The Growth Inflection Point
When FileInvite’s CEO, James Sampson, first engaged Proxi in February 2024, his SaaS company was positioned for its next phase of growth. The company had found initial success with a horizontal market approach in New Zealand and Australia, using primarily inbound marketing strategies to attract higher-volume, lower-value customers. They had discovered strong product-market fit in the Mortgage Lending space with enterprise-level accounts, which led to a capital raise to enter the US market, targeting this segment.
As the company expanded into the competitive US market, they recognised the opportunity to focus their Go-To-Market approach for maximum impact. Previous analysis had helped identify the Commercial Lending market as a highly lucrative opportunity, but the company was experiencing difficulty getting market penetration into this new vertical while their SaaS solution was still being sold broadly without a clear strategic focus.
Like many fast-growing SaaS companies, FileInvite needed additional strategic marketing expertise to coordinate their Go-To-Market functions and capitalise on their market opportunity. The CEO was seeking experienced leadership to help align strategic priorities and accelerate growth momentum.
James Sampson reflects: “We had good people and good technology, but we wanted to operate as one unified team with clear priorities. We were working hard and needed strategic alignment to focus on the highest-impact activities.”
GTM Leadership and Strategy Transformation
Proxi’s initial analysis revealed that there was revenue and customer concentration, whereby a smaller segment of customers was contributing a larger portion of annual recurring revenue, with Financial Services emerging as the dominant vertical. This insight sparked a fundamental shift from a horizontal market approach to focused target segments within the US Commercial Lending market.
The transformation accelerated after Proxi moved from advisory to embedded fractional support, with the Fractional CMO taking hands-on ownership of the marketing function. The CEO had previously worked with fractional leaders individually and recognized the value of bringing them together as an integrated team to tackle the company’s growth priorities. Proxi was engaged to work alongside these additional strategic fractional engagements, bringing them together as a holistic fractional team
This multi-fractional approach proved transformational for the company’s GTM strategy. The three functional experts leveraged their collective SaaS expertise, quickly aligning on strategic priorities and developing a comprehensive GTM approach, new packaging and pricing for the re-platformed product, and a competitive positioning framework.
“Having multiple fractional leaders with different expertise collaborating was incredibly valuable,” James explains. “They brought pattern recognition from working with numerous companies and could work together in ways that felt like a seamless extension of the core full-time executive team.” This approach provided strategic leadership while building internal capabilities.
Strategic Planning and Execution Excellence
Proxi’s fractional CMO worked with the existing strategic planning framework to transform how FileInvite operated. While the company was already attempting to use OKRs, the lack of focus meant these objectives weren’t integrated or aligned toward common goals. The intensive, outcome-focused quarterly workshops forced difficult prioritisation decisions and created clear accountability structures with properly aligned OKRs across all functions.
“Having someone with experience to galvanise the team and drive the planning process was a huge relief,” James notes. “We went from ad-hoc meetings to structured strategic sessions with clear outcomes.”
Board meetings became more constructive with better insights provided to the board about outcomes, current activities, future plans, what was working or not working, and demonstrated clear organizational alignment. The fractional team attended board meetings to provide context and ensure alignment between operational reality and strategic direction.
Most importantly, rather than creating dependency, the fractional team built internal capabilities that remained sustainable even as the engagement evolved.
Fractional Leadership’s Role in Executive Recruitment Success
When the Marketing Director decided to relocate to the US in early 2025, the embedded fractional leadership enabled a smooth transition. Proxi’s fractional CMO’s intimate knowledge of the role requirements and team dynamics allowed for comprehensive candidate evaluation based on real operational needs rather than theoretical assessments.
The recruitment process was managed end-to-end by Proxi, with the support of a specialist recruiter, from key stakeholder interviews through to contract signature. The process identified two very strong candidates who could both do the job effectively and serve as strategic partners for the CEO. Both candidates progressed to the final stage, providing the company with a genuine choice.
“The process was well-managed, which was critical during a busy period,” James acknowledges. “Because our fractional CMO understood our business so well, the process was efficient and effective.”
The transition was managed effectively: the Marketing Director departed at the end of March, the new VP Marketing started mid-April, and operational continuity was maintained through careful planning and knowledge transfer.
The new VP Marketing joined a company with established strategic processes, clear OKRs, and embedded fractional support, positioned for continued growth and success.
From Strategic Fragmentation to Focused Growth
FileInvite evolved into a more focused, strategically aligned business. The company achieved clear market focus, implemented sustainable strategic planning processes, and successfully transitioned key leadership roles while maintaining momentum.
James concludes: “Working with Proxi enhanced how we operate as a business. What started as strategic advice evolved into having experienced executives who delivered results.”
“The combination of improved planning processes and fractional expertise was crucial. Having multiple fractional leaders collaborate created synergies we couldn’t have achieved individually.”
His advice to other NZ SaaS CEOs is: “Embed fractional leaders in your business and secure buy-in from the board and team. Empower them to act like regular team members. Value their pattern recognition and act on their advice.”
The engagement continues to evolve with FileInvite’s needs. Proxi’s fractional CMO has transitioned into a fractional Chief of Staff role, continuing to lead strategic planning and execution while supporting the new VP Marketing and maintaining momentum across all Go-To-Market functions. This ongoing partnership ensures that the strategic foundation built over 15 months continues to drive results as FileInvite scales toward its next phase of growth.