In this fast-growing business world, spend management has become one of the key challenges for all businesses. Dice, a fintech start-up, is a platform for managing all the business spends on one place and making daily business operations seamless with automation. Under the leadership of Eshika Lohani, Dice is successfully managing all financial strat­egies, procurement and expenses using their own proprietary software.

Eshika Lohani has completed her CIMA (UK) qualification along with her Bachelor of Commerce from Ahmedabad University. She is also a Certified Financial Planner. She is currently heading the finance department of a fintech start-up, Dice. She is not only

managing the day-to-day operations of accounts receivables and payables but also optimizing the cashflows, working on budgets and forecasts and developing financial policies. Eshika Lohani engages in an exclusive interaction with Women Entrepreneur Magazine.

Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience.

From a young age, I was sure about entering the finance world and that is why I opted to study CFP and CIMA along with my graduation. After completing my education, I started working in one of the largest private hospitals in the country. I worked with the leadership on developing pricing matrices, budgets and forecasts, financial models and management reports. Being employed in the healthcare sector when the covid pandemic hit gave me a unique way of looking at financial crises. After this, I worked at Genpact for some time in revenue reporting, forex management and developing cost models before joining Dice as the Head of Finance.

Tell us about the roles and responsibilities you shoulder including the challenges you face at your position and how you overcome those challenges.

The unique thing about heading finance in a start-up is how ever-growing and dynamic it is. My work ranges from leading

investment cycles to sharing my expertise with the tech team when they are developing new features for the platform. I have

primarily been focusing on collating all our past financial data into meaningful strategies which can help us forecast for the future. I am working on developing a comprehensive Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and designing a forward-looking financial model. Along with the immense opportunity to learn and grow in a budding start-up, it is also very challenging since in the early stages, the financial management of most start-ups is rather informal and unstructured. Hence, there is a lot to be done for the first time. The only way to overcome these challenges is to continuously upskill yourself and learn more about your field through courses, experience, and peer learning. I am lucky to be working using a comprehensive system like Dice and for having very cooperative founders who believe in collaborative growth.

What has been your most remarkable achievement so far and what is the driving force behind your success?

I have always wanted to have end-to-end visibility of the processes I worked in. I was never satisfied with just preparing an MIS or a proposal. In my very first week as a working professional, I decided that I must get into a leadership role, which would only be possible in a start-up. But I was also aware that as a fresher, I wasn’t ready to lead. Hence, I chose my roles carefully and learned key skills which would be useful in a start-up. It was no lucky fluke that I ended up in Dice. I aimed for it and worked my way towards it. This was always my driving force and my most significant achievement has been my journey up to becoming the Head of Finance at Dice.

How do you foresee the Indian financial landscape evolving shortly and how do you align yourself with the various industry trends and evolutions?

In my opinion, the Indian Financial Landscape is at the cusp of transformation as more and more young talent today is focusing on skills and the richness of roles. Most young graduates are choosing to go the start-up way rather than joining MNCs. With such heavy investment in both human and financial capital, companies need to realign their priorities. Business attention needs to shift from revenue-focused to cashflow-focused and this is a humongous change. This is where revolutionary platforms like Dice make a difference. I align myself with this change by staying up to date with the trends while also keeping my fundamentals strong. While one upskills and upgrades oneself, revising and polishing what we have already learned is equally essential.

“All it takes is self-confidence to take up the space you deserve”

What would be your advice to young women aspiring to become business leaders in the future?

I genuinely advise all young women to not be afraid of calling out sexism wherever they see it. Be bold enough to argue and prove yourself right with facts, not emotions. Spend quality time reading the news, and researching new market trends. Indulge in the conversations that usually happen in tightly-knit circles of men. Start voicing your opinions in informal connects and work your way up to boardroom discussions.

Eshika Lohani, Head Of Finance, DICE

Eshika Lohani is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA, UK) and a Certified Financial Planner. She is currently heading the finance department of a fintech start-up, Dice, which is transforming spend management for businesses

Headquarter: Pune, Maharashtra

Awards & Recognitions: AIR 3 - CIMA Management Case Study, AIR 3 - CIMA Advanced Financial Reporting, AIR 1 - CIMA Operational Case Study