Revenue’s stalled. You need someone who’s fixed it before, not someone who’ll write you a report about it.
I’m Ciara.
I’ve spent 30 years in commercial roles in big global businesses, up to exec level. I’ve worked in PE-owned and VC-backed businesses, acquisitive SaaS and tech, global manufacturing and not-for-profit.
I was on the exec team that took a company from $2.5M to $100M in four years. I’ve led eight acquisitions, closed a $300M deal with a Fortune 100, run a $1BN pipeline, taken businesses into new countries and built teams all over the world.
the problem.
Sales and marketing aren’t delivering, and you don’t know which one is the problem.
You’ve just lost a big customer, or you’ve finally looked at the churn.
Your sales team are hiding behind email and taking orders, because they’ve got nothing decent to have a conversation with. [+ built from your manifesto]
The numbers for the board are being hit with sticking plasters. [+ built from your manifesto]
You don’t trust what you’re being told.
what I’ve actually done
I’ve got 30 years commercial experience. I’m a rare breed: I’ve worked in, and run teams on, both sides of sales and marketing.
When revenue stalls, the first question is always whether it’s sales or marketing. It’s usually a bit of both. But I can tell you where the hole is.
I have spent the last 10 years running marketing and commercial teams, up to exec level.
Prior to that I spent 14 years at IBM and Cisco in sales and sales operations. I sold complex international deals of £250k and up, managed a $1bn pipeline.
The numbers
EMEA marketing-originated bookings at 118%, 256% and 123% of target over three years
Rebuilt an internal sales team which lead the global scorecards and owned 15% of the sales pipeline
Refocused an international team to get on target four months after I arrived
Constantly improving and exceeding NPS targets
Led eight acquisitions to integration from a go-to-market, brand and teams perspective
I make it work.
I make the team you’ve got work
Most of the time I’ve walked into a team I didn’t hire.
In a Global Outsourcing company, I took a team of five in the Philippines with no marketing experience and trained them up, then hired around them in the US, UK and Australia.
At an NFP, I took on four Assistant Directors and their teams, and refocused them on commercial results.
At a SaaS technology company, I met targets and managed acquisitions while working with declining budgets and headcount.
Less money and fewer people, and the targets still went up every year. I know how to work with that.
I’m comfortable with the board
I’ve reported to boards, PE owners and a Dragons’ Den investor. I have rebuilt the KPIs, metrics and scorecard used for board reporting.
how I work.
The first 90 days
You’re bringing in an interim because you need movement, not another six months of the same.
First month: I find out what’s actually going on in the pipeline, the team, the customers and the numbers.
By 90 days: there’s a plan agreed with you - and the board, if required - and the team knows exactly what they’re chasing.
The practical bit
Roles: Interim Commercial Director, CCO, CMO, VP Marketing
Length: usually 3-7months [outside of that is a discussion]
Based: UK - can cover International.
You get exec-level experience without adding a permanent exec to the headcount. When I leave, the team, the processes and the pipeline are in place for someone else to run.