CMO | Chief Growth Officer | GTM Executive
SaaS | AI | Automation | Robotics | Enterprise Technology
I build and scale go to market organisations for technology businesses.
Over 25+ years I have worked across enterprise sales, marketing and GTM leadership, helping technology companies understand their markets, build demand, win enterprise customers and create the commercial infrastructure required to scale.
I spent four years with Automation Anywhere during its rapid international expansion, progressing through European, EMEA and global VP marketing leadership roles as the company grew from an emerging automation vendor into a global enterprise technology leader valued at close to $7bn.
Today I work with CEOs and leadership teams across AI, robotics, automation and B2B technology, helping them build stronger, more scalable GTM organisations.
Rob Hughes
Vice President & Head of Marketing, Europe
Recruited and led a 17 person European marketing team and built the Marketing Centre of Excellence.
During this period:
130%–273% of marketing targets achieved.
200%+ sustained company growth.
340+ employees across the European organisation
Expansion into Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw.
Automation Anywhere achieved recognised leadership positions with major analyst firms including Gartner, Forrester, Everest Group, HFS and NelsonHall.
Customer led positioning and advocacy included major global organisations such as Citi, UBS, ANZ, Nordea, Experian, Bosch and the NHS.
I went on to lead the European marketing organisation across:
Field Marketing | Partner Marketing | Demand Generation | Customer Marketing | Social | PR | Analyst Relations | Events | Product Marketing | Competitive Intelligence | Marketing Operations
Vice President, Direct Global Marketing
We established marketing goals and OKRs aligned directly with sales objectives and built regional marketing organisations capable of supporting rapid international expansion, without losing sight of core objectives or local nuance.
The business grew over 260% during the first year of this phase.
Global new logo numbers subsequently increased from approximately 370 to more than 3,500.
Subsequently built out field and partner marketing teams across:
US | Europe | India | Dubai | Japan | Singapore | Korea | Australia
Senior Director, Marketing EMEA
I established the European marketing base in London and developed market presence and pipeline across priority industries including shared services, BPO, banking and manufacturing.
During the initial European build:
90% of net new logo sales were linked directly to a marketing programme.
The region achieved profitability in its first year.
We ran 27 highly targeted industry and proprietary events to build enterprise pipeline.
Customer advocacy and thought leadership helped establish Automation Anywhere within a rapidly emerging technology category.
I joined Automation Anywhere as one of the first members of its global marketing organisation and part of the initial European market entry team. At the time the company had approximately 270 employees globally.
Over the following four years I progressed through three increasingly senior international marketing leadership roles as Automation Anywhere became one of the defining businesses in enterprise automation.
Experience at Scale
Automation Anywhere
Building International GTM During Hypergrowth
Current GTM Leadership
Applying Scale Experience to the Next Generation of Technology Companies
Through Hughes GTM I work with founders, CEOs and leadership teams across AI, robotics, automation and complex B2B technology.
My work typically begins when a business has strong technology and commercial potential but its existing GTM model is no longer sufficient for the next stage of growth.
That can mean moving beyond founder led sales, improving positioning, identifying the right enterprise buying groups, building more predictable demand, aligning sales and marketing or creating the CRM and measurement infrastructure required to understand what is actually driving growth.
I am interested in working with ambitious technology businesses where GTM can materially influence the next stage of growth.
That includes executive roles:
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Growth Officer
VP Marketing
Senior GTM Leader
I also continue to work selectively with CEOs, boards and leadership teams through Hughes GTM where a fractional or advisory model is more appropriate.
My strongest fit is with SaaS, AI, automation, robotics and enterprise technology companies facing the challenge of moving from strong technology and early commercial success towards repeatable international growth.
AI, Automation & Robotics
My work in AI and automation predates the current generative AI cycle.
At Everest Group I helped create and launch the firm's first RPA research practice as enterprise automation began to emerge as a new technology category.
I subsequently joined Automation Anywhere and spent four years helping commercialise that category internationally.
Through Techopian I explored the broader relationship between technology, business and society, including AI, automation, the Future of Work and human centric technology.
Today that experience continues through work in AI and physical robotics. The technologies have evolved enormously.
The fundamental commercial challenge remains remarkably consistent: How do you turn a technology that can change an industry into something customers understand, trust, buy and scale?
That is where GTM matters.
Leadership
My leadership philosophy is based on empowerment.
I believe one of the most important capabilities of an executive is the ability to identify and hire excellent people. Once they are in the organisation, my job is to give them clarity around the outcome we are trying to achieve, remove unnecessary barriers and give them the authority to make decisions.
High performing teams do not need executives controlling every activity.
They need direction, trust, accountability and a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the success of the business.
That approach has shaped how I have built teams throughout my career and how I work with leadership teams today.
Media & Thought Leadership
My work and commentary on enterprise technology, AI, automation and the Future of Work has appeared through company publications, analyst organisations, industry events, podcasts and technology forums.
Automation Anywhere
Articles and thought leadership on enterprise automation, RPA adoption, organisational transformation and the Future of Work.
EM360
Podcast discussion on the evolution of robotic process automation, AI and enterprise adoption.
Everest Group
Research and webinar participation covering enterprise digital adoption and emerging automation technologies.
Deloitte Shared Services, GBS & BPO Conference
Industry speaker representing Automation Anywhere during the early development of the enterprise RPA category.
Super.AI / Techopian
Discussion and events examining human centric automation, AI and the relationship between technology and business.