Part-time interim CMO for owner-led businesses
An interim CMO leads a company’s marketing for a limited period while the permanent role is empty.
Firefly does not provide a full-time interim executive. Saad Afsar leads the marketing for about five hours a week during the gap, on the same terms as every fractional CMO engagement. The minimum term is three months.
The table shows what Saad keeps running during the gap, and what a full-time interim executive would add.
What is kept running during a gap, and what a full-time interim would add
| Area | Kept running by Saad | What a full-time interim would add |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Saad works on the marketing for about five hours a week. | A full-time interim works in the business for about forty hours a week. |
| Plan | Saad writes or takes over the marketing plan and sets the order of its priorities. | A full-time interim has the hours to lead a large project in person. |
| Budget | Saad decides how the marketing budget is divided, and he cuts spending that is not producing a return. | The budget decisions are the same under both arrangements. |
| People | Saad directs your staff and your agencies, and he judges their work by its results. | A full-time interim is the daily manager of your marketing staff. |
| Reports | You receive a report each week that measures the marketing against revenue. | The weekly report is the same. A full-time interim is also in the business each day to answer questions. |
Three ways to cover a gap in marketing leadership
An owner whose marketing head has left, or is on leave, can cover the gap in three ways.
- A full-time interim executive
- A full-time interim CMO works in the business all week until the permanent hire starts. This arrangement suits a company whose in-house marketing team needs a manager present every day. Firefly does not provide it.
- Part-time leadership during the gapWhat Firefly offers
- Saad leads the marketing for about five hours a week. This arrangement suits a business whose staff and agencies carry out the daily work, and which needs one senior person to decide the plan, the budget and the direction.
- The owner or a manager decides
- Some owners take the marketing decisions themselves until the hire is made. This suits a short gap in which the plan is already set and no large budget decision is due.
The minimum term of a Firefly engagement is three months. The part-time arrangement therefore suits a gap that is expected to last three months or longer.
A business that needs a full-time marketing head during the gap should ask an interim management firm or an executive search firm.
When part-time leadership is enough for a gap
An owner may be replacing a marketing head who has left, or covering a long leave. Some owners use the arrangement while they decide whether to fill the role again.
In each case the business needs staff or agencies who carry out the daily work. Saad’s hours go on decisions and direction.
The engagement starts with an audit of the channels and the data, which takes the first two weeks. Saad then writes a plan for the next 90 days.
The terms of the engagement
Part-time leadership during a gap runs on the same terms as every Firefly engagement.
The fractional CMO at Firefly is Saad Afsar. He has 15 years of marketing experience, has led marketing for 40+ brands, and has enterprise experience at Unilever and Samsung.
Firefly works with owner-led businesses in Toronto and New York: hospitality groups, professional firms and independent brands.
Our page on what a fractional CMO costs compares these terms with published market rates.
- Rate
- $100 an hour
- Standard engagement
- $2,000 a month
- Time
- About five hours a week
- Minimum term
- Three months
Results from fractional CMO engagements
Each result is measured in the client’s own system, over the period shown.
- Two Boots New York pizza, since 1987 +12% same-store net salesyear over year · Toast POS
- YYZ Law Aviation and travel law, Toronto 4.3× organic search clicksover three years · Google Search Console
- Boqueria Spanish tapas, multi-city US +73% private-events revenueyear over year · Tripleseat
- Paperchase Accounting and CFO advisory, NYC and London +69% website visitsyear over year · Google Analytics
Questions and answers
Is this a full-time interim CMO?
No. Firefly does not provide a full-time interim executive. Saad Afsar leads the marketing for about five hours a week during the gap, and your staff and your agencies carry out the daily work.
What is an interim CMO?
An interim CMO is a senior marketer who leads a company’s marketing for a limited period while the permanent role is empty. An interim CMO may work full time or part time. Firefly offers the part-time form.
What does Saad keep running during the gap?
Saad writes or takes over the marketing plan, decides how the budget is divided, and directs your staff and your agencies. You receive a report each week.
How long does the arrangement last?
The minimum term is three months, so the arrangement suits a gap that is expected to last at least that long.
When does a business need a full-time interim executive instead?
A business needs a full-time interim executive when its in-house marketing team needs a manager present every day. Firefly does not provide that arrangement.
Is an interim CMO the same as a fractional CMO?
An interim arrangement ends when a permanent hire starts. A fractional CMO engagement is otherwise the same, with no end date set in advance. At Firefly the work and the terms are the same in both cases.
What does the arrangement cost?
The rate is the same as for every Firefly engagement, at $100 an hour. A standard engagement of about five hours a week costs $2,000 a month, and the three-month minimum comes to $6,000.
Book a call, or write first
You can book a discovery call on Saad Afsar’s calendar.
If you prefer to write first, send a few details in the form and Saad will reply within 24 hours.