Fractional

Early-stage startup CEOs often need C-level strategic capability before they’re ready to hire it full time - and someone who can help turn that into execution.

Fractional COO · CMO

COO - Scaled Profusion from 15 to 100 people and tripled revenue in 24 months as COO · 4× founder · 25 years in B2B technology

CMO - Grew Silverpop's international marketing into one of the leading European marketing automation platforms, ahead of the IBM acquisition.

Currently available for 1 fractional engagement from Q3 2026.

What this actually is

This is for early-stage startup CEOs who need senior C-level capability before a full-time hire makes sense. I typically embed 2-3 days a week, bringing strategic leadership to a function or set of problems and helping turn that into practical execution.

I'm in your Slack, in your leadership meetings, and available when something needs resolving. The value is not just advice. It's senior judgment, clear direction, and hands-on help making the work happen.

Most engagements start with a three-session sprint to understand the business and identify where the real leverage is. If fractional engagement makes sense after that, we structure it properly. If it isn't the right fit, you leave with a clear diagnosis and a plan you can take forward.

If we work well together, it often turns into something longer.

I work in two modes depending on what the business needs.

Two modes

Fractional COO

The symptoms are usually the same. You've outgrown running everything yourself, but the business isn't ready - or doesn't need - a full-time COO at £150k. The OKR system doesn't exist or isn't landing. Cross-functional coordination is happening in your head. Things are slipping because no one owns the operational layer. You're in too many decisions that shouldn't need you.

What I take on

Operating cadence - OKRs, leadership rhythms, decision frameworks that don't depend on you being in the room
Cross-functional coordination - making sales and marketing work together without it being a weekly fire drill
Team and management infrastructure - building the layer between you and the work as the company scales
The operational problems that are slowing growth - the ones that are too important to ignore and not yet big enough to hire for

Fractional CMO

Marketing is active but not connected to revenue. Attribution doesn't close the loop. CRM data doesn't reflect reality. Campaigns generate activity - events attended, content produced, emails sent - but pipeline isn't moving. The CEO can't tell if marketing is working or why.

What I take on

GTM strategy and pipeline performance - fixing the engine, not just the strategy
Marketing ops - attribution that actually works, CRM data that sales trusts, campaigns connected to revenue
AI implementation across the marketing function - where it creates real leverage, not where it sounds good
Building and leading the marketing team - through a growth phase or a reset

Who this is for

Founders who have proven the model - real customers, real revenue, real growth - but haven't yet built the team to scale it. Usually late seed to Series A. Usually strong technically or commercially, but one of the core functions is running without proper senior leadership and it's starting to show.

Who it isn't for

If you need a project completed or a strategy written, this isn't the right fit. What I do is bring senior strategic leadership into the business and help translate it into execution. If you want advisory input on a specific decision, that's a different thing - and it's available.

How it starts

The entry point is the advisory sprint - three sessions over four to six weeks.

Session one

Understand the business, the model, and where growth is coming from. What's working and what's creating friction.

Session two

Go deep on the function or problem that matters most - operations or marketing. Where the real gap is between where you are and where you need to be.

Session three

A clear picture of what needs to change, what embedded leadership would look like, and whether a fractional engagement is the right next step.

The sprint costs £3,000. If we move into a fractional engagement, that fee is credited against the first month.

If fractional isn't right, you leave with a diagnosis you can act on.

Testimonial

"Often, you don't know what you don't know in your own business, and you never have the time to investigate things properly. Having someone go through and ask challenging questions - in a good way - and then come back with an understanding of the areas you want to prioritise was something we'd just been lacking."

Hannah Bickerton, CEO, WhiteFox

The first step is a 20-minute call.

Not a sales call. A conversation to work out whether the fit makes sense on both sides - what you're trying to solve, what I've seen work, and whether there's something worth exploring.

Currently available for 1 fractional engagement from Q3 2026.