Youssef Abahman

Finance professional with nearly 10 years of experience across financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis and business partnering in France and the GCC. Strong track record of building financial models, performance dashboards and scenario-planning tools from scratch, and translating complex data into clear insights that drive executive decision-making. Immediately available and based in Riyadh.

Financial Controller | FP&A | Business Partner - Hopscotch Groupe - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

(2025-01 - 2026-05)

FP&A lead across GCC entities (~€30M revenue scope, KSA & UAE)

• Served as the primary finance business partner to the Managing Directors of KSA and UAE, providing financial insights and analysis to support strategic and operational decision-making
• Led the full FP&A cycle across GCC entities: annual budgeting, quarterly reforecasting, variance analysis and performance monitoring — providing clear financial insights to senior leadership
• Built self-service financial modelling and scenario-planning tools from scratch, enabling Agency Directors to run budget simulations autonomously and significantly reducing ad-hoc analysis requests
• Reviewed and challenged project budgets ahead of RFP submissions (Noor Festival, Art Week, Arab Cup Road Show), identifying and flagging financial risks before commitment
• Monitored cash flow, intercompany funding flows and banking relationships across GCC entities
• Managed and oversaw the accounting activities of 2 accountants in the UAE; led relationships with external audit firms in Saudi Arabia
• Supported the financial structuring and monitoring of the strategic partnership between the KSA entity and Qatar operations

Operational Financial Controller & Business Partner - Hopscotch Groupe - Paris, France

(2021-06 - 2024-12)

FP&A and performance management across 2 Business Units (~€65M combined revenue)

• Acted as the embedded finance business partner to Agency Directors, translating financial performance into actionable recommendations and challenging spending decisions to improve profitability
• Owned the full FP&A process for 2 business units (~€65M): budgeting, reforecasting, monthly variance analysis and KPI monitoring — delivering clear performance narratives to senior leadership
• Built financial reporting tools and scenario-modelling capabilities for Agency Directors, enabling autonomous budget simulations and significantly reducing ad-hoc analysis requests
• Partnered with operational teams to align financial plans with business realities, challenging assumptions and supporting better commercial decisions
• Oversaw financial monitoring of flagship projects including the Paris 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Ceremonies, La Grande Expo Chanel and KSA's Expo 2030 bid, consolidating production budgets against accounting actuals
• Managed cash flow monitoring, client collections and VAT-on-margin compliance on travel-classified projects

External Auditor - FICOGEX - Paris, France

(2021-01 - 2021-06)

• Conducted financial transaction verification and audit support across multiple client files
• Performed anomaly detection and prepared audit reports in compliance with IFRS and local standards
• Collaborated with senior auditors to ensure adherence to IFRS and local regulations

Accountant - FCN / Allianz France / Schmitt Tradition - Paris, France

(2016-10 - 2020-12)

• Prepared accounting entries, bank reconciliations and financial statements supporting quarterly and year-end close
• Managed VAT declarations, account reconciliations and justified balances

DCG - Bachelor's degree in Accounting & Management – French CPA pathway - IGEFI, Paris (2018 - 2020)

BTS CG - Advanced Diploma in Financial Accounting - ENC Bessières, Paris (2016 - 2018)