This month, we sat down with Rachael Simpson, nesma’s Regional Lead for Yorkshire & Humber, to talk about the challenges facing marketers today, career development, and why she’s so passionate about supporting Yorkshire businesses with training and professional development
With a background in strategic marketing, brand development, and product marketing, Rachael has worked across multiple sectors, from technology and cybersecurity to manufacturing and food retail. She currently works full-time as a Growth Strategist for cybersecurity start-up BlackDice, where she sees first-hand how marketing plays a crucial role in business growth, customer engagement, and innovation.
Alongside her role at BlackDice, Rachael is a longstanding advocate for marketing education. She volunteers as Vice Chair for CIM Yorkshire, helping to champion the profession and elevate the role of marketing in business strategy. Now, as part of nesma, she’s working to support businesses and marketers across the region in developing the skills, confidence, and strategic expertise needed to make a real impact.
Tell us about your career journey, the challenges you see for marketers today, why are you so passionate about supporting businesses in Yorkshire with world-class marketing and communications training?
“I know first-hand how tough it can be to build and develop a high-performing marketing team. Over the past 19 years, I’ve led marketing, product, and commercial teams across a range of industries – from food retail, to SaaS/tech, manufacturing and engineering. I’ve worked agency-side, in-house, and as a consultant. I’ve built teams from scratch, upskilled existing ones, and navigated the constant changes that come with working in marketing.
By day, I work full-time as a Growth Strategist at BlackDice, a cybersecurity start-up that’s revolutionising how telecom operators protect people and businesses, using AI and machine learning. Working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, I see first-hand how marketing must balance strategic thinking with agility – and how critical it is for teams to develop the right skills to drive business growth.
That’s why I’m so passionate about ensuring marketing teams get the confidence they need to drive real business impact. I know the challenges marketing teams face. Whether that’s staying ahead of digital trends, demonstrating ROI to the board, or simply having the confidence and expertise to lead strategic initiatives. I’ve been there, and I want to help others navigate these challenges with the right skills, training, and professional qualifications.