Simon Grout
Head of Strategy, Local Digital

Simon Grout

Head of Strategy at Local Digital, leading the team that designs each client's go-to-market strategy. More than a decade in B2B sales and marketing, and in SEO strategy since 2016. Every plan starts with deep discovery of how the business makes money.

  • Sydney, Australia
  • At Local Digital since · 5 years
  • In search since · 10 years

About Simon

Simon Grout is Head of Strategy at Local Digital in Sydney, where he leads the strategy team that designs a personalised go-to-market strategy for each of the agency's clients. He joined in January 2021 as a digital strategist, became senior digital strategist that October and has led strategy and partnerships since October 2022.

His approach is discovery first. Low ego and highly curious, he works out how a business makes money, where its sales and marketing bottlenecks sit and what the numbers need to look like, then puts forward a plan that fits. A large part of the job is translating digital tools, tech and workflows into a clear, ROI-driven roadmap that a founder can make a decision on.

Simon's search career began in April 2016 at Rank First, an SEO agency in Fitzroy, Melbourne. As SEO sales and strategy consultant he met with hundreds of small, medium and large business owners across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania to talk through their online strategy and bring some clarity to an industry many of them found confusing. It started as contract work alongside a full-time job and grew into a management role. In April 2018 he became sales and marketing manager, bringing in the large majority of the agency's new business while acting as account and project manager for key clients as Rank First moved into website design, including wireframes, user experience and functionality planning.

In February 2019 he joined Hire Intelligence in Sydney, Australia's market leader for short-term IT and AV rental, as senior national account manager. Promoted within a year, he was chosen as one of two pod leaders to bring in a new team structure, leading and mentoring four account managers while still managing his own portfolio of high-profile national clients.

Before search he spent close to four years as operations and marketing manager at Brunswick Bowling Club in Melbourne, where he nearly doubled annual revenue, managed a team of ten and ran days of 500+ people across 20+ functions. Earlier he managed a B2B telesales team at electricity broker Smart Utilities, and started his career in 2011 as marketing coordinator for the Auto Classic BMW group of six dealerships in Perth. He holds a bachelor's degree with a double major in marketing and management from Curtin University.

Experience

  1. Oct 2022 – Present
    Head of Strategy & Partnerships Local Digital · Sydney

    Leads the strategy team, which designs personalised go-to-market strategies across a diverse portfolio of clients and ties the technical work back to commercial outcomes.

  2. Oct 2021 – Oct 2022
    Senior Digital Strategist Local Digital · Sydney

    Strategy for businesses starting to advertise online, and reviews of existing campaigns to show owners whether their spend was working.

  3. Jan 2021 – Oct 2021
    Digital Strategist Local Digital · Sydney

    Lead generation strategy for businesses whose sales teams needed a steadier pipeline of quality leads.

  4. Feb 2019 – Jan 2021
    Senior National Account Manager & Team Leader Hire Intelligence · Sydney

    Managed high-profile national clients for Australia's market leader for short-term IT and AV rental. Promoted within a year and chosen as one of two pod leaders to bring in a new team structure, leading and mentoring four account managers alongside his own portfolio.

  5. Apr 2018 – Feb 2019
    Sales and Marketing Manager Rank First · Melbourne

    Brought in the large majority of the SEO agency's new business, by client numbers and dollar value. Account and project manager for key clients when the company moved into website design, working on wireframes, user experience and functionality strategy.

  6. Apr 2016 – Apr 2018
    SEO Sales & Strategy Consultant Rank First · Fitzroy VIC

    Met with hundreds of small, medium and large business owners to discuss online strategy across a territory of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. Began as a contractor and grew the role into a management position.

  7. Sep 2014 – Apr 2018
    Operations and Marketing Manager Brunswick Bowling Club · Brunswick East VIC

    Nearly doubled annual revenue at what is now one of the busiest bowling clubs in Victoria. Managed a team of ten, ran days of 500+ people and 20+ functions, and set up the catering operation around the club's new commercial kitchen.

  8. Feb 2013 – Dec 2013
    Sales Team Manager Smart Utilities · West Melbourne VIC

    Trained and managed a team of telesales consultants in the B2B division of an electricity brokerage, and was lead product manager for the Blue NRG retailer.

  9. Jan 2011 – Jan 2013
    Marketing Coordinator Auto Classic BMW · Victoria Park WA

    One of a two-person marketing team across six dealerships (Auto Classic BMW and MINI Garage, Westcoast BMW and MINI Garage, Burswood Honda and Burswood Opel), covering customer events, EDMs, print media and graphic design, and liaising with BMW head office.

Education

  • Bachelor's degree (Double major in Marketing and Management)Curtin University · 2008 – 2010

Awards & recognition

  • Best Large Integrated AgencyAPAC Search Awards 2022 · Local Digital