APPLYING FOR PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, AI & PLATFORM, INCIDENT.IO

CON HARBIS

I build products and take them to market.
Most people do one or the other.

15+ years across product marketing and product management, the last 7.5 in product marketing. I sit inside product teams, shape how products go to market, and work across regions to make it land. Actively building with AI tools and optimising how I work, inside and outside the day job. Based in London.

LinkedIn Get in touch Download CV PDF

Previously at Xero Carsales ahm Jetstar

INVESTIGATIONS LIVE

Root cause

Con Harbis

Confidence: High

Declared

Open seat, Product Marketing Manager, AI & Platform

✓

Investigating

Product marketing and product management background, AI positioning experience

✓

Root cause found

Con Harbis

✓

Resolved

✓

✓ Resolved by Investigations

London · No sponsorship required

DECLARED

Positioning Technical Products

I've turned complex, compliance-heavy technology into positioning that buyers trust before they'll move. The audience changes. The job doesn't.

AI Feature Positioning

I led the early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero Payroll's AI features, preparing the messaging and go to market ahead of Xerocon. Deciding what to claim, what not to, and how to prove it.

Product Team Proximity

I sat on the Payroll leadership team alongside Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers. Getting in earlier changes the roadmap priorities, the launch narrative, and what the product actually becomes.

Building With AI

Actively building with AI tools and optimising how I work, inside and outside the day job. It's become part of how I think, not a side interest.

ROOT CAUSE

A direct fit

TECHNICAL AUDIENCE

I've spent years positioning technically complex, compliance-heavy products where the buyer needs proof before they'll move.

AI FEATURE POSITIONING

I led the early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero Payroll's AI features, preparing the messaging and go to market ahead of Xerocon.

PRODUCT TEAM PROXIMITY

I sat on the Payroll leadership team alongside Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers, contributing to what got built. This role asks for that same closeness with the AI team and product engineering.

GTM OWNERSHIP

I've owned positioning, messaging frameworks, GTM playbooks, and sales enablement across three markets at Xero. Launches, battlecards, and the materials that carry a technical story into the field.

BUILDING WITH AI

Actively building with AI tools and optimising how I work, inside and outside the day job. It's become part of how I think, not a side interest.

LONDON-BASED

Based in London, no sponsorship required.

TIMELINE

Where I'm strongest

Skills in action

Building with AI, not just following it

I've been pushing how far I can take these tools, inside the day job and outside it. It's shifted how fast I move, how I pressure-test ideas, and how I approach problems I haven't faced before. Not a trend I'm watching. Something I'm doing.

154%

Revenue growth via GTM alignment

Helped drive 154% revenue growth across AU, NZ, and UK through positioning and aligning Product, Sales, and Marketing.

ICP

Segmentation to market strategy

Led UK market segmentation and ICP development, identifying target customer cohorts and modelling opportunity by segment.

18%

Activation uplift via GTM experiments

Quarterly experiment programmes with GTM and Product teams testing messaging, activation flows, and channel mix.

North American market entry

Contributed to Canadian market entry evaluation, leading competitive and market analysis that informed the build/buy/partner decision. Led the GTM kickoff when the US partnership direction was confirmed.

INVESTIGATION SUMMARY

At Xero I came in as the first PMM for payroll globally. I developed the positioning, messaging, GTM frameworks, and sales enablement that helped drive 154% revenue growth across a $400M+ portfolio spanning UK, Australia, and New Zealand. That included a standalone product launch in three months that scaled to $6M+ in annual revenue.

I led the early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero Payroll's AI features, preparing the messaging and go to market ahead of Xerocon. I sat on the Payroll leadership team alongside Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers. My UK segmentation and ICP work shaped annual GTM strategy and product investment priorities, with the product team adjusting the roadmap based on where the opportunity was.

Before moving into product marketing I spent years as a Senior Product Manager at Carsales, and then at Xero as Product Manager for NZ Payroll. It changes how I work with product teams. I understand the build trade-offs, the roadmap constraints, the engineering reality.

Quick take

✓First PMM for Xero Payroll globally. Developed positioning, messaging frameworks, and GTM foundations across a $400M+ portfolio

✓Led early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero Payroll's AI features ahead of Xerocon

✓Sat on the Payroll leadership team alongside Product Managers, Designers and Engineers

✓Contributed to 154% revenue growth through GTM alignment across three markets

✓Led UK segmentation and ICP development

✓Actively building with AI tools and optimising how I work, inside and outside the day job

INVESTIGATION

Xero

Mar 2022 – Apr 2026

Senior Global Product Marketing Manager

Led global product marketing strategy for Xero Payroll and employee management offerings across AU, NZ, and UK. Core member of the Payroll leadership team alongside Product Managers, Designers and Engineers. The payroll platform is a $400M+ revenue portfolio processing $150B+ in annual payroll for 3M+ employees globally.

Grew UK product 13% YoY with activations up 18% in 6 months through quarterly GTM experiments with Product and Sales teams
Led early positioning and announcement strategy for Xero's AI-powered features, translating technical capabilities into customer-facing value
Led UK market segmentation and ICP development, identifying target customer cohorts and modelling opportunity by segment to inform annual GTM strategy and product investment priorities
Contributed to US and Canadian market entry evaluation as part of the new growth markets team, leading competitive and market analysis that informed the build/buy/partner decision. Led GTM kickoff for US market entry following confirmation of new partnership direction
Led Xero Payroll messaging and presence across Xerocon, regional roadshows, and accounting industry events, including beta recruitment programmes ahead of product launches

Global GTMPayrollRoadmap InfluenceAI PositioningICP DevelopmentXerocon

Global Product Marketing Manager

Sep 2018 – Mar 2022

First PMM for Xero Payroll globally. Came in with no inherited playbook and built the positioning, messaging frameworks, GTM playbooks and sales enablement across AU, NZ and UK.

Helped drive 154% revenue growth across AU, NZ and UK through strategic positioning and aligning product and sales teams on GTM execution
Launched standalone payroll product in 3 months, scaling to $6M+ annual revenue and establishing Xero as market leader
Established PMM processes and frameworks that improved how products and features were launched across the organisation
Created GTM playbooks and sales enablement materials across all regions

PositioningGTM PlaybooksSales EnablementMulti-region

Product Manager, NZ Payroll

Mar 2017 – Sep 2018

Led NZ Payroll product within a global team. Defined product vision and 3-year strategy through market research and stakeholder consultation, managing delivery using agile and lean approaches.

Drove subscribers by 80% and employees paid by 87%, directly driving revenue growth and market expansion
Launched Contractors feature that became the global template, closing a critical gap in the NZ market and rolling out to all international regions

Product ManagementRoadmapAgileNZ Market

ahm (Medibank)

Dec 2015 – Oct 2016

Digital Product Manager

Led digital transformation, guiding cross-functional teams to deliver customer-focused experiences aligned with digital-first strategy. Developed CRO roadmap to improve conversion and customer experience.

Reversed declining conversion trends with 19% increase in online purchases through data-driven purchase form redesign
Drove 12 to 13% conversion uplift by building a resume journey feature for returning visitors

CRODigital ProductConversionHealth Insurance

Carsales

Apr 2010 – Dec 2015

Senior Product Manager

Managed product portfolio of 10 market-leading online brands, driving revenue growth, product innovation, and UX improvements while leading cross-functional teams across Product, UX, Marketing, Sales, and Customer Experience.

Launched complete quicksales website redesign and new iOS app within a 3-month timeframe
Supported SEO/SEM strategy that kept multiple brands at number one market positions
Recognised for exceptional performance with Product & Technology Monthly Award

Product StrategyMarketplaceTeam LeadershipAgile

Jetstar

Sep 2007 – Apr 2010

eCommerce Product Manager

Drove eCommerce innovation for Jetstar's digital booking, mobile, and airport experiences. Managed development of 13 multi-language web and mobile sites.

Managed implementation of world-first SMS Boarding Pass solution into Web Check-in system
Launched Jetstar's first mobile websites across multiple languages in the early smartphone era
Created new revenue streams through flexible booking and seat selection products

eCommerceTravelMobileDigital

RESOLUTION

Work I'm proud of

XERO — AI GTM

Led the positioning and announcement strategy for Xero Payroll's AI features ahead of Xerocon

Translated technical capabilities into customer-facing value, developing the messaging framework and positioning that gave the sales team something they could explain and buyers could actually understand.

XERO — UK GTM

Helped grow UK payroll 13% YoY, with activations up 18% in six months

Ran a quarterly experiment programme with GTM and Product teams, testing messaging, activation flows, and channel mix to find what moved the numbers.

XERO — MARKET STRATEGY

Led Xero's UK segmentation and ICP development

Led UK market segmentation and ICP development, identifying target customer cohorts and modelling opportunity by segment to inform annual GTM strategy and product investment priorities.

XERO — PRODUCT LAUNCH

Took a standalone payroll product from zero to $6M+ ARR

Launched a standalone payroll product in 3 months, scaling to $6M+ annual revenue. Ran service design workshops to shape the launch experience and owned the end-to-end GTM execution that got it to market.

XERO — MARKET ENTRY

Contributed to North American market entry across two separate initiatives

Led competitive and market analysis for the Canadian market entry evaluation, informing the build/buy/partner decision. When a new partnership direction was confirmed for the US, led the GTM kickoff to activate it commercially.

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

Founded a youth football coaching business and ran it for three years alongside a full-time senior role

Built The Football Practice from scratch: brand, curriculum, booking system, and customer experience. Scaled to 50+ players across five weekly sessions. Ran profitably for three years. Closed by choice.

POSTMORTEM

A bit about me

Product Marketing Leader

15+ years across product, commercial, and customer. Before moving into product marketing I spent years as a Senior Product Manager at Carsales, and then at Xero as Product Manager for NZ Payroll. It changes how I work with product teams and how I think about what the market actually needs before we build anything.

My career has involved complex SaaS: compliance-heavy products, multi-region markets, buyers who need educating before they'll move.

Founder & Director, The Football Practice

I founded and ran The Football Practice, a youth football coaching business, for three years alongside a full-time senior role at Xero. Built it from nothing: brand, curriculum, operations, customer experience. Scaled to 50+ players across five weekly sessions before closing by choice.

I spotted a gap in the market, built something from scratch to fill it, and learned what worked by watching what kids and parents actually responded to.