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Derek HolotaDH

Derek Holota

Growth & Transformation Leader

€579/day
London, GB
8-15 years

Average response time: 1 hour

About Derek

I’m a business leader with a foundation in marketing and communications, rising to CMO within a decade. My career has been about building, scaling, and transforming — whether that means creating marketing functions from scratch, driving growth strategies, or steering professional services firms through change.

I’ve led business development programs that give professionals confidence to win clients, built inbound growth engines and driven integration and transformation after acquisitions. I thrive in environments where growth, clarity, and operational discipline are needed to take a business to the next stage.

While my background is rooted in brand and communications, my value lies in leadership, turnaround, and building functions that deliver commercial outcomes. I’m particularly drawn to growth-stage and professional services businesses, where I can combine strategic vision with hands-on execution to unlock transformation.

Highlights:
  • Promoted 4 times in 10 years
  • Selected as 1 of 13 Future Leaders at Dye & Durham — a company of ~1,300 employees (2023)
  • Built functions from zero: Created the UK marketing and communications function for a global tech company and later built the marketing engine for a fee-share law firm, establishing inbound lead generation, brand strategy, and scalable communications processes
  • Led transformation and integration: Unified acquired brands into a single identity at Dye & Durham post-acquisition, partnered with the C-suite on AI positioning, and managed a £500K budget to strengthen the firm’s market presence
  • Designed business development programs: Conceived and launched firm-wide BD training for consultant lawyers, boosting confidence and client acquisition in a competitive market
  • English

    Native or bilingual

Remote only
Primarily works remotely

Experience

  • Mezzle Ltd.,
    CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
    LEGAL
    October 2024 - Today (1 year and 8 months)
    London, UK
    • Leading firm-wide strategy as incoming MD, covering operations, finance, BD, and community-building.
    • Built and scaled first marketing function, creating inbound engine and supporting lawyer recruitment.
    • Designed and launched business development training program for consultant lawyers — the firm's first USP.
    • Spearheaded brand identity refresh and new go-to-market strategy resulting in 20% growth in client acquisition.
    Marketing Change Management Business development Corporate strategy Content marketing
  • Dye & Durham UK Ltd.,
    DIRECTOR, GLOBAL BRAND & COMMUNICATIONS
    TECH
    June 2022 - October 2024 (2 years and 4 months)
    London, UK
    • Built UK comms/marketing function post-acquisition, unifying multiple brands.
    • Partnered with C-suite on strategic positioning, especially around AI.
    • Managed £500K budget and led external partnerships to strengthen commercial positioning.
    • Consolidated multiple acquired brands under the Dye & Durham banner, streamlining operations and creating a unified brand identity.
    • Oversaw brand-building campaigns and partnerships to project the Dye & Durham brand while withdrawing acquired brands from the market.
    • Oversaw product marketing support with go-to-market activity, asset production and sales enablement.
    • Lead a team of marketing professionals, fostering collaboration and innovation to achieve strategic objectives and drive business growth.
    Content marketing Hubspot Partnerships Events Project Management
  • Provident Communications,
    SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
    TECH
    January 2021 - June 2022 (1 year and 5 months)
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    • Directed media relations for Monex Europe, Amazon Web Services Canada, and Neuron Mobility; consistently surpassing Tier 1 media coverage targets.
    • Specialized in tech and finance sectors, working directly with client executives to build their corporate reputations.
    • Delivered comprehensive training sessions for financial analysts, regulators, and sales executives, equipping them with essential media and presentation skills.
    • Developed and maintained strong relationships with key media contacts, resulting in increased media coverage and positive brand exposure across my client portfolio.
    Communication strategy Social media Media Writing Public relations

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Education

  • Bachelor of Arts
    UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
    Bachelor of Arts
  • Post-Graduate Certificate
    LOYALIST COLLEGE
    Post-Graduate Certificate

Skill set

Categories