Aaron Weekes
Director of Demand Generation
What I do at Proofpoint
I help build relationships at scale: with our clients, as well as my team to deliver real results. As a Director of Demand Generation, my job is to guide the revenue growth strategy for the clients we work with and to empower and develop the team of rockstar marketing subject matter experts I get to work with every day. Together, we’re responsible for one thing: delivering results.
Why you should consider Proofpoint
My professional background
I’ve held several marketing functions and roles, giving me a holistic grasp of the marketing funnel.
I started my career at Caterpillar Inc. as a marketing analyst in the Global Construction Industries department.
As a marketing analyst, I performed customer research and field marketing to gather customer insights for the hydraulic excavator product group.
Moving to the agency side, I worked on my design, branding, and creative chops as a copywriter for Jajo.
Continuing my growth and adopting new digital technologies and frameworks, I was promoted to the Digital Strategist position, where I strategized, planned, and executed client’s digital media strategies.
From Jajo, I moved to the industrial marketing agency Gorilla 76 as a Strategist. I worked with clients to scale their marketing operations and improve their revenue sourced from marketing attribution. Also, at Gorilla 76, I was the co-host of Industrial Marketing Live, a biweekly live event for industrial marketers.
Before transitioning to Proofpoint Marketing, I worked as Growth Marketing Manager with a SaaS startup, Elevate Demand. I built growth strategies, experiments, and executions to unlock growth for startups in the cyber security, education, and law firm industries.
I also write, record and produce a marketing podcast with my marketing peers Mary Keough, Head of Marketing at Map My Customers, and James Boeckmann, Director of Content at Gorilla 76, called The Purposeful Marketing Podcast. We ask the why about topics, ideas, and debates that impact the everyday marketing practitioner.
Things I like to do outside of work
As with most Proofpointers, spending time with my family is my favorite activity outside of work, including learning how to be a first-time dad with my baby girl, Lucia!
As a past English and Philosophy major, I love to continue writing, reading, and thinking. And I always have a book or a piece of paper to write down my thoughts.
I am a huge soccer fan and continue playing, coaching, and supporting the sport. Go Arsenal!
I value giving back to the communities we serve. For this reason, I volunteer my marketing skills and time with a Chicago non-profit called YourPassion1st (YP1). YP1 provides mentoring, coaching, and resources to young adults to help inspire their passions and help young adults with workforce readiness.
As a manager of people, I care about...
As a people manager, my primary focus is fostering kindness in all aspects of our work. I deeply empathize with marketers and the marketing industry, and when you join my team, we will cultivate this empathy within our team and extend it graciously to our clients. Marketing is not just a job; it’s a lifelong journey, and I am dedicated to supporting you and other marketers in reaching their goals. Whether providing guidance, facilitating your growth or simply brightening your day with a smile, helping you is my ultimate mission.
Things you can expect to learn from me
From me, you can anticipate gaining valuable insights into the power of asking the greater “why.” Marketing becomes more seamless when you delve into the reasons behind your actions. By questioning, reflecting, and engaging in thoughtful analysis, the aspects of “what,” “how,” “when,” and “where” become much clearer. This deeper contemplation becomes the foundation of our daily endeavors, leading to a more purposeful marketing experience. Our journey together will encompass understanding your customers on a profound level, aligning your efforts with overarching goals, and achieving results as a cohesive team. I will play a pivotal role in developing the thinking that drives successful action.
Advice for candidates
The unexamined life is not worth living.
Fun Facts About Aaron:
Favorite Music Genres:
Bluegrass, Jazz, Alternative
Favorite Sport:
Favorite sport is soccer. ⚽ I root for Arsenal of the English Premier League.
Hobbies & Interests:
Best words to describe me:
Cerebral, inquisitive, goofy, warm-hearted
Favorite Movie:
The Red Shoes 👠🩰
Favorite non-marketing podcasts:
The Rewatchables, Stadio and Tim Ferris Podcast
