Chris Downing
About Chris Downing
Chris Downing is a Senior Manager in Retail & Strategy Analytics at Afterpay, with a robust background in financial analytics and management from his tenure at eBay. He holds degrees in Mechatronics and Commerce from the University of Sydney and possesses extensive technical skills in data analysis tools.
Current Role at Afterpay
Chris Downing serves as the Senior Manager for Retail & Strategy Analytics at Afterpay. He has held this position since 2021, contributing to the company's analytics strategies in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In this role, he utilizes his extensive background in financial analytics to drive insights that inform retail strategies.
Previous Experience at eBay
Before joining Afterpay, Chris Downing worked at eBay in various roles over a span of several years. He was the Head of Financial Analytics from 2019 to 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Prior to that, he served as the European Financial Analytics Manager from 2011 to 2013 in London, United Kingdom. His tenure at eBay also included roles as Financial Planning & Analysis Manager from 2007 to 2011 and Head of Analytics - Product, Seller & Mobile from 2013 to 2019, both in Sydney.
Educational Background
Chris Downing studied at the University of Sydney, where he earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics and a Bachelor of Commerce in Econometrics & Economics, both completed from 1999 to 2003. He also pursued further education in Management Accountancy at The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, achieving ACMA and CGMA from 2011 to 2013. Additionally, he is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) through CPA Australia.
Technical Skills and Expertise
Chris Downing possesses a diverse set of technical skills relevant to analytics and finance. He is proficient in tools such as SQL, Hadoop, Tableau, R Shiny, Teradata Data Warehouse, VBA, and SAS. His strong combination of technical capabilities and financial literacy is particularly focused on the tech industry, emphasizing online retail and ecommerce.
Leadership Experience
During his time at eBay, Chris Downing served as acting CFO for eBay Australia for 15 months. In this capacity, he led the Australian finance organization and was an integral part of the management team, overseeing financial operations and strategy.