Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Publications
Personal initiatives
Timeline
Generic

Jared Pillay

Durban

Summary

Entrepreneurial leader with 5+ years’ experience formalizing governance and optimizing operations across multi-entity groups. Expert in R15 M+ acquisitions, due diligence, and blended-finance structuring. Skilled at building financial models that drive EBITDA growth and scale SMMEs in South Africa.

Overview

3
3
years of professional experience

Work History

Entrepreneur

Praeto Group
01.2025 - Current
  • Formalize Group Governance: Spearhead the consolidation of seven family-owned entities into a cohesive Company Group—establishing formal reporting lines, governance policies, and monthly management cadence.
  • Optimize Operations: Perform financial and operational benchmarking across all subsidiaries; design and implement strategic initiatives that freed up 20% of employee time and improved EBITDA margin by 3%.
  • Drive Acquisitions: Lead due-diligence efforts on two synergistic SMMEs (valuations >R15 million), developing a standardized commercial, legal, and operational diligence framework. Managed deal advisory, valuation analysis, and contract negotiations.
  • Deliver Corporate Advisory: Advise over ten manufacturing clients on capital-raising strategies—structuring blended government and private financing for debt consolidation and production expansion. Build end-to-end financial models that clearly communicate risk profiles and valuations to investors

Senior Business Analyst

Kearney
01.2024 - 12.2024
  • Achieved a record-breaking promotion, recognized as an exceptional consultant for outstanding performance in the mining project, surpassing the typical 1.5 to 2-year promotion cycle
  • Strategic Operations (May '23 - Feb '24): Led the project stream with minimal supervision, taking the lead after the senior consultant’s departure. Managed the final stages involving closure of pending initiatives, tracking savings from implemented initiatives, handling project documentation handover, and delivering a closing presentation to the Executive Committee. Stream delivered ~R20mn of immediate value

Business Analyst

Kearney
01.2023 - 12.2023
  • Healthcare (Oct '22 - Feb '23): Initially supported, then led, the market assessment work for a HealthTech client, developing targeted customer profiles and guiding strategic market positioning
  • Strategic Operations (May '23 - Feb '24): Cost reduction program based in a group of coal mines within Mpumalanga. Project required presence at mines for entire duration. Used spend cube analysis, process mapping and workshops to identify, prioritise and implement cost savings initiatives. Handled majority of client engagement (Exco, operations, category management, suppliers) as senior team member was based overseas.

Business Analyst Intern

Kearney
01.2022 - 12.2022
  • Part of Kearney's accelerated 1-Year internship program, balancing full-time consulting with a part-time business degree, maintaining over 70% average, a key requirement for job offer eligibility.
  • Oil and Gas Project (Jan '22 - Apr '22): Executed assessments on optimal organization size for certain functions and recommended best practices job grading systems for the client
  • Digital Banking (May '22 - Sep '22): Acted as Executive Assistant to the client's CEO and COO in Digital Banking, managing analysis, information gathering, and board pack development for Executive Committee meetings

Education

Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration and Management -

GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science)
2022

Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering -

University of Cape Town
2021

Skills

  • Entrepreneurial personality
  • Strategic thinking
  • Operational planning
  • Customer relations

Publications

2023, The hyper-connected 'E' in ESG, CFO South Africa, Thought-provoking environmental insights that provide an alternative view to conventional thinking

Personal initiatives

  • Keen interest in trading and investing - have traded the US indices and invested in alternative assets for 6 years
  • Soccer fanatic - assistant coach to my Dad's soccer team in Amanzimtoti
  • Mentor - mentor youth and assist career advisory and placement where I can

Timeline

Entrepreneur

Praeto Group
01.2025 - Current

Senior Business Analyst

Kearney
01.2024 - 12.2024

Business Analyst

Kearney
01.2023 - 12.2023

Business Analyst Intern

Kearney
01.2022 - 12.2022

Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering -

University of Cape Town

Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration and Management -

GIBS Business School (Gordon Institute of Business Science)

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Jared Pillay