Marketing Business Partner
Strategic marketing partner for the Metals & Minerals division of a global testing leader.
At a Glance
The Context
Alfred H Knight (AHK) is a global leader in inspection and testing, providing critical independent analysis to the metals and minerals trade. It is a massive organisation with presence in over 40 countries, handling commodities that power the global economy. When I joined, the organisation was navigating a complex post-COVID market. The Metals & Minerals division, a significant revenue driver, required a more sophisticated approach to marketing. Historically, marketing had been viewed somewhat reactively—a service to produce brochures or organize events upon request. The business identified a need to shift this dynamic. They needed a strategic partner who could sit with the commercial directors, understand the nuances of the global commodities market, and proactively shape marketing strategies that would drive growth, rather than just supporting it.
The Challenge
The primary challenge was alignment. The commercial teams were highly technical and focused on relationship-based sales, while the central marketing function was distant from the day-to-day realities of the trade. This disconnect led to several issues:
- "Random Acts of Marketing": Activity was often tactical and reactive, lacking a cohesive strategy.
- Undefined ROI: There was little visibility into how marketing spend translated into commercial value.
- Siloed Data: Customer insights sat in individual inboxes or spreadsheets, inaccessible to the wider business.
- Brand Consistency: With so many global offices, the brand narrative was becoming fragmented. My mandate was to bridge this gap, establishing marketing as a credible, revenue-generating function within the division.
Key Projects and Initiatives
Circular Economy Marketing Strategy
The "Circular Economy" (recycling and recovery of precious metals) was identified as a major growth pillar. I led the development of the go-to-market strategy for this service line. This involved redefining our value proposition, creating a new dedicated microsite structure, and launching a content series that positioned AHK as thought leaders in sustainability. The campaign successfully opened doors with major battery recycling players in North America and Europe.
Bank Vault Auditing Campaign (North America)
A highly specialized service, Bank Vault Auditing required a discreet and targeted approach. I orchestrated a campaign focused on trust and heritage, utilizing LinkedIn ABM (Account Based Marketing) to target key decision-makers in financial institutions. We supported this with a series of high-end whitepapers and direct mail pieces. The initiative re-established AHK’s dominance in this niche sector.
EWaste World Event (Frankfurt)
This was the division’s flagship event. I moved us away from a "turn up and hope" approach to a structured pre-event, at-event, and post-event strategy. We implemented a meeting booking system, a standout new booth design focused on sustainability, and a data capture workflow. The result was a record number of qualified meetings and a clear attribution model for post-show revenue.
Tools and Technology
I championed the use of Zoho CRM not just as a database, but as a strategic engine. I built custom dashboards in Looker Studio to visualize sales pipelines and marketing attribution, giving the directors real-time visibility for the first time. For campaigns, I utilized LinkedIn Campaign Manager for precise B2B targeting and Google Analytics 4 to track user journeys across our new service pages.
Results and Impact
The most significant impact was cultural. By the end of my tenure, marketing was no longer seen as a "support service" but as a strategic partner. We established a regular cadence of reporting that held both sales and marketing accountable.
- Commercial Alignment: Marketing activity was 100% mapped to business objectives.
- Lead Quality: Inbound leads from the Circular Economy campaign were significantly higher quality than previous broad-match efforts.
- Visibility: The new reporting dashboards became a staple of the monthly board pack.
What I Learned
Working at AHK taught me the art of stakeholder management in a complex, global matrix. I learned that data is the universal language; proving value to a technical audience requires hard numbers, not just creative flair. It reinforced my belief that the best marketing comes from deeply understanding the product—I spent hours with geochemists and inspectors to truly understand what we were selling, and that authenticity shone through in our campaigns.
Interested in this experience?
If you are looking for someone who can bring this level of marketing leadership and hands-on delivery to your team, I would love to hear from you.
Contact Me