Hiya, I’m Michael Barber 👋🏼
Recovering consultant and agency leader—now leading marketing teams at mid-market, B2B organizations. I’ve been fortunate to spend the last 18 years helping organizations grow, ensuring teams thrive, and developing impactful work for global brands.
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About Me
I lead the marketing team at Grow Schools. We help school leaders with the money, resources, and know-how to create thriving schools.
I’ve been super lucky to work with incredible teams of people at brands, including Aptean, Ithaca College, MeUndies, Johnson & Johnson, Ubisoft, JLG, and Johnson Controls. Our work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.
Outside the office, you will find me honing my relatively unhealthy obsessions with donuts, cold brew, planes, BMWs, the Arizona Wildcats, and my dog Manny.
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Resume
Want the paper version? Here you go.
Experience
Head of Global Marketing
Managing Director, UK
Grow Schools
Jan 2023 to current
Founder & Strategist
barber&hewitt
Jan 2020 to Dec 2022
Feb 2015 to Jan 2018
SVP, Chief Creative Officer
Godfrey
Feb 2018 to Dec 2020
VP, Strategy
COHN
Nov 2011 to Jan 2015
Account Director
Nomadic Agency
July 2007 to June 2010
Board & Advisor Experience
Major Donor Committee
SMYAL
Jan 2021 to current
Advisor
Clinician Nexus (acquired)
Aug 2016 to Sept 2021
Board Member
Humane Pennsylvania
Feb 2019 to current
Leadership Committee
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Jun 2015 to June 2018
Education
B.A. Communication
University of Arizona
2002-2006
Honors and Press Mentions
Marketo, an Adobe Company, Fearless 50
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
Forbes
References
Kim Brater
Former Client
503-803-6767
Kate Bajlović
Marketing Strategy Manager at Fulton Bank
717-669-4347
Bridey Orth
Vice President, Creative at Godfrey
borth@godfrey.com
Scott Kaufmann
Founder, Highnoon
480-219-7257
Speaking
From Copenhagen to Berlin, from Oslo to Canada, and all over the U.S., I’ve been lucky enough to serve audiences around the globe. I’ll happily speak on topics including customer experience, email marketing, marketing automation, and digital strategy. Here is a sample of that work.
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Interviews and
Podcasts
My first boss, Jay Baer, taught everyone he led that we must be lifelong learners. Whenever I have the opportunity to share what I’ve learned or give back, I do so. Here is a sample of those efforts.
Marketo Fearless 50
In 2018, my team at Godfrey nominated me for Marketo’s Fearless 50 honor. The program recognizes top marketers around the world driving bold, fearless, marketing, and digital transformation. I was honored to named to the inaugural class.
TwentyThree
The team at TwentyThree reached out to get my two cents on video, webinars, and the future of how brands use video at INBOUND 2019.
The Speaker Lab
Grant Baldwin and Melanie Deziel were kind enough to ask me on The Speaker Lab Podcast. We talked about how to be you on social media, the speaking business, and more.
The Heart of Business
Andy Shore and Daniel Miller asked me to join them on their wonderful podcast, Heart of Business. It was a fun chat. We talked about my British Mum, marketing agencies, what makes great content, the importance of email marketing, and more.
B2B Growth Show
The team at Sweet Fish Media, a podcast agency for B2B brands, asked me to join Logan Lyles and talk all things email and B2B. We discussed authentication, personalization, and measurement.
References
“Michael has an incredible ability to think both strategically and tactically about everything marketing oriented. His leaders will tell you he brings an innovative approach to all projects and his peers will share his creative approach allows them to achieve even greater engagement and satisfaction with their clients. His team will tell you he inspires them to develop their skills, personally and professionally. His friends will tell you he goes the extra mile for all those he cares for, and he excels in his genuine approach. He’s a quality human with incredible attention to detail in everything he does. He’s an asset to every team, the stage he speaks on, an event he partners with, and any audience he serves. Highly recommend him.”
“Michael lives and breathes all things digital, brand, marketing. Every minute of every day. He brings together strategic thinking with his technical delivery and sound marketing expertise. I’ve been working with Michael for many years and it’s a pleasure to have him part of our team.”
“Michael is one of the brightest, sharpest, strategic minds. He is aggressively ambitious with a keen eye for opportunity and a business sense beyond his years. He’s hungry...and he funnels his passion into whatever objective is at hand; client goals, career and home life. He’s not one to sit and watch the pack go by — he leads. I admire his energy, passion for people and marketing savvy. Should the opportunity present itself to work with him again — I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“There are few digital marketing experts that can both instruct and inspire — Michael Barber is one of them. A consummate professional speaker with an innate knack for distilling complex ideas into digestible concepts, Michael’s approachable yet authoritative style keeps attendees engaged, inspired, and thinking outside the box.”
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