All things in moderation. Except growth.
Profitable growth is the lifeblood of any healthy business. But growth often stalls. Maybe it’s due to a major change like an acquisition, new ownership, shifts in industry dynamics, new leadership.
Sometimes you just run out of gas.
We drive up to 500% profitable growth for B2B travel, financial services and analytics companies.
What We Do
12 Squared Growth is a Business-to-Business consultancy led by Mitch Gross. We drive up to 500% profitable revenue and EBITDA growth B2B travel and expense, financial services and analytics companies.
Mitch’s approach was honed at iconic global brands and tuned to the pace and culture of smaller and mid-sized organizations, private equity and venture capital. He engineers businesses so that over-delivering for customers and financial rigor work in harmony to create a catalyst for breakthrough, profitable performance.
Problems We Solve
Failing Go-to-Market
Rev your marketing engine with integrated brand, positioning, and a full-stack of demand gen and product marketing programs that drive qualified leads and reduce customer acquisition cost (CAC).Profit Challenges
Profit Challenges
Turn around shrinking or negative EBITDA, market share and margins by resolving the strategic, product, structural, process and people issues that hold you back.
Underperforming Sales Team
Close more business, collapse the sales cycle and and turn account management to a profit center with improved sales training, territory management, sales comp, segmentation and more.
Maximize Value for Funding or Exit
Get top value for your business through a disciplined process. Starts by delivering strong financial, operational and growth KPI with a high- performing team. Then craft a compelling story and negotiate the best terms.
Our Difference
Learned from the Best
Integrated Sales and Marketing Expertise
Leading sales teams of over 100 people coupled with CMO roles in companies up to $1.5B provides technical depth in both arenas. They add up to a well-oiled revenue machine.
The job’s not done until programs and processes are implemented, proven and hardened. Most consultants deliver a plan. We deliver results.
Early work for the most respected global brands provided grounding in marketing and customer experience coupled with financial and execution rigor. We combine these for the best blend of strategy, execution and financial impact.
Experience running P&Ls from startups to $500M means sales and marketing lines up with the full business plan. No silos, no disconnects because we’ve walked a few miles (and sprinted some marathons) in the CEO’s shoes.
CEO Perspective
Operator at Heart
Leading PE-owned businesses and integrating over $5B in deals means we know the playbook that will deliver maximum enterprise value and respect financial sponsors’ priorities and concerns, moving quickly to meet aggressive timeframes.
Private Equity Pro
Successes
Pivoted $15M B2B Mid-Office Software Company to SaaS Data Platform
Helped transform B2B software company from traditional mid-office solutions to cutting-edge data management and process automation SaaS platform. Created new brand and messaging, implemented new collateral system, developed go-to-market for new analytics product, implemented account-based sales, implemented comprehensive content strategy. Led sales and marketing.
Led Sale of $1M ARR Analytics Startup to Private Equity
Partnered with CEO to create financial models, presentation materials and diligence room, prospect and meet with potential buyers, and negotiate deal terms. Ensured soft landing for team while maximizing investor return.
Turned Around a $50M Business Unit of Global Leader… Then Led Global Marketing for Parent
Revitalized an underperforming $50M business unit of a multi-billion dollar corporate travel agency, creating product-level P&L, new positioning, marketing system, sales methodology, comp structure, and hiring a new business leader. Then took on interim global marketing leadership for the parent company, aligning marketing with sales, creating messaging strategy, improving acquisition and retention metrics and reducing marketing spend by 15%.
Grew $16M Custom Data Product Line within a Public Analytics Company
Conducted profitability and growth analysis on a $16M portfolio of custom data products within a publicly traded media analytics company to convert them to scalable products, then led prioritized roll-out. Executed a Go-to-Market plan and product management infrastructure, account-based targeting, new collateral, sales incentives, product training, and analytics. Drove significant growth leading to adoption of the approach across the business.
Generated 500% New Business Growth in $100M B2B Financial Services Division of Private Equity Portfolio Company
Jump-started and reengineered sales and marketing. Shifted 20% of revenue from declining to high-growth segments, implemented new sales methodology, built marketing and CRM tech stack, and turned client success from a cost to a profit center. Launched a new B2C channel and created an inside sales group to improve sales productivity. This set the stage for record EBITDA, leading to a highly successful sale to private equity.
Advised Startups from pre-revenue through >$100M Exits
Advised multiple tech startups from earliest stages through exits over $100M. Helped retool business plans and launch strategy, implemented CRM systems, advised on hiring, channel strategy, partnerships, product strategy and go-to-market plans.
Turned Around $500M Multinational Division of Enterprise Travel Transaction Processor
Reduced expense base by 40%, headcount by 35% and consolidated operations while reversing a four-year market share decline and achieving record existing account growth. Transformed client success from a cost center to a profit center, launched inside sales, installed a full sales and marketing stack, and re-energized sales with a new sales methodology, training and comp plan.
Led Integration Team to Carve Out Travel Distribution Business Resulting in Multi-Billion Dollar Sale to Private Equity
Prepared company for divestiture two months ahead of plan and 15% under budget, in the absence of a CEO and CIO. Created legal, SOX, tax, audit, IT and telecom infrastructures, administered $40M capital budget across 45 IT projects and disaggregated all businesses from the fourth largest data center in North America. Renegotiated 800+ third-party contracts including a $450M managed services agreement. Created a new global brand, including value story, visual identity system and multilingual websites.
About Mitch
Mitch Gross
Managing Director
mitch@12squaredgrowth.com
linkedin.com/in/mitchgross1/
Mitch Gross is a 25+ year travel, financial services and analytics expert specializing in breakthrough growth. His approach marries his early experience at large, iconic brands with in-the-trenches work driving record results at private equity-owned companies and startups.
Mitch got his early training in brand and customer experience as a marketer for high-growth businesses at American Express, added financial and execution rigor at GE Capital and moved to general management as head of merchandising for Staples.com’s business services venture. He served as CMO, President – Americas and Chief Integration Officer at Galileo (now Travelport), as global president of Apax-owned Travelex Insurance Services and as CEO of GTCR’s Mondee. He has held senior operating and integration roles in over $5B of transactions.
Leaders and innovators now tap Mitch’s experience through his consulting practice, 12 Squared Growth. Mitch is proud to have served on private equity and non-profit boards and advises numerous startups.
Mitch has an MBA from Columbia University in marketing and finance and graduated cum laude from Middlebury College. He is an avid skier, passionate cook and unapologetic dog person.