Financial Services

Gaia Ferro

Strategic Marketing Leader

About Me

Senior marketing leader with 10+ years of experience in digital-first and regulated environments (insurance/financial services), combining brand building with performance-driven demand generation. Designed the end-to-end launch marketing strategy: positioning and messaging, target definition, channel activation (branding + lead/business), PR & media relations to build trust and thought leadership, lead nurturing and lifecycle programs, and measurement framework. Strong hands-on expertise in performance marketing, CRM & marketing automation, segmentation/personalisation, and conversion optimisation (CRO/UX), with rigorous KPI governance. Experienced in managing budgets, agencies and cross-functional stakeholders (Sales, Product, IT) to align initiatives and accelerate execution.

Jurisdiction

Italy

Experience

Seniority LevelMid-Senior level
Years of Experience10-15 years
Current StatusActive
Digital Media Consultant Brand Portal Network - Media & Communication agency
2008 - 2011

• Digital media planning and buying with SEA/performance focus; optimisation and reporting for major brands. • Managed budget pacing, campaign set-up and partner coordination.

Digital Media Supervisor FULL SIX – DMC
2011 - 2012

• Managed digital and social campaigns end-to-end: planning, execution, optimisation and reporting, coordinating creative and media delivery. • Supported project accounting and budget control for key accounts (e.g., Lottomatica, Eon).

Digital Marketing Chief Supervisor DIRECT LINE INSURANCE COMPANY
2012 - 2015

• Supported integrated digital and offline marketing strategies across acquisition and retention objectives. • Coordinated SEO, content and performance marketing initiatives; contributed to campaign planning, optimisation and reporting. • Managed marketing automation and lead nurturing programs, focusing on segmentation and message relevance; also supported budget monitoring and performance reporting with a data-driven approach.

Senior Marketing Manager VERTI ASSICURAZIONI – MAPFRE GROUP
2015 - Present

Key contributor to the launch, growth and evolution of Verti.it in the Italian digital insurance market, operating in a highly competitive and regulated context. • Designed and executed the end-to-end launch marketing strategy for Verti.it (product already packaged), ensuring market relevance and a consistent customer journey from awareness to acquisition and loyalty. • Defined positioning, communication strategy and target personas; translated the narrative into creative concepts and multi-touchpoint execution across digital and BTL. • Planned channel activation to support both branding and performance outcomes: digital media, offline/OOH, social media, influencer marketing, SEO/AEO and digital PR. • Built the trustability strategy through PR & media relations: set editorial angles, managed journalist relationships and coordinated the press office to position the brand as a credible player and opinion leader. • Defined lead nurturing strategy and lifecycle programs via CRM and marketing automation, improving segmentation, personalisation and journey orchestration. • Established measurement and KPI framework (performance dashboards mindset), enabling continuous optimisation across funnel and user experience (CRO/UX). • Owned marketing budgets; optimised media mix and investments to maximise efficiency and ROI; governed agency ecosystem and external partners. • Partnered with Sales, Product and IT teams to align priorities, remove funnel friction and accelerate growth initiatives. Selected outcomes: • Increased brand awareness from 23% to 60% (2018–2021). • Reduced Customer Acquisition Cost by 30% through funnel and media optimisation. • Improved marketing automation open rates by +5pp through advanced segmentation.

Education

Degree of Foreign Languages & LiteratureLa Sapienza University of Rome
2003 - 2007

Skills

Core skills0
Languages3

Languages

English
Spanish
Italian