Case Study: Leading Through Change

Challenge

Following a restructuring of the marketing department at RingCentral — including a new CMO and the departure of UK marketing leadership — the international marketing division was consolidated. A new brand leader and centralised team were established in the US, creating an opportunity to mirror that structure in the international marketing division.

From my position as UK Content Manager, I stepped up to lead this new international team, taking on responsibility for international brand awareness, content strategy and PR across four key territories. My challenge was to maintain momentum, build team cohesion and keep engagement high during a period of uncertainty. This meant establishing trust, creating shared purpose and ensuring alignment with our new US counterparts — all while continuing to deliver results.

Strategy

To reduce disruption and foster a connected, motivated team, I took a hands-on, people-first approach. I initiated regular cross-regional calls between the US brand team and our international team to foster connection and alignment. I introduced team building sessions to build rapport, particularly important as many team members had never worked together before. 

To ensure collaboration didn’t stall, I scheduled structured team meetings and regular 1:1s to guide our shared projects, identify overlaps and spot opportunities for collaboration and mutual support. I looked for ways for the team to align efforts across borders and to align with US goals, creating a sense of unity and shared ownership of the global brand strategy.

As part of my commitment to professional development and motivation, I set up individual growth plan sessions with each team member and introduced quarterly surveys to sense of belonging and clarity of purpose.

Execution

With trust and communication as our foundation, we launched a number of cross-market content projects. These were structured to maximise collaboration and visibility, giving each regional team member a clear role while also reinforcing our common messaging and goals.

Projects included:

• A high-funnel campaign executed around International Women’s Day, in collaboration with US colleagues, including a pillar piece of content about Why organisations should mind the pay gap.
• Research-based reports and thought leadership pieces around emerging work trends and shifting collaboration models post-pandemic, including a pillar piece of content about back to office dynamics along with a portfolio of supporting content, including:
  • An infographic on employee motivations, mental health and productivity
  • An infographic on employer demands, employee needs and return to office policies

These efforts aligned international and US teams under one brand narrative, and showcased what collaboration could look like across regions.

Results

• The employee engagement programme I led resulted in an 11% increase in team sense of belonging and a 14% improvement in clarity of purpose over 12 months.

• We delivered high-performing content that outperformed benchmarks, including above-average traffic to the international blog and stronger-than-average social media engagement.
• We developed a consistent thread of messaging across regions that made our content more cohesive and impactful.
• The international team gained visibility across the organisation. Our work was cited as an example of best practice, and we received multiple shout-outs from other departments.
• Several members of the team received 'Players’ Player' peer recognition awards, reflecting their visibility and impact across the business.

Feedback

Team feedback reflected the strong, people-first culture I’d nurtured:

“Your listening skills, insights and advice have been a big part of my fast development here, professionally and more.”

“You've been an absolute rock for everyone over the last few years; leading from the front and always taking the time to show that you care.”

“Your leadership on content and brand awareness has been amazing.”

Our CMO captured the spirit of what we built together:

“From the amazing team you've built and led to the brand awareness that has grown tremendously under your leadership, you've left a trace.”

This case was as much about culture as content — proving that with the right leadership, even major organisational change can become a platform for renewed purpose, performance, and connection.