An interim CMO for the seat you haven't filled yet.
Your CMO, VP of Marketing, or Marketing Director left. The search is taking longer than planned.
The calendar isn't waiting. We put a senior marketing leader in the seat within days, keep your team and agencies moving against one plan, and hand the role to your permanent hire in better shape than we found it.
When does a company need an interim CMO?
Your marketing leader left
The team is still executing, but the decisions above it no longer have an owner.
New ownership needs a plan now
After an acquisition or investment, marketing needs leadership before the permanent role is filled.
The replacement search stalled
The right permanent hire isn't in the seat yet, and strategy can't wait.
Your biggest season is approaching
Launches, retail windows, and holiday calendars keep moving even when the seat is empty.
Your marketing lead is out for months
Parental or extended leave shouldn't leave the marketing plan without senior ownership.
You're not sure who to hire next
An interim leader can hold the functzion while helping define what the permanent role actually needs.
We cover CMO, VP of Marketing, Head of Marketing, Marketing Director, Brand, Ecommerce, Consumer Insights, and other senior marketing leadership roles.
What does an interim CMO do in the first 90 days?
01 — Get in the seat
Weeks 1–2
Meet the team, agencies, and numbers. Take ownership of the decisions that have been waiting.
02 — Build the 60 day plan
Weeks 3-4
Priorities, spend calls from current sales data, owners, and measures. One calendar everyone works from.
03 -Run the plan
Day 30-90
Weekly working rhythm with your team and agencies, with results reviewed with leadership at day 90.
04 - Next sprint, the hands off
Day 90 -180
A second 90-day sprint, plus help defining, vetting, and onboarding your permanent hire.
Senior marketing leadership, ready to step in.
Big-CPG rigor
Our leaders bring experience from companies including PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, Unilever, Mondelez, Colgate, and other leading consumer organizations.A bench behind the lead
You get one accountable interim leader backed by broader capabilities in insights, data, strategy, and execution.Built to hand off
We help define the permanent role, vet candidates, and onboard the person you hire so the marketing function doesn't reset when the transition endsWho we work with
Midsize food, beverage, and CPG companies · Private equity-backed consumer brands · Family-owned consumer businesses
Interim CMO or fractional CMO: which one do you need?
INTERIM CMO
A defined leadership seat is empty and you plan to fill it permanently. We step in, own the function through the transition, and hand it off.
FRACTIONAL CMO
You need ongoing senior marketing leadership, but hiring a full-time CMO doesn't make sense yet.
Interim fills an open seat. Fractional provides ongoing leadership.
FAQs
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An interim CMO is a senior marketing leader who steps into an open CMO, VP of Marketing, or Marketing Director role for a defined period, usually until a permanent hire starts. They take ownership of strategy, the plan, and the team’s direction from day one, then hand the role off.
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An Interim CMO covers a specific leadership seat you plan to fill permanently. A Fractional CMO provides ongoing, part-time senior marketing leadership when a full-time CMO doesn’t make sense yet. Interim ends with a handoff; fractional continues as long as the model fits.
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We have senior marketing leaders on our bench who are ready to step in quickly. Once engaged, the first two weeks are focused on getting into the seat: understanding the team, agencies, priorities, and numbers so leadership can start immediately.
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Most engagements run for about six months, typically across two 90-day sprints. The first 90 days focus on stepping into the role, building the plan, and running it. The second sprint keeps the business moving through the transition and prepares for a clean handoff to the permanent leader.
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Yes. We can help define the role, shape the brief, interview and vet candidates, and support onboarding. Because the interim leader has actually held the seat, they can help clarify what the permanent role really needs.
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It depends on the role, the level of support required, and how long the seat needs coverage. We scope the engagement on the first call and provide a clear monthly number. In most cases, it is well below the cost of a full-time executive salary plus search fees.
Is a marketing seat open right now?
Tell us which role, how long it's been open, and what's coming up on the calendar. We'll tell you whether interim coverage makes sense.
