Deborah Hayes: Transforming UK Marketing Leadership at PayPal and Beyond
Who is Deborah Hayes?
Deborah Hayes is a highly accomplished marketing leader and strategist, currently serving as the Senior Director of UK Marketing at PayPal. With over two decades of experience in global marketing and advertising, she has built a reputation for excellence across some of the world’s most influential technology and software brands, including Samsung Electronics, Landesk Software, Virgin Atlantic, Elsevier, and CPA Global.
Her professional journey reflects not only her marketing expertise but also her transformational leadership, strategic innovation, and deep commitment to diversity, inclusion, and empowerment of women in technology. Based in London, Deborah brings a global perspective to her work, having lived and worked across EMEA, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions.
Early Life and Education
University of the Arts London – Building a Strong Foundation
Deborah Hayes is a graduate of the University of the Arts London, where she earned a First-Class Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons) in Marketing and Advertising. Her early academic excellence laid the foundation for a successful career in marketing, combining creativity with analytical precision.
During her time at university, she completed an internship with Virgin Atlantic, where she worked as an Account Executive at London Gatwick Airport. This experience provided her with valuable exposure to customer engagement, brand management, and corporate operations within a leading global airline — a perfect start for a future marketing leader.
Professional Journey of Deborah Hayes
PayPal – Senior Director of UK Marketing (2025 – Present)
In March 2025, Deborah Hayes joined PayPal as the Senior Director of UK Marketing, bringing her extensive experience in product and channel marketing to one of the world’s leading fintech companies.
At PayPal, Deborah leads a dynamic team of over 30 marketing professionals, overseeing advertising budgets exceeding £150 million per annum. Her strategic focus lies in combining creativity with measurable performance — ensuring that marketing investments generate strong ROI and enhance brand equity across multiple channels.
Her leadership is both servant and transformational, empowering teams to innovate while aligning with PayPal’s mission to make financial services more accessible and inclusive. Under her direction, PayPal’s UK campaigns have been tailored to resonate with local audiences while maintaining the brand’s global integrity.
Samsung Electronics UK – Seven Years of Marketing Innovation
Before joining PayPal, Deborah Hayes spent over seven years at Samsung Electronics UK, where she held multiple senior roles, including Head of Consumer Marketing and Head of B2B Marketing.
Head of Consumer Marketing (2022 – 2025)
As Head of Consumer Marketing, Deborah revolutionised Samsung’s approach to integrated marketing. She implemented enhanced ROI tracking models, including ACPI, PTO, and Reach, to measure market performance more accurately.
She led cross-functional collaboration between marketing, sales, and global headquarters, transforming Samsung’s internal culture from siloed operations to a data-driven marketing science model.
Her standout achievements include:
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Launching a Gen Z-focused organic social-first campaign, achieving high reach and recall.
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Creating a partnership blueprint with major brands such as Google, Spotify, ITV, and Fortnite to expand Samsung’s audience base.
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Managing large-scale paid, earned, and owned media channels, including TV, OOH, PR, and programmatic campaigns.
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Delivering record-high homepage share of voice in 2023 and exceeding growth targets despite reduced spending.
Head of B2B Marketing (2018 – 2022)
In her previous role as Head of B2B Marketing, Deborah demonstrated deep expertise in the B2B advertising ecosystem, covering entrepreneurs, SMEs, and enterprise clients.
She spearheaded initiatives that improved lead generation efficiency (raising qualified leads from 1/6 to 1/3) and implemented data automation using CRM platforms like Salesforce (SFDC) and Eloqua. These advancements enabled Samsung to gain a unified, data-rich view of campaign ROI and customer engagement.
Landesk Software – Global Campaign Lead (2015 – 2017)
At Landesk Software, Deborah served as Global Campaign Lead and Team Leader, managing teams in the UK, US, and Singapore while travelling regularly to California.
She oversaw a £10 million global marketing investment, achieving a 10:1 ROI — a testament to her exceptional analytical and operational skills. Her initiatives included:
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Launching Landesk’s first global thought-leadership content strategy, producing blogs, videos, whitepapers, and case studies.
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Enhancing marketing automation through Marketo, optimising lead scoring and nurturing systems.
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Increasing brand awareness among key global accounts while reducing spending by 12%.
Her global exposure during this tenure solidified her reputation as an international marketing leader capable of managing complex, multi-regional campaigns.
CPA Global – EMEA Field Marketing Manager (2010 – 2015)
During her five-year tenure at CPA Global, Deborah managed field marketing operations across the UK, France, Germany, and Spain. She led a high-performing team and orchestrated major product launches, trade shows, and collaborative events with global giants such as Microsoft, Airbus, and Nestlé.
Her ability to balance creativity with logistics made her an invaluable asset in managing campaigns with over 400+ attendees and executing up to 12 campaigns annually across digital and channel marketing.
Earlier Career and Growth
Before rising to senior leadership, Deborah honed her skills at Elsevier (2004–2009), where she worked in marketing and business development roles spanning the UK, India, and the Middle East. She gained early insights into global education markets and cross-cultural brand communications.
Her journey also included a unique year in New Zealand (2009–2010), where she worked as an Event and PR Manager for heavyweight boxer David Tua and freelanced for a business brokerage firm. This international experience contributed to her adaptable leadership style and cross-cultural fluency.
Leadership Philosophy and Achievements
Servant and Transformational Leadership
Deborah Hayes is recognised for her servant and transformational leadership style, inspiring teams to reach their potential through empowerment and trust. Managing teams of over 30 marketers, she fosters collaboration and accountability while maintaining a sharp focus on performance outcomes.
Her approach reflects a blend of creativity, data-driven decision-making, and emotional intelligence, ensuring that every campaign aligns with strategic business goals.
Financial and Strategic Acumen
Handling £150 million+ in advertising budgets, Deborah is highly skilled in financial stewardship and ROI analytics. Her emphasis on measurable impact demonstrates her belief that marketing is both an art and a science.
Passion for Diversity and Inclusion
Beyond her professional achievements, Deborah Hayes is deeply passionate about Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). She actively contributes to multiple initiatives that promote women in technology and supports mentoring programmes aimed at nurturing the next generation of female leaders.
Her advocacy for inclusivity extends beyond corporate settings — she believes in empowering diverse voices to drive innovation and creativity in the technology industry.
Personal Life and Interests
Outside of her professional life, Deborah is a passionate traveller and adventurer. Recently, she combined her love for travel with philanthropy by joining a charity team to climb Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak at 4,000 metres, successfully raising over £50,000 for charity.
This accomplishment mirrors her professional ethos — determination, resilience, and a commitment to meaningful impact.
Conclusion: The Legacy of Deborah Hayes
Deborah Hayes exemplifies what it means to be a modern marketing leader — strategic yet empathetic, data-driven yet creative, and ambitious yet grounded. From her early days at Virgin Atlantic to her current role at PayPal, she has consistently demonstrated excellence across global markets, transforming marketing into a powerful engine for business growth and social change.
Her legacy continues to inspire professionals in marketing and beyond — proving that with vision, passion, and perseverance, it is possible to lead with both purpose and performance.
