outlining current operations as well as proposed changes to improve productivity.
- Collaborated with management teams to design innovative solutions that reduced labor costs while increasing output quality.
- Developed, tested and implemented new production processes to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
- Conducted root cause analysis investigations when unexpected problems occurred during production runs.
- Established quality assurance protocols throughout the organization's manufacturing processes.
- Monitored machine performance regularly through proactive maintenance programs.
- Performed time studies to determine how long certain tasks take so that appropriate staffing levels can be determined.
Education
MS - Business Administration & Management, Technology
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
New York, NYMBA - Finance & Strategy
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
Metro Manila, PhilippinesBachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF KERALA
Trivandrum, IndiaSkills
- Strategy Design & Implementation
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As)
- Controllership
- Global Team Leadership
- Restructuring
- Working Capital & Cash Flow Management
- Cost Reduction
- Auditing
- Compliance
- Price Negotiation
- Business Process Reengineering
- P&L & Balance Sheet Management
- Risk Management
- Fraud detection and recovery
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Performance Management
- KPI management
- Market analysis
- Critical thinking
- Performance monitoring
- Performance data analysis
- Market trends and analysis
- Price structuring
- Strategic planning
- Relationship building
- Coaching and mentoring
Timeline
Advisor & Investor
Tarform Motorcycles Inc.
01.2022 - Current
Vice President Finance & CFO - Americas
Thule Group
06.2015 - Current
Global Operations Controller & Director
Stanley Black & Decker
01.2014 - 01.2015
Director Finance & Business Controller - Americas
Philips Consumer Lifestyle
01.2013 - 01.2014
Director & CFO - Indian Subcontinent
Philips Consumer Lifestyle
01.2011 - 01.2013
Global Business Unit Controller
Philips Healthcare
01.2004 - 01.2011
Financial Analyst
The Linde Group (BOC Gases)
01.2001 - 01.2004
Financial Analyst - Corporate M&A
Chemoil Corporation
01.2000 - 01.2001
Management Consultant, Market Intelligence
Nestlé Philippines, Inc.
01.1999 - 01.2000
Project Engineer
Center for Management Development
01.1995 - 01.1998
MS - Business Administration & Management, Technology
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
MBA - Finance & Strategy
ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
UNIVERSITY OF KERALA
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