Paul Barlow

 I bring over 25 years of experience in the localization industry to drive impactful growth strategies and seamless change management for businesses. My mission is to empower companies to reach their full potential in today’s competitive global market.

Founded Acorn Localizations and IOTA Localization Services, achieving impressive double-digit YoY sales growth. Acorn was profitably sold, while IOTA continues to thrive as a respected industry leader.

Led Acorn Localizations to consistent year-over-year profitability, earning recognition as a valued partner to top Silicon Valley cloud computing companies before its acquisition by MediaLocate USA, Inc. in 2012.

Spearheaded the remarkable growth of IOTA Localization Services from a standing start to attaining the stature of a GALA Top 100 Annual Revenue List-sized company in just five years.

Our IT training and support services help you maximize the value of your technology investments. We offer a range of services, including end-user training, technical support, and software training to help you get the most from your technology.

Developed the European Sales program at SimulTrans, expanding sales avenues in the UK, Central Europe, and Scandinavia, and growing existing business through a successful in-house Accounts team.

Achieved record annual revenues at MediaLocate, driving significant growth through new Fortune 500 clients and expanding existing client programs.

I successfully built, grown, owned, and sold multiple companies, managed acquisitions and integrations, and led the growth strategy for Acolad group in North America, the UK, and Ireland. My leadership extends to developing and mentoring high-performing sales and operational teams across the US and Europe, securing global clients in diverse sectors such as software, cloud computing, life sciences, defense, and hospitality.

Paul Barlow is the founder of Acorn West Growth Strategies (AWGS), where he helps founders, owners, and C-suite leaders whose revenue engines have stalled correct their direction, then scale with intention. AWGS provides fractional CRO and other fractional C-suite services, and while Paul built and leads the company, he prefers to describe his own role simply as CRO. With 25+ years in the language services and localization industry, he brings the perspective of someone who has built, scaled, and sold his own companies before ever advising anyone else's.

Paul founded and scaled Acorn Localizations to a profitable sale, then built IOTA Localization Services from a standing start into a GALA Top 100 revenue company in five years. He developed the European sales program at SimulTrans, drove record revenues at MediaLocate with new Fortune 500 clients, and led growth strategy for Acolad Group across North America, the UK, and Ireland. Along the way he's managed acquisitions, integrations, and the sales and operational teams behind them.

Today Paul works almost exclusively with language service providers, interpreting organizations, and language technology companies, alongside founders, owners, and C-suite leaders in other service businesses who are ready to build real commercial infrastructure. Rather than delivering a report and moving on, he steps in as an extension of the leadership team: running pipeline governance, coaching executives and sales teams, and aligning Sales, Account Management, Client Success, and Marketing into one operating system.

His clients describe the same outcome again and again: clarity, structure, and a level of confidence in their numbers they didn't have before. Paul's approach is simple and disciplined rather than flashy. He doesn't sell consulting theory. He builds the commercial capability that lets a company grow predictably, whether that means designing a go-to-market strategy, rebuilding a sales organization, or launching a new revenue program.

Paul's guiding philosophy is that sustainable growth doesn't come from hiring more salespeople or chasing the latest sales trend. It comes from building the right commercial foundation. His goal with every client is the same: leave the business stronger, and no longer dependent on him.

Paul is based in the United States and works with clients across the USA, Europe, and South America. He is active in GALA, the Association of Language Companies, the Canadian Language Industry Association, and Vamos Juntos.