Raman Sehgal, ramarketing
When Raman Sehgal, founder of ramarketing, joined the very first Scale-up Leaders’ Academy (SULA) cohort, he didn’t yet know it would be the launchpad for one of the biggest moves of his life – both professionally and personally.
At the time, ramarketing – a pharmaceutical and life sciences marketing agency founded in Raman’s Gateshead bedroom in 2009 – was already thriving in the UK. The business had found its niche, its team was driving year-on-year growth of 70%, and demand was strong. But Raman wanted more than growth. He wanted scale.
“SULA came along at just the right time,” Raman recalls. “It really opened my eyes. As a business, we were doing well, but the programme helped me think differently – not just about revenue, but about people, structure and culture.”
The Scale-up Leaders’ Academy isn’t about quick wins. It’s about building the mindset and strategy to lead with confidence as your business scales – and that’s exactly what it did for Raman.
Through a mix of coaching, peer learning and strategic frameworks, SULA helped him sharpen his focus, challenge his assumptions, and prepare for the next stage of growth.
“The coaching sessions and group sharing were hugely valuable,” he says. “Hearing from others who were going through similar challenges helped me realise I wasn’t on my own. And even the small tweaks I made after SULA proved invaluable.”
Those lessons in leadership, clarity and resilience would soon be tested on a much bigger stage.
In 2018, Raman made the bold decision to relocate his family from Newcastle to Boston to establish ramarketing’s first international office. It was a defining move that reshaped both the company and his own leadership journey.
“The US is the biggest market in the world, and Boston is the hub of modern drug development,” Raman explains. “If you want a real foothold in the pharmaceutical space, you need to be where the action is. By having a presence in Boston, we became the real deal overnight.”
Armed with the strategic thinking and self-awareness developed through SULA, Raman approached international expansion with structure and intent. He focused on sustainable scaling – balancing ambition with the practical realities of people, culture and cost.
After cementing ramarketing’s presence in Boston, Raman turned his sights to Toronto in 2023. With post-COVID hiring costs soaring in the US, Canada offered a wealth of skilled talent and a globally minded business environment.
“Toronto was the perfect next step,” he says. “It gave us access to brilliant people and a stable employment market – and once again, we knew the importance of being on the ground.”
Now, North America accounts for 50% of ramarketing’s revenue, and the business continues to grow across both sides of the Atlantic.
Looking back, Raman credits the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy with giving him the confidence, connections and clarity to lead boldly.
“SULA helped me see that scaling isn’t just about size – it’s about strength. It gave me a framework for thinking strategically, a community to lean on, and the belief to take the leap,” he reflects.
And when it comes to advice for other ambitious founders, Raman is clear: “If you claim to be in the market but aren’t truly invested, it won’t work. Either you’re committed or you’re not. Scaling successfully means staying all in – with a clear plan, the right team, and the resilience to keep moving forward.”
The Scale-up Leaders’ Academy equips ambitious North East entrepreneurs with the mindset, tools and peer support to scale sustainably and lead with confidence.
If you’re ready to elevate your leadership and accelerate your business growth, join the next cohort of the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy and apply online today.
