LinkedIn Profile โ€” Before & After โ€” James Thornton & Priya Narayan
USE CASE 1 โ€” Optimising an Existing Profile

James Thornton โ€” Senior Finance Business Partner

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BEFORE
James Thornton
Senior Finance Business Partner at Coastal Brands Group
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
500+ connections
About
Results-driven finance professional with over 12 years of experience across financial planning and analysis, commercial finance, and business partnering. I have a strong track record in driving business performance through strategic financial insights and operational improvements. Throughout my career I have worked across FMCG, retail, and professional services, partnering with senior leadership to deliver budgets, forecasts, and commercial analysis that supports informed decision-making. I am a CPA-qualified accountant with deep expertise in FP&A, budgeting and forecasting, pricing strategy, and cost optimisation. I am passionate about translating numbers into actionable business insights that drive growth. Currently the Senior Finance Business Partner at Coastal Brands Group, where I support the commercial leadership team across the ANZ business. Always open to connecting with finance professionals and business leaders.
Experience
๐Ÿข
Senior Finance Business Partner โ€” Commercial
Coastal Brands Group Pty Ltd
Mar 2022 โ€“ Present ยท Melbourne
- Partnering with the Chief Commercial Officer and sales leadership team to provide financial insights and commercial decision support across the ANZ business - Leading the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting process for the commercial function ($180m revenue base) - Working on pricing strategy analysis and trade spend optimisation for key retail accounts including Coles, Woolworths, and Costco - Managing a team of 3 finance analysts supporting sales and marketing - Developing commercial dashboards and reporting for the executive leadership team - Working closely with supply chain on cost of goods analysis and margin improvement initiatives - Supporting new product launch business cases including ROI modelling and break-even analysis - Involved in the ERP migration project (SAP S/4HANA)
๐Ÿข
Finance Business Partner โ€” Operations
Coastal Brands Group Pty Ltd
Jan 2020 โ€“ Feb 2022
- Business partnered with the Head of Operations and warehouse/logistics teams across 3 distribution centres - Responsible for the operational cost budget ($45m) including labour, freight, and warehouse costs - Worked on cost reduction initiatives across the supply chain - Monthly management reporting and variance analysis for the operations function - Supported the business case for warehouse automation investment
๐Ÿข
Senior Financial Analyst
Greenfield Consulting Group
Jul 2017 โ€“ Dec 2019
- Provided FP&A support to Managing Partners across three business lines - Managed the firm-wide budgeting and forecasting process - Built financial models for client engagement profitability analysis - Monthly management reporting including partner performance dashboards - Worked on the firm's pricing model review
๐Ÿข
Management Accountant
Harper & Cole Pty Ltd
Feb 2014 โ€“ Jun 2017
- Month-end close and management reporting for retail operations - Managed P&L for 40 stores across VIC and TAS ($120m revenue) - Inventory provisioning, stock write-off analysis, shrinkage reporting - Supported ERP transition to Oracle
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Graduate Accountant / Accountant
Meridian Partners
Jan 2012 โ€“ Jan 2014
- Financial statements, BAS, and tax returns for SME clients - Portfolio of approximately 50 clients - Audit engagements for mid-market clients
Skills
Financial Planning & Analysis Budgeting & Forecasting Commercial Finance Business Partnering Cost Optimisation
Education
๐ŸŽ“
University of Melbourne
Master of Commerce (Finance)
2010 โ€“ 2011
๐ŸŽ“
Monash University
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
2006 โ€“ 2008
๐ŸŽ“
CPA Australia
Certified Practising Accountant
Completed 2013
AFTER
James Thornton
Financial Planning & Analysis | Commercial Finance | FP&A | Pricing Strategy & Trade Spend | Budgeting & Forecasting
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
500+ connections
About
I turn complex commercial data into the financial insights that leadership teams use to make growth decisions โ€” across FMCG, retail, and professional services businesses with $120Mโ€“$500M revenue. My focus sits at the intersection of commercial finance and operational performance: partnering with C-suite and sales leadership to connect pricing strategy, trade spend, cost of goods, and margin improvement back to the bottom line. I bring a CPA-qualified, FP&A-grounded approach that moves beyond reporting into decision support. Key outcomes: - Delivered $2.4M in trade spend savings through pricing strategy optimisation across major retail accounts (Coles, Woolworths, Costco) - Led the financial workstream for SAP S/4HANA migration โ€” redesigned chart of accounts and rebuilt reporting architecture for a $350M consumer goods business - Built the commercial business case for a $3.2M warehouse automation investment, achieving 18-month payback - Managed $180M revenue base budgeting and quarterly forecasting, reducing forecast variance from 8% to under 3% Commercial Finance | Financial Planning & Analysis | FP&A | Business Partnering | Pricing Strategy | Trade Spend Optimisation | Cost of Goods Analysis | Budgeting & Forecasting | Variance Analysis | ERP Migration | Financial Modelling | ROI Analysis
Experience
๐Ÿข
Senior Finance Business Partner โ€” Commercial
Coastal Brands Group Pty Ltd
Mar 2022 โ€“ Present ยท Melbourne
Commercial finance partner to the Chief Commercial Officer and sales leadership team across a $350M Australian consumer goods company operating in food, beverage, and personal care. Responsible for the financial performance of a $180M revenue base across ANZ, leading a team of 3 finance analysts. Key Achievements: - Delivered $2.4M in annual trade spend savings through pricing strategy analysis and optimisation across Coles, Woolworths, and Costco accounts - Reduced quarterly forecast variance from 8% to under 3% by redesigning the commercial forecasting model - Built the financial business case for 4 new product launches โ€” ROI modelling that secured executive approval for $1.8M combined investment - Led finance workstream for SAP S/4HANA migration โ€” chart of accounts redesign and commercial reporting suite, delivered on time and under budget - Developed executive-level commercial dashboards adopted by CEO and board, replacing 6 legacy reports Key Responsibilities: - Annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting for the commercial function - Cost of goods analysis and margin improvement initiatives with supply chain - New product launch financial modelling and business case development - Commercial decision support for pricing, promotions, and channel strategy
๐Ÿข
Finance Business Partner โ€” Operations
Coastal Brands Group Pty Ltd
Jan 2020 โ€“ Feb 2022
Operational finance partner supporting the Head of Operations and warehouse/logistics teams across 3 distribution centres. Owned the $45M operational cost budget covering labour, freight, and warehouse costs. Key Achievements: - Built the commercial business case for a $3.2M warehouse automation investment โ€” achieved board approval and 18-month projected payback - Identified $800K in freight cost savings through carrier contract renegotiation and route optimisation analysis - Reduced month-end close cycle by 2 days through process improvement in operational cost allocation Key Responsibilities: - Operational cost budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis - Monthly management reporting for the operations function - Key liaison for annual external audit โ€” inventory and cost of goods
๐Ÿข
Senior Financial Analyst
Greenfield Consulting Group
Jul 2017 โ€“ Dec 2019
FP&A lead supporting Managing Partners across three business lines (Advisory, Tax, Assurance) within a mid-tier professional services firm. Key Achievements: - Redesigned the firm's pricing model โ€” analysis of utilisation and recovery rates led to 6% improvement in engagement margins - Delivered financial due diligence for two potential firm acquisitions, both progressing to completion - Built partner performance dashboards that became the standard for monthly leadership reviews Key Responsibilities: - Firm-wide budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting - Client engagement profitability modelling and analysis
๐Ÿข
Prior Experience
Harper & Cole Pty Ltd ยท Meridian Partners
2012 โ€“ 2017 ยท Melbourne
Management Accountant and Accountant roles across national retail ($500M revenue, 120+ stores) and mid-market professional services. Key focus: month-end close, P&L ownership ($120M retail division), ERP implementation (Oracle), inventory analysis, board reporting, and SME client portfolio management. CPA qualification completed 2013.
Skills
Industry
FMCG Consumer Goods Retail Professional Services Manufacturing Supply Chain
Functional
Financial Planning & Analysis Commercial Finance FP&A Budgeting & Forecasting Business Partnering Pricing Strategy Trade Spend Optimisation Cost of Goods Analysis Financial Modelling Variance Analysis Management Reporting
Technical / Systems
SAP S/4HANA Oracle ERP ROI Modelling Due Diligence Dashboard Development CPA Australia
Education
๐ŸŽ“
University of Melbourne
Master of Commerce (Finance)
2010 โ€“ 2011
๐ŸŽ“
Monash University
Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
2006 โ€“ 2008
๐ŸŽ“
CPA Australia
Certified Practising Accountant
Completed 2013

USE CASE 2 โ€” Building a Full Profile from a Resume

Priya Narayan โ€” Supply Chain Planning Manager

Strong career on paper. LinkedIn was empty.

BEFORE
Priya Narayan
Supply Chain Planning Manager at Veridian Consumer Health
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
500+ connections
About
Experienced supply chain professional working across demand planning, supply planning, and S&OP. Currently managing the ANZ planning function at Veridian Consumer Health. APICS CSCP certified.
Experience
๐Ÿข
Supply Chain Planning Manager โ€” ANZ
Veridian Consumer Health Pty Ltd
Jan 2023 โ€“ Present ยท Sydney
No description added
๐Ÿข
Supply Planner โ€” Manufacturing
Veridian Consumer Health Pty Ltd
Mar 2020 โ€“ Dec 2022
No description added
๐Ÿข
Demand Planner
Horizon FMCG Group
Jul 2017 โ€“ Feb 2020
No description added
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Supply Chain Analyst
Pacific Logistics Solutions
Jan 2015 โ€“ Jun 2017
No description added
๐Ÿข
Graduate Supply Chain Coordinator
Meridian Manufacturing
Feb 2013 โ€“ Dec 2014
No description added
Skills
Supply Chain Management Demand Planning SAP
Education
๐ŸŽ“
University of Technology Sydney
Master of Supply Chain Management
2013 โ€“ 2014
๐ŸŽ“
University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial)
2009 โ€“ 2012
AFTER
Priya Narayan
Demand Planning | Supply Planning | S&OP | Inventory Optimisation | Supply Chain Analytics โ€ข CSCP
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
500+ connections
About
I build the planning systems that connect demand signals to production lines and distribution networks โ€” across consumer health, FMCG, and pharmaceutical supply chains managing $85M+ in inventory and 350+ SKUs. My focus is end-to-end supply chain planning: from statistical demand forecasting and promotional uplift modelling through to master production scheduling, inventory optimisation, and S&OP facilitation. I partner with commercial, manufacturing, and finance teams to turn forecast intelligence into supply decisions that protect service levels and reduce working capital. Key outcomes: - Improved forecast accuracy from 62% to 74% (weighted MAPE) through model refinement and enhanced promotional methodology โ€” across 200+ SKUs in retail and food service - Led inventory rationalisation that identified and managed $1.2M in obsolete stock write-off while implementing controls that prevented future SLOB build-up - Reduced manufacturing changeover downtime by 18% through optimised production sequencing across 2 manufacturing sites - Delivered $320K in annual freight savings through transport route optimisation for a major retail client - Designed demand sensing and supply response modules for SAP IBP implementation across a $600M consumer health business Demand Planning | Supply Planning | S&OP | Inventory Optimisation | Forecast Accuracy | MPS | MRP | Supply Chain Analytics | Working Capital Reduction | SLOB Management | Production Scheduling | New Product Launch Planning
Experience
๐Ÿข
Supply Chain Planning Manager โ€” ANZ
Veridian Consumer Health Pty Ltd
Jan 2023 โ€“ Present ยท Sydney
Leading the end-to-end supply planning function for a $600M Australian consumer health company (OTC pharmaceutical, personal care, wellness) across Australia, NZ, and Southeast Asia. Managing a team of 4 planners across demand, supply, and inventory planning. Owns the monthly S&OP process, $85M inventory value, and OTIF performance (96.2%). Key Achievements: - Achieved 78% SKU-level forecast accuracy and 96.2% OTIF customer service โ€” top-quartile performance for the ANZ consumer health sector - Leading the supply chain workstream for SAP IBP implementation โ€” designing demand sensing and supply response modules replacing legacy SAP APO - Managed the supply chain integration of a $45M wellness brand acquisition into the existing network โ€” zero service disruption during transition - Built executive-level supply chain KPI dashboards in Power BI adopted by the leadership team, replacing manual monthly reporting Key Responsibilities: - Monthly S&OP facilitation โ€” cross-functional alignment between commercial, marketing, finance, and manufacturing - Demand planning including statistical forecasting, promotional uplift modelling, and NPD launch forecasting - Inventory optimisation โ€” safety stock reviews, SLOB management, and working capital reduction - Contract manufacturing management across 3 external CMOs - Raw material planning and supplier lead time management across 120+ SKUs
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Supply Planner โ€” Manufacturing
Veridian Consumer Health Pty Ltd
Mar 2020 โ€“ Dec 2022
Production scheduling and supply planning across 2 manufacturing sites (liquids and solid dose) for 350+ SKUs. Owned the master production schedule (MPS) and managed raw material and packaging MRP coordinating with 45+ suppliers. Key Achievements: - Reduced manufacturing changeover downtime by 18% through optimised production sequencing โ€” equivalent to 120+ additional production hours annually - Led inventory rationalisation project identifying and managing $1.2M in obsolete stock write-off while implementing preventive SLOB controls - Key user for SAP APO supply planning module during system transition from legacy planning tools - Developed dual-sourcing strategies for critical raw materials during COVID-19 โ€” maintained 98% supply continuity Key Responsibilities: - Master production scheduling aligned to S&OP demand plan - MRP for raw materials and packaging across 45+ suppliers - Supply continuity planning and risk mitigation
๐Ÿข
Demand Planner
Horizon FMCG Group
Jul 2017 โ€“ Feb 2020
Demand forecasting for 200+ SKUs across retail and food service channels within a $180M mid-market FMCG company. Managed statistical baseline forecasting (SAP APO) with commercial intelligence overlay from sales and marketing. Key Achievements: - Improved forecast accuracy from 62% to 74% (weighted MAPE) over 18 months through model refinement and enhanced promotional uplift methodology - Built automated demand reporting in Power BI reducing weekly reporting time from 4 hours to 45 minutes - Developed new product launch demand profiles and cannibalisation assumptions adopted as the standard process Key Responsibilities: - Monthly demand review preparation for S&OP including assumption documentation and risk/opportunity identification - Retailer promotional planning collaboration with category management (Coles, Woolworths, Metcash) - New product launch demand planning
๐Ÿข
Prior Experience
Pacific Logistics Solutions ยท Meridian Manufacturing
2013 โ€“ 2017 ยท Sydney
Supply Chain Analyst and Graduate Coordinator roles across 3PL logistics (6 client accounts) and manufacturing. Key focus: warehouse performance analytics, WMS implementation (Manhattan Associates), transport route optimisation ($320K annual freight savings), inventory dashboards, cost-to-serve analysis, and BOM management. APICS CSCP qualification completed 2018.
Skills
Industry
Consumer Health FMCG Pharmaceutical 3PL / Logistics Manufacturing Retail
Functional
Demand Planning Supply Planning S&OP Inventory Optimisation Forecast Accuracy Production Scheduling MPS MRP Supply Chain Analytics Working Capital Reduction SLOB Management New Product Launch Planning
Technical / Systems
SAP IBP Power BI SAP APO Manhattan Associates WMS APICS CSCP Statistical Forecasting
Education
๐ŸŽ“
University of Technology Sydney
Master of Supply Chain Management
2013 โ€“ 2014
๐ŸŽ“
University of New South Wales
Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial)
2009 โ€“ 2012