Guiding B2B SaaS Companies to unlocking Revenue-Driven Success. Founder & Head of Growth @ Marked.

Over the past decade, I've dedicated my career to helping B2B SaaS companies focus on revenue-driven marketing operations that result in tangible growth. 

As the former founder of Marked, a respected agency in Belgium, I have worked with over 50 clients worldwide, providing sustainable growth solutions.

My mission is to empower B2B SaaS businesses by setting up revenue programs that generate consistent and sustainable growth. My approach is centered around practical strategies that drive real results. Nothing fluffy, real action.

What I Offer:
→ Coaching for CMOs & B2B Marketers: Tailored coaching to enhance skills and strategic thinking.
→ Fractional CMO Services: Providing leadership and expertise on a part-time basis to drive your growth.
→ Strategic Trajectories: Developing comprehensive plans that align with your business goals.
→ Building Revenue Systems: Crafting and implementing systems to ensure steady revenue growth.

Notable Clients:
I've had the privilege of working with leading B2B SaaS companies such as Mouseflow, Robovision, 6clicks, Sequesto, Froomle, and Accurat.

Key Achievements:
→ Assisted over 50 clients worldwide
→ Established Marked as a respected agency within Belgium
→ Advised startups through Belgian accelerators

If you're interested in learning more about how I can help your business grow, visit my personal site or subscribe to my newsletter for the latest insights and strategies.

Learn More:

Personal Site: xanmannekens.me
Newsletter: b2bmarketerscompass.com

Let's connect and explore how we can drive growth for your business together.

Xan Mannekens

I found my spark.

18 months ago, I left Marked to explore what's next.

Since then? 
→ Worked with amazing founders 
→ Helped scale some exciting businesses 
→ Built strategies that actually moved the needle

But something was missing.

That feeling when a project clicks. 
When you can't stop thinking about it. 
When work doesn't feel like work.

Then I saw Brent Luyckx's new project.

We met during a PEAK Coaching dinner ages ago.
When I saw what he was building, I reached out immediately.

It just clicked.

Health and sports aren't just hobbies for me, they're obsessions.
I genuinely want to understand every detail about how to optimize performance, recovery, and longevity.

So when we talked about Superhlth, everything aligned.

I'm excited (understatement) to announce I'm joining Superhlth as CMO & Go-to-Market Lead.

Finally found that project that gives me the spark.
The one where my personal passion meets professional purpose.

Let's build something incredible.
And I'm taking you guys along with me on the journey.

CMO & GTM Lead @ Superhlth | Helping you understand your body like never before.

A few weeks into Superhlth.

And boy, I have been loving it.

I've been: 
→ Learning the tech inside out 
→ Meeting the incredible team 
→ Working on everything from strategy to execution

One of those things? A new website.

Am I a web developer? Hell no.
Do we need an upgraded version while we wait for the final one? Yes sir.

So off we go.

That's exactly what I love about the startup journey.

You don't get to pick and choose what's "your job."

You see what needs to happen. 
And you make it happen.

Some days I'm building go-to-market strategy. 
Other days I'm fumbling through website builds.

Both are equally important when you're building something from scratch.

But every single thing I'm doing helps me learn more about the product, the tech, and the user experience and it makes me better at my actual role.

You can't build great marketing if you don't intimately understand what you're marketing.

This is startup life. 
And I'm here for it.

We just created & shipped our new Superhlth website in a matter of days 🚀

Speed over perfection. 
Execution over endless iterations.

We combined 4-5 Framer templates, pulled the best building blocks, and got it live. 

The goal wasn't to create something flawless, it was to move forward and unlock the next phase of our go-to-market strategy. Whilst building our fully custom website in the background.

So we're live and ready for feedback. 
If you spot anything that needs attention or have thoughts to share.
I'm all ears.

This is what building in public looks like. 
Let's go team.

Ship, learn, iterate.
Check it out and let me know what you think 👇

Last week I told you I found my spark with Superhlth.

But here's the full picture.

After leaving Marked 18 months ago, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what actually matters to me.

Two things kept coming back:
- Working on projects that cross paths with my passions.
- Helping and challenging people, giving back through coaching and guiding.

Superhlth checks box #1 perfectly.
Now I'm checking box #2.

I'm joining Better Growth to co-host the 12-week GTM Accelerator program.

Why?

Because I've seen too many talented founders struggle with the same growth challenges: 
→ No clear strategy 
→ Wasted budget on tactics that don't stick 
→ Flying blind without the right data

The Accelerator program gives teams the frameworks and systems to make growth predictable, controlled, and scalable.

And I get to work alongside some incredible co-trainers and hosts who push me to be better. Thierry, Tim, Peter 🚀 

We're kicking off 2026 with an event on February 26 in Gent about building future-proof growth organizations.

Link in the comments.

2026 is shaping up to be something special.
Let's go, team BG! 🚀

PS: AI generated picture due to lack of real ones. Thierry, I'm sorry our faces changed a bit if you zoom in.

Philippe Ruttens

I help PE/VC operating partners and founder-led B2B firms fix broken revenue &amp; marketing engines in 90–180 days. Through my revenue &amp; GTM audit followed by a 3–6 month transformation sprint, I clean your CAC/LTV and pipeline metrics investors trust, rebuild GTM and AI‑enabled operations, and embed dashboards and playbooks that boards can rely on.What I deliver:- 90-day Revenue &amp; GTM Audit: Clean CAC/LTV and pipeline metrics, expose leaks, identify 3 key growth levers. Portfolio companies move from hopeful projections to investor-grade dashboards.- 180-day Revenue Engine Transformation: Rebuild ICP, positioning, messaging, GTM plays and AI‑enhanced workflows; embed playbooks so teams run the system after I leave.- Fractional, Interim (Open to Perm) CMO &amp; Board Advisory: 1–4 days/week hands-on leadership linking marketing fixes to valuation, multiples and exit stories.My experience &amp; credentials:- Over 25+ years (Accenture, EY, Tyk, MasterCard and 30+ B2B brands), I've:- Delivered 200–500% proven marketing ROI for B2B clients with clear attribution and board-ready reporting- Achieved 10%+ operational efficiency gains in C-suite-led change programs, improving team performance and budget control- Led and transformed 3-5 marketing teams up to 25+ FTE, modernising GTM stacks for the digital age- Designed and co-delivered demand gen across 10+ countries and 19 websites, spanning inbound and outbound channels- Trained 200+ executives in social branding and selling; improved win rates for 10+ key account teams through ABM- Built marketing &amp; sales intranet for 400 sales managers; established competitor intelligence serving 500+ internal stakeholders- Worked across Big 4 consulting (Andersen/Accenture, EY, Capgemini) plus 12 years as freelance senior consultant and interim/fixed marketing &amp; comms leader- Grounded expertise in 5 years of knowledge management and market intelligence—ensuring a data-driven approach to CAC/LTV, pipeline and GTMRecognition: 45+ LinkedIn recommendations across sectors and rolesFeatured by CMO Alliance as a "CMO to Watch 2025" — as trailblazer shaping the future of B2B marketingLet's turn your investor pressure &amp; lack of autonomy into pipeline—fast. Let's explore your ROI and boost your 2026 performance in a 15-mins call --&gt; www.ruttens.com

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)

We're on a mission to connect every system in the world.

From USA Today to Tripadvisor, from Vietnam to New York, thousands of businesses are harnessing the power of APIs using Tyk. Over 15 billion “things” are connected to the internet, growing at a rate of a billion per year and APIs are at the centre of this explosion in connectivity. Tyk is committed to enabling interconnectivity between systems and devices and breaking down the barriers to API Adoption.

My goal as CMO is to grow Tyk’s ecosystem, customers and revenue, making Tyk the world’s most loved brand for interconnectivity and API management.

My personal “WHY” is to create stronger & healthier teams, operations and people with a 100% focus on customer-centric growth and measurable impact.

CMOs need to sustainably grow brand demand and revenue pipeline by leveraging data, market and customer insights, user & influencer communities at each stage of their career and journey. My core responsibilities include:
1.	Build a world-class integrated marketing team and customer-centric function 
2.	Grow and report on main marketing & sales KPIs, from brand awareness to full-funnel conversion and velocity 
3.	Align internal product & commercial stakeholders around common goals, operations and buyer journey
4.	Leverage data, analysis and learnings from each touchpoint (customers, partners, prospects, users) to fine-tune targeting, messaging and value proposition(s) 
5.	Develop short- & long-term roadmap for marketing planning and execution
6.	Optimize marketing strategies & campaigns, from messaging and content to channels and dashboards
7.	Oversee development & execution of thought leadership and communications programs at global, regional and local levels

More info on www.tyk.io 
Get Started on https://tyk.io/sign-up/

After working with 20+ B2B leadership teams, this roundup from Thomas Allgeyer confirms what I'm seeing: 

AI isn't the problem - slow GTM alignment is.

Kieran Flanagan, for example nails it 

AI democratizes knowledge, but edge comes from execution courage, not playbook access.

126 curated posts. 66 new voices. One clear pattern:

The winners aren't chasing AI tools. 
They're building ROI-proven marketing engines that scale.

Three insights that hit home:
→ Kieran Flanagan: AI makes playbooks free. Your advantage? The courage to break the formula
→ 85% of marketing orgs adopt AI but can't prove pipeline ROI. The gap? GTM alignment, not technology
→ Companies with 14%+ growth trade at 11x vs 6.5x median. That premium rewards efficient marketing engines, not vanity metrics

If you're still in "Pilot Hell," this is your roadmap to "ROI Heaven."
Full roundup from Thomas Allgeyer 👇
In good company too... Kieran Flanagan ​
Eliza Szczerbicka   Marlena Stremler-Matysiak Ted Carter Michael Bogart Phil Nagel Liam Sheridan​
Romàn Czerny Romain Torres Phillip Alexeev Suleiman Najim Gabriel Millien Doug Hunter
Omer Levy, CPA, Adv.
Matteo Tittarelli ⚡️ Jasper Ruijs Matt Thompson Tori Needels Rachel Jennings-Keane
Seha Okudan Katherine Barnes  Gerhard Gschwandtner Alpesh Chauhan
Florin Tatulea Liza Adams Ryan Staley Thomas Ross Nicole Leffer George Khoshtaria #B2BMarketing #GTMStrategy 

FYI I share more marketing & GTM ROI tips in my THEMARKETAIR newsletter,  https://lnkd.in/enwsSniW

📈 I help PE/VC portfolio & founder‑led B2B midsize firms fix broken revenue & marketing engines in 90–180 days | ROI 25 yrs 10+ sectors 45 Recomms | Fractional, Interim, Perm CMO | ex-Accenture & EY 📣 Speaker & Coach

By Philippe Ruttens, 📈 I help PE/VC portfolio & founder‑led B2B midsize firms fix broken revenue & marketing engines in 90–180 days | ROI 25 yrs 10+ sectors 45 Recomms | Fractional, Interim, Perm CMO | ex-Accenture & EY 📣 Speaker & Coach

B2B CMO GTM Insights, How-To & Tips for growing your Revenue, Pipeline & Marketing ROI in 2026 & beyond

View newsletter: THEMARKETAIR B2B Mktg ROI Tips

Women don’t burn out because they are “not strong enough”.

They do because nobody ever taught them how to redesign life for perimenopause and menopause.
​
Menopause is costing careers & lost opportunities: 

1 in 3 women think about changing jobs because of symptoms, 
while 80% of Belgian companies have ZERO menopause policy.​

Annemarie van Riet, my 33-year-long partner, turned her own “hit‑by‑a‑truck” menopause into evidence‑based coaching and workshops helping women 40+ thrive at work.
​
If this resonates for you, your team or your company, read her story and connect with her below ⬇️

Annemarie is not only a menopause coach but "walked your path" with her 30-year experience in B2C marketing & her degree in psychology.

She helps women translate “I know what I should do” into habits that actually fit a real, messy, high‑responsibility life.
​
If you’re a woman leader 40+ who:

Feels your energy, focus or mood shifting in ways you can’t fully explain.

Is not sure what’s “normal” and what deserves a proper conversation.

Wants simple, evidence‑based changes in food, movement, sleep and stress that work with your busy exec calendar, not against it…
​
…then save this post, and check out Annemarie van Riet @ AEGLE asap!
​
👉 Tag a woman in leadership who never permits herself to say “this is hard”
👉 Or DM and I’ll gladly connect you with Annemarie for a short, no‑pressure chat to explore where you are in your (peri)menopause journey

Menopause & Perimenopause Coach | Nutrition | Helping women cut throughoverwhelm to feel their best through proven lifestyle strategies.

Menopauze en werk: nog steeds een taboe? 

- 1 op 3 vrouwen overweegt carriere switch omwille van menopauze
- meer dan 43% van de vrouwen ouder dan 45 zit in peri- of menopauze
- 80% van de Belgische bedrijven heeft geen menopauze beleid

En toch praten we er amper over.

Met een Master in Psychologie had ik altijd al een fascinatie voor het 'waarom' achter menselijk gedrag. Toch leidde mijn liefde voor design me jarenlang naar een succesvolle carrière als interieurarchitect.
Tot ik niet zachtjes maar met een klap in de menopauze belandde.
Geen overgang, geen waarschuwing - ik voelde me als een vreemde in mijn lichaam: boos of verdrietig, zelden echt blij. Slapeloze nachten, een extreme gevoeligheid voor stress en een constante vermoeidheid maakten werk steeds moeilijker. Ondanks dezelfde eet- en beweeggewoontes als in mijn 40s vlogen de kilos erbij.

Wat het moeilijker maakte, was het gebrek aan begeleiding.
"Accepteer het, het hoort erbij." 

Medische hulp bood beperkte antwoorden. Ik besloot alles te leren over menopauze - en ontdekte hoe cruciaal levensstijl is voor het managen van symptomen (niemand had me dat verteld).

Ik ontdekte ook dat ik niet alleen was. Onderzoek toont dat vrouwen jaarlijks duizenden euros uitgeven aan supplementen voor menopauzeklachten, terwijl de meeste geen bewezen effect hebben…

Dat werd mijn keerpunt.

Ik behaalde mijn certificaat in evidence-based Menopauze Coaching, met focus op voeding, beweging, stress en slaap. 

Dankzij mijn achtergrond in psychologie leerde ik hoe kleine, haalbare stappen echte en duurzame verandering brengen.

Vandaag voel ik me beter dan ooit.

Deze levensfase werd voor mij geen einde, maar een nieuw begin.
 Een kans om bewuster te leven, grenzen te stellen, vaker nee te zeggen — en een nieuwe uitdaging aan te gaan: vrouwen begeleiden om hun menopauze-ervaring te transformeren.

💛 Ik bied vandaag persoonlijke menopauze coaching aan
 🏢 En geef workshops binnen organisaties rond menopauze en werk

Wil je ontdekken wat begeleiding voor jou — of voor je organisatie — kan betekenen?
 Stuur me gerust een bericht, ik vertel je graag meer.

#Menopauze #CarrièreSwitch #MidlifeGezondheid #VrouwenOpDeWerkvloer #MenopauzeCoaching

Psychologie, Master
Menopauze-coach, Certificaat
Voedingscoach niveau 1 PN – in opleiding

Most interim/fractional roles fail for one reason:

No one agrees what “impact in 12 weeks” actually means

... usually because your talent lacks strategic, Board stakeholders, battle-tested maturity.

Your CEO & investors expect visible progress in 4–6 weeks, not 4–6 quarters.


In ZEREN & RENOIR’s 2026 toolkit (in comment), interim leaders are described as “the fastest route to control and visible impact” when growth stalls, AI transformations drift, or GTM engines lose discipline. 

The best fractional/interim/coach CMO arrive with a playbook, or 90-day proven model, not a CV.

Rapid scan, operating rhythm, 12-week execution.

That’s how my Fractional CMO / GTM Reset is structured in my work with B2B companies. Retainer, consulting or coach mode.

Stage 1 – Rapid Scan (first hours and days): diagnose what’s working, where value leaks, and where decisions are stuck

Stage 2 – Alignment Rhythm: establish a calm, high-velocity operating cadence with leadership and GTM teams

Stage 3 – 12-Week Plan: 3–5 priorities with clear owners, metrics and early wins by weeks 2, 4 and 8

This is not “advisory”.

It’s hands-on, commercially-obsessed Marketing & GTM leadership, built for founders and C-suites who need to:

- Restore pipeline clarity
- Bring inbound pipeline discipline 
- Marketing performance, ROI & team confidence

As a quick example, I turned this into a simple 3-stage visual you can use to pressure-test your own interim/fractional/team.

👉 Swipe through the carousel 

DM me “RESET” & we’ll map your own, 6-12 week GTM reset in 30 mins.

12-Week Marketing GTM Reset for B2B Team ROI in 3 steps

The valuation gap is widening: SaaS companies with 14%+ growth trade at 11x vs 6.5x median.

As Sammy Abdullah Blossom Street Ventures's latest data shows, we're past the 2020 heyday of easy valuations. 

Only 28% of public SaaS now trade above 10x revenue (vs 60% in Q4 2020).

The insight that matters for CMOs & GTM leaders:

That 11x premium isn't random. 

It rewards companies with efficient marketing engines that deliver measurable growth.

From working with 20+ B2B leadership teams, I see three patterns in companies earning premium multiples:

→ Pipeline velocity metrics (not just lead volume)  
→ First-party attribution proving CAC efficiency  
→ Context-driven AI, not tool sprawl

The question isn't "what multiple should we target?"  

It's "can our marketing prove a direct path to that 14%+ growth rate?"

Most GTM teams are still stuck in what I call "Pilot Hell"—testing tools without clear ROI frameworks.

The winners? They've moved to ROI Heaven with board-ready dashboards.

Thank you Sammy Abdullah for the continued benchmarking insights 📊

#B2BMarketing #SaaS #MarketingROI #GTMStrategy

Q4 2025 SaaS Multiples Remain Weak 
#b2b #saas #software #venturecapital #startup

SaaS multiples in Q4 continue to be soft. Of the 81 publicly traded SaaS companies we follow, the median multiple was 5.30x revenue while the average 

Open article: Q4 2025 SaaS Multiples Remain Weak by Sammy Abdullah • 2 min read

Your revenue & marketing engine isn’t “fine”.

It’s quietly leaking pipeline, budget, investors & Board trust.

You’re “close” to target most months.
Sales is busy with demos and calls... but chasing the wrong ICP & Deals
"Scattershot" Marketing is running campaigns, launching content, and adding tools.​ but no clear line to pipeline, win-rate, or revenue efficiency.​

But under the surface, the math doesn’t work.

Pipeline keeps slipping. CAC creeps up. Payback stretches.

And every Board or investor update becomes harder to defend.​

In 90–180 days, I step in as a fractional CMO/board advisor to:

1- Find why growth stalled (not just “blame marketing”)
2- Tighten ICP, positioning, and GTM, so sales stops chasing the wrong deals
3- Turn channels & campaigns into measurable pipeline, win-rate, and CAC improvements your CFO actually believes

Give PE/VC and owners a clean story for the next raise, M&A, or exit.

If you’re a founder, CFO, or operating partner worried that “the marketing numbers don’t match the story”, let’s talk, DM.

Investors ain't asking for "more leads" but:

Why isn’t marketing growth efficient?
Why is it costing more to win customers?
Why is CAC payback rising?
Why should we trust next quarter’s plan?​

This is where redesigning the whole revenue & marketing engine matters more than “fixing marketing”.

The outcome: A marketing engine tied directly to revenue, not just awareness.

Marketing GTM revenue engine for PE VC Board readiness

🚨 Board email: ‘Growth stalled. Prove ROI – or miss funding.’ 

Heart drops. Pipeline ‘looks good’ but CAC soars. You’re firefighting alone. 😰

VC/PE portfolios & founder-led mid-market firms sweating...

Go from Exit Killer & Marketing Fog to... 
ROI Control & Revenue Engine Rebuild.

Sample list from my 90-Day Marketing Engine Fix:

1️⃣ Audit Leaks: Spot pipeline holes. Clean CAC/LTV. Board-proof dashboards
2️⃣ Target Right: ICP focus. Align teams. Cut 30% waste
3️⃣ Fractional Sprint: Hands-on CMO. AI ops boost
4️⃣ Dashboard Proving Wins: 2-3x pipeline. <12mo payback. Exit-ready.

Your biggest leak in Q1? Comment. Free audit DMs open.

The Crisis in Revenue Marketing Performance is Accelerating... After a shaky, "AI-disrupted" 2025, European B2B mid-market firms' Founders and PE/VC o

Open article: RED ALERT: B2B Marketing Crisis for Founders & PE/VC-Backed Firms by Philippe Ruttens • 3 min read

RED ALERT: B2B Marketing Crisis for Founders & PE/VC-Backed Firms

Fascinating report/survey as an early‑year signal from the PE market. 

The shift described by Directorbank towards commercially minded CFOs/COOs mirrors what many CMOs now need & feel: 

Every euro in pipeline has to prove its revenue story, not just lead volume.
​
Three things seen across high‑performing B2B portfolios in 2025:

1- Shared CFO/CMO view on “qualified pipeline” tied to win rates, sales velocity and payback, not MQLs... sadly, too few CMOs are there ;(

2- AI used less for vanity scoring, more for intent + account tiering that shortens sales cycles

3- Board dashboards that track pipeline coverage, CAC, NRR and marketing‑sourced revenue side by side

In VC & PE‑backed B2B companies, that is exactly where marketing ROI conversations are finally maturing.
​
What works best in best practices includes Board packs where marketing, sales and finance share one view of pipeline coverage vs. growth plan, with a clear line of sight from brand and demand spend to revenue, margin and exit narrative.

HOWEVER: 
Too many CMOs still sit too far from the boardroom to influence this agenda. 

In many B2B portfolios, the missing piece is connecting that upgraded leadership bench with an equally rigorous approach to marketing and GTM ROI.

This is exactly where I work with PE funds and C‑suites: 

Aligning GTM strategy, metrics and enablement so every euro invested in brand and demand improves exit value.

Elevating GTM metrics (win rate, sales cycle, NRR, CAC/LTV) into your leadership assessment framework could unlock even more value.

Anyway, this update from Directorbank includes GOOD NEWS of where PE‑backed growth is heading in 2026, e.g. ongoing strength in Industrials & Tech & Comms, and increased focus on data‑driven leadership assessment and board‑level alignment

A REVIEW OF OUR ACTIVITY 2025:
Following a cautious start to 2025, Directorbank has observed a steady increase in demand for executive talent across the Private Equity space. While investors remain prudent, a shift towards optimism is emerging, with PE firms placing further emphasis on driving growth, efficiency and strategic alignment within their portfolio companies. Although deal volumes have yet to fully accelerate, the perception of UK assets as undervalued, combined with a gradual easing of inflation and interest rates, indicates a likely uptick in investment activity as the year progresses.

In terms of Executive Search, we’ve seen sustained demand for Chairs, NEDs, CEOs/MDs, and Sales & Marketing Directors. However, there has been a marked rise in the need for commercially-minded CFOs and COOs reflecting an increased focus on financial agility, strategic foresight, and operational excellence at the Board level.

Sector-wise, performance within Industrials and Tech & Comms has remained strong, with Business Services also demonstrating resilience. Our German practice has also delivered excellent results, contributing a third of our overall business, and was once again recognised as a ‘top search consultant for Private Equity’ in WirtschaftesWoche’s annual survey.

In-house, we remain committed to enhancing our candidate database and leadership assessment capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our clients. This investment allows us to provide more effective, data-driven insights and highly relevant Board-level talent aligned to the growth, opportunities and challenges ahead.

Looking forward, our focus remains firmly on delivering high-quality, tailored Executive Search solutions for our Private Equity investor and Board clients. We also look forward to further building client relationships through our calendar of networking dinners, facilitating valuable connections between top-tier executives and investors.

Scroll below for a breakdown of our activity.

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