Gerhard Sagat
About Me
Senior marketing and brand leader with 20+ years across B2B and B2C brands, with particular depth in fintech, SaaS, telco and consumer digital brands. I build go-to-market engines that turn positioning into pipeline, blending product marketing, demand generation, content systems and analytics to drive measurable growth. I operate comfortably at board and executive level, aligning marketing with commercial targets and leading high-performing teams and partners.
Previously the Global Head of Brand Marketing at a FTSE-listed fintech, contributing to a +100% revenue and +44% share price increase, along with repositioning tastytrade as a challenger resulting in a +23% revenue upsurge.
Currently serving as a fractional CMO to an AI SaaS software start-up, standing up GTM, campaigns and operating cadence for launch.
Education
Wits Business School 2004
MBA
University of Johannesburg 1995
B.Tech Marketing
Work & Experience
Yolm.ai 10/01/2025
Fractional CMO
Own the company launch and build the marketing engine from zero. Set the GTM strategy: define ICP and segmentation by industry, company size, and replacement trigger. Lead positioning and messaging to secure market fit for launch. Design the demand programme and sales hook to generate interest, leads, and conversions. Initial offer: Free prototype. Pilot digital acquisition LI and Meta with rapid creative & audience testing. Stand up the content system end to end, focused on thought leadership and case studies mapped to the funnel. Define the funnel and dashboard for campaign and lead generation performance from first touch to demo. Route MQLs to Sales for qualification and demo scheduling, with weekly operating cadences to tighten handoffs. Build a lightweight operating model with freelance specialists in content, design, and digital performance. CRM will be Yolm’s own software, paired with marketing automation as needed.
IG Group 10/01/2019 - 10/01/2024
Global Head of Brand Marketing
FTSE 250 fintech operating in 20+ markets, offering trading and investment solutions to retail and institutional clients. Reported to CMO and part of the Senior Marketing Leadership Team. Strategic Leadership & Brand Vision Developed and executed global brand strategy aligned to growth goals, contributing to 100% revenue growth (to £1B+) and a 44% share price increase. Unified a fragmented global brand into a single experience-led one, improving client satisfaction. Led brand architecture across IG’s 7 brands to create a cohesive ecosystem. Expanded remit to include employer, ESG and investor brand strategies. Executive Influence & Strategic Autonomy Regularly presented to Board and Executive Committee, securing buy-in via strategic narratives and commercial outcomes. Influenced prioritisation and resourcing of long-term brand initiatives. Global Execution & Market Nuance Built and deployed strategies and campaigns across 17 markets and 22 languages, navigating complex regulatory and cultural contexts. Launched IG Prime for institutional clients (hedge funds, family offices) i.e. B2B. Commercial Results & Campaign Impact Delivered +5% YoY growth in awareness and +10% in consideration. Led global campaign with 74% salience, 78% understanding, and 65% consideration. Repositioned tastytrade as a US challenger brand, driving 23% revenue uplift. End-to-end brand ops, with performance measured via bespoke frameworks. Governance & Budget Management Established brand governance systems, asset libraries, and advanced analytics (MMM, econometrics). Managed multimillion-pound brand and media budgets, ensuring ROI. Collaboration with Performance & Content Worked closely with performance marketing to improve ROI and reduce CAC. Co-developed content pillars, driving growth in traffic, leads and engagement. Oversaw social media, significantly boosting reach and lead generation. Tech Innovation & AI Integration Co-led “RenAIssance” initiative to test and embed AI tools across marketing workflows, cutting costs ~25%. Played a strategic role in MarTech roadmap, enhancing efficiency across marketing. People Leadership & Culture Led and scaled a team of 6 direct reports, and co-led 200+ marketers globally. Fostered a high-performing, empowered culture with 87% engagement and strong HiPo development.
McCann Worldgroup 02/01/2018 - 09/30/2019
Global Director of Strategy
Led global brand and comms strategy for Nestlé brands (Nesquik, Buitoni, CoffeeMate, NesQino). Brand Revitalization: Revitalized Nesquik brand through strategic repositioning, digital/social marketing strategies and content pillars that reversed YoY decline. Market Disruption: Created a targeted strategy for CoffeeMate, leveraging market inflection points to boost sales revenue and maximize marketing ROI. Customer Journeys: Developed detailed customer journeys with media agency partners, mapping awareness through to retention, significantly improving marketing ROI and conversion efficiency. Client Trust & Growth: Strengthened global client relationships, earning one of the highest agency review scores. Leadership & Team Development: Built and mentored a high-performing team of strategists, elevating branding and communication expertise.