Penfold:
Workplace Pensions

Learn how I helped Series A fintech Penfold achieve 3x revenue and 60% CAC reduction in 11 months.

A pivot to B2B growth, doubling down on organic channels and the creation of high-performance marketing function. How expert leadership and execution turned challenges into scalable growth for Penfold.

“Julian has very strong commercial judgement and business acumen. He is growth focused and ties everything back to impact.

He is also a pleasure to work with and helped shape the leadership structure of our business."

Chris Eastwood, CEO at Penfold

Background

Penfold, a high-growth Series A fintech start-up specializing in digital pensions, faced the challenge of scaling its operations and revenue.
Initially focused on the B2C market, Penfold needed a strategic shift to sustain and accelerate growth.
The company had 100k customers but required a more robust marketing strategy to increase revenue and reduce customer acquisition costs (CAC).

Challenges

Acquisition Costs:

High CAC and inefficient paid marketing activities

Channels:

Limited growth from the B2C segment.

Scalability:

Need for a scalable marketing strategy that could leverage new channels.

Talent:

The need for a high performance team that could execute new B2B and B2B2C strategy

Strategy & Execution

I applied insights from market data and CRM analysis to focus on scalable, affordable channels whilst restructuring the team to deliver a targeted and effective marketing plan

High performance

I recruited and developed a dedicated B2B marketing team to execute the new strategy effectively.

Aligned hires, agencies and freelancers with Penfold’s revised growth objectives.

Organic Growth

Boosted content marketing, SEO, and social media investment to create a sustainable inbound lead engine.

Enhanced content plan with thought leadership and PR for industry credibility.

Channel first

Refocused efforts on B2B and B2B2B acquisition. Accounting demand and awareness campaigns to drive growth.

I focused experimentation on scaleable channels, shifting away from B2C tactics.

Key Results

Tripled revenue in under a year

Shifted from B2C to B2B/B2B2B, targeting accountants and driving 3x revenue growth in one year.

60% CAC Reduction

Streamlined marketing, focusing on organic growth and optimising the adviser channel, cutting CAC by 60%.

Optimised marketing team

Hired and trained a B2B demand team; aligned agencies with the new strategy for smoother operations.

Commercial leadership

Levelled up RevOps, commercial decisioin-making and sales/marketing alignment processes and behaviours.

Why my approach worked

Penfold's transformation was a rewarding experience, driven by strategic focus, data-driven execution, and effective leadership

Strategic Focus

I seamlessly pivoted from B2C to B2B/B2B2B channels, unlocking scalable, cost-effective growth.

Channel Expertise

I leveraged 20 years of experience, blending deep channel knowledge with new data and first-principles thinking.

Data-Driven Execution

We used insights from market data, interviews, and CRM analysis to make targeted, efficient decisions.

Operational Excellence

Restructuring the team and aligning agencies ensured seamless execution and significant growth.

Buy-In & Empathy

I enjoyed working with the founders, and gained quick buy-in from the marketing team by approaching them with logic and empathy.

My career in numbers

100%

Success rate

Years of marketing

Startup journeys

Founder exits

How I accelerate growth at startups

As a fractional CMO, I uncover, tackle and overcome founders and VCs key growth hurdles.

You get the immediate experience and network of a 20 year, six startup, fintech and software marketing leader without the cost, risk or delay of an executive hire.

Services

Growth & marketing strategy

Positioning, messaging & targeting

GTM planning & execution

Content strategy, process & creation

Outbound strategy & RevOps

Building performance teams

Product marketing fit testing

Tooling, data, AI & Automation

"Julian built the most effective marketing team I have worked with in my career."

Roberta Rampazzo

MD of Account Management

Contis / Solaris

Ready to scale?