Carmella Kettner | Vice President, Global Sales Development at Cato Networks

01 — Client Overview

Cato Networks | Carmella on LinkedIn

Carmella Kettner is the Vice President of Global Sales Development at Cato Networks, a cybersecurity company pioneering SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) technology.

She leads a high-performing team of 70+ SDRs across the U.S., Germany, Singapore, Israel, and Australia.

With over 20,000 followers on LinkedIn—including B2B sales, marketing, and cybersecurity professionals—Carmella is a recognized thought leader in sales development and a prominent voice in the global tech sales community.

02 — Project Goals

When I joined Cato, the Employee Branding department was newly established and run by a single team member.

I was brought on to help scale their efforts by writing LinkedIn thought leadership content for key leaders, primarily Carmella Kettner, Vice President of Global Sales Development.

As more B2B companies invest in employee branding to grow their recruiting pipeline and brand presence, Cato was ahead of the curve by building thought leadership from within.

Together, our goals were to:

• Develop a LinkedIn thought leadership strategy

  Attract 12+ qualified SDR candidates per month by showcasing Cato’s elite sales culture, values, and development opportunities through consistent, strategic content.

• Position Carmella as a leading voice in sales development

  Share contrarian views and insights about the B2B SDR industry and product-aligned content that educates SDRs and sales managers, positioning her team as a destination for top-performing cyber SDR talent.

• Grow Carmella’s LinkedIn following

  Add 500+ new followers per month and maintain a 2.5%+ engagement rate by sharing high-value content that resonates with sales professionals and hiring decision-makers.

• Increase attendance at in-person events

  Promote Cato’s local networking events in Tel Aviv through targeted content designed to engage regional SDR, sales, and cybersecurity professionals.

03 — Key Challenges

1. Reaching an elite and narrowly defined candidate profile

Cato’s SDR team isn’t for beginners. They hire only top performers with 3+ years of experience in B2B cybersecurity sales and a proven track record of prospecting $2M+ in pipeline.

Creating content that would resonate with and attract this highly specific, highly competitive talent pool required precise positioning and strong alignment with what top SDRs value in a role.

2. Balancing thought leadership with authenticity and sensitivity

To earn trust and build credibility, we needed to address the real-world challenges facing B2B SDR professionals—job market volatility, burnout, layoffs, and low compensation—without defaulting to generic or overly optimistic messaging.

This meant writing with empathy, honesty, and clarity, while still showcasing Cato as a place where elite sales talent could grow, thrive, and be valued.

04 — Solutions

1. Published two high-impact thought leadership posts per week

Created and delivered ready-to-publish LinkedIn content for Carmella that spoke directly to three key audience segments—SDRs, IT professionals, and sales leaders. Each post was strategically crafted to build authority, showcase company culture, and generate top-performing candidates for Cato's recruiting team.

2. Used audience engagement to drive content strategy

Monitored post comments, DMs, and engagement data to surface relevant topics and pain points. Used this input to refine messaging, guide future content, and spark meaningful conversations that positioned Cato as a go-to destination for elite cybersecurity SDRs.

3. Delivered product-aligned, conversion-focused content

Every post was built to not just inform, but convert—aligned with the company’s employer brand and sales culture, designed to attract SDRs who were a strong match for Cato’s high standards and remote global team environment.