Intrepid

Intrepid is a financial technology company that brings innovation, inspiration, and opportunity to every entrepreneur and business in the creator economy.

Our core product "Superstar" is a creator marketing management software designed to automate the way data-driven marketing teams operate. It offers an integrated platform to manage the entire lifecycle of creator marketing campaigns. 

The objective is to streamline processes from the creator discovery phase to payments, all while leveraging data-driven insights and fostering enhanced collaboration among stakeholders.

I recruit customers, partners and lead our global community.

Co-Founder | Community | Growth 

Activate America

Producer of Amplified Avondale https://www.instagram.com/amplifiedavondale/ 

Activate America leads urban transformation and regenerative placemaking projects, creating vibrant cultural hubs for economic revitalization and fosters community connection and cultural diversity.

As the Founder and CEO of Activate America, I orchestrated a transformative journey that significantly impacted the local community. We've achieved remarkable milestones:

Community Development: Our festival transitioned from a homogenous gathering into a diverse and inclusive event, with over 1,000 monthly attendees representing a rich tapestry of backgrounds, fostering an inclusive sense of community and cultural diversity.

Revenue Growth: Doubled and tripled revenue for local merchants, contributing to the economic vitality of the community.

Urban Revitalization: Pioneered the creation of a net-new entertainment district, catalyzing urban revitalization and cultural enrichment.

Founder and CEO

Delivering over a hundred keynote speeches, panels, and moderated discussions on Fintech, Modern Banking, Web3, Blockchain, AI, and the Future of Work.

Translating deep tech trends into human-centric insights, driven by my entrepreneurial, executive recruiting, and advisory background.

Public Speaker

Silver Creek Partners

Full time through 2016, select long term clients through 2023. Global reach.
Key Contributions:

Recruited and onboarded over 2500 professionals, driving substantial revenue growth and innovation for diverse organizations. Hundreds of customers from idea stage to F50.
Functional areas: Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Corporate Development
Roles: CSuite to individual contributor.
Google, SAP, SingTel, AIA, Flipt, Anheiser Busch, Salesforce,

Key Accomplishments:
Scaled startup engineering teams from initial hires to robust units of up to 40 engineers.

Led talent acquisition for a HealhTech startup from idea to a teams 140+ employees.

Led talent acquisition efforts for a Fortune 100 electronics manufacturer, resulting in 35 senior manager and executive hires within 12 months.

Scaled a Fortune 50 insurance company's newly formed division from a single employee to 35 senior hires in just 18 months, including relocating 25 senior executives to Singapore.

Oversaw organizational design and talent acquisition for a corporate development and Innovation business unit, culminating in 14 executive-level hires.

Drove early success for startups, consistently recruiting first customers in zero to one environments.

Founder | Executive Recruiter

Intrepid Ventures

Intrepid Ventures was a Blockchain and Web3 startup studio and innovation lab for founders and chief innovation officers.

Customer-facing leader with a proven track record of success in growing and engaging communities, launching successful events, and building relationships in the blockchain and Web3 space.

Grew a global invite-only community from 0 to 30,000+ members in 18 months. Community led insights and guidance helped to shape the thinking of community members and position them for success in the rapidly evolving blockchain and Web3 space.

Developed and launched more than 20 sponsored events across Southeast Asia through ecosystem partners including Visa, Prudential, AIA, IFC World Bank, IBM, and others, attracting over 10,000 attendees. 

Facilitated community-driven innovation and collaboration, resulting in the launch of multiple successful blockchain/crypto products across insurance, fintech, security, and gaming.

Intrepid Ventures | Co-Founder | Blockchain & Web3 Venture Studio

Creator Economy | Influencer Marketing | Community | Sales and Partnerships | Recruiting

I help Influencer Marketing teams unify, automate, and scale their operations so they can focus on growth vs. administrative tasks.


I've recruited and helped build amazing teams (onboarded 2500+ professionals).
I've designed and built global communities from zero to 30K+.
Designed, launched and produced 18 Music and Art Festivals, 5 large scale conferences and 100+ events
Co-founded 4 startups in  Blockchain, Healthech, Fintech and AI/Automation.

Zach Piester

Rafael Schwarz

Board Advisor & NED | FMCG, Media, MarTech, Digital | CRO & CMO | B2B & B2C Growth Strategy | Social Media & Creator Economy | 25y track record as GTM, Sales & Marketing Leader | ex P&G, Mars, Reckitt

Senior Board Advisor & Commercial Strategist with 20+ years track record developing teams and driving business growth for leading brands, agencies, and platforms across consumer goods, media, and digital sectors.

Proven track record in business strategy development, P&L ownership (€500M+), end-to-end sales leadership, omnichannel marketing, e-commerce acceleration, organizational transformation and cross functional leadership & talent development. 

My passion lies in building high-performing teams, forging strategic partnerships, and shaping the future of the marketing industry. I bring a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on execution, with a strong track record in digital transformation, innovation, and business development.

EXPERTISE: 20+ years’ expertise in business strategy, change management, GTM & marketing & sales leadership, innovation management and P&L delivery. International FMCG and Social Media thought leader and CEO/board advisor with strategic experience underpinned by pragmatic, hands-on approach and passion to win. Results driven, entrepreneurial and internationally experienced commercial leader, start-up advisor, senior business development, AI transformation and growth strategy specialist.

COMPETENCIES:
General Management * Marketing & Sales Strategy * Organisation Development * Leadership
Go to Market Models * Revenue Generation * Customer Acquisition * Product Innovation * AI
Digital Transformation * Return on Investment * P&L Management * Business Development
Creator Economy * Social Commerce * International Leadership * E-Commerce & DTC & Retail
Business Transformation * Key Account Management * Brand Positioning * Word-of-Mouth
Board Member * Advertising & Communication * Change Management * Influencer Marketing
Martech & Adtech * Team Development * Coaching & Mentoring * Artifical Intelligence
Board & Advisory Leadership * Governance & Strategic Oversight * Advocacy & Policy Influence

INDUSTRY FOCUS: 
B2C: FMCG & CPG, Cosmetics & Beauty, Food & Beverage, Health Care & OTC, Laundry & Cleaning, 
B2B: Media & Advertising, MarTech & AdTech, Digital & Social & Creative Agencies, SaaS

Connect with me on LinkedIN to engage on business development strategies, the future of advertising & marketing, social media & creator economy, and high performance organisational leadership & transformation.

Chief Revenue Officer | International Board Member | VP Sales & Marketing

TERRITORY Influence is the leading full service influencer marketing agency in Europe, serving clients with influencer solutions, data & SaaS technology, strategy consulting, campaign execution & measurement across all type of influencers (from nano to micro, from macro to celebrity influencer).

Reckitt outperforms in 2025 after major restructure

Reckitt Benckiser has exceeded expectations in 2025, with its core power brands – including Durex and Dettol – delivering 5.2% growth following the company’s strategic restructuring efforts.

"2025 has been a strong year with performance ahead of our expectations, driven by very strong growth in Emerging Markets. We have more work to do but our geographic footprint, portfolio of Powerbrands and focused organisational structure have strengthened our ability to deliver sustainable long-term growth," explained CEO Kris Licht. 

𝐅𝐘 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
- Self Care: £3,306m NR; OSG: +3.0% (Vol: -1.7%; P/M: +4.7%)
- Germ: £3,224m NR; OSG: +8.4% (Vol: +6.1%; P/M: +2.3%)
- Household: £2,189m NR; OSG: -0.4% (Vol: -1.2%; P/M: +0.8%)
- Intimate: £1,515m NR; OSG: +12.5% (Vol: +3.4%; P/M: +9.1%)
- Nutrition: £2,119m NR; OSG: +3.8% (Vol: -2.3%; P/M: +6.1%)

These results reflect the impact of last years sale of 75 Essential Home brands to private equity investor Advent and new organisational structure (with my friends Jérôme Lemaire, Nitish Kapoor and Eric Gilliot leading North America, Emerging Marketing and Europe respectively).

Wishing all my friends and former colleagues at Reckitt all the best for 2026.

Reckitt 2025 results and Strategy Outlook

On international women's day, I want to thank every female colleague, employee and manager who made an impact on my career.

I would particularly like to thank the following inspirational women, who shaped my view of marketing, sales and leadership:

Former and current Procter & Gamble leaders Taide Guajardo, Therese Fiala, Gabi Schupp and Christina Holweg

Former and current Reckitt peers Anne Engérant, Carine J., Sabrina Geremia, Almudena Rein, Mini Pinto, Susanne Wallraff and Alison Radford

Former Mars executives Jane Wakely, Jacqui Stephenson, Michele (Mitch) Oliver

Former and current Henkel executives Tina Mueller, Friederike Orbea, Claudia Vanselow, Melanie Hübschen, Sylvie Nicol, Esther Kumpan-Bahrami, Gesa Geissel, Claudia Hundeiker and Marie-Eve Schroeder

Former Territory colleagues Vanessa Sonders, Marion Binder, Imke Huber, Anna Wéber, Monika Farkas, Lorenza Campitelli, Marie Chaissac, Delphine BENEDIC, Sabrina Prumbs, Ramona Meier and Pascale Vigener

wishing you all a happy women's day #IWD26

Why are bosses mandating 𝟓 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞, when this is the least popular way to work?

It might seem like an exaggeration when I say this, but there has never been one person I’ve ever spoken with who has ever said to me, “I prefer to work 5 days a week in the office” (over a hybrid, or fully remote work schedule). Not one person. Not ever.

And this correlates with what recent Gallup research shows as well, which found that only ~7% of professionals prefer a fully on-site / in-office environment. 
🏢 6% of Gen Z prefer fully onsite
🏢 4% of Millennials prefer fully onsite
🏢 9% of Gen X prefer fully onsite
🏢 10% of Baby Boomers prefer fully onsite

𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙?
Acc. to the study, hybrid work is most popular with employees, consistently ranking at-or-above 70% as the preferred approach; followed by 20% or more preferring remote work (with those preferring fully-onsite / in-office work lagging far behind at ~7%).

𝙎𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 5 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮-𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 / 𝙞𝙣-𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙗𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙧?
⁉️ Maybe companies are getting undue pressure from the government to get people back in the office (to help drive local tax dollars)?
⁉️ Maybe some companies are run by old-school executives who are still stuck in a 1990’s mindset, and who are laggards when it comes to embracing change?
⁉️ Maybe some companies feel emboldened by (and less exposed in) the current soft job market, and can exert their will on employees without fear of attrition?
⁉️ Or maybe some companies force a 5-day in-office policy as an indirect and passive way to reduce staff size, as they know some employees will leave their job over it (and that it’s easier to have people proactively leave than it is to do layoffs)?

Whatever the reason, and regardless of why some companies do what they do, I’m 100% convinced that those companies that focus on optimizing flex work arrangements (rather than eliminating them) will establish a talent advantage over employers who choose a full-time in-office approach.

#HR #leadership #hybridwork

CRM is dead. Long live AI ?!?

Most #B2B companies have excellent CRM data. And yet they still set the wrong priorities. Why?

Because most leadership teams still use their #CRM as a documentation system – not as a decision-making tool.

CRM tells you what happened. But it doesn't tell you what you should do now. And that's where the problem begins. 500 accounts. Equal attention.

A company manages 500 active B2B accounts.
-All neatly maintained in CRM.
-All with activities.
-All with potential.

Without AI enabled insights and decision making, the following happens:
=> #Sales prioritizes based on gut feeling.
=> #Marketing runs broad campaigns.
=> Resources are distributed randomly.

The pipeline looks good. Efficiency does not.

This is where #AI comes in. Not as a text generator. But as decision-making support.

AI analyzes:
=> Engagement data
=> Product usage
=> Contract terms
=> Service tickets
=> Opportunity history

And calculates:
📈 Probability of closing
💵 Upsell potential
📉 Churn risk

The result? Of 500 accounts:
→ 22 are ready to close
→ 17 have a high risk of churn
→ 31 have a realistic cross-sell window

Suddenly it becomes clear:
- Not all accounts are equally valuable.
- Not all require the same measures.
=> And that is precisely what AI reasoning supports CROs and sales leaders with.

The future belongs to companies that build a real decisioning system based on #data + #AI. Because growth does not come from more data. It comes from better decisions. 

#AI #leadership

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Zach Piester

Rafael Schwarz

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The Battle

Zach Piester

Rafael Schwarz

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Engagements

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);}Rafael Schwarz's LinkedIn Performance

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