Hire the Best Business Consultants in Dubai, AE

Hello! I’m Afonso, a versatile business consultant with over 20 years of experience across trading, company formation, immigration, market research, logistics, and more. I specialize in helping clients grow and streamline their businesses by providing expert advice and hands-on support in: Trading and sourcing products, including car trading and spare parts Company formation and legal compliance Immigration and visa services Market and product research to identify opportunities Cargo and freight forwarding coordination With deep knowledge of the UAE market and international business practices, I deliver clear communication, practical solutions, and reliable results tailored to your needs. Let’s work together to take your business to the next level!

🥇 Earned UpWork's "expert-vetted program" badge - top 1% on platform Strategic advisor with 20 years of experience and a passion for leveraging technology to drive business growth and enhance organizational value. Expertise in digital transformation, business process improvement, operating model design, establishing strong PMO governance structures, and financial valuation (especially for technology and Saas startups) Areas of Expertise • Strategy, Business Plans & Financial Analysis • Business Models, Organization Design and Governance • Digital Transformation, Enterprise Architecture and Solution Designs • Business Process Management and Automation • Implementation of ERP, CRM, Enterprise Project Management systems • Performance Management Industries Government, Retail, e-Commerce, Manufacturing, Consultancy, Hospitality, Distribution, Trading, Technology Firms, Professional Services, Ports, Logistics and Freight Forwarding, Printing Offices, and media productions. Regions Egypt, GCC (UAE, Oman, KSA), USA, Canada, Germany, India, Korea Achievements Digital Transformation Strategy & Implementation: -Formulate the Digital Transformation Strategy for a Bank in Egypt and planned a three-year digital transformation initiatives roadmap, in addition to conducting the cost-benefit analysis for each initiative -Led several Digital Transformation and Enterprise architecture projects for governmental entities, Technology firms, trading, retail, and real-estate -Led a Digital Transformation and Business Process reengineering Project for a Port in the GCC and designed the information system architecture of this organization -Led a business process improvement and a Digital Transformation Project for a governmental agency in Egypt. -Led the Digital Transformation Project and Business Process Improvement for one of the biggest agriculture factories in Egypt.  -Led digital transformation projects for more than 60 organizations in different sectors -Formulate a digital transformation strategy plan for a telecommunication organization in Jordan Enterprise Architecture & Business Process Improvement: -Led several Digital Transformation and Enterprise architecture projects for governmental entities, Technology firms, trading, retail, and real-estate -Led a Digital Transformation and Business Process reengineering Project for a Port in the GCC and designed the information system architecture of this organization -Design Enterprise Architecture Department in one of the biggest retail companies in Egypt and other entities -Led a business process improvement and a Digital Transformation Project for a governmental agency in Egypt. -Led the Digital Transformation Project and Business Process Improvement for one of the biggest agriculture factories in Egypt.  -Design and Improve the PMO Operating Model, Data and Governance model, and Business processes for a governmental entity in UAE, while Governing and standardizing Processes, Reports, and evaluating best automation options -Design and Improve the PMO for several other entities (IT, Consulting, and NPO), while Governing and standardizing Processes, Reports, and evaluating best automation options -Design the Business Excellence Department in one of the biggest Leading B2B Digital Transformation Companies Strategic Planning & Business Model Design: -Design and formulate the Corporate, Business, Marketing, and Digital Strategies for a Consultancy Firm -Design the strategy, Business, and Operating Model of a new business line for one of the largest real estate companies in Egypt -Design and formulate the Corporate, Business, Market, Brand, and Digital Strategies for NPO Organizations -Designing Strategic Management Offices for several Entities Feasibility Studies, Companies’ Valuations & Business Case Development: -Conduct a Feasibility Study for a new Virus and Bacteria detection Device, with a Complete business case for the recommended business and operating model for a new business line. Electronics Research Institute – Ministry of Scientific Research. -Conduct a feasibility study for a marketplace e-commerce platform, and formulate the Business and Go-To-Market Strategy -Conduct a Financial Valuation for a Software as a service a start-up in UAE and Designed the Investor Pitch -Carried out numerous business case while performing risk assessments, analyzing future scenarios, and conducting cost-benefit analysis for each available option to determine the optimal financial decision. - Design The 3-year business plan for the home appliances company involved detailed financial projections, including revenue forecasts, cost structures, and capital investment plans, to assess the viability and funding requirements for the strategic initiatives. IT Services - Led several IT Audit Projects in different sectors. - Design the IT Strategy, IT designed Processes

I am a business consultant with a background in people, operations, and organizational work across consulting firms and SMEs. My consulting experience includes working at Abacus Consulting with Mercer methodology, compensation benchmarking, job evaluation, employee engagement studies, and HR due diligence. My in-house experience comes from a growing SME where I built people and operations processes from scratch, working directly with leadership. I can engage across business functions, not just the people side. What I work on: - Business research, analysis, and reporting - Operational planning and process improvement - Compensation benchmarking and salary structure design - Job evaluation using Mercer IPE - Employee engagement surveys - design, analysis, recommendations - Recruitment support - job descriptions, screening, coordination - HR policies, documentation, and process setup - HR due diligence and audits - Org design and workforce planning I work best with founders, small teams, and consulting firms who need someone who can think through a problem independently and deliver clean work without constant direction.

Took a DTC health brand from a $2.9M annual loss to beating a cash-positive plan in two years. When their dashboards said CAC had tripled to $900, I went into the raw data and proved the real number was $472, which saved the channel and the year. I'm a fractional CFO for DTC, subscription, and Amazon brands doing $3M–$25M. My edge: I don't sit on top of dashboards. I go into the raw data myself (Shopify exports, ad platforms, 3PL invoices, cohort tables) and find where your numbers have drifted from reality. Every brand has at least one number that's lying to it. Finding it is usually worth multiples of my fee. What I do: 1. Growth and marketing finance. Channel-level unit economics, blended LTV-to-CAC ceilings, marketing mix modeling, Amazon vs DTC spend allocation, retention cohorts. I sit between you and your media buyers and make sure every dollar can be defended on the P&L. 2. Subscription economics. Most subscription brands are SaaS businesses measured with e-commerce math. Rebuilding one brand's finances around cohorts, LTV payback, and retention is what turned that $2.9M loss around and cut blended CAC roughly 25%. 3. Ecom-native FP&A. 13-week cash forecasting tied to inventory cycles and ad spend, scenario modeling for launches and peak season, KPI dashboards your team will actually use, clean monthly close. 4. Investor readiness. Board materials, valuation analysis, deal structuring. I led due diligence at a UK investment agency that took equity on my recommendations: 22 calls, publicly scored, including the one I got wrong. I know what investors will dig into because I was the one digging. 5. AI-native by design. I build Claude-based agents for transaction categorization, anomaly flagging, and forecast updates. You get senior CFO judgment plus automation, at the cost of neither. Background: MBA from IESE Business School, engineering by training. 120+ early-stage companies on the fundraising side through TribeFirst due diligence and Bitcoin Startup Lab pitch coaching. I've run finance for brands selling on Amazon and own-channel DTC, so I understand the tradeoffs between the two. If your finance function can't give you a straight answer to "is this growth profitable and can we afford it," let's talk. 30 minutes, I'll look at your numbers and tell you where I'd start.

SUMMARY: MBA with 12y experience in investor relations, business strategy, performance optimization and operations management for multinationals and tech start/scale-ups operating across multiple countries. WORKED FOR COMPANIES SUCH AS: Deloitte - Kearney - FedEx - Delivery Hero - Al Futtaim in the US, South Africa, Dubai, Europe PREVIOUS ROLES: Regional Director of Logistics Operations / VP of International Expansion & Investor Relations / Head of Strategy, Transformation & PMO / Senior Analyst Performance Reporting & Operations Improvement / Start-up founder / Business owner WHAT I CAN DELIVER FOR YOU: * Organizational transformation projects (across technology, operations, people) * Strategy design and execution: your roadmap of initiatives with owners and timelines, derived from internal capabilities and industry trends * Building and overseeing your Project Management Office (PMO) which delivers your internal strategy or client projects * New market entry & GTM strategy: identifying strategic bets, building the plan to go-to-market and delivering it through cross-functional collaboration * Operations: building or improving your team and process flow, overseeing your business operations, increasing efficiency and output quality * Process management: creating, documenting, improving your processes & SOPs * Performance management (strategic + operational): setting Goals, OKRs & KPIs and cascading them through crisp dashboards that drive focus towards results * Managing your fundraise (pitch deck, data room, investor outreach) and ensuring top-notch investor relations * Full-time or fractional Chief of Staff: I act as an extension to CEOs and founders RESULTS DELIVERED BEFORE: * Project-launched 3 integrated tech platforms (fintech, telematics, LMS) * Delivered 3 full yearly strategy cycles for a Middle East conglomerate * Overachieved FedEx' operational KPI improvement targets across 70 countries by 10% by delivering business intelligence tools & process excellence projects * Built a regional operations team of 80+ FTEs, while enabling a 50% YoY ops growth (fleet size 100.000) * Co-founded 3 businesses (a venture advisory firm in the UAE, a STR property management brand in Africa, and a health insurtech in the USA) * Led 3 successful fundraises (the largest at 2.2m USD) * Chairman award winner for my performance, values & ethics at Al Futtaim I'm obsessed with translating vision into results, launching new ventures and maximizing team potential. I work with owners and executives who demand high standards of quality and are ready to invest in growth!

I am a seasoned business consultant and C-level executive with 25+ years of experience transforming organizations through strategic leadership, operational excellence, and supply chain innovation. I help businesses streamline processes, optimize procurement and logistics, and implement automation that reduces costs and drives growth. My experience spans diverse industries—FMCG, manufacturing, energy, and technology—where I have successfully centralized supply chains, led ERP implementations, and driven 20–35% cost savings while achieving high OTIF delivery rates. Beyond operations, I specialize in executive coaching and business strategy for founders, startups, and established enterprises. I work with leadership teams to define scalable business models, improve financial planning, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration. Whether you need hands-on guidance as a fractional COO/CEO, a strategic roadmap to grow your business, or mentoring to develop your next generation of leaders, I deliver practical, results-oriented solutions that create lasting impact.