About
I build marketing functions from zero and scale revenue.
I’m Shiju Thomas. For the last decade I’ve run marketing for B2B SaaS and marketplace businesses at the stage where the engine either gets built properly or the company stalls: Series A to Series B, first marketing hire to CMO.
The job keeps the same shape. Find where revenue actually comes from, build the system that produces more of it, and hire the people who can run it without me. I’m based in Sydney and work across ANZ, the US and South Asia.
- ARR growth
- 2–3×
- years in B2B SaaS
- 10+
- industries scaled
- 5
What I believe
Marketing is a revenue function, not a brand function.
Brand matters, but it earns its keep by making the revenue system work better, not by running as a parallel universe with its own metrics.
Most B2B SaaS marketing fails in the gap between MQL and closed-won. I spend most of my time there: sitting with sales, fixing the handoff, instrumenting the funnel, and building retention into the acquisition motion from day one.
AI has changed the economics of the work I used to give agencies and contractors. I now run more of the stack myself, faster, with a smaller team.
Where I’ve worked
canibuild
Built the marketing function across Australia, New Zealand and the US. SQLs up 247% in 90 days, CPA cut from $120 to $30.
Antler
One of 40 founders selected from more than 3,000 applicants. Validated two AI business concepts with customers.
ezyCollect
First marketing hire. Took ARR from $3.5M to $9.2M and cut CPA by 84%, through a 50% team cut.
Z10 Consulting
Growth advisory for a B2B SaaS proptech marketplace, a luxury furniture brand and Veolia.
Cohen Handler
Grew revenue from $3M to $12M in three years. The TV campaign created the buyer’s agent category in Australia.
Smart Group (Autogenie)
Owned the P&L, product, marketing and sales for online car buying. EBITDA up 63%.
Expedia Affiliate Network
Managed a $50M portfolio and converted Flight Centre into a global strategic partner.
Before that: Cogent Online, Telstra Media, The Intelligent Investor, eBay India, Nielsen BASES and Onida, in Sydney and Mumbai. I studied at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
How I lead
I run marketing teams the way I coach soccer: high standards, clear roles, and the belief that most people are capable of more than they’ve been asked for.
I hire for character and judgement and teach the craft. The marketing stack changes every eighteen months. Character doesn’t.
The brief is usually the problem.
If the team isn’t delivering, look first at how clearly they understand what good looks like.
Feedback private, praise public.
Both work when they are specific and timely. Most managers reverse them.
Coaching is not advice-giving.
It is asking the questions that help someone find their own answer.
The scoreboard is promotions.
The strongest signal that a team works is that its people get promoted, including out of the company to better jobs.
What people I’ve worked with say
“Shiju led the marketing efforts during our time together at ezyCollect and helped us achieve hypergrowth during his 3 years. He is not only a marketing genius but someone with integrity, a growth mindset, and commitment to excellence.”
“Working with Shiju was one of the best experiences of my career. Highly qualified and always calm under pressure, he made complex problems feel manageable and always pushed me to aim higher.”
“Shiju has remarkable clarity of thought (it’s hard to win an argument against Shiju) and is a great guy to have in any team. His biggest strength is his ability to come up with creative solutions to both conceptual and practical problems, especially in pressure situations.”