Strategic Finance & CFO Advisory  ·  Dhaka, Bangladesh mail.rafiqulislam@gmail.com  ·  +880 1799 994445
Boutique finance advisory firm

Board-level finance for businesses that are outgrowing their finance function.

RI Advisory Partners provides fractional CFO leadership, finance transformation, transaction advisory and governance to conglomerates, MNC subsidiaries and growth companies across Bangladesh.

RI
17+Years of senior finance leadership
19Industry sectors served
3International charters
FCMAChartered Institute of
Management Accountants, UK
CGMAChartered Global Management
Accountant, AICPA USA
CPACertified Practising
Accountant, Australia
Big 4Deloitte-trained ·
KPMG-audited reporting
01 — The firm
Who we are

An independent advisory practice built on one belief: finance should drive decisions, not just report them.

RI Advisory Partners was founded to give ambitious businesses access to the calibre of finance leadership usually reserved for large multinationals — without the cost or commitment of a full-time executive team.

Our work sits at the intersection of strategy, capital and control: helping owners and boards see their numbers clearly, fund their growth on the right terms, and build finance functions that scale with the business.

The practice is led by Md. Rafiqul Islam, FCMA (UK), CGMA, CPA (Aust.) — a serving Group CFO with 17+ years across Deloitte, Nokia Networks, City Group, AK Khan Group and Aman Group — and works with clients under strict confidentiality.

I.

Independence

We have no products to sell and no bank to favour. Our only interest is the decision that is right for your business.

II.

Rigour

Big-4-trained discipline and multinational reporting standards applied to every model, memo and board pack.

III.

Partnership

We work alongside your team, transfer the skills, and measure success by what still works after we leave.

02 — Practices

Six practice areas

Each engagement is scoped to a defined outcome — from a two-week diagnostic to an ongoing seat at your leadership table.

01

Fractional & Interim CFO

Leadership on retainer

A Group-CFO-calibre leader embedded in your business for an agreed number of days each month — owning finance strategy, board reporting and the numbers behind every major decision.

  • Board & Chairman advisory
  • Finance function leadership
  • Management reporting
  • Banker & investor relations
02

Finance Transformation

Operating model · Systems · Shared services

Re-engineer the finance function — structure, processes, ERP and reporting — so it becomes a faster, leaner partner to the business.

  • Operating-model & SOP redesign
  • ERP selection & implementation
  • Shared-services build-out
  • Finance cost reduction
03

Transactions & Due Diligence

M&A · Joint ventures · Integration

Independent financial and commercial due diligence, valuation, deal structuring and post-merger integration — from first term sheet to a stable day-one operating rhythm.

  • Financial & commercial due diligence
  • Valuation & deal structuring
  • JV & partnership finance
  • Post-merger integration
04

Capital & Project Finance

Debt · Project loans · Restructuring

Bankable financial models, lender-ready information memoranda and hands-on negotiation to secure credit facilities and structure financing for complex projects.

  • Financial modelling & feasibility
  • Credit-facility structuring
  • Project & expansion finance
  • Loan restructuring
05

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Controls · Tax · ESG

Board-grade governance and controls: COSO/SOX-aligned internal controls, regulatory and audit readiness, tax and transfer-pricing compliance, and ESG reporting.

  • Internal-control frameworks
  • Regulatory & audit readiness
  • Tax & transfer pricing
  • ESG & integrated reporting
06

FP&A, Treasury & Working Capital

Planning · Cash · Performance

Budgeting, forecasting and KPI frameworks that give leadership real visibility — plus treasury and working-capital discipline that protects cash through every cycle.

  • Budgeting & rolling forecasts
  • KPI & RACI frameworks
  • Treasury & FX management
  • Portfolio optimisation
03 — Industries

Sector experience

Hands-on leadership experience across nineteen sectors — from FMCG and telecom to cement, textiles and economic zones.

01

Conglomerates & Family Groups

Multi-unit consolidation, capital allocation, succession readiness

02

Multinationals & JVs

HQ reporting, SOX, transfer pricing, JV governance

03

FMCG & Food

Brand P&Ls, distributor receivables, margin management

04

Telecom & Technology

Country-level controlling, FX hedging, APAC reporting

05

Manufacturing

Cement, RMG, spinning, packaging, shipyard

06

Agro, Feed & Poultry

Working capital, seasonality, hatchery economics

07

Trading, Jute & Cold Storage

Trade finance, inventory funding, project loans

08

Economic Zones & Listed Companies

EPZ compliance, investor relations, public reporting

04 — Approach

How we work

Understand the business first, fix what matters most, and leave behind a finance function that runs without us.

01

Discover

A confidential conversation and a short review of your numbers, structure and priorities. No fee, no obligation.

02

Diagnose

A focused two-to-four-week diagnostic that identifies the highest-value gaps in cash, controls, reporting or strategy.

03

Deliver

A clearly scoped engagement with milestones and measurable outcomes, delivered alongside your team, not to it.

04

Embed

Processes documented, people trained, dashboards live. Success is what keeps working after we step back.

Engagement models

Flexible structures matched to the size of the problem and the pace of your business.

RetainerFractional CFO

A fixed number of days each month as your senior finance leader — for groups not yet ready for a full-time Group CFO.

Fixed scopeProject advisory

Defined deliverables and timeline — a due diligence, a financing package, an ERP roll-out, a controls framework.

QuarterlyBoard & investor advisory

Independent finance perspective for boards, audit committees and investors — attending key meetings and reviewing plans.

WorkshopsFinance capability building

Practical training for finance teams and business leaders on FP&A, controls, KPI design and business partnering.

05 — Leadership

Managing Partner

Every engagement is led personally by the Managing Partner, with specialist associates engaged as each mandate requires.

RI

Md. Rafiqul Islam

Managing Partner
FCMACIMA · UK
CGMAAICPA · USA
CPAAustralia
Current roleGroup CFO, Aman Group Ltd.
Experience17+ years
EducationMPF · MBA · BBA (Finance)
Based inDhaka, Bangladesh

A serving Group CFO who has led finance across 18,000 employees and 31 business units — and advised boards, chairmen and CEOs through growth, crisis and transaction.

Rafiqul leads the firm's client work and every major engagement. He is the Group Chief Financial Officer of Aman Group Ltd., one of Bangladesh's most diversified conglomerates, spanning cement, RMG, spinning, FMCG, feed, poultry, agro, jute, trading, packaging, shipyard, cold storage and economic zones.

His career covers the full arc of corporate finance: professional services at Deloitte (Coca-Cola, Sony Ericsson, Novartis); eight years as Financial Controller at Nokia Networks, reporting to APAC and Finland HQ and leading SOX implementation; FMCG finance at City Group; and Group Head of Finance at AK Khan Group, managing joint ventures with Coats, CEAT and Penfabric.

He holds the FCMA (CIMA, UK), CGMA (AICPA, USA) and CPA (Australia) designations, a Master of Professional Finance from the University of Dhaka, an MBA in Finance (IUB) and a BBA in Finance (Presidency University).

Career

2023 — Now
Group CFO · Aman Group Ltd.
2019 — 2023
Head of Finance (Group) · AK Khan Group  /  CFO & Company Secretary · M.Y. & Union (BD) Ltd.
2018 — 2019
Unit Head of Finance · City Group
2010 — 2018
Financial Controller · Nokia Networks Bangladesh Ltd.
2008 — 2010
Accountant · Deloitte Bangladesh
Associate network. For specialist mandates the firm engages vetted associates in tax, audit, legal and ERP implementation, coordinated under the Managing Partner's supervision.
06 — Track record

Results that held

Outcomes delivered by our Managing Partner in senior finance roles — the same playbook applied for clients.

0%

Finance opex reduced

Finance transformation across a 31-unit conglomerate, with a step-change in regulatory compliance.

Group CFO role
0%

Margin improvement

Portfolio optimisation across T-bills, bonds, FDRs, equities and JVs, including Grameenphone investment at historic lows.

Group Head of Finance role
0%

Post-COVID sales growth

Stimulus facilities secured, tax matters resolved, transfer-pricing compliance implemented, overdue loans regularised.

CFO & Company Secretary role
0+

Finance professionals built & led

High-performing teams across FMCG, telecom and conglomerate settings, with SOX and KPMG-audited reporting.

Across career

Figures reflect outcomes achieved in executive roles. Client engagements are confidential; references available on request.

Sound finance leadership is not about complexity. It is about clarity — giving the board the confidence to act, and the discipline to know when not to.

Md. Rafiqul Islam · Managing Partner
07 — Questions

Before you call

The questions owners and boards usually ask first.

What size of business does the firm work with?
Most engagements are with groups and companies turning over roughly BDT 100 crore and above, MNC subsidiaries, and growth companies preparing for significant financing. If your finance function has outgrown its structure, or a transaction is on the horizon, a conversation is worthwhile regardless of size.
How does a fractional CFO engagement work?
We agree a fixed number of days per month (commonly two to six) and a clear remit — typically board reporting, finance leadership, banking relationships and key decisions. Your team keeps running day-to-day operations; the fractional CFO provides direction, quality control and a seat at the leadership table.
Do you deal with banks and investors on our behalf?
Yes. Preparing bankable models and information memoranda, structuring facilities and negotiating with lenders and investors is core to the practice — drawn from arranging financing for complex projects and managing joint-venture and portfolio investments at group level.
Is our information confidential?
Absolutely. Every engagement begins with a non-disclosure agreement, and no client name or figure is ever published or referenced without written consent.
What does the first conversation cost?
Nothing. The discovery call is complimentary. If a diagnostic or engagement makes sense, you receive a written scope, timeline and fee before any work begins.
08 — Contact
Start a conversation

Let's talk about
your numbers.

A complimentary 30-minute discovery call to understand your business and whether we can help. Confidential, no obligation.

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