Transformation CMO for PE-backed and scaling businesses at a commercial inflection point, stabilising marketing performance and delivering measurable impact from day one.
Marketing That
Moves the P&L
3x+
Revenue Growth
15–25%
Conversion Improvement
15–20%
CPL Reduction
10–15%
LTV Uplift
100%
Mandate Completion
Typical outcomes across multiple transformation mandates
3x+
Revenue Growth
Revenue growth exceeding 3x baseline within 12 months in a recent mandate, with consistent improvements in growth and efficiency across others.
15–25%
Conversion Improvement
Conversion improvement typically unlocked by fixing inefficiencies in the acquisition funnel — directly improving revenue and reducing acquisition cost.
15–20%
CPL Reduction
Achieving a 15–20% reduction in Cost Per Lead within 60 days by tightening agency briefs and improving performance visibility — reducing wasted spend and improving payback.
10–15%
LTV Uplift
Lifetime value increase driven by improved retention and cross-sell — strengthening unit economics and long-term revenue.
100%
Mandate Completion Rate
100% mandate completion rate — delivering against agreed commercial objectives across every engagement.
The Board Is Asking The Question
Marketing is spending. Budgets are rising. Performance is slowing. Reports look healthy. Unit economics are deteriorating underneath. The board wants to know why, and how to fix it. In the current economic environment, the need to act is becoming critical. Most marketing teams have the talent. What they lack is the strategic and commercial leadership to refocus the function around what actually drives growth. Not just the dashboards to prove it, but the direction, accountability, and rigour to make every investment work harder.
Budgets increasing but returns declining, and no clear diagnosis of why
A leaky funnel with no visibility on where prospects and revenue are lost
Activity reports that celebrate volume while unit economics quietly erode
Capable teams executing hard but without strategic commercial direction
A board asking questions the marketing function isn’t equipped to answer
The Embedded Transformation CMO
Senior marketing leadership, from day one, without the full-time hire risk. I embed into PE-backed and scaling businesses at the point of maximum marketing pressure. Engaged in days. Commercial traction within 60. A team that can sustain it.
Board-ready marketing narrative within 30 days
Attribution built. Agency briefs aligned. Team directed.
Commercial accountability layer the function has never had
Structured handover — you keep the capability, not the consultant
Five consecutive transformation mandates delivered end-to-end.
When I'm Typically Brought In
CMO Departure
The CMO or Marketing Director has left and the board needs senior leadership now, not in four months
Marketing Without Commercial Return
Marketing is spending but the board can’t see the commercial return
Post-Acquisition Integration
Post-acquisition and the marketing function needs integrating or rebuilding
Exit Readiness
Preparing for exit and marketing isn’t ready for due diligence
Leaderless Team
A capable team exists but no one is setting strategic direction
Failed CMO Hire
A previous CMO hire didn’t work out and the business can’t afford to get it wrong again
The Commercial Velocity Framework™
Most marketing transformations fail not because strategy is wrong, but because strategy never connects to commercial accountability.
DIAGNOSE
Days 1–30
Align with the CEO, CFO and board on commercial objectives and what success looks like. Audit the full customer journey and funnel, from acquisition through to retention. Assess ICP clarity, messaging coherence, team capability, agency value and channel effectiveness. Identify where value is created and where it leaks. Output: 30-day findings document and priority matrix.
STABILISE
Days 30–60
Stop the bleed. Reset agency briefs and align messaging to commercial reality. Refocus the team around a clear strategic direction and the metrics that matter. Close the gap between marketing and sales. Build the board-facing reporting that connects activity to revenue outcomes. Create early momentum through focused, high-impact actions.
ACCELERATE
Months 3–6
Execute the growth strategy. Build the acquisition engine and optimise the funnel for conversion and efficiency. Implement the CRM and data infrastructure the function needs to scale. Drive measurable improvement in pipeline contribution, CAC and LTV.
EMBED
Month 6+
Transfer ownership. Develop team capability for independence. Document playbooks and operating models. Support the permanent CMO transition. You keep the capability, not the consultant.
How I'm Engaged
Three models, one framework. The engagement structure flexes around what the business needs.
Interim Transformation CMO
Embedded, full-time mandate. Typically 4 to 12 months. I operate as the senior marketing leader, accountable to the CEO and board, running the function and delivering against agreed commercial objectives. Most common for post-acquisition, pre-exit and turnaround mandates.
Fractional CMO
Part-time, ongoing strategic leadership. Typically 2 to 3 days per week. For businesses that need senior marketing direction but not a full-time hire. I set the strategy, direct the team, build accountability and attend the board meetings that matter.
Strategic Consultancy
Focused, fixed-scope engagements. Typically 4 to 12 weeks. Brand strategy, positioning and proposition development, commercial diagnostics, GTM strategy, marketing function reviews, or board-readiness assessments. Ideal as a low-commitment entry point.
What Clients Say“”
I would happily recommend Ed to any CEO or MD who needs to take action to improve or accelerate their business’ marketing capability.
Tom Preston
CEO and Founder, Hippo Motor Group
Ed’s approach was collaborative, insightful and also challenging at the right times which ultimately led to better outcomes.
Liam Grant
Partner, Cow Corner Investments
For any business looking for transformation, a new strategic approach or a leader to nurture and create a high performing team, look no further than Ed.
Anna Blackwell
COO, Powered By Data
Ed is one of the best marketing leaders I have ever worked with. He excels at building solid and trusting relationships. Willing to make brave decisions but always keeps the commercial realities close by.
David Jackson
Senior Director of Strategy, Edelman
Clients
Across industries and business maturity levels, I work with businesses that need marketing to deliver commercially. Typical engagements include PE portfolio companies, CEO-led scale-ups, post-acquisition integrations, and exit-preparation mandates.
FREE MARKETING DIAGNOSTIC
Can You Answer These 12 Questions Before Your Next Board Meeting?
Most CEOs in investor-backed and scaling businesses can't. This 5-minute diagnostic shows you exactly where your marketing function is breaking down, what it's costing you, and what to do about it. Free. Immediate score. Personalised action plan.
Built from 25+ years of commercial marketing leadership, including five consecutive transformation mandates. 100% mandate completion rate.
Let's Talk
If marketing isn't delivering what the business needs, start with a direct conversation. No deck. No proposal. Just a focused discussion to understand the situation, assess fit and explore options.