CFO Playbook: Insights from Radha Ramanujan, CFO in Strategic Initiatives, Structuring Deals & more"
CFO Radha Ramanujan shares her experiences and strategies for success in multicultural organizations and turning around companies in the latest episode of CFO Playbook.
Welcome to CFO Playbook by CXO TV. In this episode, Kalpana Singhal, Founder and Chief Editor of Techplus Media Group, interviews Radha Ramanujan, CFO of Ashirvad by Aliaxis. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Radha has an impressive portfolio of achievements and a track record of success. As CFO of Ashirvad by Aliaxis, she has played a key role in developing and executing strategic initiatives, structuring deals, managing investor and customer relations, and overseeing mergers, demergers, and acquisitions. In this episode, Radha shares her experiences working in multicultural organizations and how she has established cross-functional partnerships to turn companies around. She also discusses her experiences in developing business models and cascading them into strategic initiatives.
Kalpana and Radha also discuss the challenges faced by women in finance and how Radha has successfully raised funds in her role as CFO. Radha elaborates on her experience at Chai Point, where she had the opportunity to raise funds through equity, and how it helped her gain a better understanding of private equity and venture capitalists.
Radha shares her experiences of working in various organizations and how different cultures and priorities affect the way they work. She explains that in industries like retail and startups, the priority is to grow the top line, whereas in established companies, profitability becomes the focus. She also emphasizes the importance of understanding the expectations of the parent company and establishing mutual understanding.
Radha also shares her experience in developing business models and cascading them into strategic initiatives. She explains that she has worked in large corporations like Reliance, Landmark Group, and Wipro, where she gained a lot of experience in startups. She has set up garment factories, established banks, and acquired companies in India. She emphasizes that working in the early stages of a company helps a lot because you can put the process in place, instead of getting into a mess and then trying to resolve it.
Kalpana asks Radha about the challenges of being a woman in the CFO role, which is still a male-dominated field. Radha explains that she has worked predominantly in the early stages of companies, which helped her replicate good practices from large corporations. She also worked with great consultants and learned from them. Radha also shares her experience of raising funds through private equity and venture capitalists, which was a new experience for her, but she enjoyed learning new things.
Radha reveals the strategies she uses to structure deals and raise funds, emphasizing the importance of tailoring the strategy to the company's needs and the promoter's appetite to dilute their stake. She also stresses the need to be flexible and adaptable to changes in the market and future uncertainties. She also emphasizes the importance of being careful not to lose your shareholding completely and gradually extending it. Radha also advises CFOs to take advantage of money when it is available and be prepared for the future.
In conclusion, Radha shares her experiences and strategies for turning around companies, developing business models, and raising funds. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the expectations of the parent company, establishing mutual understanding, and replicating good practices from large corporations. Radha's insights into the CFO role will be valuable for aspiring and current CFOs looking to maximize their impact on the business.
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