our services

Hire a Chartered Fractional CMO in the UK

VCMO provides board-level Fractional CMOs to scaling B2B businesses that need senior marketing leadership now — without the cost, delay, or risk of a full-time executive hire. If you need CMO-level accountability, not just marketing activity, this service is built for you.

Marketing leadership from big brands...

your marketing challenge

Why Businesses Hire a Fractional CMO

Organisations typically seek a Fractional CMO when:

  • Revenue growth has slowed or become unpredictable
  • Marketing spend is increasing without clear ROI
  • Sales and marketing are misaligned
  • Leadership lacks confidence in go-to-market direction
  • Investor scrutiny is rising
  • A full-time CMO hire feels premature or unaffordable

At this stage, tactical support rarely solves the root problem. Leadership does.

marketing leadership

What Does a Fractional CMO Do?

Our Fractional CMOs are embedded into your leadership team and take full accountability for the marketing function.

They typically lead:

✅ Go-to-market and growth strategy

✅ Positioning, messaging, and value proposition

✅ Sales and marketing alignment

✅ Marketing performance measurement and reporting

✅ Team leadership and capability development

✅ Board-level marketing communication and confidence

This is not:

❌ A consultant delivering recommendations

❌ An agency running campaigns

❌ A freelancer filling short-term gaps

This is true CMO-grade leadershipdelivered part-time.

core outcome

Growth With Marketing Accountability — Without the Full-Time Overhead

When you hire one of our Fractional CMOs, your business gains:

  • Clear strategic direction
  • Accountability of the marketing function
  • Joined-up commercial decision-making
  • Predictable growth execution
  • Reduced wasted marketing spend
  • Stronger board and investor confidence

All this without absorbing long-term executive salary, risk, or lock-in.

discovery to delivery

How the Engagement Works

Strategic leadership. Streamlined onboarding. Immediate value.

Initial Discovery Call

Explore your goals, challenges, and team structure.

Expert Match & Diagnostic

Assign your ideal Fractional CMO and run a structured analysis.

Tailored Engagement Plan

Scope, proposal and agreed KPIs.

Onboarding & Integration

Your Fractional CMO embeds into your leadership team and rhythm.

Delivery & Leadership

Strategy becomes action with visible traction.

Monitoring & Momentum

Performance tracked, strategy optimised, team capability lifted.

who we help

Businesses Who Benefit From Our Fractional CMO Service

Our Fractional CMO service is designed for:

  • Scaling B2B SMEs with £2m+ turnover
  • Founder-led growth businesses with Series-A funding
  • Investor-backed or PE-backed organisations
  • Leadership teams preparing for funding, market expansion, turnaround, or exit

If your business requires senior marketing leadership but not a permanent CMO, our service offers a controlled, low-risk alternative.

genuine c-level expertise

Why Our Fractional CMOs Are Different

Unlike many marketers who present themselves as a Fractional CMO, all our experts have genuinely operated at C-level. We embed directly into your business — bringing structure, clarity, and accountability that delivers measurable impact within the first 90 days.

Embedded Leadership, Not External

Your Fractional CMO operates inside your leadership team — not alongside it.

Chartered Expertise, Not Generic

All VCMO leaders are Chartered Marketers (CIM), upholding the highest professional standards.

Commercial Outcomes, Not Tactical Delivery

We apply the SOSTAC® framework to ensure every decision is measured against growth velocity, revenue impact, risk, and enterprise value.

Flexible Engagement, Transparent Pricing

No long contracts. Scale engagement up or down as your business context evolves over time.

flexibility & affordability

Three Engagement Options

We offer three engagement options to access the expertise of our Chartered Fractional CMOs. Simply choose the option that best aligns with the urgency and complexity of your marketing challenge.

Strategic Workshops

Hire one of our Fractional CMOs to tackle a commercial problem in a workshop. One-off engagements, date rate.

From £1,500 +VAT per day

Fixed-Scope Projects

Hire one of our Fractional CMOs to lead the delivery a critical marketing project. Agreed Scope of Work, fixed price.

From £5,000 +VAT per project

Retained Marketing Leadership

Hire one of our Fractional CMOs to provide long-term marketing leadership to deliver growth. Minimum 6-month term. Investment based on complexity & urgency.

£4,000 - £12,000 +VAT per month

cost of inaction

The Commercial Risk of Operating Without a Senior Marketing Leader

Without senior marketing leadership, organisations often face:

  • Extended revenue plateaus
  • Poor return on marketing spend
  • Internal misalignment
  • Weak market differentiation
  • Reduced investor confidence

These risks escalate gradually but the financial impact compounds rapidly.

our credentials

Why Clients Trust VCMO's Marketing Leadership

✅ Chartered & Fellow-led CMOs (CIM)

✅ Board-level leadership experience

✅ Cross-sector commercial track record

✅ SOSTAC® strategic planning methodology

✅ Trusted by founders, CEOs, and investors

helpful resources

Not Sure if a Fractional CMO
Is Right for Your Business?

We've built some resources to help organisations make an informed decision when considering a Fractional CMO. Click the buttons below for free access.

1. Assess Your Marketing Capability

Our free online audit evaluates your overall marketing capability. The result might identify whether you could benefit from a Fractional CMO.

2. Ultimate Guide to Hiring a Fractional CMO

Our comprehensive guide gives you everything you need to know about finding, integrating, and succeeding with a Fractional CMO.

3. Fractional Futures Podcast

Unique insights for founders, CEOs, investors, and senior marketing leaders exploring the rise of Fractional CMOs. Each episode <30 mins.

4. Assess Your Readiness to Hire a Fractional CMO

This short diagnostic assess whether your organisation is set up for embedding a Fractional CMO.
Takes 3-minutes.

need something else?

Supporting Services

Alongside Fractional CMO support, we offer targeted services — from free, and paid-for audits and analysis to mentoring and advisory — providing focused interventions that build capability, insight, and investor confidence.

Marketing Advisory

You’re making a high-stakes decision and need independent, senior-level input right now.

Internal Marketing Audit

You’re unsure what’s underperforming or misaligned in your current marketing setup.

Market Analysis

You’re entering a new market or need clear insight on customers, competitors, and trends.

Marketing Mentoring

You (or your team) need mentoring to build confidence, clarity, and safeguard future capability.

Our project was to create a top-level marketing strategy which, once built, we could drive forward ourselves. And I can honestly say the work has been transformational for Yellowtail. After each workshop with VCMO, both Dennis Hall and I would be amazed at how much we'd achieved. We worked hard! But the results are worth it.

Sarah Steele
Operations Director, Yellowtail Financial Planning
Read the Case Study

Shout out to Paul Mills who bravely took on running a positioning workshop with us yesterday. Is there anything harder than doing the thing your client does for others for them?! Great work. Really thought provoking, and so important to have facilitated by someone with an external perspective!

Bryony Thomas
CEO, watertight business thinking

Paul is a professional strategic marketeer who is able to apply his expertise with marketing budgets large and small. The commercial impact of Shaw & Co's rebrand, which was initiated, designed and implemented by Paul, has been to differentiate us positively in a sector where few have succeeded. He delivers what he promises, on time and on/under budget, to a high quality. Paul made a positive impact on our business that will last.

Rod Leefe
chair, shaw & co

VCMO's audit brought clarity to a complex set of challenges. They cut through the noise and delivered a clear, prioritised roadmap that we could act on immediately. Their ability to engage across teams and translate insight into action was exactly what we needed.

Dr. Ross Burn
Co-founder, Catsci limited  
Read the Case Study

Lydia possesses a deep understanding of marketing strategies and has consistently delivered exceptional results. Her ability to analyse market trends, create engaging campaigns, and drive customer acquisition is truly impressive. Her dedication, attention to detail, and strong communication skills make her an invaluable asset to any organisation. I cannot recommend Lydia enough for her expertise, professionalism, and exceptional work ethic.

Alan Leckey
Business Consultant, CCO - the Collaboration Company  

Paul Mills wasn't just an outsourced marketing leader — he was a mentor. His support helped me enhance my technical marketing skills and shape a more strategic mindset, as well as build my  confidence with senior leadership and deliver higher-impact work. He is dependable and skillful, and his guidance has made me feel more capable and prepared for future challenges.

Caitlin Daniels
marketing manager, catsci limited
Read the Case Study

VCMO brings knowledge, insight and practical experience to the table, but also something else, which is quite rare, the unwavering commitment to finishing the job without compromising on the quality of the output. Their work for Yellowtail has been exemplary and we're seeing the results already.

Dennis Hall
founder, yellowtail financial planning

Ruth brought great experience and insight to my firm over many years. Her considered and thoughtful approach to problem solving are a real strength and her experience of marketing and business development in the legal sector was invaluable.

Gavin Tyler
Managing Partner, Cripps

VCMO helped us think beyond our capabilities and reframe how we communicate the true value of what we do. Paul's workshop unlocked fresh ideas resulting in a more strategic approach to our content plan and go-to-market materials. The quality of the output and power of the messaging is really impressive.

Peter Ridgway
Business Development Director, Reach Separations
Read the Case Study

VCMO has been instrumental in reshaping how we approach marketing at Lucent. Their strategic clarity, attention to detail, and ability to deliver at pace have been exceptional. Paul's embedded himself seamlessly into the team and quickly earned trust — not just from me, but from our wider staff and partners. The website and content strategy he led have already started delivering results, and I now feel far more confident in how we grow the business over the coming years.

Steven Rowe
Founder - Lucent Financial Planning
Read the Case Study

VCMO helped me find the words and structure to communicate what I do — and who I do it for — in a way that finally connects. I’ve had more inbound enquiries since the website relaunch than in the previous two years.

Lee Spencer
aka The rowing marine
Read the Case Study
What Happens Next?

Book a No-Obligation Discovery Call

Your journey to marketing transformation begins with a no-obligation call with one of our Chartered marketing experts.

In 60-minutes we will...

✅ Understand your commercial goals
✅ Identify where leadership gaps are holding growth back
✅ Advise whether Fractional CMO leadership is the right solution

If it isn’t, we will tell you.

FAQ’s

Ready to hire a Fractional CMO? Let’s provide the marketing leadership you’ve been missing.

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