Peace Itimi

As the most senior marketing executive, led the end-to-end marketing function, encompassing brand, product, demand generation, content, events, and go-to-market strategy for B2B solutions across Africa and emerging markets. Reported directly to the executive team with P&L responsibility, driving strategic direction and hands-on execution to accelerate revenue growth, market share, and brand authority.

• Led Smile ID's transformation from a regional provider to a Pan-African leader, overseeing a full company rebrand, internal and external stakeholder alignment, and product repositioning.
• Managed go-to-market strategy and launches into five new markets, contributing to 75% year-over-year in ARR growth.
• Built and managed a $750K+ quarterly enterprise lead pipeline, qualifying and nurturing high-value leads through targeted, multi-channel campaigns (ABM, PR, SEO, PPC, and content marketing).
• Achieved a 21% enterprise deal conversion rate, consistently contributing to 85-100% of a $166K monthly recurring revenue target.
• Doubled weekly demo calls and increased inbound SQLs by 94%, driving sustained growth across the enterprise segment.
• Led adoption of advanced analytics and reporting, presenting monthly insights on pipeline, CAC, channel performance, and sales contribution to the executive team.
• Developed and launched flagship research, including the 'State of KYC in Africa' and the '2025 Digital Identity Fraud in Africa Report', generating over 120 organic press mentions, a 3,000%+ increase in social engagement, more than 700 backlinks, and features in Forbes Africa, CNBC Africa, and Semafor.
• Increased the monthly MQL pipeline by 640% and delivered a 75% quarterly lift in inbound leads.
• Revamped and scaled the Smile for Success (SFS) startup program, securing 11 strategic partnerships with leading VCs and fintechs, resulting in a 188% increase in applications and beneficiaries.
• Built and led a high-performing marketing team, collaborating cross-functionally with Sales, SDR, Product, and Customer Success to refine ICPs, optimize messaging, and prioritize outbound efforts.
• Launched and supported new initiatives including Smile Links, DocV expansion, and the Appruve acquisition, enabling Smile ID to serve clients in over 220 countries.

As the founding marketing and growth lead, drove the company's go-to-market strategy, brand development, and user growth from inception to over $1 billion in transaction volume. Built and scaled teams across Africa, North America, and Europe, bridging product, data, and marketing performance with a critical focus on unit economics and sustainable growth. Managed HR and CS departments.

• Launched Africhange in Canada, UK, Australia, Mexico, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, overseeing regulatory compliance, market entry strategy, and the rollout of new revenue corridors across all regions, achieving first 20,000 users in each market within 4 months of launch.
• Developed and executed a unified marketing strategy combining influencer partnerships, programmatic and PPC advertising, and referral marketing, resulting in a 125% year-over-year increase in user acquisition and 100% revenue growth.
• Forged strategic partnerships with leading platforms such as Transsion, Operamini, and Terragon, building a robust influencer network across Canada, the UK, and Nigeria to drive brand credibility and user engagement.
• Scaled Africhange from zero to 250,000 users, achieving a 77% KYC completion rate, a best-in-class CAC of $2.58, and an LTV:CAC ratio of 40:1.
• Drove business growth to $1B in transaction volume and doubled revenue and profit margins annually by launching and scaling both primary and reverse remittance corridors.
• Led event and influencer marketing, curating an annual catalogue of sponsored experiences and brand activations in every major corridor.
• Oversaw the launch of core product features and eight design-led minimum viable tests (MVTs), driving a 45% increase in user activation and a 25% improvement in retention.
• Built Africhange's mobile analytics and CRM infrastructure using Appsflyer, Amplitude, Metabase, and Customer.io to drive data-driven marketing and optimize the entire user journey.
• Collaborated closely with product leadership to set quarterly roadmaps, integrating new features, growth experiments, and regional expansions.
• Hired, developed, and led a cross-functional team that grew from 2 to over 25, including seven direct reports in marketing, brand design, customer success, and HR.
• Streamlined cross-department workflows, improving operational efficiency by 30% and reducing turnaround times for key growth processes.
• Designed and implemented the company's first Employee Handbook, modernizing HR practices and boosting employee satisfaction by 21%.

Promoted within four months, led the company's growth marketing initiatives across five global regions (Africa, CEE, Asia, Latam, and MENA), driving lead generation, product launches, and program success in over 90 cities.

• Drove expansion of marketing funnels and maximized lead generation for Seedstars' programs and product launches in emerging markets worldwide.
• Launched new products with regionally tailored marketing strategies, identifying macro trends and local market dynamics to ensure campaign success.
• Directed ABM (account-based marketing) and demand generation campaigns for the European sales team, generating high-quality MQLs across multiple regions.
• Planned and executed multi-channel marketing programs, including activation strategies, landing page optimization, and paid advertising on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Ads, achieving a sustained 23% conversion rate for Seedstars World Competition in 2020 and 2021.
• Designed and automated registrations and lead generation for Seedstars' first virtual event in 2020, generating 11,000 event sign-ups in two weeks during the pandemic.
• Developed and optimized audience segmentation, email campaigns, and CRM processes using HubSpot, increasing engagement and program applications across global founder communities.
• Mentored growth marketing teams within three Seedstars portfolio companies, fostering a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.
• Owned and curated the Seedstars global newsletter, growing it to 45,000+ subscribers and delivering an average open rate of 61% with a click-through rate of 25%.
• Created and distributed high-quality content, aligning with the evolving needs of Seedstars' global startup and investor network.

Directed integrated marketing strategies for Kora's payment infrastructure APIs, enhancing brand awareness and accelerating growth across African and European markets.

• Developed and executed a go-to-market plan, driving a 4x increase in transaction volume within six months and achieving six-figure revenue processing.
• Led sponsored events, webinars, and lead nurturing campaigns, raising brand recognition and generating a sustained pipeline of qualified leads.
• Implemented targeted lead generation and demand gen campaigns, resulting in a 23% month-over-month increase in qualified leads for the sales team.
• Optimized SEO and content marketing strategies, delivering 100% month-over-month growth in organic traffic and boosting inbound lead generation.
• Led a cross-functional team of five, aligning marketing, sales, and product teams to achieve growth objectives and improve operational efficiency.
• Evaluated team performance and provided monthly progress reports to the executive team.

Co-founded and led a digital marketing agency, driving new business development, client strategy, and operational excellence across diverse industries including fintech, sports betting, education, and e-commerce. Built and managed high-value client relationships, delivering tailored, multi-channel digital marketing strategies.

• Managed and optimized a $400,000+ monthly advertising budget, executing paid campaigns on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to achieve client growth targets.
• Drove 465% more leads than projected for a key client, resulting in an 80% sales increase; achieved 30,000 app installs for Ziing in two months at a CPI of $0.30.
• Consistently delivered a 20-35% increase in digital loan uptake for Access Bank and outstanding ROI across campaigns (CPI as low as $0.12, CTR up to 4.69%).
• Developed agency processes and KPI tracking systems that cut campaign setup time by 50% and maintained a 95% client retention rate.
• Led a team of four contractors and was selected for the prestigious YALI Regional Leadership Center, West Africa, in recognition of business leadership.
• Generated over $100K in revenue over three years.

Mentored startups on growth strategies and marketing.

Provided mentorship and guidance to growth marketing teams within Seedstars portfolio companies.