CEO’s Guide to Hiring a Great Fractional Leader
10 traits to look for in a your next fractional leader (with recommendations for some great names!)
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Research: The CEO’s Guide to Choosing a Great Fractional Leader
CEOs: Don’t Just Hire a Resume. Hire a Force Multiplier.
Over the past few years, we’ve worked with dozens of CEOs who brought in fractional executives—fractional CMOs, CROs, COOs, Heads of GTM Strategy.
Some of those partnerships were transformative.
Others were disappointing at best and damaging at worst.
Here’s the hard truth:
Hiring a fractional leader is not the same as hiring a full-time executive.
It’s not about headcount. It’s about leverage.
If you’re hiring a fractional leader to fill a gap or help your team grow through a major transition, you need to know what to actually look for—beyond industry buzzwords or referrals from your VC Slack group.
In a Tightening Economy, Fractional Leaders Are No Longer a Luxury. They’re a Leverage Point.
In 2024 and beyond, economic uncertainty is reshaping how companies build their leadership teams.
Budgets are tighter. Hiring freezes are more common. Investors are prioritizing efficient growth over headcount expansion. As a result, fractional leadership is on the rise—not just as a cost-saving move, but as a smart, strategic bet.
Done right, a fractional executive can deliver the clarity, momentum, and execution power of a full-time leader—without the long-term commitment or price tag. But done wrong? You’ll waste precious time and money at a moment when neither is in abundance.
Whether you’re bringing in a fractional CMO, CRO, Head of RevOps, or GTM leader, we can help you make the right call.
10 Traits to Look For in a Great Fractional Leader
1. Relevant Experience: Not Just Industry, but Stage and Motion
They should understand your industry, company stage, and go-to-market (GTM) motion.
It matters whether they’ve:
Helped companies shift from founder-led sales to repeatable pipeline
Led a PLG motion for a Series A SaaS startup
Rebuilt a funnel post-merger or acquisition
Bonus: If they understand the GTM Operating System (like the one taught by GTM Partners), they won’t just see your problems—they’ll know how to fix them systemically.
READ: The CEO Manifesto on Connecting Strategy to Execution
2. Strategy + Execution: Can They Do Both?
They must be able to zoom out to set strategy and roll up their sleeves to implement.
Look for:
Clear frameworks
Tactical playbooks
Examples of how they’ve delivered quick wins and long-term impact
3. Chemistry: With You, the Team, and the Work
Trust and alignment matter more than you think.
Do they:
Challenge you without posturing?
Win trust with your senior leaders?
Lead with humility but act with confidence?
4. Track Record of Durable Outcomes
Ask:
What changed after you left?
What KPIs improved?
What stuck six months later?
Fractional work should leave behind momentum, not mess.
5. Fast Pattern Recognition
You’re not hiring someone to “learn the business.” You’re hiring someone to spot what’s broken fast.
Look for:
Strategic diagnosis in the first few weeks
Ability to synthesize insights across sales, marketing, CS, and product
Comfort making decisions with imperfect data
6. Emotional Intelligence & Executive Maturity
Fractional leaders are often dropped into messy, high-pressure situations. They need:
Confidence without ego
Curiosity without indecision
Calm leadership in a chaotic org chart
7. Influence Without Authority
They don’t have a title to rely on. So they better:
Communicate clearly
Earn credibility quickly
Navigate conflict with grace
8. Clarity on Working Model
Don’t skip the logistics.
What’s their availability?
How do they prefer to communicate?
What does “done” look like?
A fractional leader should have a tight onboarding plan and set expectations clearly.
9. Learning Mindset and Adaptability
If your GTM motion is evolving fast (hint: it is), you don’t want someone stuck on what worked in 2019.
Look for:
Recent examples of adaptability
A healthy relationship with experimentation
Familiarity with AI, automation, and buyer behavior shifts
10. Reputation and References
Finally, check their receipts.
Ask:
What would your last CEO say about you?
What hard thing did you help a company do?
What would you do differently next time?
Bonus: What to Look for Based on Function
Your expectations should shift depending on the kind of fractional leader you’re hiring. Here's what to focus on function by function:
Fractional GTM Leader (Head of GTM)
Best for:
Aligning sales, marketing, and CS under a unified strategy
Driving GTM transformation (new motion, new ICP, new market)
Creating a system that connects strategy to execution
Look for:
Familiarity with the GTM Operating System (segmentation, roles, data, enablement, etc.)
Experience running integrated revenue teams
Ability to work cross-functionally at the exec level
Fractional RevOps Leader
Best for:
Unifying GTM functions
Fixing pipeline and forecasting
Scaling infrastructure
Look for:
Systems thinking
CRM + tool proficiency
Experience aligning teams on shared metrics
Fast diagnostic ability
Fractional Sales Leader
Best for:
Building or restructuring sales orgs
Entering new markets
Fixing accountability and process gaps
Look for:
Leadership and team development skills
Playbook creation and execution
Experience closing enterprise deals or building velocity models
Fractional Marketing Leader
Best for:
Positioning and messaging refinement
Demand generation strategy
Aligning brand with GTM
Look for:
Full-funnel thinking
Data-informed creativity
Cross-functional collaboration with sales and product
TL;DR
You’re not hiring a fractional leader to “fill a seat.” You’re hiring them to accelerate clarity, execution, and outcomes
Make sure you’re choosing someone who can:
Think systemically
Act fast
Align with your GTM strategy
Leave your company better than they found it
Find the Best Fractional Leaders in the GTMarketplace
The following fractional leaders have been trained and certified in the Go-to-Market Operating System. Connect with them to see how they can help you implement your GTM strategies.
Dave Babst – DNA Business Consulting
Solves GTM challenges for growth-ready founder-led tech and services companies.
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity
John Ryan – GTM Value
Delivers holistic GTM alignment across marketing, sales, and CS to maximize valuation.
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Revenue Operations, Total Relevant Market
Sue Foley – MarketCraft GTM
Aligns strategy, messaging, and execution for B2B teams.
Clients: Introzy, MYOB
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Total Relevant Market
Andrew Kappel – LeaderLev Consulting
Connects strategy and execution for growth.
Clients: Mural, Optimize.Health, EOS
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Revenue Operations, Total Relevant Market
Dory Schrader
Fractional CMO helping mission-driven companies unlock growth through clear strategy, brand-building, and team leadership.
Clients: Knowbly, SherpaiAI, Bonsaify
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Pipeline Velocity, Total Relevant Market
Scott Travis – StageWise GTM
Helps early-stage B2B founders build the right GTM OS for growth.
Expertise: Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Total Relevant Market
Heidi Hattendorf
Fractional CMO and GTM strategist focused on results-driven marketing.
Clients: SaaS, AI, biopharma, manufacturing
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity
Sarah Allen-Short
GTM advisor, fractional CMO, and executive coach for startups and SMBs.
Clients: Verint, Chain.io, University of Michigan
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Total Relevant Market
Tim Hillison – Entry Point 1
Scales startups with Fractional CMO and GTM Advisory services.
Clients: PayPal, Visa, Microsoft
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Total Relevant Market
Celeste Jacroux – Swell Marketing Advisors
Guides teams through GTM resets and steps in as a fractional marketing leader to drive growth without full-time cost.
Clients: ReputationDefender, Televerde, Qualys, Insure Compliance, Axway, W5 Consulting
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Total Relevant Market
Newell Falkinburg – Agile Revenue
GTM leader accelerating Series A–C startup revenue with deep experience from Google, Microsoft, and early-stage teams.
Clients: Google, Microsoft, Dito, Common Good IT, Qumu, Nylas, PacketFabric
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Total Relevant Market
Michelle Killebrew – Pegasus Strategy Co.
Delivers AI-powered fractional marketing and sales leadership to drive scalable growth for tech companies.
Clients: AI & SaaS, IT Infrastructure, Tech Services
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Market Investment Map, Pipeline Velocity, Revenue Operations, Total Relevant Market
Tracy Hernandez – SaaS Lumen
Provides Revenue Acceleration services to improve expansion and renewal metrics.
Clients: Enterprise SaaS companies
Expertise: Customer Expansion, Customer Time-to-Value, Leadership & Management, Revenue Operations
Caitlin Clark-Zigmond — Clark Growth Partners
Delivers GTM alignment services to unify product, marketing, and sales for scalable revenue growth.
Clients: Fortune 500 Tech, B2B SaaS Companies, PE-backed Scaleups
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Pipeline Velocity, Total Relevant Market, Leadership & Management, Customer Time-to-Value, Customer Expansion
Sam Knight
Helps founders grow fast with GTM infrastructure that turns brand and media into pipeline and revenue.
Clients: AI, B2B SaaS, Martech, Cybersecurity, and Fintech
Expertise: Brand & Demand, Pipeline Velocity, Customer Time-to-Value, Customer Expansion, Revenue Operations
What to learn more about who else is certified:
GTMarketplace has additional fractional and agencies who are certified and ready to work for you.
If you’d like to be a certified GTM Partner like these fractional leaders, we’d love to talk to you about how to make that happen.
Love,
Bryan and Sangram