Paid Media leader with 12+ years driving commercial growth across Search, Social, and Mobile for global brands and high-growth businesses. Proven track record building and scaling paid media functions from the ground up, managing teams and multi-million pound budgets across Google, Meta, TikTok, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Snap, Reddit, and ASA. Six years agency-side at senior level, six in-house, with deep experience translating board-level commercial objectives into channel strategy, team structure, and measurable revenue outcomes. A record of 1,500%+ ROAS, $1m+ monthly budgets, and household-name client wins built on systematic frameworks, not one-off performance. Now bringing that experience to a Head of Paid Media or Director of Paid Media role to lead a function, own the commercial roadmap, and build the team around it.
1,500%
Peak ROAS delivered, eCommerce at £70k/mo spend
$1m+
Monthly budget managed across global campaigns
40x
ROAS on B2B SaaS campaign, won LEGO as a client
8
Direct reports led across two senior agency roles
40%
Portfolio-wide conversion uplift via optimisation framework
5+
Years leading pitches and new business for agency growth
Google Digital Champion · 2020
Recognised by Google as the top-rated Smart Shopping campaign manager across Google Premium Partner agencies in the UK. Selected to represent the Google Partners programme in national livestreams, advising UK business owners on paid media growth strategy. One of a very small number of practitioners recognised across the entire Google Premium Partner network in 2020.
Commercial Strategy & Revenue Growth
Built paid media strategies tied directly to commercial targets: revenue, CAC, LTV, and P&L impact. Experienced setting channel mix, budget allocation, and quarterly growth frameworks for tier-1 clients across eCommerce, B2B SaaS, and Fintech.
Organisational Leadership & Team Development
Led paid media teams of up to 5 across two senior agency roles, responsible for hiring direction, 1:1 development, performance standards, and output quality. Operating as a player-manager: visible in the work, accountable for the team.
C-Suite & Stakeholder Influence
Experienced presenting commercial strategy and performance to CMOs, founders, and board-level stakeholders, both remotely and in-person across global markets. Translating platform performance into board-level commercial narrative.
New Business & Client Growth
Led new business pitches from prospect audit through to live presentation for 5+ years. Positions paid media as a growth lever rather than a cost centre. Maintains long-term client relationships through strategic value, not account management.
Operational Efficiency & AI Tooling
Built proprietary AI-powered tooling covering the full campaign lifecycle: keyword research, bid and budget strategy, account architecture, conversion auditing, and cross-platform competitor intelligence across Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and Reddit.
Cross-Channel & SEO Collaboration
Managed international campaigns across Meta, TikTok, Snap, LinkedIn, Reddit, ASA, and SA360. Deep background in SEO across multi-site eCommerce. Believes paid and organic strategy should be built together for maximum full-funnel output.
Matt McCullough
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
Digitalfive · Paid Search Lead
- Led a 3-person PPC team, setting performance standards and quality frameworks across a 140+ client portfolio
- Owned paid media strategy and commercial accountability end-to-end, from budget planning through to board-level reporting
- Implemented a structured optimisation framework in month one, driving a 40% uplift in conversion volume across the full portfolio
- Directed B2C lead generation and full-funnel eCommerce strategy across Google Ads and Microsoft Ads
Key Achievement
Designed and deployed a proprietary AI-powered toolkit standardising campaign architecture, bid strategy, conversion auditing, and competitor intelligence across the team. Compressed setup and audit cycles significantly, enabling the team to operate at greater scale without additional headcount.
Upperdog Ltd.
- Led a team of 5 PPC specialists, responsible for performance output, individual development, and department standards
- Held commercial accountability for £250k+/month in paid media budgets across a mixed B2C and B2B client base
- Drove new business growth by leading pitch strategy, account audits, and live presentations to senior stakeholders and prospective clients
- Directed full paid media strategy for BMW Motorrad UK, managing brand and performance campaigns across Search and Display
- Owned C-suite and board-level stakeholder relationships across key accounts, delivering regular in-person and remote performance reviews
- Built and enforced strategic frameworks across eCommerce, lead generation, and B2B SaaS verticals to maintain consistency at scale
Key Achievement
Scaled an eCommerce client's Google Ads spend from
£18k to £70k/month across multiple platforms while growing ROAS to
1,500%+, a 500%+ budget increase sustained by genuine performance growth, not just volume.
Moburst Ltd. · Global Mobile Agency
- Held budget responsibility exceeding $1m/month across global mobile-first campaigns spanning US, EMEA, and APAC
- Directed paid media strategy for household-name clients including Microsoft and McAfee, with CAC and ROAS targets set at board level
- Defined Mobile User Acquisition frameworks across Google UAC, Apple Search Ads, Meta, TikTok, Snap, and LinkedIn, operating across multiple markets simultaneously
- Led cross-functional creative testing programmes in partnership with in-house creative teams across multiple time zones, informing channel strategy through data-driven iteration
- Presented commercial performance and strategic recommendations directly to C-suite stakeholders at global enterprise clients, including in-person engagements
- Owned MMP strategy via AppsFlyer: attribution architecture, event taxonomy, cohort analysis, and LTV modelling to inform budget allocation decisions
Key Achievement
Delivered campaigns for Microsoft and McAfee at global scale, adapting strategy across multiple regions and platforms while maintaining strict CAC and ROAS targets set at board level.
Vertical Leap Ltd.
- Managed £150k/month in paid media budgets across a strategically diverse client base spanning eCommerce, Fintech, SaaS, and B2B Tech
- Led Smart Shopping strategy during a period of significant Google Ads product evolution, developing frameworks recognised across the Google Premium Partner network as best-in-class
- Identified and pursued high-value B2B growth opportunities, applying performance strategy to generate outsized commercial returns for clients at the enterprise level
Key Achievement
Scaled a B2B Fintech SaaS client's paid campaigns to generate LEGO as a customer, delivering approximately
40x ROAS against a
2m EUR ARR target. Campaign led to one of the largest single client acquisitions in the agency's history.
Radiators 4U Group
- Held sole commercial accountability for paid and organic performance across 7 brand websites, managing £50k/month in budget
- Developed an integrated Search strategy combining PPC and SEO to maximise full-funnel visibility and conversion efficiency across the home goods vertical
- Built the foundational understanding of how paid and organic channels reinforce each other at a structural level, informing a cross-channel philosophy carried through subsequent senior roles
DTW Ceramics t/a Target Tiles
- Owned the full digital presence for a ceramics eCommerce business: PPC, SEO, web development, and site performance
- Managed £15k/month in paid media spend, building early expertise in Search strategy and commercial optimisation