Independent financial advisory

Complex financial challenges.
Practical solutions. With discretion.

Financial clarity, sound decisions and systems that work. Hands-on advice for business owners, leadership teams and private investors.

Find your starting point

Ekaterina Leksina

Financial adviser · Founder, hi-finance

Personal involvement.

Professional discretion.

20+ yearsin corporate & investment finance

From analysis to implementationDirect involvement at every stage

Russia · UAE · InternationalAvailable for advisory & project work

01 — Your starting point

What needs to
be resolved?

You do not need to arrive with a perfect brief.
Start with the situation you recognise.

Financial diagnostics & control

Get a clear picture
of what is happening.

When reports do not reconcile, margins are unclear or something feels wrong, start with a focused, confidential review.

Test the reliability of financial information
Trace unusual transactions, losses and suspected fraud
Review the controls behind the numbers

What you take away

Documented findings, prioritised risks and a practical plan to restore financial control.

02 — Expertise

The financial picture.
And the detail behind it.

Connected expertise, shaped around the problem.

CFO & financial management

Build a finance function that supports decisions.

Set up or reshape the financial function, with clear responsibilities, useful reporting and a rhythm the business can sustain.

Finance function and team design
Budgeting, forecasting and plan-versus-actual analysis
Management accounting, reporting and consolidation
Project-based CFO support

Internal audit & financial control

Understand the facts. Address the weak points.

Confidential financial reviews that establish what the numbers can tell you, where losses arise and how controls can be improved.

Internal audit and focused financial diagnostics
Reliability of financial data and reporting
Investigation of losses and suspected internal fraud
Internal controls, approval flows and accountability

Ownership & tax structuring

Connect assets, control, cash flows and risk.

Review how assets and businesses are held, how control is exercised and where financial, operational and ownership risks sit.

Asset ownership and corporate structures
Allocation of control and separation of ownership risks
Tax optimisation aligned with business operations
Cross-border structures and their financial implications

Business models & investment analysis

See the assumptions before making the decision.

Turn a business idea, investment or strategic choice into a model you can question, compare and use.

Business and financial models for start-ups and growth companies
Scenario, sensitivity and risk analysis
Investment appraisal and project economics
Financial due diligence and long-term planning

Treasury & business performance

Know where cash goes and what creates value.

Bring cash flow and operating performance into focus, with decisions based on the economics of the business.

Cash flow, liquidity and payment planning
Treasury processes and cross-border payments
Costs, profitability and pricing
KPIs and incentive structures

Financial systems, AI & fintech

Make technology fit the way the business works.

Design a practical system when a standard ERP does not fit, or improve the tools and processes already in place.

Bespoke accounting and management information systems
Architecture, requirements, testing and implementation
AI implementation in finance and business processes
Payment solutions, bulk payouts and agent settlements
Blockchain and smart contract applications where relevant

03 — How I work

A clear scope.
A useful outcome.

You work directly with me, from the first questions
through to implementation and handover.

01 /

Understand

Clarify the situation, the decision at stake and what a useful result would look like.

02 /

Agree

Define the scope, deliverables, timing, responsibilities and fee before the work starts.

03 /

Resolve

Work through the facts, test the options and put the agreed solution into practice.

04 /

Hand over

Leave clear findings, working tools and next steps that your team can use.

Discretion is part of the work.

Confidentiality covers your information and the engagement itself. Sensitive work can begin under an NDA. Client names and project details are not shared without permission.

04 — Ways to work together

The right level
of involvement.

An engagement can be a focused piece of analysis, an implementation project or ongoing financial leadership.

A focused review

A financial diagnostic, investment assessment, ownership review or a model for a specific decision.

For a question that needs a clear answer.

A defined project

Build or redesign a finance function, reporting system, control framework or financial process.

For a change that needs to be implemented.

CFO & advisory support

Direct financial leadership and decision support as the business grows or works through change.

For expertise you need alongside your team.

05 — The person behind hi-finance

Ekaterina
Leksina.

Financial adviser.
A hands-on partner in your business.

View my LinkedIn

I help business owners and investors resolve complex financial matters affecting capital, ownership structures and business resilience. I quickly establish the causes of problems, assess the implications of decisions and take responsibility for implementation — with discretion and personal accountability for the outcome.

My practice spans corporate and investment finance, cross-border structuring and fund formation. I design asset ownership structures across jurisdictions, develop financial and business models, and assess tax implications and the allocation of risk. I consider capital flows, control mechanisms and owners’ interests as interdependent parts of a coherent solution.

My expertise in fintech, payment infrastructure and AI tools enables me to design financial processes around the specific needs of a business. Where standard ERP systems fall short, I build bespoke accounting and management systems — from financial logic and data structures through to implementation and validation.

Human intelligence. Financial expertise.

The “hi” in hi-finance stands for human intelligence: experience, judgement and personal responsibility. AI and technology support the work; understanding the business and exercising professional judgement remain at its centre.

Corporate & investment finance

Cross-border structuring

Fund formation

Fintech & AI

Saint Petersburg State UniversityFinancial Management · Five-year Specialist Diploma
Diploma legalised in the UAE

Mediation & negotiation facilitationSaint Petersburg State University · 2017
Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Conflict Studies

A few practical questions

Before we
begin.

Can we begin with a sensitive or confidential issue?

Yes. An initial message only needs to describe the broad situation. We can agree confidentiality arrangements, including an NDA, before exchanging sensitive information.

Do you work across countries?

I am available for projects in Russia, the UAE and internationally. The scope and working format depend on the business, the jurisdictions involved and the access required.

Can you implement a solution as well as advise?

Yes. Work can include design, implementation, testing and handover. The extent of my involvement and the responsibilities of your team are agreed at the start.

How are engagements priced?

The fee reflects the agreed scope, complexity and level of involvement. We define the deliverables, timing and commercial terms before work begins.

Do you provide bookkeeping or raise funding?

I do not provide routine bookkeeping or fundraising services. My work focuses on financial management, analysis, control, structuring and implementation. Financial models and investment analysis support decisions; they are not a promise of funding.

Let’s start with the situation

A complex question
can start with
a simple conversation.

A few lines about your business, the issue and the decision you need to make are enough to start.

Message me on WhatsApp

+971 58 550 2706

Connect on LinkedIn

Direct contact with Ekaterina.
Discretion from the first conversation.

Complex financial challenges.
Practical solutions. With discretion.

What needs to
be resolved?

Get a clear picture
of what is happening.

The financial picture.
And the detail behind it.

A clear scope.
A useful outcome.

Understand

Agree

Resolve

Hand over

Discretion is part of the work.

The right level
of involvement.

A focused review

A defined project

CFO & advisory support

Ekaterina
Leksina.

Human intelligence. Financial expertise.

Before we
begin.

A complex question
can start with
a simple conversation.

Tell me what
needs to change.

A considered
first contact.

Complex financial challenges. Practical solutions. With discretion.

What needs to be resolved?

Get a clear picture of what is happening.

The financial picture. And the detail behind it.

A clear scope. A useful outcome.

Understand

Agree

Resolve

Hand over

Discretion is part of the work.

The right level of involvement.

A focused review

A defined project

CFO & advisory support

Ekaterina Leksina.

Human intelligence. Financial expertise.

Before we begin.

A complex question can start with a simple conversation.

Complex financial challenges.
Practical solutions. With discretion.

What needs to
be resolved?

Get a clear picture
of what is happening.

The financial picture.
And the detail behind it.

A clear scope.
A useful outcome.

The right level
of involvement.

Ekaterina
Leksina.

Before we
begin.

A complex question
can start with
a simple conversation.