Ian Michiels

About Ian Michiels

I build and scale go-to-market engines that turn product strength into enterprise revenue — giving CMOs the strategy, execution, and revenue visibility they need to lead in complex, highly competitive markets.Across enterprise SaaS and hardware platforms, I’ve built and led teams spanning integrated marketing, ABM, field and partner, lifecycle, and marketing operations — often stepping in to fix broken GTM systems, restore growth, and re-align Product, Sales, and Marketing around a single revenue plan. I’ve worn many hats along the way, including carrying a sales number, which sharpened my ability to translate strategy into execution that actually closes.Today, I operate as both an advisor and operator to CMOs, helping shape go-to-market strategy, build revenue operating models, and create the visibility leaders need to confidently invest and scale. My value lies in identifying where growth is being constrained — by positioning, process, data, or execution — and building the systems that turn demand into predictable pipeline and revenue.HIGHLIGHTS- Generated $300M+ in marketing-sourced pipeline and influenced $5B+ in closed-won revenue across global enterprise organizations- Built integrated GTM motions that drove 2–5× deal size growth,+35% win-rate improvement, and 65% shorter sales cycles through focused ICPs, ABM, and persona-based execution- Led digital and performance transformation, cutting CAC by 50% while improving ROI across paid, social, search, content, email, and retargeting- Designed attribution, forecasting, and revenue visibility systems that gave CMOs and sales leaders clear line-of-sight from spend to pipeline to bookings- Served as a strategic partner to the CMO, aligning Product, Sales, Engineering, and Finance around GTM priorities, investment decisions, and board-level narratives- Directed global, cross-functional teams and multimillion-dollar budgets to ensure go-to-market execution stays tightly aligned to enterprise sales motions and product roadmaps.My leadership sits at the intersection of GTM strategy, demand generation, ABM, and revenue operations — building scalable, disciplined growth engines for enterprise SaaS and technology companies that need both speed and credibility.

Experience

1. Sr Director, Go-to-market & Demand Strategy (Collaboration & Networking)

   Cisco

   Feb 2025 — Present · San Francisco, CA, US

   Enterprise SaaS & hardware portfolio spanning Webex Meetings, Calling, Contact Center (CCaaS), Cisco Devices, and the full Networking stack across Routing, Switching, Wireless, Assurance, and IoT.Led the global go-to-market engine for Cisco’s Collaboration and Networking platforms, aligning Product, Sales, Marketing, and Partners around clear ICPs, positioning, and revenue motions that turned product adoption into enterprise pipeline.Key impact- Owned GTM strategy for a $25B+ Collaboration and Networking portfolio, partnering with product and sales leadership to align positioning, messaging, and execution across global markets- Directed demand generation, ABM, lifecycle, and performance GTM for Cisco’s $5B+ Collaboration business, driving product-led and sales-assisted expansion across enterprise and mid-market segments- Accountable for marketing-sourced pipeline and revenue outcomes, generating $300M+ in sourced pipeline through highly targeted ICP-based and account-driven motions- Built attribution, forecasting, and revenue visibility models that tied GTM investment directly to pipeline and bookings, giving executives clear line-of-sight into growth performance.

Education

• Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business

  MBA, Marketing Management, Entrepreneurship, Managing Innovation, eCommerce

  2005 — 2007

Skills

• Go-to-Market Strategy
• B2b Marketing
• Multi-Channel Marketing
• Demand Generation
• Change Management
• Customer Acquisition Strategies
• Integrated Marketing
• Marketing Communications
• Lead Generation
• Product Management
• Management Consultant
• Online Marketing
• B2b
• Thought Leadership
• Salesforce.com
• Enterprise
• Executive Coaching
• Strategy
• Market Research
• Management
• Customer Retention
• Large Scale Change Management
• Consulting
• Marketing Management
• Market Analysis
• Entrepreneurship
• Strategy Development
• Growth Marketing
• Competitive Analysis
• Marketing Technologist
• Enterprise Software
• Marketing Operations
• Strategic Planning
• Technology Roadmap
• Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Benchmarking
• Business Development
• Digital Marketing
• Marketing Automation