Gael De Talhouet

Chief Marketing Officer + AI Expert I Chief Digital Officer I VP Brand Building @ Essity Marketing Leader, Laws of Growth Practitioner, Digital & AI Transformation, Data, Tech, e-commerce, B2C B2B

Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland

About

CMO with over 25 years of international experience across B2C, B2B, retail, technology, and e-commerce in Europe, US, Latin America and Asia. A recognized AI-first marketing leader, architecting enterprise‑wide AI adoption, Martech modernization, and data-driven growth engines. Created and led a global Marketing AI program accelerating brand building, communication, automation, content intelligence, media precision, and cost-savings at scale. Delivers organic growth, brand equity acceleration, and measurable commercial impact with Brand Building programs uniting remarkable creativity in communication, data & AI. Created value in Local and Global roles, with proven ability to lead and influence across complex, global matrix organizations, navigate uncertainty and simplify complexity. Built and led high-performing teams with empathy, trust, humor, inspiration and passion for diversity. Lived in developed and developing countries and worked in diverse cultures : France, Brazil, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland. Builds future-ready organizations through global capability development, GenAI upskilling, and modern operating model design. Member of the WFA AI Steering Group, shaping global standards for responsible AI, marketing effectiveness, and investment efficiency. A recognized international public speaker on Marketing, AI, Digital and E‑commerce: • CMO Podcast with Jim Stengel (ex. P&G CMO, AAF Advertising Hall of Fame). • CMO Alliance London “How to create Growth with Brands, People and AI” - presentation referred to as “legendary” Keynotes and regular speaker at: CMO Forum Berlin, LeWeb Paris, Webit Festival Sofia, HEC Alumni, World Future Society Washington, BCG CMO Network, CMO Summit London, AI for Creative Industries Summit, World Federation of Advertisers CMO Network, and WFA AI Community.

Experience

  • Essity (11 yrs 6 mos)
    • Vice President Brand Building
      Feb 2017 - Present · 9 yrs 5 mos

      • Creating Organic Growth by leading a Marketing Culture based on Byron sharp's Laws of Growth. • Fostering a culture of Creativity, making our Brands Remarkable in communication and Superior in performance. • Reducing Non working costs by leveraging AI and Tech to create scalable executions (Content at Scale, Production, Data, CDP and AI) • Spearheading global marketing initiatives at Essity, focusing on brand building and consumer / customer acquisition strategies. • Leveraged AI, Martech and Media tools to enhance data-driven decision-making, resulting in improved marketing performance. • Driving Sales with integrated e-commerce and D2C channels, boosting online sales by 25%.

    • Vice President of Digital Transformation
      2015 - Present · 11 yrs 6 mos

      Based in Munich, Germany (2015 -2021) and Geneva, Switzerland (from 2021). Delivered sustained organic growth by embedding Byron Sharp’s Laws of Growth into global Marketing Culture and Brand Communications, driving penetration and brand distinctiveness; achieved global brand equity increases and double-digit e-commerce growth. Implemented a new AI-based Brand Content, Campaigns, Media & Martech Ecosystem creating –37% cost reduction, x2 speed to market, +20% marketing impact. Built & scaled a global Digital Hub: AI‑powered real‑time data intelligence, targeting, communication, acquisition & conversion optimization → 2× sales, –50% CPA. Created and Led enterprise-wide AI for Marketing Program (> 300 initiatives), including Gen AI brand and commercial content, AI campaign creation, AI media optimization, AI claims creation, organic search and AI search, AI assets tagging, Marketing and Media Modeling, and digital upskilling for 1,600 marketers including senior leaders. Created and Led a global team from 3 to 34 team members across marketing, AI, content ecosystem at scale, media, data intelligence, consumer insights, web-analytics, marketing technology (PIM, DAM, CMS, CDP, CRM, Automation), e-commerce / D2C, media & creative agencies consolidation, internal & external communication and influence. Fostered a Culture of Remarkable Creativity : > 400 industry awards & prizes, including numerous Cannes Lions (Gold, Glass, Titanium) and Effectiveness Awards. Business Outcomes 2015 / 2024: Net Sales $10.3B to $15.2B, EBITA $1.1B to $2.1B.

    • Vice President Digital Transformation
      Oct 2015 - Feb 2017 · 1 yr 5 mos

      - Digital & e-commerce, operating model (new tasks, roles, FTEs, structure global, business units) - Global partnerships with key players (Google, Facebook, Amazon) - IT Roadmap definition, alignment and steering - Implementation of performance measure for e-commerce, digital marketing and media - Evangelisation, best practices sharing, trainings, creation of Digital Academy, monthly webinar and e-learning tracks - E-commerce and digital marketing lighthouse projects (Europe, US & China)

  • Global Digital Director Laundry & Homecare at Henkel International
    Feb 2012 - May 2015 · 3 yrs 4 mos

    - Digital transformation, grow e-commerce, define digital strategy, align stakeholders (marketing, sales, IT, agencies), make it happen in all countries. - Global digital campaigns for global brands across multiple touch-points, creative agencies steering and digital media planning - Selection and deployment of global tools: CMS, web-analytics enabling live testing, social media monitoring, consumer co-creation & crowd-sourcing, CRM - Share successful e-commerce practices, train and increase digital skills of global and local teams - Reach consumers and influencers: media planning, touch-point selection, mobile, social, influence & digital PR

  • Twenga (3 yrs 1 mo)
    • VP E-commerce, Digital Marketing & PR
      Dec 2009 - Jan 2012 · 2 yrs 2 mos

      Twenga is a platform that proposes services and tools to e-retailer advertisers, enabling them to capture more high, value-added lead all while allowing Internet users to find the right products at the best prices. More than 4,000 partners use their services worldwide and they have over 120 employees. Key achievements : - Traffic growth, user Engagement growth, increase of page views/visit and time on site, and purchase transformation rate on 15 countries websites - Launch of Social Commerce - Innovation: fashion deal of the day, mobile app “Local Deals” (iPhone, Android), Facebook apps, new Shopping Experience - Marketing team creation (staff of 16): traffic generation, SEO, user experience, product development, functional projects, web-design, site management, e-merchandising, e-commerce KPIs, web-analytics, CRM, social media, branding and PR - Change management: new project organization in agile mode & multifunctional teams (scope: 70 people)

    • Vice President Marketing Public Relations
      2009 - 2011 · 2 yrs

      Based in Paris, France. Scaled traffic 24M → 45M monthly visits; tripled registrations via social commerce. Built SEO/SEM, analytics, PR & acquisition engines.

  • E-commerce, Digital Marketing & PR Director at KPN
    Mar 2008 - Nov 2009 · 1 yr 9 mos

    KPN (in full Koninklijke KPN N.V., also Royal KPN N.V.) is a Dutch landline and mobile telecommunications company. - Creation of a rupturist offer "from scratch", brand platform, product, pricing, web site, off-line (TV, Print, Outdoor) and on-line communication, client acquisition, PR - E-commerce: portal & on-line shop creation, ergonomics, order funnel optimization, CRM, keywords, affiliation, display CPC/CPM, special operations, landing pages, SEO, perf. monitoring - Buzz marketing: viral marketing, awareness & traffic creation

  • Chief Marketing Officer at Simyo / KPN
    2007 - 2009 · 2 yrs

    Based in Paris, France. Launched one of France’s first fully digital-only telecom brands. Built entire GTM, marketing & commercial operations.