Chief Outsiders Adds 100th CMO

Major Milestone Reflects Growing Demand for Fractional Model

Chief Outsiders, the nation’s largest and fastest growing firm offering fractional Chief Marketing Officer services with Fortune 500 experience, announced that the company has reached a major milestone: adding its 100th Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

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“In a category we invented more than 10 years ago, I could not be prouder of the team and culture we’ve created at Chief Outsiders and importantly, the impact our CMOs have had in accelerating growth for more than 400 clients in 2021,” said Art Saxby, founder and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. “We’re witnessing a fundamental change in how CEOs and Private Equity firms see and use senior fractional marketing resources to build high-performing companies. Once a CEO realizes they have the flexibility to tap marketing and growth-oriented leaders with a wealth of knowledge and experience for any stage the company is in, it’s game on! And this trend only looks to accelerate going forward.”

In 2021, Chief Outsiders grew more than 57% YoY as companies and CEOs shifted their thinking to prioritize investments in growth, looking to CMOs to lead these efforts. While some have questioned the future of CMOs, Chief Outsiders has redefined the role and cemented its position as the leading provider of fractional growth driving CMOs.

“Chief Outsiders exists at a scale and has a rate of growth that would have been hard to imagine not too many years ago,” said Pete Hayes, CMO and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. “Many established and successful Fortune 500 marketing executives have decided to step out of corporate America to join our firm. Why? We believe it’s in part because there is a fundamental shift in the market. How people define success, drive impact and achieve satisfaction is changing rapidly, and it’s not just confined to millennials and people early in their careers. We’re proud that Chief Outsiders is on the forefront of defining this category.

“We engaged Chief Outsiders in 2017 to develop a more strategic approach to marketing” commented Mark Larsen, CEO of Cask. “Chief Outsiders has helped guide our positioning in the market and built a high performance team and comprehensive marketing operation. That work has supported a 40% YoY growth rate since, and the firm continues as a key advisor today.”

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In 2022, the firm expects to hire 40 or more CMOs to keep up with surging client demand. That’s because C-Suite stakeholders are looking for growth-oriented leaders who can bring new ideas to the table, with proven best practices and playbooks, which is why the firm only hires experienced CMOs and VPs of marketing with a clear track record of success.

“Our Fractional CMO from Chief Outsiders supports both strategy and marketing execution,” said Ulrik Monberg, CEO of Arpedio. “Together, we defined a new market category for Account-Based Selling and drove triple digit growth.”