About
I've sat in the seats I now fill.
I'm Sam Akbari, a fractional CXO based in Melbourne. For more than 15 years I've led revenue, operations and product, and run my own company, across ASX-listed and private businesses.
- AICD member
- Melbourne · Remote worldwide
- Open to travel & relocation
My story
From enterprise sales to the C-suite.
I started my career in enterprise sales at a pan-Asian telecommunications carrier, where I learned that every strategy eventually has to survive a customer conversation.
From there I moved into product, as Global Head of Product for an enterprise SaaS platform, taking it to 330% of its global revenue target. I led integrated technology across Asia-Pacific for a B2B marketing agency, and founded and ran my own systems integration and consulting business.
As Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer of an ASX-listed technology company, I owned a global P&L and built partnerships across the Middle East, Europe and India. At a global consumer brand I ran go-to-market operations, automating global launches and using AI to cut translation costs by around US$1M a year.
Today I bring that mix of revenue, operations, product and the CEO seat to mid-market leadership teams as a fractional executive: senior enough to own the outcome, flexible enough to fit the moment.
Career
Roles I've held
Organisations are described rather than named, to respect client and employer confidentiality.
Independent practice
Fractional CXO
Fractional, advisory and interim C-suite leadership for mid-market enterprises.
Global software services company
Head of Enterprise Strategy (contract)
Executive strategy workshops with an airline loyalty business and a major Southeast Asian bank.
Global consumer brand, 70+ markets
Head of Global GTM Operations (contract)
Global launch automation, AI translation saving ~US$1M a year, and the project worth stopping.
ASX-listed technology company
Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer
Global sales and marketing, ~A$15M P&L and three international joint ventures.
Global systems integrator
Founder & CEO
Consulting and transformation programs for clients across retail, financial services, technology and architecture.
Integrated B2B marketing agency
Head of Integrated Technology, APJ
Led a team across Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore, with growth, budget and P&L responsibility.
Enterprise SaaS company
Global Head of Product
Product, roadmap and commercial strategy, reaching 330% of global revenue target.
Pan-Asian telecommunications carrier
Business Development Manager, Enterprise
Enterprise sales, recognised globally for over-achievement.
How I work
Outcomes over activity
I measure my work in revenue, cost and speed, and I agree those measures with you up front.
Inside the team, not beside it
I sit in the leadership team, own decisions and do the work with your people rather than handing over a report.
Practical about AI
AI earns its place when it fixes a real, costly process. I start there, not with the technology.
Honest calls
Sometimes the right answer is to stop something. I'll say so, and bring a better alternative.
The three roles I fill Case studies How engagements work Insights
Credentials
Governance
- Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
- AICD: Ethics in the Boardroom
Education
- Business Administration, Monash University
- Multimedia, Swinburne University
Certifications
Adobe
- Adobe Certified Professional
- Marketo Certified Expert
Salesforce
- B2B Marketing Analytics
- Advanced Customer Journeys
- Journey Builder
- Pardot
Atlassian
- Jira & Confluence
- Automating Jira
- Product development
- ITSM & cloud migration
Other
- PMI: Data Strategy
- Bynder Certified Admin
- Klaviyo
- GDPR, ESG, cloud & security frameworks
Platforms I work in
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- Adobe Marketo
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Jira & Confluence
- Google Cloud
- n8n
- UiPath
More on LinkedIn.
Let's talk about what's next for your business.
A 30-minute conversation, no pitch deck. If I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you, and point you to someone who is.