engagement models

Retained Marketing Leadership

A Smarter Way to Access Senior Marketing Leadership

Not every business needs a full-time CMO. But many need consistent, accountable marketing leadership. Our retained marketing leadership exists to solve that gap. It provides senior, embedded leadership on a part-time, retained basis, aligned to the realities of modern businesses, investor scrutiny and commercial pressure — without the cost, rigidity or risk of a permanent hire.

Retained Leadership

When Retained Leadership Makes the Difference

Traditional options to solving marketing challenges often leave organisations exposed:

  • Agencies deliver activity, not accountability
  • Consultants advise, then step away
  • Full-time hires require long-term commitment and carry risk
  • Ad-hoc support creates fragmentation and drift

Our retained leadership model offers a different answer: Consistent senior ownership, scaled to need, governed properly, and aligned to outcomes.

Retained Leadership

What Retained Marketing Leadership Actually Means

Retained marketing leadership is not about “helping” marketing teams.

It is about owning the marketing leadership function — proportionately. At VCMO, our retained leadership service provides Fractional CMOs that:

Operate at C-suite level

Work directly with CEOs, boards and investors

Set direction and priorities

Align teams and stakeholders

Are accountable for outcomes, not just advice

The difference is ownership, not involvement.

Retained Leadership

How Our Retained Leadership Works in Practice

Our retained leadership model operates through a regular, structured cadence, rather than one-off projects.

This typically includes:

  • Ongoing strategic direction
  • Decision support at leadership level
  • Performance oversight and prioritisation
  • Alignment between marketing, sales, finance and operations
  • Clear governance and accountability

Our Fractional CMOs are embedded in your organisation 1-3 days per week. This is enough to be effective — without being over-scaled.

Retained Leadership

When Retained Marketing Leadership Is the Right Choice

This approach is most appropriate when:

  1. Marketing decisions materially affect growth or valuation
  2. Leadership accountability is missing or stretched
  3. The organisation is scaling, changing or under scrutiny
  4. Confidence in marketing performance is inconsistent
  5. A full-time CMO is premature or impractical

In short: when marketing is too important to leave unmanaged, but not ready for a permanent hire.

Retained Leadership

When It Is Not the Right Model

Retained marketing leadership is not suitable if:

❌ You are looking for tactical execution e.g. campaign or social media delivery

❌ The challenge is limited to a single, defined project

❌ Decisions are already clear and simply need delivery

❌ You require only short-term alignment or facilitation

In those cases, our other engagement models are more proportionate — and more effective.

Retained Leadership

Retained Leadership vs Our Other Engagement Models

Retained leadership sits at the top of our engagement ladder:

Retained leadership owns the function over time. It is the difference between advice and responsibility.

Retained Leadership

Governance, Accountability and Trust

Because retained leaders operate at senior level, our model is designed with governance in mind:

  1. Clear scope of leadership responsibility
  2. Transparent engagement terms
  3. Regular review and adjustment
  4. Independence from delivery incentives
  5. Accountability to leadership outcomes

This protects both the organisation and the leader.

Retained Leadership

How VCMO Delivers Retained Marketing Leadership

At VCMO, retained marketing leadership is delivered through our Fractional CMO service. This provides:

✅ Chartered, Fellow-led marketing leadership

✅ Proven experience operating fractionally

✅ Structured strategic frameworks (including SOSTAC®)

✅ Board- and investor-level credibility

✅ Embedded ownership without long-term employment risk

Find out more: If retained marketing leadership feels like the right model for your organisation, the next step is to explore how it is delivered in practice.

Investment & Commercial Structure

Retained engagements for our Chartered Fractional CMOs are priced depending on scope, complexity and commercial urgency.

The table below illustrates monthly rates and scenarios.

Engagement Tier Typical Range
(+VAT)
Focus
Foundational Leadership £4,000 –
£7,500
Function buildout, brand positioning, demand generation
Growth Leadership £7,500 –£12,000 GTM leadership, cross-functional orchestration, capability & martech optimisation
Transformation Leadership £12,000+ (custom) Strategic transformation, exit readiness, board/investor leadership

Important Notes:

Minimum Term: 6 months

Early Exit: 1x monthly fee if cancelled before month 4.
After month 4 providing 30 days' notice carries no additional fees.

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  
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Let's chat if you want to explore whether retained marketing leadership is the right model for your business.

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