Marketing
leadership
Agreed priorities, marketing direction, coordination and review. Decision authority is defined together.
Fractional CMO Leadership
Give marketing
clear direction.
And someone to lead it.
A fractional chief marketing officer who works inside your business, setting priorities, leading your team and connecting marketing investment to growth and profitability.
Discuss marketing leadershipA brief inquiry. A personal reply from Chris.
When leadership is the missing piece
Activity needs
a direction.
You may have people, partners and work underway. The missing piece may be clear priorities and someone responsible for leading across them.
- 01
There is plenty happening, but no shared priority.
The work needs a clearer connection to the business goals.
- 02
The team needs senior direction.
People and partners need decisions, coordination and a clear understanding of what matters.
- 03
A leadership gap needs attention.
You want to explore an agreed fractional role while deciding what the business needs next.
The person you’ll work with
Senior experience.
Close to the work.
I founded Changent after serving as CMO for startups, where access to experienced leadership had to make sense alongside the business’s resources.
At Nike, I led the famed EKIN program, worked in integrated sports-performance marketing and contributed to Nike Run Club’s launch. That background informs a role close to the decisions, people and work, beyond the plan.
I step into the business and operate as your CMO. My approach starts with the financial picture: where marketing can support growth, what it costs and how it contributes to profitability. I focus the team on consequential work and cut activity that lacks a clear business purpose. That includes investing in longer-term brand and customer relationships alongside near-term returns, with expectations suited to each.
Responsibility before activity
Who leads.
Who decides.
Who delivers.
Clear responsibility helps the work move without every question returning to the founder. Authority and approvals are established at the start.
Marketing
Business
decisions
Business goals, resources and reserved approvals. We identify what needs your decision and what Chris can lead within the agreed mandate.
Execution
and delivery
Production and specialist work within their roles. We identify the people and capabilities needed to follow through.
The scope matters
Before starting, we agree on my mandate, availability and working rhythm.
We also identify the people and resources needed to deliver. Any production, partner spend or hiring is agreed separately.
Before we talk
Make the role
clear from the start.
The right arrangement depends on the leadership need and the resources around it.
Discuss marketing leadershipWhat is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader engaged for an agreed portion of the role rather than a full-time appointment. At Changent, Chris operates inside the business, setting priorities and coordinating the team and partners within an agreed mandate.
How is a fractional CMO different from an agency?
A fractional CMO takes responsibility for marketing direction and coordination within an agreed scope. An agency typically provides defined specialist or production services; some also offer strategy. The two can work together when authority, responsibilities and delivery are clear.
What determines the cost of a fractional CMO?
The investment depends on the leadership remit, availability and complexity of the business and team. We agree on fees and scope before starting. Agency fees, media spend, production and hiring are separate unless expressly included.
Can you work with our existing team or agency?
Yes. We start by understanding who is already involved, what they own and where they need direction. Then we agree on how Chris will lead alongside your team and partners.
Does this include producing campaigns?
Not automatically. We distinguish senior leadership from production and identify who will execute the work. Any additional delivery requirements must be agreed separately.
How do we establish the working arrangement?
Our initial conversation covers the leadership gap, current team and partners, decision authority, resources and timing. Before starting, we agree on availability, working rhythm and what I will own directly.
What will we measure?
Measures connect marketing to growth and profitability. Depending on the business and available data, we may examine qualified demand, conversion, acquisition costs, retention and contribution margin. We agree on the baseline and how progress will be reviewed; no particular financial outcome is promised.
What if we only need a plan?
A defined advisory engagement may be a better starting point. Fractional CMO work is for an agreed leadership responsibility, not simply a different name for a strategy project.
Do we need to be a certain size?
Fit depends on the leadership you need, access to decisions and the resources available to carry out the work. We discuss those together rather than using a fixed company-size cutoff.
Your next move
What does marketing
need to move forward?
Tell me what is happening today and where leadership is missing. I’ll reply personally to explore the fit.