Serdal Kahyalar
Commercial Pursuit Lead
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About
I am a highly experienced and commercially minded professional with a disciplined approach. I possess strong financial, business, and commercial acumen. I am proactive and adept at managing multiple commercial priorities, demonstrating excellence in project and stakeholder management.
Furthermore, I have the capability to effectively implement the firm's strategy, while ensuring we are remaining competitive.
I have over 10 years of finance and commercial experience in globally recognised organisations.
I am very passionate about moving to the UAE to continue to build on my experience and skill set.
Experience
Pursuits and Proposals Lead | PwC |London, UK
June 2021 – Present
- Led over 100 pursuits worth £800m, delivering commercial upskilling across the business with a win ratio of over 60%.
- Directed commercial support for “Must-win” pursuits exceeding £2m, driving optimal commercial outcomes and strategic.
- Provided strategic insights, counsel, and challenge to enhance market success, advising on pricing and structure of delivery team.
- Managed and negotiated global MSA framework agreements and rate cards for strategic clients.
- Mitigate commercial risks with thorough contractual reviews, identifying critical elements like exit clauses, minimum commitments, and inflationary clauses to safeguard profitability.
- Expertly modelled highly complex engagements using Anaplan, Google Sheets, and Microsoft Excel.
- Collaborated daily with senior stakeholders (C-suite), ensuring alignment with consulting and firmwide goals.
- I drive success by undertaking competitive analysis with expert shadow pricing, benchmarking against external datasets,
and comprehensive client feedback analysis
- Guided engagement teams from RFI phase to contracting, ensuring compliance with firm standards and governance.
- Optimise bid management with expert time management, precise scoring analysis, and strategic handling of commercial questions during PQQs and submissions.
- Providing strategic pricing advice to teams, I advise teams to consider future sell-on opportunities before they even go to tender, ensuring we maximise profitability and competitive advantage from the outset.
- Fostered collaborative relationships across service lines and grades.
- Deeply passionate about innovative working methods and thinking, using my experience and knowledge to seamlessly integrate with each new opportunity
- Led commercial excellence and Anaplan workshops.
- Nominated and completed the prestigious PwC Emerging Leaders Programme (2024).Financial Business Analyst | Accor Hotels | London, UK
August 2018 – June 2021
- Managed 60+ hotels with a £300m annual turnover, delivering analytical support and ensuring budget compliance.
- Reported monthly, quarterly, and annual performance to senior management and owners.
- Forecasted results based on market research, providing actionable plans for underperforming properties.
- Collaborated with revenue managers and BI teams for accurate reporting and planning.
- Assisted with budget preparations and interpreted financial data for non-financial users.
- Developed analytical tools for daily performance analysis.
- Prepared business plans and 5-year budgets for new projects.
- Conducted monthly financial analysis for regional vice presidents.
- Participated in business reviews with asset managers.
- Trained general managers on analytical tools.
Assistant Accountant | Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel | London, UK
August 2016 – April 2018
- Reconciled balance sheets and managed capital expenditure records.
- Handled inter-company invoicing and weekly bank reconciliations.
- Assisted with cost analysis, forecasts, and month-end/year-end procedures.
- Processed £1.3m worth of invoices monthly, ensuring supplier accounts were up to date.
- Supported compliance with internal and external audit procedures.
- Managed supplier contracts in line with company policies.
Accounts Assistant | Jumeirah International (UK) | London, UK
October 2014 – August 2016
- Processed weekly multi-currency payments for global offices and reconciling multiple bank accounts.
- Analysed expense claims for global sales agents and executives to ensure accuracy and compliance
Education
BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance
