Arun Cavale

APJ Marketing Leader | Demand, Pipeline, ABM & Partner GTM | IBM · Pure Storage | Building AI-native marketing engines

Singapore6.5k followers

The Growth Forge Asia | www.growthforgeasia.com

ex-Singapore Badminton Association

ex-Pure Storage

"Asia's Most Admired Marketing Leader 2023" - CMO Asia | VP/Director-level B2B SaaS Marketer | Singapore/APACI build high-performance teams, trusted brands, and marketing engines that sales leaders actually trust.
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Over 20 years I've led marketing across 13+ APJ markets — Japan, Korea, ANZ, ASEAN, India and Greater China — at IBM and Pure Storage, and now through my own Signature Wins:✦ Demand & Pipeline: $3B+ marketing-sourced pipeline from an ABM programme built from zero across IBM's top 45 APJ accounts; 139% of pipeline target at Pure Storage, inheriting a function nine months without a regional ✦ Partner GTM: Owned APJ partner ecosystem marketing across SIs, ISVs, resellers and cloud partners in 13 markets — $100M+ marketing-sourced revenue and $450M+ partner pipeline on a $10M+ annual ✦ Brand Builder: Built IBM Watson into the #1 AI brand in APAC and launched IBM Consulting across the region — the highest-engagement campaign ✦ People Leader: 15+ years managing people; second-line leader of teams up to 20 across 13 What I bring:✦ Deep APAC market fluency — aligning global strategy with local nuance without fragmenting ✦ AI-native operations — I build the systems, not just the strategy. Production multi-agent AI running content, segmentation, campaign testing, publishing and reporting, wired into live CRM and marketing automation stacks. 50% lower marketing operating cost, 30% higher pipeline ✦ Proven ability to unite sales, marketing, product and partners around measurable I manage pipeline across three dimensions at once — Volume, Velocity and Yield. Most regional demand problems are one of those three, and diagnosing which is most of the What's I'm targeting VP or Director of Marketing roles across B2B technology, particularly software (SaaS, cloud or cybersecurity), where field, partner and ABM excellence can unlock nine-figure growth. Open to Singapore, regional APAC hubs, or remote-first leadership Key Skills: Go-to-Market Leadership | Demand Generation & Pipeline | Account-Based Marketing | Field & Partner Marketing | Digital (SEO, SEM, Social) | Branding & Communications | AI in Marketing | Data Analytics & Performance | P&L and Budget Oversight | Team BuildingTopics I write about: B2B Marketing, Field & Partner Marketing, Generative AI, APAC Go-to-Market, Leadership & com | +65 9180 3085

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THE GROWTH FORGE ASIA | WWW.GROWTHFORGEASIA.COMJOB
1. Founder & Principal - GTM…
  3Y 4M
ALNICOJOB
1. Fractional CMO
  5M
JK TECHNOLOGYJOB
1. Consultant
  2Y 5M
SINGAPORE BADMINTON ASSOCIATIONJOB
1. Interim CEO
  5M
PURE STORAGEJOB
1. Senior Dir, Field & Partne…
  8M
IBMJOB
1. Mktg Dir - Partner Ecosyst…
  1Y 1M
2. Head of Field & Partner Mk…
  4Y 7M
3. Field & Partner Mktg Mgr,…
  2Y 11M
4. Industry Mktg & Strategy L…
  2Y 9M
5. Principal Leader, Market D…
  6Y 2M
DHLJOB
1. Mgr - Mktg Research & Plan…
  2Y 5M
2. Asia Pacific Regional Proj…
  4M
UNILEVERJOB
1. Summer Intern
  11M
LARSEN & TOUBRO, INDIAJOB
1. Executive - Business Plann…
  2Y 9M

Job: The Growth Forge Asia | www.growthforgeasia.com — Founder & Principal - GTM & Demand Operator · 2023-06 – present · 3y 2mo — The Growth Forge Asia is an AI-first GTM and growth practice built for B2B technology companies scaling across Asia-Pacific. We are builder-operators — we don't just advise, we build and run. Three practice areas: 1. Fractional CMO & GTM Operator Engagements — embedded senior marketing leadership: market entry, positioning, revenue playbooks, demand engines. 2. Agentic AI & GTM Automation — production multi-agent systems running content, segmentation, campaign testing, publishing and reporting, with an orchestration layer linking LLM agents to live MarTech stacks (CRM, MAP, ad platforms, analytics) for real-time, data-triggered adaptation. 3. eCommerce Acceleration — build, launch and o…
Job: Alnico — Fractional CMO · 2026-05 – present · 3 mo
Job: JK Technology — Consultant — Growth Strategy & Advisor to the CEO · 2024-05 – present · 2y 3mo — Principal ongoing engagement, reporting to the CEO across commercial marketing, partner and go-to-market strategy. ✦ Built the commercial marketing and partner-GTM engine ✦ Created three market-anchoring brand platforms that operate as ongoing demand-generation and partnership vehicles ✦ Secured the company's first marquee global brand partnership — a long-term strategic alliance that opened partner-led pipeline and elevated market credibility ✦ Advised the CEO beyond marketing — restructured the business into distinct commercial and CSR P&Ls, and built the corporate foundation and scholarship programme as a long-term brand-equity asset
Job: Singapore Badminton Association — Interim CEO – National Sports Federation (Badminton) · 2024-11 – 2025-04 · 5 mo — Steered 30-person org through leadership gap; re-set multi-year athlete-development roadmap and diversified funding streams
Job: Pure Storage — Senior Director, Field & Partner Marketing – APJ · 2022-09 – 2023-05 · 8 mo — Led a regional marketing team of 15 through subordinate managers, owning the full APAC & Japan marketing function — field marketing, brand, demand generation, digital and partner marketing — with a $3M+ marketing budget and P&L accountability for pipeline and revenue across 8+ markets. ✦ Demand Creation: 139% of pipeline target and 103% YoY growth ✦ Focus & Consolidation: replaced fragmented country activity with four cross-industry thematic programmes (Sustainability, Infrastructure Modernisation, Ransomware Recovery, Modern Applications), concentrating 90% of demand budget behind them ✦ ABM & Enterprise Expansion: set up the Account-Based Marketing practice using intent data and account…
Job: IBM — Marketing Director - Partner Ecosystem , IBM Consulting & Account-Based Marketing, Asia Pacific · 2021-08 – 2022-09 · 1y 1mo — Held three senior regional remits across this period, as an APAC senior leadership team member. Partner Ecosystem ✦ Led a large marketing team covering 14K+ clients across digital sales and ecosystem partners (SIs, ISVs, resellers, cloud partners) in 13 markets, on a $10M+ annual budget with full agency ownership. ✦ Revamped the go-to-market model around productivity. ✦ $100M+ marketing-sourced revenue and $450M+ marketing-sourced partner pipeline. IBM Consulting ✦ Led a team of senior marketers driving brand reputation, sales and signings across Asia Pacific. ✦ Launched the IBM Consulting brand across APAC, the highest-engagement campaign globally. ✦ $700M+ marketing-sourced revenue and…
Job: IBM — Head of Field & Partner Marketing, Software, Asean & Asia Pacific · 2017-01 – 2021-08 · 4y 7mo — Led IBM Field & Partner Marketing team delivering marketing and strategy to launch scalable campaigns for IBM's Software portfolio. Notable Achievements & Projects: ✦ Successfully transformed marketing from a traditional approach to digital-first, data-driven marketing. ✦ Built the IBM Watson brand and category across the region, driving AI adoption across enterprises. ✦ Launched new products and solutions in the market e.g. AI Ops, RPA etc ✦ Doubled pipeline every year, delivering $2B in marketing-sourced pipeline. ✦ Maximized business growth by building the business by a multiple of 3. ✦ Built, mentored and nurtured the multi-country team, especially during the COVID years. ✦ Won mul…
Job: IBM — Field & Partner Marketing Manager, IBM Cloud, ASEAN · 2014-01 – 2016-12 · 2y 11mo — ✦ Build the cloud field marketing engine from scratch. Created the value props, messaging, multi-channel campaigns etc. ✦ Grew the business 300%
Job: IBM — Industry Marketing & Strategy Leader - Public Sector & Smarter Cities ASEAN · 2011-04 – 2014-01 · 2y 9mo — As Regional Marketing & Strategy Leader, Public Sector & Smarter Cities, ASEAN, led high-end marketing, strategic planning, and business development efforts. Evangelist for the "Smarter Cities" initiative, a cornerstone of IBM's strategy. Notable Achievements & Projects: ✦ Delivered multiple smarter cities pilot projects and engagements across the region, e.g., Davao (Philippines), Jurong Lake District (Singapore), Bandung (Indonesia), and Danang (Vietnam). ✦ Identified and built strategic partnerships with key extended value chain complements, industry coalitions, associations, influencers, and academia. ✦ Secured $400M for future quarter pipeline.
Job: IBM — Principal Leader, Market Development & Strategy for WW Growth Markets · 2005-01 – 2011-03 · 6y 2mo — Led multi-disciplinary teams and provided strategy leadership, advisory, market analysis, and consulting initiatives in growth markets in 140+ countries, particularly in growing the SMB space. Notable Achievements & Projects: ✦ Drove global geographic expansion that delivered an incremental $3B in revenue.
Job: DHL — Manager - Marketing Research & Planning · 2002-07 – 2004-12 · 2y 5mo — As the Country leader for Strategy & Market planning, built the discipline & the team from scratch; led several growth-related strategic initiatives, put in place a comprehensive corporate performance management & reporting system, built the entire customer intelligence practice. Notable Achievements & Projects: ✦ Developed and implemented a portfolio-type pricing management model to enhance the overall profitability. Country gross margin increased by +15% ✦ Led a consulting engagement to identify the macroeconomic drivers of business growth and developed a market model / forecasting system for DHL. As the Asia Pacific regional project manager, managed the roll-out of this initiative acros…
Job: DHL — Asia Pacific Regional Project Manager (MDG Strategy Initiative) · 2004-01 – 2004-05 · 4 mo — Market Model Development– Led a consulting engagement with a leading consulting firm to identify the macroeconomic drivers of business growth and developed a market model / forecasting system for DHL. As the client-side project manager, managed the roll-out of this initiative across 11 key AP countries.
Job: Unilever — Summer Intern · 2001 – 2001 · 0 mo — Business Planning and Strategy development for the institutional marketing business of HLL (a) Market Expansion – Identified and developed a new business plan (existing product, new market) for the institutional marketing arm of the company (b) Market-entry Strategy – Developed the market-entry strategy for its institutional products in the emerging contract cleaning market
Job: Larsen & Toubro, India — Executive - Business Planning & Development · 1997-09 – 2000-06 · 2y 9mo — New Business Development – Undertook feasibility studies and prepared business plans for the introduction of various new construction equipment at L&T. Worked on Joint Ventures and collaboration agreements with various international majors and added several new business-product lines to portfolio.
School: Duke University — Certificate, International Marketing & Communications
School: Boston Consulting Group University — Certificate, Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Accelerator (DMEA)
School: SPJIMR SP Jain Institute of Management & Research — Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing
School: B. M. S. College of Engineering — BE, Mechanical Engineering

Skills

Integrated MarketingFractionalBrand DevelopmentGTMPartner MarketingAccount-Based MarketingEventsStrategic MarketingMarketing CommunicationsVertical MarketingMarketing ProgramsBuild Strong RelationshipsDigital StrategyCustomer InsightStrategic LeadershipMarketing as a ServiceGenerative AI for MarketingSearch Engine Optimization (SEO)Software as a Service (SaaS)People Management

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Arun Cavale

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