"We needed more than a new tool. We needed a system, a partner, and a way to bring our global communications together. They helped us implement Campaign Studio, migrate from our old platforms, and create a structure that works for 19 different programs and a worldwide network. Email now feels organized, consistent, and aligned with our mission."Katherine Leitzel, Head of Marketing at CGIAR
CGIAR System Organization is a global research partnership working on food security, climate resilience and sustainable development, with a network of over 50,000 people worldwide. Their global communications team needed one modern, scalable way to communicate with stakeholders, align 19 research programs under consistent branding, and coordinate campaigns across a distributed network of communications professionals.
For over a year I have been CGIAR's direct email marketing and automation partner, rebuilding their email operations around Acquia Campaign Studio and replacing a fragmented stack that included Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Splash.
I designed the platform structure to match CGIAR's organizational reality, set up instances, configurations and best-practice defaults, and made sure the system could scale across programs and teams.
Templates and assets ported into Campaign Studio, essential campaigns and journeys recreated, legacy tools phased out, and branding, links, tracking and compliance verified post-migration.
A full reusable template library: system-wide newsletters, program updates, event communications and campaign launches. Every program got templates aligned to CGIAR's global brand, its own identity, and accessibility standards, so anyone in the network can build a professional email fast.
Roles and groups reflecting real responsibilities, access scoped so users see what they need and nothing they don't, and guidelines that prevent overlap and configuration conflicts across a very large team.
I did not stop at implementation. I co-create campaigns with the global communications team, manage segmentation and CRM logic, build and schedule newsletters, and keep everything aligned with strategic timelines. In practice I function as CGIAR's dedicated email marketing team.
For a global nonprofit like CGIAR, email is a lifeline across continents, programs, funders and partners. By implementing Campaign Studio, migrating off legacy tools, building a robust template and governance structure, and staying on as their email and data partner, I helped turn a patchwork of tools into a central, strategic asset for global communication. If a 50,000-person network trusts me with their email backbone, your company is in safe hands.