Open to opportunities

Ellen de Matos Silva

@ellendematossilva

Message

Commercial growth director building revenue engines through data and AI.

South Africa

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead commercial growth with full P&L accountability—building revenue engines through data, HubSpot/CRM, performance marketing, and AI-enabled workflows, while partnering across functions and scaling strategic partnerships across international markets.

I’m a commercial growth and market expansion executive with 15+ years driving revenue growth, customer acquisition, and strategic partnerships across international markets. I combine strategic commercial thinking with data-driven decision-making and AI-enabled execution to identify high-value opportunities and deliver measurable financial outcomes.

I founded Digital Blue Ocean, a nine-year, multi-client commercial growth consultancy operating across 13 international markets. I’ve delivered 500%+ revenue growth for Singita, 110%+ loan disbursements at RCS/BNP Paribas alongside a 40% CPA reduction, and 100%+ qualified pipeline growth for Albatros Travel Africa—built from scratch with end-to-end commercial ownership.

In every role, I build the commercial engine and the infrastructure behind it—commercial dashboards, forecasting, attribution, and CRM/lifecycle automation—then align Product, Operations, CRM, Sales, Data, and Technology to execute. I’m at my best partnering with executive and C-suite stakeholders to scale go-to-market strategies with strong stakeholder management and practical, performance-focused execution.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Founder, Commercial Growth Director

Current

Digital Blue Ocean

Feb 2010 - Present (16 years 4 months)

Founded and led a multi-client commercial growth consultancy, serving as embedded commercial growth director across 13 international markets. Delivered 500%+ UHNW client acquisition growth for Singita over nine years and built commercial frameworks, attribution systems, and performance reporting models for each client.

Revenue Generation Go To Market Strategy Paid Acquisition Content Marketing Customer Lifecycle Management

Commercial Growth Lead

Albatros Travel Africa

Apr 2024 - Feb 2026 (1 year 10 months)

Built the commercial growth and marketing function from scratch for a multi-brand international travel portfolio. Drove 100%+ year-on-year growth in qualified commercial pipeline and established HubSpot, GA4, and Looker Studio to strengthen CRO and data-led decision-making.

Commercial Growth Customer Acquisition Performance Marketing Influencer Partnerships HubSpot CRM Looker Studio Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)Marketing Automation Pipeline Management

Head of Performance Marketing

Rcs / BnP Paribas Personal Finance

Jun 2019 - Jan 2024 (4 years 7 months)

Owned R5M+ (USD 300,000+) in monthly commercial investment across 28 financial services brands, delivering 110%+ revenue growth and a 40% CPA reduction through data-driven full-funnel optimization. Built forecasting and dashboarding for senior leadership and led end-to-end launches of Mobicred and Sanlam Savings Credit Card.

Performance Marketing Customer Acquisition CPA Optimization Funnel Optimization Go To Market Strategy Commercial Launches Stakeholder Management

Senior Paid Search Analyst

Quirk / Mirum

Jan 2014 - Feb 2015 (1 year 1 month)

Managed commercial growth campaigns for major clients including Woolworths and Bidvest, winning the 2014 Gold Bookmark Award for best performance and revenue generated. Improved CPA by 35%+ and grew Bidvest Shortfall Car Insurance pipeline by 200%+ through commercial restructuring and audience optimization.

Paid Search Campaign Optimization performance reporting

Paid Search Account Manager

iProspect (Dentsu Group)

Jul 2011 - Jul 2012 (1 year)

Managed international paid search campaigns for clients including Mercedes-Benz, Panasonic UK, Heinz UK, and Estée Lauder across South Africa and the UK. Delivered ongoing campaign execution and account reporting to support client commercial growth objectives.

Paid Search Account Management Campaigns Audience Targeting performance reporting Conversion Optimization

Journalist & Community Editor

O Cidadão, Favela da Maré

Jan 2004 - Jan 2007 (3 years)

Led strategic storytelling and community communications for O Cidadão and Favela da Maré, reaching 130,000+ readers. Owned community editorial direction to drive sustained engagement and communication impact.

Editorial Leadership Audience Engagement Content Strategy