Pontera

Chief Marketing Officer

Outreach

As a member of the executive team, I led global marketing for this VC-backed sales execution
platform company with oversight including digital/performance, content, customer, product,
and field marketing. I generated, analyzed and leveraged data to build an understanding of
customers, prospects and business needs. I drove product launches, customer acquisition and
product adoption efforts and directed public relations, analyst relations, communications,
brand, and creative. Led a 35+ member team and oversaw development, planning and
execution for the company’s annual conference designed for sales and go-to-market leaders.
Successes included:

 Transforming an underperforming team to power improved outcomes while trimming
$5M in expenses and eliminating 13 external agencies.

 Exceeding pipeline goals for 5 consecutive quarters (up to 128%) after reengineering the
demand gen infrastructure and reimagining market release strategy.

 Reducing customer churn by 15% and raising engaged user rate from 58% to 76% after
convening a marketing task force, leading data-driven solution design, and driving
creation of innovative campaigns.

 Delivering $3M in revenue from Unleash, the company’s annual conference with 2K+
attendees by building product awareness and delivering education to encourage upsell
and expansion.

 Bolstering brand awareness to overtake competitors and reach #1 share of feed on
LinkedIn.

SVP | Head of Global Marketing

The RepTrak Company

Led global marketing strategy across growth, content, product, and customer marketing for this
PE-backed corporate reputation insight and advisory service provider. I oversaw revenue operations, public relations, analyst communications, and brand positioning. Reported to CRO and CEO and led a marketing and revenue operations team.

Highlights included:

 Eclipsing pipeline goals up to 128% for 4 consecutive years by implementing analytics,
attribution and forecasting to monitor channel performance, prioritize marketing
initiatives and mitigate risk.

 Decreasing the sales cycles by 35% and increasing ACV by 20% amid tech industry
headwinds and budget restrictions by designing dynamic territories, focusing on ready-
to-purchase accounts, and elevating alignment between marketing and sales teams.

 Spearheading the company rebrand and repositioning, transforming boutique research
agency into a comprehensive Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and integrated
professional services provider.

 Improving acquisition costs by 92% and engagement by 93%, driving profitability
through strategic, targeted and results-focused spending.

 Evolving a traditional marketing team into a scalable, cost-effective account-based
marketing engine, bringing in new talent and restructuring roles and responsibilities to
optimize performance.

 Establishing revenue operations capabilities and spearheading automation to streamline
the BDR function, increasing pipeline while decreasing costs.

SVP, Head of Global Marketing

- 128% of pipeline goal
- Marketing sourced 82% of revenue
- 15% YoY TCV
- 12% increase in conversion rate from opportunity to Closed/Won 
- Decreased sales cycle by 18%

Vice President of Global Marketing

- 123% of revenue goal
- 100.3% of pipeline goal
- Generated more pipeline in Q1 than all of 2020
- 245% increase in lead generation
- Total Contract Value increased 16%

Senior Director Of Marketing

- 106% pipeline quota
- Reduced sales cycle by 20%
- Increased Total Contract Value by 62%
- Acquisition costs improved 92% and engagement 93%

Director of Global Growth Marketing

Forbes Communications Council

Official Member

Logz.io

Responsible for planning, organizing and executing programs that generate new prospects and advance existing opportunities for the sales team within specific, targeted accounts and contacts.  Acts as liaison between marketing and inside, partner, and field sales teams as well as central demand functions such as inbound/product marketing teams to develop tactics designed penetrate targeted accounts. In addition to ABM program development, responsible for event management worldwide.

- Developed and implemented target account strategy to support account-based selling
- Developed and implemented jointly with sales pipeline generation and acceleration programs for specific, targeted accounts and contacts
- Created annual and quarterly marketing plans and targets for targeted sales accounts and contacts that focused on new logos and accelerated existing opportunities.
- Evaluated, selected and managed vendors that contributed to demand creation programs including platforms, direct mail providers, and fulfillment services
- Designed & executed 1:1, 1: few, and broad-based marketing initiatives to meet pipeline requirements of varied account segments
- Tracked lead flow to ensure the appropriate sales channels followed up on marketing campaigns in a timely manner.
- Deployed ready-to-carry-out marketing tactics and provide sales enablement on an account and industry basis using various channels including digital, events, and social media
- Worked with sales to identify gaps in key personas and contact information within strategic accounts; developed data and insight strategy to add key personas and contacts within accounts
- Created and gained consensus for cross-portfolio GTM plans and marketing plays in alignment with strategic product mandates and sales directives
- Planned, coordinated and managed 3rd party and Logz.io run events to maximize lead, ROI and brand value.

Director of Global Account Based Marketing

riskmethods

riskmethods is a supply chain risk management company that supports procurement and supply chain professionals by digitize their end-to-end supply chain so they can visualize and actively manage their risk exposure. 

Currently, I deliver on a global scale through expert management of marketing programs, campaigns, and assets. Leading a talented team, I increase program effectiveness, forecasting, and ROI, leveraging automation reporting. With a $700k budget, I manage concurrent quarterly and yearly strategy marketing planning. 

I was afforded the chance to step into this role after I realized that our automation efforts could be brought in-house through proper training; which I took it upon myself to complete and earned my Salesforce Certified Pardot SpecialistFp credential.

- Increased marketing qualified leads (MQL) by 30% through automated outreach efforts. 

- Delivered 15% growth in webinar attendance. 

- Leveraged A/B testing to increase web traffic and devise continuous methods for improvement.  

- Reduced lead time from 2 weeks to 3 days. 

- Defined complete solution to seamlessly pass leads and data across systems and departments.

Global Marketing Automation Manager

I initially stepped into riskmethods as the Marketing Manager for North America, charged with executing all aspects of marketing for the North American Operations. Surpassing expectations, I translated global strategies into regional marketing campaigns and programs. I also took the lead in directing marketing functions for the company’s involvement in trade shows and industry events. 

- Created, managed and implemented demand generation programs at scale 

- Produced 4k new leads in 2017, equating to $1.5M in yearly revenue growth. 

- Created engaging and captivating content for email marketing, nurture campaigns, and the blog.

- Media strategy and execution for the region

Marketing Manager for North America

Yesware

Yesware is a fast-growing prescriptive sales platform that assists 800,000+ sales professionals at companies like Groupon, New Relic, and Twitter close more deals.

In this capacity, I focused on originating, developing, and optimizing marketing channels and signature events. I especially excelled at managing all aspects and logistics of lead-generation campaigns and cultivating valuable relationships with strategic partners. Entrusted to control 50% of a million-dollar marketing budget, I diligently tracked and analyzed all available data to create success metrics across channels and marketing spend.

Select accomplishments:

- Earned a reputation as the go-to resource on all things channel marketing by combining fierce self-initiative with elegant design and successful execution of demand-generating programs that fueled sales growth. 

- Spearheaded and coordinated all assets and resources involved in trade conferences, webinars, and speaking engagements.

- Returned positive ROI on both 2014 and 2015 Dreamforce campaigns, which featured multidimensional components, such as guerrilla marketing, a customer dinner, and a gala attended by 3,000.

- Maximized bottom-line results by building mutually beneficial relationships—and negotiating large discounts.  

-  Charged in late 2015 with starting up a comprehensive webinar channel.

- Quickly delivered positive ROI on first two webinars by carefully selecting partners, featuring audience-relevant topics, creating engaging content, and working closely with sales team. Followed up by formulating plan to evolve webinars into webcasts.

Event Marketing Manager

In my initial role at Yesware, I demonstrated immediate value in sales support, event planning and production, and analytics to quickly be promoted.

Select accomplishments:

- Promoted and supported co-branding opportunities and cooperative partner event activities.

- Worked in concert with marketing and sales operations to identify channel marketing opportunities, streamline lead flow, and ensure leads were delivered in real time or as quickly as possible.

- Collaborated with executive sales leadership on sales and technology training; mined and created tools and sales resources to assist sales team members with relationship development and promotion techniques; mentored sales team on best communication and presentation practices.

- Formulated first performance-based metrics and processes for tracking, measuring, and reporting on all touch points throughout purchasing funnel, as well as success / ROI related to original goals.

- Generated and presented periodic board- and executive-level reports on all plans and activities, including costs, proof of performance, and ROI.

B2B Channel Marketing Specialist

University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Taught critical thinking, writing and research skills in top-rated courses to 300+ students
• Gave lectures, led in-class activities and mentored students during one-on-one sessions.
• Developed course materials, curricula and syllabi; made innovative use of social networking platforms to enhance learning experience.
• Collaborated with deans, faculty and staff on matters of academic planning and policy.

University Instructor

Leads high performing marketing organizations that fuel revenue and accelerate growth for
lean, digitally focused SaaS companies. Drives strategies that catalyze marketing capabilities
and builds best-in-class operational frameworks and team cultures.

My mantra: Data, not drama. I maintain a relentless focus on data-driven decision-making,
operational excellence, and team empowerment. My expertise spans digital, social, content,
product, and event marketing—as well as PR, creative and brand—and I craft bold, innovative, 
and analytics-driven strategies that resonate, engage and convert.

I’m a change agent by nature, specializing in modernizing marketing operations, optimizing
systems, and scaling high-impact teams that thrive in fast-moving, high-growth environments. My approach is always collaborative, and I use a clear, compelling communication style to gain
buy-in from executive leadership and cross-functional partners to ensure marketing is a true
growth engine, not a cost center. The teams I lead are empowered to deliver innovative
strategies that elevate brands and solidify market position, achieving results that speak for
themselves.

Specialties include: Strategic Vision and Execution, Revenue and Market Growth, Change
Management, Customer Acquisition and Retention, AI Strategy, Brand Positioning and
Awareness, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy, B2B Marketing, Demand Generation, Marketing
Automation, Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, Sales Operations and Enablement, Creativity
and Innovation, Building Workplace Culture, Team Leadership, and Engagement.

Ali Jawin

Co-Founder at AssetMule & Video Marketing Consultant | Podcast Host at #StartupsUnedited & #TheGTMPack Show | Former Twitter, Early MoPub

- Been in this startup game for 24 years - still in therapy to find out why 🙃

- I'm a cross-functional entrepreneur 

- I'm a marketer, product manager, & sales leader

-I have PTSD from being a serial founder for too long, yet still addicted to the game

Specialties include: Podcasts, Mobile Advertising, CRM, Demand Generation, Salesforce.com, Cloud Computing, Social Media, Online Services, Public Speaking, Sales Training, Product Design, Sales, Lead Generation, and Marketing.

🎤 Jorge Soto

This Silicon Valley entrepreneur explains why today’s founders & CEOs need more than “grind harder” advice.

On this #StartupsUnedited episode from 2023, Justin Dorfman & I sat down with Mike Molinet 🦉 (Founder of Thena, Co-founder & former COO of Branch, LP at GTMfund), who delivers a masterclass on operating as a high-performing startup founder.

Here are the actionable takeaways you can implement today:

1. Build a Founder Operating System for Your Body
Mike’s energy turnaround came from three simple rules:
 • Zero alcohol (increases clarity + decision speed)
 • High-protein, low-carb meals (stable energy → stable leadership)
 • Daily movement (walk → cycle → swim → whatever keeps momentum)

Try this: 10 days clean eating + no alcohol + 10k steps/day.

You’ll feel the difference.

2. Reduce Inputs → Increase Output
Mike treats attention like runway:
 • No TikTok
 • No Instagram
 • No news
 • LinkedIn = create → post → close

Try this: Block 8–10am as “input-free.” Only create, decide, or execute.

3. Engineer Your Environment to Win by Default
Instead of relying on willpower, he redesigned his environment:
 • Removed his TV → default became reading & deep work
 • Night routine: no food 2 hours before bed, low lights, small melatonin
 • Meal-prepped 8 meals every Monday → eliminates decision fatigue

Try this: Remove one thing that pulls you into passive consumption.

4. The Real COO Playbook for Early-Stage Startups
Mike’s tactical COO responsibilities at Branch included:
 • Legal (MSAs, privacy policies)
 • Security & SOC2
 • HR, recruiting, payroll
 • Finance & accounting
 • Sales + CS leadership
 • International expansion set-up

Rule: Grab the unowned highest-impact task and run it to completion.

Try this: List every “unowned” mission-critical area. Assign owners by EOD.

5. The High-ROI Path for Joining a Seed Startup
If you want accelerated skill growth:
 • Seek roles where you own multiple functions
 • Optimize for breadth, not titles
 • Choose founders who ship fast and communicate clearly
 • Look for early customer usage → fastest learning loop

Try this: Ask founders: “What’s the highest-impact problem I’d own in the first 30 days?”

6. The Branch Scaling Principles (Use These Daily)
Speed: Make decisions at ~70% info — optimize for “done,” not “perfect.”

-Bias for Action: Ship, test, iterate. Planning ≠ progress.
-Grit: Stay consistent when results lag.
-Micro Urgency: Respond fast, follow-up fast, move deals today.
-Macro Patience: Great companies take 7–10 years.

Try this: Pick one area to apply micro urgency today (e.g., inbound >5 min response).

This episode is a blueprint for developing into a more resilient, high-performing founder.

🔔 Watch the full episode of #StartupsUnedited with Mike: https://lnkd.in/ehk7Va7z

And follow Mike - his posts are mini playbooks for scaling with speed, discipline, and clarity.

#ceos #coo #leadership #vcs

Jorge Soto

Co-Founder of FollowUp | Fractional GTM Co-Founder for Startups & VCs | Host of #TheGTMPack & #StartupsUnedited | Former Twitter, Early MoPub

In a world where “AI-native” is the buzzword of the week, Paul Yacoubian was shipping the real thing years ago.

On this #StartupsUnedited episode from 2021, I sat down with Paul, Founder of Copy.ai (recently acquired by Fullcast), former VC, and angel investor - back when GPT-3 was still “that crazy Twitter demo” and not the default layer in everyone’s product roadmap.

A few things CEOs and founders will appreciate:

1️⃣ He treated GPT-2/GPT-3 like a wave, not a toy
Paul and his cofounder Chris didn’t over-romanticize the idea. They ran multiple tiny side projects, watched the demos, and asked one simple question:

“Is there a commercially viable product here?”

Copy.ai was the 4th MVP - not the first.

2️⃣ Distribution > product perfection
Most “nights & weekends” founders don’t have a product problem, they have a distribution problem.

Paul leaned all-in on one channel: Twitter.

Built an audience before the product
Launched on Twitter, rode the algorithm
Turned 2,000 free signups in 48 hours into real MRR

Recruited and hired from the same channel
He didn’t chase “every GTM motion” - he dominated one.

3️⃣ Traction first, then quit your job
The way he decided to leave VC and go all-in is super tactical:

-Know your conversion rate
-Know your organic signup velocity
-Know whether it’s venture-backable or lifestyle

He literally used his own angel investing scorecard on himself. No romantic “burn the boats” story -> just numbers.

4️⃣ Product-led, but not vibes-led
Copy.ai didn’t start with a grand PLG thesis.

They shipped something small, slapped on Stripe, and only later asked:
“Is this enough to sustain a company, or do we layer in sales?”

PLG was an outcome of fast iteration and audience, not a brand positioning exercise.

5️⃣ Team > idea (especially in the LLM era)
We got into the founder psychology too - cofounder trust, low ego, knowing your weaknesses, managing anxiety. 

In a world where AI lets you ship faster than ever, your real moat is still:
-Who you build with
-How you handle stress
-How you show up for each other over years, not launches

If you’re a CEO or founder trying to navigate the post-LLM world — when to jump, how to bet on a platform shift, and how to use content + PLG as your first GTM engine — this conversation is a masterclass.

🎧 Watch/listen to the full episode with Paul Yacoubian on #StartupsUnedited
 👉 https://lnkd.in/ewEN7cm8

If you’re building something in #AI or #PLG right now, tell me below:

What’s the one channel you’re willing to absolutely dominate this year? 👇

#startups #ceo #founders #sales

Open video: EP 75: How Copy.ai Hit $60K MRR in 5 Months with GPT-3 & Twitter PLG | Paul Yacoubian on AI Startups on youtube.com

EP 75: How Copy.ai Hit $60K MRR in 5 Months with GPT-3 & Twitter PLG | Paul Yacoubian on AI Startups

I just read a fantastic piece from the Skaled Consulting folks led by my boy Jake Dunlap, on what a day in the life of an AI-enabled B2B SaaS seller (2026) can look like - and it’s one of the clearest, most actionable breakdowns I’ve seen.

The big takeaway Skaled nails: AI amplifies the seller. It clears the runway so reps can spend more time on what matters most - customer conversations, crisp follow-ups, and strong next steps.

A few highlights the Skaled team shares:
	•	AI-enabled GTM teams can save ~11–12 hours/week by automating repetitive work
	•	Sellers often have limited “pure selling time,” which makes workflow leverage incredibly valuable
	•	GenAI can handle a meaningful share of knowledge-work tasks, creating space for higher-quality selling moments

And the way Skaled maps the workflow is super practical:
✅ Pre-call prep becomes fast, consistent, and personalized
✅ Outbound becomes sharper with better angles and context
✅ Post-call follow-up becomes immediate, structured, and tailored by persona
✅ Pipeline + priorities become clearer with AI-assisted organization and next-best actions

If you lead sales or RevOps, this is worth the read - the Skaled team did an awesome job turning “AI in sales” into an operating model you can actually apply.

👉 Read the full article from Skaled here:

https://lnkd.in/eytTMYTJ

#B2BSales #SalesLeadership #RevOps #GTM #AIinSales #SaaS

Open article: A Day in the Life of an AI-Powered SaaS Seller in 2026 by skaled.com

A Day in the Life of an AI-Powered SaaS Seller in 2026

We all know the “agentic revolution” has exploded over the last ~3 years.

ChatGPT, Claude, and LLMs have made a new reality possible - and tomorrow’s going to be even weirder (and exciting).

But here’s what I haven’t seen yet:

A GTM org (Sales + Marketing + CS) where the majority of workflows are actually run by agents in a coordinated, scalable way.

What I have seen:
	•	impressive agent workflows… in silos
	•	“agent for SDRs” over here
	•	“agent for marketing ops” over there
	•	“agent for CS” somewhere else

And the irony is painful…

For years we screamed that alignment matters:

Sales ↔ Marketing ↔ CS ↔ RevOps ↔ Product

Now we’re accidentally rebuilding the same mess as agentic-powered silos.

So the real question isn’t “how many tasks can agents do?”

It’s: how do we align humans + agents + agent-to-agent communication across the GTM system so it’s coherent, measurable, and operable?

Because companies don’t have 12 months to:
	•	pick 10 vendors
	•	duct-tape workflows together
	•	and hope nothing breaks at scale

The human worker is still the default “glue” - and we need an operating model that makes that glue intentional, not accidental.

So I’m looking for proof in the wild:

Who has actually mastered cross-functional, agent-driven GTM operations?

Not demos. Not pilots. Not one-off automations.

Real alignment. Real scale.

👇 Tag a team or operator you’ve seen doing this well (or DM me introductions).

#GTM #RevOps #AI #Agents #Sales #Marketing #CustomerSuccess

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Ali Jawin

🎤 Jorge Soto

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🎤 Jorge Soto

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Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}🎤 Jorge Soto's LinkedIn Performance

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