Mike Saad - Digital Marketing Experience - Michael Saad- Growth Marketing

Global Digital Marketing Leader

Innovative and strategic senior-level, global marketing leader in B2C & B2B with deep expertise in digital marketing and e-commerce. Achieve results by fostering partnerships, collaboration, and application of a servant leadership style. I excel at leading high-performance teams and agencies to strive for and attain aspirational targets. Passionate about customer-first, data-driven marketing.

EXPERIENCE

Lesson Adventures, LLC

Chief Marketing Officer – Remote

Lesson Adventures is a rapidly growing start-up in the world of online music lessons. Beginner, intermediate and advanced students are taught by renowned and accomplished music professionals and educators who deliver fun, interactive, engaging instruction to create lifelong connection to music. As the chief marketing officer, my role is to lead the strategic vision for the brand, identify and capture growth opportunities, and to establish our full-stack marketing approach to creating awareness, interest, and engagement for Lesson Adventures. I draw upon my skills in innovation and building marketing teams when implementing technology, creating SOP’s and go-to-market plans and driving results.

Groundworks

Vice President, Growth Marketing – Virginia Beach, VA

Groundworks is the nation’s leading provider of foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation, and concrete lifting. My role is to guide the team of digital marketing experts in paid search, affiliate, organic SEO, display, social media, OTT, and direct mail in the pursuit of aspirational growth targets for Groundworks. Development and implementation of differentiated digital marketing strategies to power the company’s growth through acquisition, engagement, and conversion. Designed and launched scaled programs with consistently refreshed creative, updated campaign structures, and improved user experiences to increase conversion rates.

Affordable Care

Marketing Director – Raleigh, NC

Lead brand and performance marketing for a healthcare (DSO) start up. Development of brand strategy, growth objectives, implementation of differentiated marketing strategies to drive demand and revenue. Design and develop scalable marketing creative and programs with activation across search, social, programmatic, linear and CTV, digital direct mail. Built a complete, custom CRM platform for lead management, message automation, reporting, and personalization. Established baseline metrics and exceeded targets for leads, CPL, engagement, and ROAS.

Advance Auto Parts

Director, Digital Performance Marketing – Raleigh, NC

Lead digital marketing for $10B Advance Auto Parts omni-channel business. Responsible for the strategic vision, marketing technology stack, and transformation from traditional auto parts marketing to digital-first, customer-centric messaging. Developer of talent, leader and sherpa for a team of 9 digital marketing professionals. Success through collaboration. Highlights:

Drove 9% YoY improvement in omni-channel revenue through segmentation and personalization
Increased Gross Margin 14% by focusing marketing spend to high margin, high volume categories
Recaptured and reinvested $1M of inefficient spend, non-working dollars into media for acquisition
Initiated real-time, automated, event-triggered digital media to win weather events, capture demand
Formed partnerships with premier brands to expand reach and engagement

Lenovo

Global Demand Generation and Digital Marketing Strategy Director – Raleigh, NC

Responsible for global e-commerce marketing for Lenovo.com, a $2.0B division of Lenovo. Lead the high-performance team of global digital marketing strategists to achieve profitable growth in traffic, acquisition, engagement, and revenue through SEO, SEM, Email, Social, and Programmatic media. Recruited for and established regional digital marketing teams in Dublin, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Singapore.

Developed holistic, omni-channel strategies to grow revenue from $500M – $2.0B
Championed global initiatives with Facebook, Google, LinkedIn for accelerating growth
Concepted and led customer segment-specific initiatives in gaming, SMB, and education
Initiated adoption of 3P insights to 1P data for segmentation and expanded reach
Established partner marketing strategies with Intel, Google, Microsoft, AMD, others

SANS Institute

About SANS Institute

Launched in 1989 as a cooperative for information security thought leadership, it is SANS’ ongoing mission to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place. SANS Institute is a global leader in high quality training, certifications, scholarship academies, degree programs, cyber ranges, and resources to meet the needs of every cyber professional. Data, research, and the top minds in cybersecurity collectively ensure that individuals and organizations have the actionable education and support they need.

Digital Marketing Director – Raleigh, NC (Remote)

Developed direct-response digital marketing strategies and guided the implementation of effective solutions to drive ecommerce revenue through content development, customer acquisition, and user experience. Led all facets of digital marketing including SEO, PPC, website retargeting, social media marketing, display advertising, integration with print media as well as agency management. Highlights:

Championed development of custom campaign management tools with Google Analytics
Traffic and revenue from organic search up 40% through website search engine optimization
Designed, implemented, and optimized pay-per-click PPC search marketing with 200% ROI
Enhanced email marketing practices to drive 85% improvement in performance indicators
Increased website conversions from social media initiatives by 120%
Developed and implemented geo-targeted digital marketing programs, scaled globally

WorldLink Marketing

Founder & Managing Director – Raleigh, NC (Remote)

Digital marketing consultancy focused on developing and implementing differentiated online marketing strategies for a variety of clients including Trex, Little Caesars, Blue Cross, Floor Coverings International, Golden Proportions Dental Marketing, All-Star Dental Academy. Grew to $500k in bookings in 3 years.

Simultaneously launched and established an online advertising network focused on the sport of hockey. Aggregated sell-side publishers, buy-side advertisers and consumers. In one year became the fastest-growing ad network in the sport with nearly 5M MUV’s and more than 1,000 publishers.

Armstrong World Industries

Senior Manager, Digital Marketing – Lancaster PA

Responsible for creating and implementing differentiated strategic marketing plans and executing flawless tactical programs. Directed paid and organic media for Armstrong’s global Internet presence while managing international e-marketing and multiple agencies to deliver content, tools and services.

Drove 90% increases in unique visitors, +120% in KPI’s and 20bp in NPS
Recipient of Armstrong Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing
Winner Web Marketing Association “Best Home Building Website” (WebAward.org)

Ingersoll-Rand Construction Equipment

Marketing Manager, Construction Equipment – Charlotte, NC

Developed and activated go to market plans for Ingersoll-Rand’s construction equipment product portfolio to drive profitable, sustained growth through multiple sales channels. Partnered with product marketing, finance, and credit teams to provide dealers with creative bundling and financial solutions for construction equipment purchases, leases, and rentals.

John Deere

Digital Marketing Manager – Raleigh, NC

Pioneered the interactive marketing discipline at John Deere. Implemented SEO, SEM, Email and display media to reach and acquire new customers, engage and nurture customer relationships, and drive channel sales. Member of the first e-business team at John Deere. Drew upon my experience in field sales to help craft the strategy and SOP for multi-channel e-commerce.

Region Sales Manager – Detroit, MI

Responsible for partnering with and coaching dealers in driving revenue through advertising & marketing, program participation, managing inventory levels in-store and regionally. Led the search and set-up of new dealers for incremental growth.

EDUCATION

National University – San Diego, CA
M.S. E-Commerce Management

Central Michigan University – Mt Pleasant, MI
B.A. Communications

RECOMMENDATIONS

"Mike is an independent thinking, intuitive leader. I find him to be equally adept at serving as a team player/team motivator. Like many of today's marketing professionals, Mike is comfortable in the world of "big data." Yet, he balances that skill with a refreshing appreciation and awareness of the importance of developing authentic customer relationship. It is my opinion that any organization would do well to have Mike engaged in building their brand and customer retention. I look forward to the opportunity to work with him again in the very near future."

Brian H

Director, Marketing - National Healthcare Service

"Mike has been a mentor and go-to resource for questions about SEO, social networking, e-mail marketing and more. He has worked with us on multiple projects. Mike goes out of his way to take the time to answer questions that I have that go beyond the scope of work he is performing for us to ensure I understand the process. He has an exceptional skills base, dynamic and confident presentation style, and takes the time to understand your business before making relevant observations and insights. I recommend Mike for your company’s online media strategy needs."

Aaron S

VP Global Analytics, ex-Nike, ex-Starbucks

"Michael has become one of our most valued "go-to" experts in the area of digital marketing. He brings a keen understanding of this important marketing tool and is able to provide tactical insights that go beyond the typical internet solutions providers. Michael also provides a professionalism in presenting to clients that makes him an invaluable member of our team."

Adair W

Founder & President

"Mike has amazing vision. More importantly though, he understands how to take this vision to market for the benefit of his client. In a time where results are even more important to our clients, Mike's input is critical."

James B

Account Executive, Yahoo!

Mike is one of the strongest true marketers I have worked with in my career. We brought Mike in from a different type of business and he was quickly able to learn our business and understand our challenges. Working in a team environment he then developed differentiated strategies an tactical drivers to improve our business. Mike works well as a leader, mentor and or individual contributor. He is an asset to any marketing organization.

Terry D

President, Construction Equipment Co.

Mike is a skilled and experienced marketer. I've found him to be a bright, out-of-the-box, hard-working guy that pioneered several new and valuable initiatives

Brett K

Author, Owner / Marketing Portal Services leader

“Mike is one of the most talented e-business professionals I have ever worked with. He has the ability to understand the art and science of his profession. I highly recommend Mike personally and professionally.”

Dean H.

Retired Global Category, Branding & Product Licensing Manager at John Deere

“I had the pleasure of meeting & working with Mike on a highly innovative, ambitious, complex, and visible strategic research engagement. Mike is especially strong at identifying, evolving, and making strategic vision reality. Mike was key to the success of our project, leveraging key resources to maximize both efficiency AND effectiveness. Mike inspires confidence among those under his leadership, empowering achievement above and beyond expectations.”

Nathan F

Director of Analytics

“Working with Michael has been a great experience. I always enjoy working with people, like Michael, that are intelligent and goal driven, while being meticulous about success.”