Zappi strengthens its leadership team with key appointments in global expansion

Today, Zappi announced key changes to its global leadership team, appointing Nataly Kelly as Chief Marketing Officer and promoting Babita Earle to International Managing Director from her previous role as EVP of Global Enterprise Partnerships. 

The appointments follow a year of record revenues for Zappi in 2023, powered by the launch of its consumer-centric ad development system, Amplify 2.0, and new AI-enabled innovation across its platform. Global brands like PepsiCo, SoFi, and McDonald’s used Zappi to optimize over 26,000 ideas with feedback from over four million consumers on its connected advertising and innovation suites. The extension of Zappi’s leadership team will support the global expansion of its market research platform and democratize access to consumer insights for every brand. 

“We are deeply committed to revolutionizing the market research industry through AI-enabled technology that enhances processes and ensures our world-class customers are equipped to glean valuable insights from each new data point,” said Steve Phillips, CEO and co-founder of Zappi. “We’re aligning our business to the global needs of our customers. I cannot be more thrilled to welcome these inspiring leaders to Zappi who believe in our mission and bring the expertise to help scale our vision of digitizing consumer insights for every business across the globe.” 

Kelly joins Zappi as its chief marketing officer, bringing over 20 years of experience in building brands and driving growth for technology companies, which she’ll use to help scale the Zappi brand. A celebrated expert in international marketing, Kelly was a driving force behind HubSpot’s international expansion, overseeing remote teams in South America, Europe, and Asia and driving growth across several markets. She is a longtime contributor to Harvard Business Review and the author of three books on how to gain a competitive advantage through international marketing. Based in Boston, Kelly also brings extensive market research experience, having served as Chief Research Officer for CSA Research. 

“Zappi is an intrepid brand in market research with an exciting vision for the future of insights,” said Kelly. “It's exciting to see how Zappi’s technology is enabling best-in-class brands to grow their business and reach more consumers, both locally and globally. More than a platform, Zappi provides marketers with systematized learning to see beyond one-off projects to learn and truly understand today’s demanding consumers. I’m thrilled to work with the team to help Zappi customers transform their insights for the better.”

Earle, who is based in London, was promoted to International Managing Director from her previous role as EVP of Global Enterprise Partnerships. Joining Zappi in 2016 from GFK, she brings more than two decades of experience in technology and digital consumer insights to further expand Zappi’s business development globally. In her previous role with Zappi, Earle was responsible for developing key customer relationships and expanding platform adoption within the enterprise. She has also pioneered and led Zappi’s Insights Alliance, which brings together the world’s most progressive insights leaders from brands like PepsiCo, Reckitt, Pernod Ricard, and Colgate-Palmolive to transform and advance the insights industry. 

“From the technology to the people, joining Zappi has been a formative experience,” Earle said. “I am excited to take on the challenge of expanding Zappi’s reach in key markets across the globe. With insights in over 50 global markets, Zappi helps the world’s leading consumer brands cut through the abstraction of fast-moving consumers to truly understand their wants and needs to create best-in-class products and advertising.”

Learn about how global businesses create equity for consumers and employees with connected insights by attending Zappi’s Global & Local webinar on February 14, 2024, hosted by Kelly and Earle.

Kelly and Earle’s appointments follow the recent hiring of Melissa Clucas as Chief Financial Officer.  Based in Boston and boasting more than a decade of expertise in steering high-growth SaaS enterprises, Clucas oversees the global finance, accounting, and revenue operations for Zappi. Her expertise in operational efficiency and process improvements will enable Zappi’s continual growth.