Ziad Al Refai

Throughout my experience, I executed various consultancy missions for different institutions; NGOs, Not for profit institutions, private sector profit-making companies;

Sustainability

· Review financial reports and streamline operations to increase productivity and company profits.

· Provide strategic planning advice and financial oversight for corporate stakeholders.

· Analyze financial information related to payroll, capital projects, operating expenses, professional service contracts, and office supplies and equipment to examine budget needs.

· Improve financial status by analyzing results, monitoring variances, and recommending actions to management staff.

· Determine pricing, margins, and risk factors for active and proposed projects.

· Develop forecasting tools to analyze revenue variances and capitalize on industry trends.

Business Development and Change Management

· Recommend updates to current legislation, regulations, and policies.

· Identify, evaluate, and develop solutions to remove roadblocks to change.

· Implemented process improvement to shape organizational culture, optimize procedures for higher efficiency, and help the company evolve and grow.

· Devise strategies to improve organizational efficiency and optimize group management.

· Creat methods to integrate functions, optimize processes and prepare staff through proactive training.

· Manage internal and external client-facing relationships through transitional periods.

Ethmar for Islamic Microfinance, the first Shari’ah compliant microfinance company in Jordan, is owned by King Hussien Foundation(KHF) under the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) umbrella. Provide financial solutions for financially excluded individuals (employees, workers, and retirees), licensed businesses, and household businesses.

• Drove implementation of new market entrance to propel business forward and adapt to market changes by introducing Islamic Microfinance.
• Introduced a new matrix organizational plan with clear roles and responsibilities to enhance processes while ensuring quality and regulatory compliance.
• Conducted target market and market segmentation research to scope out industry competition and identify advantageous trends.
• Improved bottom-line profitability by growing customer base and capitalizing on upsell opportunities.
• Aligned organizational objectives with company mission, increasing revenue, profit and business growth by collaboratively developing integrated strategies.
• Assessed financial statements and operation reports to evaluate leading indicators’ performance, develop targeted improvements and implement changes resulting in exceptional growth and outreach.
• Managed and executed USAID fund to support the product development process.
• Enhanced operational efficiency and productivity by managing budgets, key performance indicators (KPI’s) using self developed performance dashboard.
• Developed and pitched plan for an innovative Youth development product, called “vocational educational program” in partnership with the private sector. In the first-round more than 3000 youth were served.

Tamweelcom (Jordan Microfinance Company) founded by King Hussein Foundation (KHF) in 1999 with a 30,000 JD grant, five employees, and one branch. Aimed to elevate employment rates, foster socio-economic advancement, and empower low-income individuals within Jordan.

Today, Tamweelcom is a 50 million JOD company that caters to 90,000 clients and enterprises. It has over 500 employees across physical branches and two mobile bus branches – it is the only microfinance institution to operate mobile branches in the Kingdom.

• Promoted mission of Tamweelcom via successful outreach and marketing strategies to accelerate business activity from 6 branches to 31 branch that covers all main cities in Jordan.
• Supervised disbursement of over than 460,000 loans in amount of US $298 million, financed over 79,000 small and Micro-enterprises, 91% of which are owned by women and 35% Youth with 99% collection and repayment rate.
• Headed a 381 staff member and headed Operation, Finance, Human resource, Marketing, Administration and IT functions, and achieved full operational and financial transparency within two years.
• Expanded Tamweelcom's outreach from five branches to 31 branches in Jordan; in addition to Mobile Bus/Branchless operation that lead company to reach 119% operational sustainability and 111% financial sustainability.
• Increased capital equity from USD 43,000 to USD 11.2 million.
• Introduced international standards of work conditions through International Labor Organization 'Microfinance for Decent Work' program to ensure healthy and safety workplace environment free of child labor and to reduce school dropouts among its beneficiaries.
• Established new customer service and problem resolution processes to improve client satisfaction rates and create exceptional client experiences.
• Managed and executed USAID project to support Tamweelcom's capabilities by USD 600,000.
• Increased company outreach and portfolio by 10 times in ten years through aggressive new market strategies.
• Improved performance management system and introduced key performance management and dashboard program to develop future leaders.
• Developed and enhanced procedures to reduce institution's exposure to risks, updated risks recorded and conducted risk assessment regularly.
• Implemented business development technical initiatives that brought in new clients and increased revenue funded by USAID.

Microfund for Women (MFW) is a private non-profit company operates under the umbrella of Central Bank of Jordan, MFW began its operations in 1996 and is considered one of the leading companies to provide financial services to low-income, small business owners in Jordan with more than 50 branches and more than 130,000 active clients.

• Verified compliance of financial policies and accounting procedures against Central bank regulations.
• Established and enforced controls on revenue and expenses to protect company assets.
• Assessed budget plans and present costs to forecast trends and recommend changes.
• Set clear departmental objectives and developed effective strategies to achieve targeted goals.
• Managed and executed Usaid project to support MFW operation and expansion capabilities by USD 5 Million.
• Maintained agile, responsible organization with sustained revenue growth by monitoring industry forecasts, honing budgets and adjusting marketing strategies.
• Analyzed financial data regarding product performance and customer performance and developed reports for key stakeholders.