Con Harbis — Director of Product Marketing

CAPABILITY STACK

Skills & Expertise

SKILLS & EXPERTISE

+18%

Activation uplift via GTM experiments

Ran quarterly experiment programmes with GTM and Product teams, testing offers, messaging, activation flows, and channel mix to drive an 18% activation increase across UK Payroll in six months.

154%

Revenue growth via GTM alignment

Helped drive 154% revenue growth across AU, NZ and UK through strategic positioning and aligning Product, Sales, and Marketing.

ICP

Segmentation to market strategy

Led UK market segmentation and ICP development, identifying target customer cohorts and modelling opportunity by segment to inform annual GTM strategy and product investment priorities.

North American market entry

Contributed to Canadian market entry evaluation as part of Xero's new growth markets team, leading competitive and market analysis that informed the build/buy/partner decision. When a new partnership direction was confirmed for the US, led the GTM kickoff to activate it commercially.

GTM Strategy · Positioning · Function Building · Cross-Functional Leadership · Sales Enablement · Segmentation & ICP · AI GTM · Roadmap Influence

STRATEGIC BRIEF

Professional Summary

At Xero I came in as the first PMM for payroll globally: no framework, no playbook. I built the positioning, messaging, GTM frameworks, and sales enablement that helped drive 154% revenue growth across a $400M+ portfolio spanning UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

The work I'm most proud of is strategic. Leading UK market segmentation and ICP development with the Strategy team. Taking a standalone payroll product from zero to market in three months, establishing Xero as a market leader in AU. Contributing to Canadian market entry evaluation through competitive and market analysis, then leading the GTM kickoff when the US partnership direction was confirmed. Building early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero's AI-powered features. Sitting on the Payroll leadership team with PMs, Designers, and Engineers, influencing what gets built, not just how it's positioned.

Vertice is at exactly the stage where the PMM function needs to be built properly, not inherited. That's what I can help do.

WHY VERTICE

Sunday Times Tech 100 #2.

PMM function to build, not inherit. Did at Xero.

Complex B2B SaaS to enterprise buyers. Familiar territory.

Works across Product, Sales and Marketing. Where I sat at Xero.

Founders with proven exit track record (Cisco, Jamf).

Data-driven culture. How I like to work.

CONTRACT HISTORY

Career History

MAR 2022 – PRESENT

Senior Global Product Marketing Manager

Xero GLOBAL

Led global product marketing for Xero Payroll and employee management, a $400M+ revenue portfolio processing $150B+ annual payroll for 3M+ employees. Core member of Payroll leadership team alongside PMs, Designers and Engineers across UK, AU and NZ.

Helped grow UK product 13% YoY with activations up 18% in 6 months through quarterly GTM experiments with Product and Sales teams
Developed GTM strategy and positioning for AI-powered payroll features, translating technical capability into customer value and competitive differentiation
Led UK market segmentation and ICP development with Strategy team, informing annual GTM strategy and product investment priorities
Contributed to Canadian market entry evaluation as part of the new growth markets team, leading competitive and market analysis that informed the build/buy/partner decision
Led GTM kickoff for US market entry following confirmation of new partnership direction
Led Xero Payroll messaging and presence across Xerocon, regional roadshows, and accounting industry events, including beta recruitment programmes ahead of product launches

SEP 2018 – MAR 2022

Global Product Marketing Manager

Xero GLOBAL

First PMM for Xero Payroll globally. Came in with no inherited playbook and built the positioning, messaging frameworks, GTM playbooks and sales enablement across AU, NZ and UK.

Helped drive 154% revenue growth across AU, NZ and UK through strategic positioning and aligning product and sales teams on GTM execution
Launched standalone payroll product in 3 months, scaling to $6M+ ARR and establishing Xero as market leader
Built GTM playbooks and sales enablement materials used across all regions to sell and support payroll products
Developed multi-year UK strategy and secured leadership support for product investment roadmap

MAR 2017 – SEP 2018

Product Manager — NZ Payroll

Xero

Led NZ Payroll product within a global team. Built customer-focused roadmaps, led cross-functional delivery, drove subscriber and revenue growth.

Drove subscriber growth of 80% and employees paid by 87%, directly driving revenue and market expansion
Launched Contractors feature that became the global template, closing a critical NZ market gap and rolling out internationally

DEC 2015 – OCT 2016

Digital Product Manager

ahm Health Insurance

Led digital transformation and CRO strategy, guiding cross-functional teams to deliver customer-focused digital experiences.

Reversed declining conversion trends with 19% increase in online purchases through data-driven purchase form redesign
Drove 12-13% conversion uplift by building a resume journey feature for returning visitors

APR 2010 – DEC 2015

Senior Product Manager

Carsales.com Ltd

Managed product portfolio of 10 market-leading online brands, driving revenue growth, product innovation and user experience improvements while leading cross-functional teams.

Launched major product releases under tight deadlines including complete website redesigns and new iOS app within a 3-month timeframe
Supported SEO/SEM strategy that kept multiple brands at #1 market positions

SEP 2007 – APR 2010

eCommerce Product Manager

Jetstar Airways

Drove eCommerce innovation for Jetstar's digital booking, mobile, and airport experiences, managing 13 multi-language web and mobile sites.

Managed implementation of world-first SMS Boarding Pass solution into Web Check-in system
Launched Jetstar's first mobile websites across multiple languages in the early smartphone era

DELIVERY RECORD

Key Achievements

154%

Revenue Growth

Helped drive 154% revenue growth across AU, NZ and UK through strategic positioning and aligning Product, Sales, and Marketing.

Xero · Global PMM

3mo

Standalone Product Launch

Launched a standalone payroll product in 3 months, scaling to $6M+ ARR. Built the GTM assets from scratch: welcome emails, call scripts, sales brochures, and messaging frameworks. Ran service design workshops to support launch execution.

Xero · Global PMM

18%

Activation Lift in 6 Months

Ran a quarterly experiment programme with GTM and Product teams, testing messaging, activation flows, and channel mix to find what moved the numbers.

Xero · Senior PMM

AI Feature GTM Strategy

Led early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero's AI-powered features ahead of Xerocon. Translated technical capabilities into customer-facing value that sales teams could explain and buyers could understand.

Xero · Senior PMM

ICP

Market Segmentation & ICP

Partnered with the Strategy team to identify target customer cohorts and model opportunity by segment, translating that into annual GTM priorities.

Xero · Senior PMM

80%

Subscriber Growth

Drove NZ Payroll subscribers up 80% and employees paid up 87% through customer-focused roadmaps and cross-functional delivery.

Xero · Product Manager

North American Market Entry

Led competitive and market analysis for the Canadian market entry evaluation, informing the build/buy/partner decision. When a new partnership direction was confirmed for the US, led the GTM kickoff to activate it commercially.

Xero · Senior PMM

1st

First Global Payroll PMM

Came in as the first PMM for Xero Payroll globally. Built the positioning, playbooks, and GTM foundations from scratch across three markets with no inherited structure.

Xero · Global PMM

PERSONAL BACKGROUND

Personal Background

15+ years across product, commercial, and customer. A founder who built and ran a business from scratch alongside a full-time senior role.

Product Marketing Leader

Melbourne, Australia · London, UK

15+ years across product, commercial, and customer. Before moving into product marketing I spent years as a Senior Product Manager at Carsales, and then at Xero as Product Manager for NZ Payroll. It changes how I work with product teams and how I think about what the market actually needs before we build anything.

My career has involved complex SaaS: compliance-heavy products, multi-region markets, buyers who need educating before they'll move.

Product Marketing Product Management Multi-Region GTM

Founder & Director — The Football Practice

Melbourne, Australia

Founded and scaled a youth coaching business serving 50+ participants across 5 weekly sessions. Built from concept: curriculum, brand, operations, customer experience. Ran profitably for 3 years alongside a full-time senior product marketing role. Closed by choice.

I spotted a gap in the market, built something from scratch to fill it, and learned what worked by watching what kids and parents actually responded to.

Founder 50+ Customers 3 Years Profitable