Originally published by We Are Tech Women
With 15 years of marketing experience under her belt, Charlotte Webb is an accomplished marketing professional driven by a passion for creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Charlotte’s work in crafting effective marketing strategies and communication plans will continue to drive Hyve’s future goals of global expansion and success.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
Of course! I am Charlotte Webb, a Marketing and Operations Director at Hyve Managed Hosting. At Hyve, I lead our global marketing and operations initiatives. In my current role, I am also responsible for aligning our regional teams in the UK, US, and Germany with Hyve’s overall growth strategy.
I joined Hyve amid the pandemic to take the reins of the marketing team and oversee brand integrity, coordinate sales efforts, and lead the marketing team. With over 15 years in marketing, I have developed a strong grasp of key marketing tools, so when I joined Hyve, I used this expertise to enhance market awareness of our brand and offerings and to align our brand messaging closely with our reputation-building efforts. Changes in our marketing strategy led to the expansion of the marketing team and focus on lead generation to increase our sales pipeline and build brand equity. From the success and growth of the team and integrating with every element of the business to align the marketing strategy, I landed the role of Marketing & Operations Director, now overseeing the marketing, commercial and business operations on a global scale.
In terms of my working style and ethic, I thrive on challenges. I am always looking for new business directions and excited about the next hurdle and celebration.
What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing, and how did you know it was the right path for you?
I am probably one of those rare people who work in the same field they studied at university – Management and Marketing. I enjoyed drama, art, and English at school and never considered myself a “numbers person”. So, I think my passion for creativity helped me discover and later develop a passion for marketing and to contradict this, I spend a lot of my week now looking at data to define the next business move.
After university, I managed to get a job as a marketing graduate in the paint industry company, and since those early days in marketing, I have never looked back.
Throughout your 15-year journey in marketing, what has been the most significant lesson you’ve learnt?
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from my years in the industry is the power of data. In today’s digital economy, analytics and data are fundamental to effective marketing and sales strategies. At Hyve, we continuously track and analyse customers’ behaviour trends, and engagement metrics and use these insights to adjust our campaigns. Data-driven decision-making helps strengthen our gut instinct for identifying new growth and development opportunities. This approach allows a robust and more aligned business strategy that results in achievable marketing goals rather than superficial metrics.
How do you balance creativity with the more strategic elements of your role as Marketing and Operations Director?
The tech world is ever-evolving; therefore, an important aspect is the need for flexibility and collaboration. Agility keeps us on our toes as projects and priorities change rapidly. This ability to stay nimble is essential for adapting to change and seizing new opportunities for current market demands. People in the tech industry are also very collaborative, and our open office environment, naturally encourages collaboration. We love brainstorming across teams and incorporating insights from all departments into our marketing and sales strategies.
Hyve Managed Hosting is known for its innovation. How do you keep the marketing strategy fresh and aligned with that ethos?
As I mentioned, I am a strong believer in the power of data in marketing – for me, “data is king”. Our team dedicates a lot of time and energy to analysing data and metrics. Staying on top of internal and market-wide trends helps us innovate and keep the leading position in a competitive market like cloud computing. Our data-driven approach helps us produce timely insights and thought leadership articles on industry trends, as well as white papers and explainer videos – the exact type of content our target audience is interested in.
The diversity and agility we foster in our teams are also important. Drawing on a range of perspectives brings fresh ideas, helps innovation and allows us to respond quickly to new opportunities – all while keeping the process fun and engaging!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t be afraid of failure it’s important to take risks and learn from mistakes. Each setback can provide valuable insights that will inform your future decisions and help a business grow. Instead of fearing mistakes, view them as stepping stones to growth. This mindset encourages innovation, ultimately leading to more effective solutions and successes in the long run. I believe that success will come to those who are creative and analytical and use data to create the strategy for the brand.
Based on your experience, what’s the key to building and leading successful marketing teams?
For me, the synergy of the team, supported by data insights, is a recipe for success. A great way to maintain this synergy is by ensuring that each team member not only understands their responsibilities but also stays up-to-date with their colleagues’ tasks, ideas, and experiences. This helps everyone see how each data-driven task contributes to our broader marketing and business goals.
I continuously ensure alignment with the company’s strategic goals and objectives within my team. I believe that in marketing, each element—social media, PR, or SEO—plays an important role in the company’s overall success, ultimately maximising its potential. Data, collaboration, and creativity are the core elements of effective marketing.
As someone who has worked with several big names like Allianz and AJW Group, how have those experiences shaped your approach to your role at Hyve?
The corporate world has taught me many lessons, including the importance of structured processes, collaboration and agility. These skills were very useful when I stepped into my new role as Operations Director at Hyve, focusing on refining the company’s internal processes and building collaboration between departments. For example, I saw great potential in building a stronger, more cohesive relationship between our sales and marketing teams by ensuring they understood each other’s goals. This allowed both teams to work in sync to strengthen Hyve’s brand and increase business opportunities.
How do you stay motivated and inspired in an industry that’s constantly evolving?
My biggest motivation is staying ahead of the curve and having no day being the same! Luckily, tech industry change is constant and inevitable as technology is ever-evolving. I am always trying to stay on top of the current trends and news, be organised, ask lots of questions, and be ready to react quickly. My Outlook calendar and to-do list are my best friends, and they help me manage and coordinate evolving tasks to keep everything aligned and on track.
Looking forward, what excites you the most about the future of marketing and the direction Hyve is heading?
The future of marketing is exciting and full of potential. Right now, the hot topic is how AI is evolving to support personalised customer experiences and enhance marketing exercises. I believe that now is the time to get involved in all these new opportunities, to make a difference and be part of what could shape the future. Hyve is excited to lead the way in this ever-evolving tech landscape and will try to stay at the forefront of impactful trends. I am motivated to be part of this enthusiastic company and help Hyve embrace these trends and continue to innovate in ways that resonate with our customers and drive growth.
