I'm Joel, a startup operator. As Head of Growth & Operations at Giraffy, an AI money assistant from venture studio Pinkwhale.Studio, I helped take the business from its launch in Saudi Arabia to 47 markets. I built its audience organically, ran HubSpot end to end and used AI to deliver what usually takes a team. I also bring fifteen years of rigour from finance, data and operations.
case study · 2024 → 2026
Giraffy is an AI money assistant that compares live mobile, internet, banking, insurance and finance offers. It is one of 20 companies in venture studio Pinkwhale.Studio. It launched in Saudi Arabia and is now live in 47 markets. As Head of Growth & Operations I reported to the founder and owned whatever moved the business forward: audience, data, CRM, research and sales support.
01 · growth
I built Giraffy's audience from launch in Saudi Arabia with no paid budget. I researched what local users engage with, ran an organic content engine across Instagram and X, and reviewed performance weekly. I then supported growth as the platform rolled out to 47 markets.
02 · crm & ops
Data model, segmentation, pipelines, workflows, lead management and reporting, plus the process docs so everyone used it the same way.
03 · data & insight
I owned the structured provider and product data behind the platform, and ran ongoing customer, competitor and market analysis that fed positioning, SEO and product.
04 · ai & automation
I built AI into research, content, data cleaning and admin, so the work got done without adding headcount.
05 · commercial
I prepared prospect research, pitch decks, sales materials and market intelligence so the founder walked into partner conversations ready.
“Joel is smart, he's a genuine hustler, and he's one of the most dependable people I've worked with. He'll pick up whatever needs doing across marketing, data, CRM or operations and see it through. I'd trust him with almost anything.”
what you get
I can research the market on Monday, fix the CRM on Wednesday and ship the campaign on Friday. You get fewer hires, fewer meetings and less lost in translation.
I spent seven years in fund administration and later worked in wealth management. Clean data, accurate records and compliance are habits, not extra effort.
No playbook, no budget, no team? That's normal for me. At Giraffy I built an audience from nothing in a market I'd never worked in.
AI is part of how I work every day, not a buzzword on my CV. I use it to do more with less and automate the repetitive work that slows small teams down.
the path here
Finance, data, marketing, customer operations, then a startup. Each role added a skill, and Giraffy is where I used them all at once.
Giraffy · Pinkwhale.Studio (20-company venture studio)
Addedgrowth, data, CRM and ops working together at startup pace
Charles Stanley · wealth management
Addedsenior stakeholders and high-stakes, regulated work
Chelmer Housing Partnership · promoted twice
Addedcustomer operations at volume, CRM records and management reporting
CJAM Group
AddedCRM ownership, data quality and account management
Limbless Association
Addedmarketing, content and fundraising on almost no budget
EnDCo
AddedSQL, forecasting and commercial data analysis
IFDS · regulated fund administration
Addedprocess discipline, attention to detail and leading a team
if you hire me
Days 01–30
Get to know the customer, the numbers and the systems. Audit the CRM and data, map the funnel, and talk to customers, sales and product.
Days 31–60
Clean data, pipelines that reflect reality and reporting the team trusts. Then an acquisition plan tied to real targets.
Days 61–90
Campaigns live, automation saving hours every week, a regular performance report, and a clear list of the next three bets.
where I fit
Seed to Series B startups and scale-ups, where covering several jobs is an advantage rather than a problem.
Toolkit
Investment Operations Certificate (Securities & Investment; UK Financial Regulation) · BTEC National Diploma, 3D Design
contact
I'm looking for my next role in growth, marketing ops, CRM or startup operations. I'm based in Chelmsford, 35 minutes from Liverpool Street, and happy with hybrid or remote. I can start soon.