Former Gousto CMO joins Comparethemarket as first chief revenue officer
The online comparison site is splitting its marketing function in two, with Tom Wallis to take on leadership of both customer and performance marketing. CMO Mark Vile remains in place to lead on brand.
Tom Wallis, who departed from his role as Gousto’s chief marketing officer in December 2022, is joining Comparethemarket as its first chief revenue officer.
In his new role Wallis will work alongside the comparison site’s longstanding CMO Mark Vile, who oversaw the introduction of the brand’s now iconic meerkat mascots 15 years ago.
From Monday 6 March, Wallis will take over leadership of the business’s trading, customer marketing and performance marketing teams. He will focus on “reaching customers with the right deal at the right time using data”, according to a spokesperson, while Vile will continue to focus on attracting customers through brand. Both will report into CEO Mark Ballie.
“I can’t wait to join the team responsible for such an iconic brand,” says Wallis. “I’m excited to see how we can develop the same level of expertise and fame in customer marketing as the team has done with the brand over the years.”
Wallis was named one of Marketing Week’s Top 100 Most Effective Marketers in 2022, and during his six years at Gousto he doubled the marketing team and saw the brand through its growth journey. As he announced his exit, he said he was looking to leverage the experience gained over that period with a business “searching for data-driven, high growth marketing leadership”.
Wallis joined the subscription recipe box business in 2016 as vice-president of growth, following senior marketing roles at Ovo Energy and Sky. His departure saw the introduction of chief customer officer Sally Matthews, who took over leadership of marketing.
Comparethemarket CEO Bailie says: “This is an incredible business with an amazing brand, and we wanted to add further strength to our senior team to ensure we reach as many people as possible to help them to make great financial decisions.
“Tom’s significant experience in customer marketing will add expertise to our already brilliant team.”
Comparethemarket made revenue of £467m in 2021, according to its latest filing with Companies House. This marked a £20.7m increase compared to 2020. Profit before tax also rose, up £12.8m to £163.6m.
