Claes Elerud
Benchmarking UK & MENA retail digital experience | GTM at SQLI
ex-Apollo.ioI've spent 15+ years figuring out why good products don't sell and bad go-to-market strategies survive longer than they should. That's taken me through B2B sales, fintech, cybersecurity, creative production, and now ecommerce.
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I've built sales teams from scratch, run outbound engines, and produced campaigns for Disney, L'Oréal, Lenovo, Intel, and others. The career path looks scattered until you see the thread: every role started with the same problem. Good product, unclear story, no obvious route to the right buyer. These days I split my time between two things. At SQLI, I work with UK ecommerce brands that have outgrown their current setup, helping them figure out what's actually costing them money and what to fix first. Outside of that, I'm building independent research into UK digital retail performance, digging into real site data across hundreds of brands because most of the benchmarks out there are vendor-funded fiction. I'd rather look at the data than trust the case study. I'd rather talk to the person who lost the deal than the one who wrote the press release. And I'd rather be wrong in public than vaguely right in private. When none of that is happening, I'm behind a guitar, a camera or doing art.
GTM Index
- SQLI UK & MENAJOB
- GTM Specialist9M
GTM Specialist
SQLI UK & MENA
Building SQLI UK & MENA's outbound and content-led growth engine. Responsible for account intelligence, segmentation, and targeted outreach across enterprise retail accounts. Created an independent performance benchmark covering 672 UK ecommerce brands across 8 verticals, combining real-user field data, accessibility audits, and SEO signals. Used as both a published research asset and a prospecting tool for personalised outreach.
- FORENSIC CONTROLJOB
- Head of BD5M
Head of Business Development
Forensic Control
Led new business development for a cybersecurity consultancy selling Cyber Essentials certification, penetration testing, and digital forensic investigations into UK mid-market businesses. Built the outbound pipeline and partner channel from a standing start. Focused on identifying companies with compliance gaps or upcoming certification requirements and turning that into qualified pipeline. Part of Quantum Group.
- APOLLO.IOJOB
- Sales Advisory Board - Com…2Y 1M
Sales Advisory Board - Community Lead
Apollo.io
Hand picked to be one of 30 Community Leads for the Advisory Board. I was invited to join Apollo's Sales Advisory Board as a founding member. This is a position focused on supporting sales professionals and sharing best practices.
- VOLOPAJOB
- BD Representative1Y 3M
Business Development Representative
Volopa
Continued in a contract capacity with a broader remit covering both new business pipeline and account management across existing clients. Focused on retention, upselling, and expanding usage of Volopa's international payments and expense management platform.
- Fintech SaaS - Superstar SDR1Y
Fintech SaaS - Superstar SDR
Volopa
Outbound sales for a fintech platform selling international payments and multi-currency expense management to UK businesses. Built pipeline through cold outreach, qualifying prospects across SME and mid-market accounts. Also contributed creatively, redesigning Volopa's brand hero characters and visual assets alongside the commercial work. Part of Quantum Group.
- SW3 STUDIOSJOB
- Senior BD Mgr8Y 1M
Senior Business Development Manager
SW3 Studios
Ran sales and built the team at a London photography studio for eight years. Started as a consultant selling beauty and portrait experiences to professionals and families across the UK, then moved into leading the sales team and owning the process end to end. Managed a team within a 15-person company, which meant doing everything from field sales and event bookings to training new hires and handling the brand's graphic design and visual identity. This is where the creative and commercial sides of my career first overlapped, and where I learned that selling something personal requires a completely different approach to selling software.
- SOFLUENCE AGENCYJOB
- Commercial Lead2Y 10M
Commercial Lead / Creative Director
SOfluence Agency
Dual role at an influencer marketing and talent management startup, covering both the commercial side (sales, client relationships, brand partnerships) and the creative direction (concept development, production, campaign execution). Produced influencer and content campaigns for brands including L'Oréal, Lenovo, Motorola, BoohooMan, Quiz Clothing, TodayTix, and Orangina. Managed the full production cycle from concept through to delivery: casting, location, scheduling, budgets, and on-site problem solving. Ran branded events end to end, handling sponsorship, guest lists, entertainment, and press. Rebranded the agency's own digital presence across social media, website, and sales materials.
- STUDIO52LONDON LIMITEDJOB
- B2C/B2B Sales Consultant2Y 3M
B2C/B2B Sales Consultant
STUDIO52LONDON LIMITED
Photography Studio with 15 employees. Team leader for 4 sales consultants traveling the UK selling a beauty and photography experience for business professionals, families and B2B sales. - Highest conversion rate for 6 consecutive months. - Designed the branding and pop up stalls for events and shopping centers.
- ONE CONTACT CENTERJOB
- Anti Churn Consultant7M
Anti Churn Consultant
ONE Contact Center
Anti Churn, Customer Service and up sales for Com Hem AB, Swedens biggest Telecom. I worked closely with product, marketing, and sales teams to identify at-risk customers, understand their needs, and maintained targeted retention.
- VENDATOR BEMANNINGJOB
- B2C Insurance Sales Consul…1Y
B2C Insurance Sales Consultant
Vendator Bemanning
B2C Sales Consultant for CIGNA International, Personal Insurances. Certified insurance intermediary approved by the Swedish National police board and Financial Supervisory Authority.
- MYSAFETY FÖRSÄKRINGAR ABJOB
- B2C Insurance Sales Execut…4M
B2C Insurance Sales Executive
mySafety Försäkringar AB
B2C Sales Consultant, Security Products, Card Safety and Insurance.
- Job: SQLI UK & MENA — GTM Specialist · 2026-01 – present · 7 mo — Building SQLI UK & MENA's outbound and content-led growth engine. Responsible for account intelligence, segmentation, and targeted outreach across enterprise retail accounts. Created an independent performance benchmark covering 672 UK ecommerce brands across 8 verticals, combining real-user field data, accessibility audits, and SEO signals. Used as both a published research asset and a prospecting tool for personalised outreach.
- Job: Forensic Control — Head of Business Development · 2025-01 – 2025-06 · 5 mo — Led new business development for a cybersecurity consultancy selling Cyber Essentials certification, penetration testing, and digital forensic investigations into UK mid-market businesses. Built the outbound pipeline and partner channel from a standing start. Focused on identifying companies with compliance gaps or upcoming certification requirements and turning that into qualified pipeline. Part of Quantum Group.
- Job: Apollo.io — Sales Advisory Board - Community Lead · 2023-05 – 2025-06 · 2y 1mo — Hand picked to be one of 30 Community Leads for the Advisory Board. I was invited to join Apollo's Sales Advisory Board as a founding member. This is a position focused on supporting sales professionals and sharing best practices.
- Job: Volopa — Business Development Representative · 2024-01 – 2025-04 · 1y 3mo — Continued in a contract capacity with a broader remit covering both new business pipeline and account management across existing clients. Focused on retention, upselling, and expanding usage of Volopa's international payments and expense management platform.
- Job: Volopa — Fintech SaaS - Superstar SDR · 2023-01 – 2024-01 · 1y — Outbound sales for a fintech platform selling international payments and multi-currency expense management to UK businesses. Built pipeline through cold outreach, qualifying prospects across SME and mid-market accounts. Also contributed creatively, redesigning Volopa's brand hero characters and visual assets alongside the commercial work. Part of Quantum Group.
- Job: SW3 Studios — Senior Business Development Manager · 2015-01 – 2023-02 · 8y 1mo — Ran sales and built the team at a London photography studio for eight years. Started as a consultant selling beauty and portrait experiences to professionals and families across the UK, then moved into leading the sales team and owning the process end to end. Managed a team within a 15-person company, which meant doing everything from field sales and event bookings to training new hires and handling the brand's graphic design and visual identity. This is where the creative and commercial sides of my career first overlapped, and where I learned that selling something personal requires a completely different approach to selling software.
- Job: SOfluence Agency — Commercial Lead / Creative Director · 2017-02 – 2019-12 · 2y 10mo — Dual role at an influencer marketing and talent management startup, covering both the commercial side (sales, client relationships, brand partnerships) and the creative direction (concept development, production, campaign execution). Produced influencer and content campaigns for brands including L'Oréal, Lenovo, Motorola, BoohooMan, Quiz Clothing, TodayTix, and Orangina. Managed the full production cycle from concept through to delivery: casting, location, scheduling, budgets, and on-site problem solving. Ran branded events end to end, handling sponsorship, guest lists, entertainment, and press. Rebranded the agency's own digital presence across social media, website, and sales materials.
- Job: STUDIO52LONDON LIMITED — B2C/B2B Sales Consultant · 2015-05 – 2017-08 · 2y 3mo — Photography Studio with 15 employees. Team leader for 4 sales consultants traveling the UK selling a beauty and photography experience for business professionals, families and B2B sales. - Highest conversion rate for 6 consecutive months. - Designed the branding and pop up stalls for events and shopping centers.
- Job: ONE Contact Center — Anti Churn Consultant · 2011-01 – 2011-08 · 7 mo — Anti Churn, Customer Service and up sales for Com Hem AB, Swedens biggest Telecom. I worked closely with product, marketing, and sales teams to identify at-risk customers, understand their needs, and maintained targeted retention.
- Job: Vendator Bemanning — B2C Insurance Sales Consultant · 2010-01 – 2011-01 · 1y — B2C Sales Consultant for CIGNA International, Personal Insurances. Certified insurance intermediary approved by the Swedish National police board and Financial Supervisory Authority.
- Job: mySafety Försäkringar AB — B2C Insurance Sales Executive · 2009-09 – 2010-01 · 4 mo — B2C Sales Consultant, Security Products, Card Safety and Insurance.
- School: University of East London — Hons bachelor, Illustration and printmaking
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