Audible’s Razwan Karamat Ali Believes Finance Tells a Story of its Own

It might sound obvious that our Head of Global Finance and Accounting, Razwan Karamat Ali, has always been a “numbers guy,” but his passion goes beyond that, to the story the numbers tell. A certified public accountant (CPA), Ali joined Audible in 2016 as VP, Head of Global Financial Planning & Analysis, and since then, his team has grown considerably, becoming, as Ali says, “a truly global finance organization with one team mentality,” with scaled automated tools and standardized processes that support Audible’s worldwide operations and help drive business decisions.

In 2021, Ali, along with Audible CFO and Growth Officer Cynthia Chu, was honored by NJBIZ Magazine as a Leader in Finance for his contributions to the industry and to communities, along with his “achievements, energy, and innovative ideas.” He’s an avid cricket player who has been on a league, and currently plays with friends on the weekend, and he says his two girls, ages 5 and 9, keep him and his wife “quite busy.”

We asked Ali to share what he enjoys about working in finance at Audible, and the role he plays in helping us continue to bring quality storytelling to our customers.

What do you like best about your work?

I have always enjoyed financial storytelling; the “why” behind the numbers. I believe the finance team has a very unique vantage point from which to identify risks and opportunities, remove roadblocks, and help identify blind spots. The cross-team collaboration in my role gives me the opportunity to partner with senior leadership to inform their understanding of business performance and provide insights and analysis that drive customer-focused business actions and decision-making.

What is something you’ve accomplished while being a leader at Audible that you are particularly proud of?

I’ve had the opportunity to build the financial planning and analysis function from the ground up, while continuing to enhance and standardize our global financial processes and systems to ensure Audible is well positioned to continue delighting our customers while achieving our strategic goals.

What have you found most helpful for balancing a leadership role with your personal/family life?

I believe staying on top of my schedule, analyzing my time, and prioritizing tasks has been the key to my work-life balance. It allows me to be productive and engaged at work without compromising family time. In addition, taking time off throughout the year, along with Audible’s frequent “wellness days,” which are great opportunities to unplug and recharge.

Lightning round

• Coffee or tea? Tea (most recently Yemeni Adeni tea).
• Morning person or night owl? Morning person.
• How long have you been with Audible? Seven and a half years.
• Dine in or take out? Dine in.
• Favorite hobby? Playing cricket.
• Favorite Audible listen, go. It’s a long list, but Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog is definitely one of my favorites.