Rachael Wheatley

A little bit about me...

With over 30 years of senior marketing leadership experience, I’ve worked both in-house and as a consultant across financial and professional services in the South West. I served as Chair of the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Bristol and South West branch and hold Chartered Marketer status. I’m also a licensed consultant in the award-winning Watertight Marketing methodology, applying its proven framework to deliver sustainable marketing results.

Today, I operate as a Fractional CMO through my own practice and trusted networks, including VCMO. I typically support B2B mid-tier businesses and LLPs, providing embedded marketing leadership to guide them through critical inflection points such as growth, transformation, or succession.

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My marketing credentials:

✅ Chartered Marketer (CIM)
✅ Fellow of CIM
✅ SOSTAC® Certified Planner
✅ CIM Postgraduate Diploma (Level 7)

Where I add most value as a marketing leader...

1. Strategic Planning - Creating business plans and translating them into a joined up marketing, sales and service strategy to find, win and keep more of the right clients.
2. Functional Alignment - Identifying gaps in marketing capability and operations and work with senior leaders and marketing and sales teams to create a highly effective and more efficient function and teams.
3. Growth Planning - Growth planning to identify and realise opportunities leading to higher customer lifetime value, growth from existing and new clients and markets and lower cost of acquisition.
4. Account Management - Account management and customer experience - creation and delivery of account management programmes to improve customer experience and loyalty and actively manage and protect relationships with key clients.
5. Mentoring - Leading, guiding and mentoring marketers and MDs to improve performance, marketing and BD effectiveness

The most common misconception I hear about marketing is...

"...Marketing isn’t just about generating leads, brochures, events, or social media – which is what many companies think. Without a strategy tied to business goals, these are scattergun tactics that will have limited impact. Truly effective marketing sits at the heart of the business, with everyone playing their part.”

Some of my best marketing was delivered at...

• Harcourt Brace (now part of Elsevier): I created and executed a marketing campaign for the new edition of an already best-selling textbook. Sales increased by 100% within one year, winning public accolades from the editors, and establishing the book as number one in the UK marketplace.
• Morgan Cole (now part of Blake Morgan): I created and delivered a key account management and client review programme including training, one to one reviews and a client satisfaction survey. Over three years, the firm's top client tripled its revenue.
• Jordans (now part of Vistra): I instigated and led a project to re-define the company's brand. Involving staff and research with clients, it resulted in a modernised brand, coherent positioning across three distinct business streams and an internal cultural shift shown in how staff started actively talking positively about the new brand.

Some fun facts about me...

1. I've been paragliding above the Pyrenees - a nerve-wracking and amazing experience.
2. In my first Saturday job, aged 15, I made a prawn cocktail for Eric Morecambe who happened to be visiting the Bernie Inn where I worked (though sadly I didn't get to meet him!)
3. One of my favourite things to do is go to the cinema in the afternoon.

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