Michael Smith

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY I’m a growth-obsessed Performance Marketing Manager with 10+ years of experience helping businesses scale and achieve incredible success profitably in industries such as D2C E-commerce, FinTech, B2B SaaS, EduTech and Local services. Most recently, I managed a $4 million+ annual budget for Swarovski and Michael Kors in the MENA region, achieving a 6.6x ROAS ($25m+ in annual revenue) for their e-commerce divisions. My experience blends my love for data, design, marketing, and tech with real-world strategies that deliver results. Whether I’m mapping out a full-funnel paid media strategy across Search and Social channels, or diving deep into performance optimization tweaks, I cultivate a collaborative culture and keep budgets tightly aligned to performance goals and ROI. If you’re looking to turn digital spend into a true growth asset, then let’s chat. MD SMITH PERFORMANCE MARKETING MANAGER Full name: Date of birth: Gendar: Marital status: Michael-Dean Smith Male Core Skills Paid Media Management (Google, Meta, TikTok) • E-commerce & DTC Growth • Social Media Marketing • Full-Funnel Strategy Development • Large-scale Budget Management ($4m+) • Media Planning • Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) • User Acquisition • Analytical problem solving & Data Analysis • Marketing Automation • Team Management • PPC(Pay Per Click) WORK EXPERIENCE 07/08/1991 Married Location: Dubai, UAE & South Afrika Apr 2024 Present - - Chalhoub Group — Swarovski & Michael Kors | MENA As Performance Marketing Manager for Swarovski and Michael Kors in the Middle East Region, I own the growth, profitability and day-to-day performance of the E-commerce businesses while steering an annual media budget of $4m (USD). Key achievements: Developed and rolled out a restructured full-funnel marketing strategy for Swarovski in 2025, delivering +20% revenue growth in Q1 vs 2024 while increasing new customer acquisition by 12% and ROAS by 34% YoY. - My duties include: • Develop and manage the full-year marketing strategy across 5 GCC markets (UAE, KSA, KWT, QAT & EGY), ensuring channel mix and strategy are aligned with quarterly commercial targets. • Take ownership of the $4m (USD) annual budget and media planning, keeping activations and campaigns efficient and aligned with the global brand direction. • Drive end-to-end performance through management of the Website and Mobile App’s growth, including Paid Media, Website & App Development roadmaps, SEO, CRM, and Conversion Optimization. Ensuring we maintain our minimum ROAS KPI of 6x. • Lead a blended team of in-house specialists, agency partners, and global brand stakeholders, maintaining clear communication and smooth collaboration across time zones and functions. Linkedin.com/in/mdsmithdigitalmarketing/ LANGUAGES ENGLISH (Native) Performance Marketing Manager – E-commerce | Full-time Jul 2019 Present AFRIKAANS (Native) Growth & Performance Marketing Consultant | Freelance VelocityM Digital | Part-time I work part-time with a mix of e-commerce, SaaS, and service brands worldwide, turning their digital channels into reliable revenue engines. Key achievements: Developed and launched a new E-commerce website for a digital EduTech brand and drove them to 300k Revenue in their first year with a 14x ROI. Key services: • Map the growth pl an: build channel-by-channel strategies that tie budget and KPIs directly to the client’s goals. • Run and refine paid media: manage Google, Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn campaigns, testing audiences, creative, and bids to increase ROAS and customer lifetime value. • Drive the creative process: brief and review ad visuals, landing pages, and email flows so performance stays high and branding stays on point. • Win organic traffic: deliver technical and on-page SEO audits, keyword roadmaps, and content calendars aimed at page-one rankings for the terms that move the needle. • Keep everyone aligned: provide clear dashboards and action-focused meetings, turning data into next steps for founders and in-house teams. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - 10+ Year Experience. - $4m+ Large-scale Budget Ownership. Strategy Development, PPC (Google Ads), Social Media Advertising, SEO, Content Marketing, Creative Content Production, Marketing Automation, Website design. - Scaling and Growth Planning. - MENA, Europe & US market experience. - Luxury D2C E-commerce Expeirence. - Performance Marketing Leadership. - Media Planning. - Manage External Vendors & Specialists. - Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) - Entrepreneurial Experience. - Stakeholder Management. - Product & Brand Development. - Creative Production Management. Nov 2022 Feb 2024 Digital Marketing Manager | Full-time Contract SOZO Design | UK & European region. At SOZO Design, I played a pivotal role in developing and executing comprehensive digital marketing strategies for a diverse clientele, contributing to growth and profitability across various industries. Key achievements: Scaled an E-commerce client’s Google Ads account to £2.2m in revenue at 13.8× ROAS within 6 months, boosting the overall brand positioning in the market. My duties included: • Set up and integrated the core tech stack for each managed account. Google Analytics, Tag Manager, Search Console, and ad platforms so performance could be tracked and attributed accurately. This included client onboarding ensuring a smooth introduction into SOZOs ecosystem. • Account management of £10 k–£50 k monthly budgets across Google, Bing, and Meta Ads, optimising bids, audiences, and creative to meet each client’s conversion and ROI goals. • Built data-driven growth roadmaps: keyword research, SEO and content plans, and CRO recommendations, working closely with design and development teams to roll out site updates. • Maintained clear client communication through regular check-ins, Looker Studio dashboards, and training sessions that helped client teams understand results and next steps. Continue on next page Aug 2022 Oct 2022 TECHNICAL & SOFT SKILLS Performance Marketing Manager | Full-time Contract Bolt Digital & D2C live - Contract At Bolt Digital, I managed and led the development and execution of high-impact Google Shopping and Meta advertising campaigns for D2C luxury brands, driving revenue growth and profitability. Key achievements: While working at Bolt Digital I supported the team by conducting in-depth account audits to help identify areas of improvement and optimization. In one instance my insights led to key changes in the way we were tracking and segmenting audiences for remarketing, this allowed us improve remarketing campaigns that resulted in a 18% increase in conversions while lowering CPAs by 30%. - Graphic Design & Brand Development. - Front-end Coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript). - Website Developement & UX Design. My duties included: • Planned and executed audience-targeting frameworks that zeroed-in on high-value prospects for each client. • Set up and optimised Google Ads (incl. Shopping) and Meta campaigns end-to-end bids, audiences, creative testing, and budgets keeping ROI front and centre. • Partnered with designers and copywriters to align ad visuals and messaging with campaign objectives and brand tone. • Managed monthly ad budgets of £5 k–£20 k, reallocating spend in real time to the best-performing channels and placements. • Handled custom-audience builds, pixel/GA4 integrations, and conversion tracking, ensuring clean data for decision-making. • Delivered clear performance insights via Looker Studio dashboards and monthly wrap-ups, highlighting wins and next-step opportunities. • Jumped in as a cross-team resource when other account managers needed backup or a second pair of eyes on strategy. - Using AI-driven Tools To Optimize Workflow & Performance. - Data Visualisation & Report Building - Financial Planning & Forecasting. - Cross-Functional Team Leadership. - SEO & Content Marketing. - Marketing Automation. - Copywriting & Creative Storytelling. Technical Marketing Specialist Oct 2021 Jul 2022 - Strategic Problem-solving. Cibecs Endpoint Cloud - Full-time At Cibecs, I spearheaded the technical implementation and management of the company's digital marketing efforts, ensuring seamless integration of digital campaigns across all channels. - Good Communication Skills. - Client Relationship Management. Key achievements: I built a fully automated client-acquisition funnel by linking our CRM, marketing-automation, and ad platforms. The system handled prospecting and lead nurturing end-to-end, so the sales team could focus solely on product demos and closing deals. My duties included: • Developed, configured, and maintained CRM systems to support lead tracking, pipeline management, and automated follow-ups. • Took ownership of setting up and managing core digital marketing tools, ensuring seamless integration across platforms like GA4, Tag Manager, and email automation systems. • Planned and executed the full digital marketing strategy across paid and organic channels, aligning campaigns with business objectives. • Built and optimised advertising accounts from the ground up across Meta Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, and Twitter, including conversion tracking and audience segmentation. • Designed and managed marketing automation workflows to streamline lead nurturing and improve sales handover efficiency. • Oversaw regular updates and improvements to the company’s WordPress website, including content updates, landing page builds, and SEO optimisation. • Worked closely with the Digital Marketing Manager on strategic planning, performance reviews, and ongoing campaign development. SOFTWARE & TOOLS Google Ads Meta Ads Manager MS Office Google Analytics LinkedIn Ads Adobe Photoshop G Tag Manager TikTok Ads Adobe Illustrator G Looker Studio SEMRUSH WooCommerce G Search Console WordPress Shopify monday.com Slack ActiveCampaign Zapier SalesForce HubSpot Co-Founder & Marketing Manager Aug 2017 Oct 2021 RooibosKind - Part-time RooibosKind is an E-commerce brand that sold a range of Health and Beauty products. As the Co-founder & Marketing Manager, I was responsible for the overall growth of the brand including, marketing, website design, creative production, as well as managing our product parnters . Key achievements: We established a successful E-commerce brand that generated well over 50k in monthly revenue implementing a combination of organic and paid advertising strategies. My duties included: • Designed, launched, and continually improved the ecommerce site, testing layouts and checkout flows to lift conversion and overall user experience. • Built and ran an integrated growth plan that mixed social media, SEO, Google Ads, and email automation to grow traffic, awareness, and sales. • Set up and managed core tools, including GA4, Tag Manager, and Klaviyo, to track the full customer journey and fine-tune campaigns for higher ROAS and repeat purchase. • Directed all brand and creative work, from visual identity and packaging to digital assets, ensuring every touchpoint told a consistent story. • Led annual growth and financial planning, balancing marketing spend, inventory buys, and cash flow to keep the business on a profitable track. * Please feel free to visit my LinkedIn for full list of my past experience not listed here EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND PERSONAL INTERESTS Jan 2011 Dec 2014 Padel Travelling N. Dip Graphic Design Central University of Technology Gaming Dec 2010 National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) High School Kempton Park Music Photography Cooking