Marketing Leadership
with commercial fluency
I work with wealth management and financial services firms that need senior marketing leadership, but do not need or want a full-time CMO.
With more than twenty years at director level inside firms including Charles Stanley, Coutts, RBS, BNY Mellon and Aviva Investors, I help leadership teams translate strategy into measurable growth.
When marketing needs to stand up to boardroom scrutiny, it helps to have someone who understands both the numbers and the narrative.
Welcome
Most firms I work with aren’t short of ideas: they are short of senior marketing leadership that can connect those ideas to commercial outcomes.
Whether you’re scaling fast, redefining your position, or navigating change in a tightly regulated market, I bring the commercial focus and strategic, brand thinking needed to build trust, differentiate, and drive long-term value.
You know marketing matters, but you also know that hiring a full-time CMO is a significant commitment, and not always the right one. That’s where I come in.
Not every firm needs a full-time Chief Marketing Officer, but at certain stages of growth or change, they do require senior thinking, clear direction and experienced leadership. As a fractional CMO, I work with a small number of firms at a time, providing board-level marketing leadership without the cost or commitment of a permanent hire.
Working alongside CEOs, CFOs and boards, I’m able to bring clarity, structure and direction, ensuring marketing supports the business strategy rather than running alongside it.
Services
Fractional CMO Leadership
I provide strategic marketing leadership on a part-time or project basis, integrating into your executive team to bring structure, experience and commercial focus to the marketing function. This allows you to access senior expertise at the point you need it, without committing to a full-time hire.
Commercial Analytics
I put the structure in place to connect marketing activity to commercial performance, so leadership teams can see exactly what’s working, what’s not, and where to invest next. With the right measurement framework, marketing moves from a cost centre to a function that can be evaluated in the same way as any other part of the business.
Growth Strategy & Positioning
I bring clarity to who you serve, how you are positioned, and how your proposition should be expressed in the market. When positioning is well defined, marketing activity becomes easier to prioritise, easier to measure, and more effective at driving growth.
Campaign Strategy & Execution
I develop and oversee marketing campaigns that are aligned with your strategic priorities, ensuring activity is focused, well executed and measured against meaningful outcomes. This brings greater discipline to marketing investment and clearer visibility of what is driving growth.
My impact
“I worked with Emma during her time at Charles Stanley, where she held senior roles in Marketing, Commercial Analytics and the CEO Office. Emma and I first crossed paths when she led the decision support function at Charles Stanley and she has used her background in analytical skills as well as strong leadership and interpersonal capabilities to succeed in a number of executive roles. Most impressively, these have been across different specialities where she has delivered proven results in each.
Emma built the Commercial Analytics function from scratch, driving firm-wide adoption of data-led decision-making which is still in use today and a vital part of the organisation. Later, as Marketing Director, Emma and I worked together to grow Charles Stanley Direct by revamping the brand, fostering collaboration between our teams and driving client and asset growth. Emma is an absolute pleasure to work with; she brings clarity, structure and a strong sense of purpose to every project we have collaborated on. She’s a highly capable and versatile leader, and a real asset to any executive team.”
Simon Peal, Commercial Director, Charles Stanley Direct Services
Why choose to work with me?
How quickly will I see results?
My clients value experience, candour and clarity. They want someone who can sit at the table with the board, ask the right questions, and help turn decisions into action.
So, if your marketing needs to operate at a more strategic level without the cost of a full-time, permanent CMO I’d be a good fit for you.
Typically, the firms I support are:
Growing and need more senior marketing leadership
Going through change, acquisition or repositioning
Unsure whether they need a full-time CMO
Frustrated that marketing activity is not clearly linked to results
Looking for someone who understands both the commercial and regulatory realities of financial services
If you need marketing leadership that understands both the numbers and the narrative, fractional support can be a practical and effective solution.
Whether you are exploring the idea of a fractional CMO for the first time or looking for experienced support at a particular stage of growth, I am always happy to have an initial conversation.
My impact
“Emma is a talented leader, commercially focused and results oriented. She shows great versatility, applying her skills to varied functions within financial services, with strong outcomes in each case. She combines that with genuine care for those in her teams. Strong organisational awareness supports effective inter-departmental teamwork and coordination.”
Paul Abberley, former CEO, Charles Stanley
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Let's Chat
Whether you are looking for strategic marketing leadership, help with positioning and differentiation, or building the commercial analytics that connect marketing to business outcomes, I would welcome a conversation about how I might help.
