’’Strategic Finance Leadership: Transforming Multinational Operations Through Innovation’’

“Profile of Srajan Singhai, a global finance leader known for multinational compliance, ERP integration and strategic audit excellence.”

Srajan Singhai

In an era where multinational enterprises operate across increasingly complex regulatory landscapes, the ability to seamlessly integrate financial operations across borders has become a defining characteristic of organizational success. The integration of foreign subsidiaries into consolidated reporting systems demands sophisticated expertise in enterprise resource planning, multi-currency accounting, and compliance with diverse generally accepted accounting principles. Professionals capable of navigating this intricate terrain must possess not only advanced qualifications but also the practical wisdom that comes from extensive exposure to diverse organizational contexts and regulatory environments across developed and emerging markets.

Srajan Singhai's professional journey exemplifies the progressive development of expertise required in modern global finance. Beginning his career in June 1998 as a Senior Audit Officer with Singhai Mittal & Company in Jabalpur, he spent the subsequent two decades building capabilities across audit, accounting management, and finance leadership roles. His academic foundation includes achieving Chartered Accountant credentials from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 2006, followed by specialized certifications in International Financial Reporting Standards, Foreign Exchange and Treasury Management, and Anti-Money Laundering Laws, demonstrating sustained investment in maintaining cutting-edge technical knowledge.

The trajectory of his career reveals a pattern of progressive responsibility and expanding geographic scope. From January 2005 through September 2007, he served as District Finance and Accounts Officer for the Madhya Pradesh Rural Livelihoods Project, a program funded by the UK Department for International Development, where he managed fund accounting and compliance for international development initiatives. This early exposure to multi-stakeholder accountability and international funding standards provided foundational experience that would prove invaluable in subsequent multinational corporate roles. His advancement to Manager of Accounts and Administration at Carborundum Universal Limited, part of the prominent Murugappa Group, from September 2007 through September 2011, brought recognition from the Chief Financial Officer for delivering high-quality annual accounts for three consecutive years spanning 2008 through 2011.

The transition to multinational corporations marked a significant evolution in Singhai's career. Joining Puratos, a Belgian multinational, in September 2011 as Manager of Finance and Administration, he established the complete finance function for the Indian operations from inception. His responsibilities encompassed building budgeting and forecasting systems, designing sophisticated three-dimensional matrix reporting structures with drill-down functionality across markets, business segments, and product lines, managing treasury operations across multiple currencies, and ensuring compliance with India's complex direct and indirect taxation regimes during a period of significant regulatory evolution. His successful execution of these responsibilities included orchestrating fund raising of 250 million rupees through working capital facilities with ING Vysya Bank and administering parental equity infusions of 230 million rupees.

Singhai's tenure at O.C. Tanner, beginning in December 2015 as Senior Manager – Finance and later elevated to Head of Finance, represents the culmination of his capabilities in finance leadership and transformation. His establishment of the finance function for this U.S.-headquartered multinational's Indian subsidiary included building robust reporting and analysis frameworks aligned with global requirements, strengthening internal controls, and supporting strategic planning and performance management. The migration from Tally ERP to global SAP during 2017 and 2018 demonstrated his capacity to manage complex systems transformations requiring coordination across multiple countries, comprehensive change management, and maintenance of operational continuity. Simultaneously, his leadership in implementing India's Goods and Services Tax during 2017 showcased adaptability during the nation's most significant tax reform in decades.

His transition in November 2022 to the Global Internal Auditor role expanded his scope from regional finance leadership to enterprise-wide audit and compliance oversight. In this capacity, he conducts audits of domestic and foreign entities, establishes policies ensuring operations meet strategic and compliance objectives, and partners with business process owners across multiple jurisdictions to strengthen control environments. This role leverages his accumulated expertise across finance, compliance, and operations while positioning him to contribute to organizational resilience at a global scale.

The breadth of expertise demonstrated throughout this career trajectory represents capabilities that organizations increasingly prioritize as they navigate evolving regulatory landscapes and seek to build resilient control environments. Professionals who combine technical mastery with strategic perspective, proven delivery capabilities, and cross-cultural communication skills contribute meaningfully to operational excellence, stakeholder confidence, and sustainable value creation across diverse industries and geographies in an increasingly interconnected global economy.

Author: Narayan Karthik