Annapoorni Narayanan is a seasoned executive with a robust track record in driving organizational success through strategic financial management, process optimization, and innovative solutions. With over 25 years of experience across prestigious global companies, Annapoorni has consistently demonstrated her expertise in aligning financial strategies with business objectives, driving long-term profitable and sustainable growth, and building high-performing teams that challenge the status quo to achieve aspirational goals for the business.

Annapoorni began her illustrious career in finance at Unilever, where she honed her skills as a Senior Financial Analyst in Sales Finance. During her tenure, she was instrumental in spearheading customer-brand segmentation efforts that significantly enhanced profit contributions. Her award-winning execution in transforming volume rebate evaluation processes led to substantial growth in profitability, showcasing her ability to blend analytical rigor with strategic foresight.

Her commitment to excellence propelled her to the role of Finance Manager for Homecare Marketing, where she managed the planning and financial delivery for the Homecare P&L, achieving an impressive $200 million in sales. Through astute business planning, innovative product strategies, and impactful pricing decisions, Annapoorni successfully navigated gross margin challenges, resulting in cost savings and margin improvements within just one year.

In her subsequent role as Senior Manager Finance at Henkel, Annapoorni played a pivotal role in strategic brand development during the transition of a newly acquired entity from Unilever. Her adept leadership in crafting comprehensive brand and customer business plans not only strengthened brand positioning but also heightened market competitiveness. She successfully built and mentored a high-performing finance team dedicated to the new Canadian operation, demonstrating her commitment to team development and operational excellence.

At Johnson & Johnson, Annapoorni further solidified her reputation as an innovative leader. She pioneered the implementation of robust financial systems and processes that facilitated the successful launch of the company’s inaugural e-commerce business. Her design of a comprehensive B2C framework significantly expanded existing B2B partnerships across Canada, earning her the prestigious Process Excellence Oscar Award for exemplary process development. Additionally, her contract negotiation expertise allowed her to navigate complex customer contracts, broadening online distribution channels and earning her the CFO’s ‘My 2 Cents Award’ for outstanding contributions.

Annapoorni’s ability to drive operational efficiency was further demonstrated during her time as a Finance Manager in Sales Accounting & Reporting, where she transformed the month-end close reporting processes for $1.2 billion in gross-to-net sales from eight hours to an impressive 30 minutes. She also led initiatives to align Canada’s revenue recognition with US and Canadian GAAP, ensuring precision in planning, forecasting and reporting.

Her journey continued with a prominent role as CFO and Director of Finance at Kimberly-Clark, Canada, where she led strategic planning initiatives and business processes that transformed the Canadian business from a sales region to a fully operational business unit. Annapoorni championed sustainable, long-term growth, doubled the three-year organic sales growth rate  trajectory, and tripled operating profit growth rate over three years. Her efforts in rebuilding and empowering the finance team were recognized with regional awards, highlighting her success in fostering collaborative and results-driven teams.

At Kimberly-Clark, as Head of Global Procurement Finance, Annapoorni was instrumental in driving a culture of performance and cost savings within a $13 billion procurement portfolio. Through innovative strategic development and global cost management, her team achieved $2.6 billion in savings over five years. She demonstrated strong leadership by challenging traditional practices and empowering her team to implement transformative changes that strengthened efficiency and resource allocation globally.

Most recently, Annapoorni served as the North America Business Unit CFO at FMC Corporation, where she was responsible for a $1 billion revenue stream and $400 million in EBIT. She spearheaded initiatives that increased sales by 60% and doubled operating profit, reinforcing her commitment to strategic planning and operational excellence.   Annapoorni collaborated across functions to enhance the sales and operations planning process and introduced automated forecasting solutions, enabling her finance team to prioritize their time for high-impact, results-driving efforts.

Annapoorni holds a Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) designation and is a Six Sigma Green Belt certified professional in Process Excellence. She earned her MBA in Finance from the Faculty of Management Studies at the University of Delhi and holds a CCP certification from the Credit Institute of Canada.

With her diverse experience, strong leadership skills, and commitment to excellence, Annapoorni Narayanan continues to drive transformative change within organizations, leveraging her extensive knowledge to foster growth and facilitate impactful decision-making.

Character: 

Annapoorni Narayanan exemplifies integrity and resilience, demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence and continuous improvement in her professional endeavors.

Knowledge: 

With over 25 years of experience in finance across prestigious organizations, Annapoorni possesses deep expertise in financial management, strategic planning and process optimization across US and Canada. She is also open to board roles in both the US and Canada.

Strategic: 

As a results-driven leader, she consistently aligns financial strategies with business objectives to drive profitability and operational efficiency within organizations.  She has a successful track record of driving profitable and sustainable results for the business.

Communication: 

Annapoorni is an adept communicator who effectively collaborates across cross functional teams, mentoring and empowering others to achieve organizational goals while fostering a culture of innovation and accountability.