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About me

Eight roles,
one person.

I am Florian Hieß, born in 1984, raised on a 56k modem and Netscape Navigator. My main job is leading the marketing team at the Vienna SaaS social media tool Swat.io. Alongside that I run the agency Digital Wings with my wife Romana, teach at four institutions and speak at conferences. Pick whichever side interests you.

Portrait of Florian Hieß
Photo: David Johansson

The individual roles

The quick overview

Milestones
and qualifications.

Current roles

  1. since 2016

    Head of Digital Marketing, Swat.io

    Main role. Leading the marketing team for the SaaS social media tool Swat.io. Vienna.

  2. since 2010

    Senior SEO & performance marketing consultant, Digital Wings

    Agency run with Romana Hieß for e-commerce and tourism businesses. Lower Austria.

  3. 2022

    Advisory board member, Amazing E-Commerce

    Advising on growth and digital strategy.

  4. since 2022

    Mentor, GrowthMentor

    One-to-one mentoring on growth hacking, conversion optimisation, SEO, PPC and tool selection.

  5. 2019

    Mentor, Marketing Club Österreich Rookies

    Supporting people starting out in marketing.

  6. since 2014

    Grillguide, formerly Aufgetischt

    Grill and BBQ magazine, run with Romana Hieß. Certified AMA grill trainer, WBQA and SCA judge, KCBS judge and table captain.

Earlier positions

  1. 2015-2016

    Digital performance strategist, MediaCom

    Media agency, Vienna. Until November 2016.

  2. 2012-2015

    Online marketing specialist, paysafecard.com Wertkarten GmbH

    Vienna, until February 2015, including an interim spell as Head of Online Marketing.

  3. 2008-2012

    International affiliate manager, Magora Group GmbH

    Building and managing international affiliate programmes. Until February 2012.

  4. 2004-2008

    Sales representative, Gebr. Haas Fenster GmbH

    The detour through offline sales, until November 2008.

Teaching

  1. since 2017

    BFI Wien

    Lecturer in search engine optimisation.

  2. since 2018

    UAS St. Pölten

    Lecturer in search engine optimisation.

  3. since 2019

    Danube University Krems

    Lecturer in search engine marketing.

  4. since 2022

    UAS Burgenland

    Lecturer in search engine optimisation, Eisenstadt.

Education

  1. 2013-2015

    Danube University Krems

    Master of Science, Online Media Marketing, 2013 to 2015.

  2. 2024-2025

    TAM Akademie

    Leadership training, November 2024 to January 2025.

  3. 2013

    Conversion Boosting College

    Certified conversion boosting specialist.

  4. 2000-2004

    HTBLA Hollabrunn

    School-leaving exam in industrial engineering, 2000 to 2004.

Credentials

Certifications

  • Google Partner Paid search certification, renewed continuously since 2010.
  • Meta Partner Via Digital Wings, for campaigns on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Shopify Partner Via Digital Wings, for e-commerce projects.
  • HubSpot Inbound Marketing Inbound methodology, lead nurturing and marketing automation.
  • Conversion boosting specialist Conversion Boosting College, 2013.
  • Content Optimization Masterclass Content optimisation for search engines.

Selection

Companies I have
worked for.

  • Spar
  • Allianz Österreich
  • ÖHV
  • Wikifolio
  • Weber Stephen Österreich
  • Swat.io
  • Walls.io
  • Paysafecard
  • Likemagic
  • Hotel Schani
  • Münze Österreich
  • R-Trade
  • and more

Only companies where an actual engagement took place are named. Figures and quotes follow once they have been approved.

Frequently asked

About the person.

How are florianhiess.at and Digital Wings connected?
Digital Wings is the agency I run together with Romana Hieß. This site is my personal one. It shows what I do as a person: consulting, talks, training and teaching. Larger implementation projects run through Digital Wings.
Are you open to employment?
I work full time in a leadership role at Swat.io and am not actively job hunting. I am bookable for talks, training, teaching assignments and consulting mandates, and open to interesting conversations.
Why eight roles instead of one clear positioning?
Because it is the same work seen from different angles. Someone who leads a marketing team understands consulting differently. Someone who teaches has to be able to explain what they do. The roles do not contradict each other, they support each other.
What is your main job?
Head of Digital Marketing at Swat.io in Vienna, since December 2016. Everything else comes alongside it.
How much time is left for consulting?
Limited, and deliberately so. I take on few mandates, but give them real attention. What cannot be done properly, I decline.
Can I approach you about a permanent position?
I am happy where I am. I am still open to an interesting conversation, without anything having to come of it.
Which station mattered most?
The move into SaaS marketing in 2016. Before that I optimised campaigns; after it, a system. That changes how you look at numbers.
Do you still do hands-on work or only strategy?
Both. Anyone who only does strategy loses touch within two years with what implementation actually costs.

See all questions

Ready for marketing without detours?

Tell me what it is about: your project, your event or your team. You will get an honest assessment, even when I am not the right choice.

Get in touch