Meet Santiago Vicaria | Founding team member at Ontop

We had the good fortune of connecting with Santiago Vicaria and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Santiago, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I´ve felt burnout more than once during my live, after years of reading I´ve learned a few things:

– Your work do not define you as a person, it doesn´t matter what you do but who you are at the end of the day.
– Having good habits, such a meditation, doing exercise, planning the day are most of the best tools to succeed at your job.
– Always consider you are not alone, this is a teams work, the success arrives after incredible trust and communication, you don´t have to be the best at everything, it is totally the opposite.
– Always think about yourself, how are you feeling, do not push too hard because the bill always arrives at the end.
– You have to be a little bit crazy to start your company as you are totally against the odds, so you need to have high tolerance against failure of rejection.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As a growth-focused leader with a proven track record in international market expansion, I have consistently delivered impactful results across LATAM, the US, and Europe. With expertise in SaaS, fintech, and B2B solutions, I am passionate about enabling businesses to scale globally through innovative strategies, data-driven decision-making, and seamless execution.

Key Highlights:
• Founding member of Ontop, a YC-backed platform, raising over $35M in funding, achieving $13M ARR, and a $160M valuation.
• Scaled Ontop’s revenue to $10M ARR by expanding into 50+ countries as Chief Revenue Officer.
• Reduced customer churn by 40% as Head of Customer Engagement, improving retention and stabilizing growth.
• Led marketing efforts that decreased CAC by 50% while driving 40% of company revenue as VP of Marketing.
• Experienced in launching product innovations and driving digital transformation in various industries.
• Successfully led teams and initiatives in companies like Colliers, The Walt Disney Company, and Microsoft, focusing on marketing intelligence, innovation, and customer-centric growth strategies.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, I bring a global perspective and adaptability to fast-paced, cross-cultural environments. As a mentor and educator, I’ve shared my insights on entrepreneurship, growth marketing, and product strategies with startups and academic communities.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love to try new things and rank them. And I´m the guy of local activities, not necessarily tourist traps.
if someone comes to miami it would suggest to:

– O Munaciello for an incredible pizza
– Uptown 66 for some birria tacos
– La birra bar – for an amazing hamburguer
– La victoria for a nice latino party
– Design District and wynwood

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The team work every latino entrepreneur does, specifically our founder Julian Torres, has a tremendous personal story to tell.

Website: https://getontop.com

Instagram: svicaria

Linkedin: svicaria

Twitter: svicaria

Image Credits
taken by me