Business Growth Strategies For CEOs: Top CMOs On Marketing Strategy Implementations

Howard Doherty

A progressive data-driven senior sales leader with a bias for action and year-over-year success, Howard puts tech companies on the map. An inclusive, empowering developer of people and teams, he drives revenue and profitability for emerging tech startups and more established brands. An expert in building sales organizations from the ground up, he creates infrastructure, establishes sales plans and pipelines, and identifies new markets and opportunities, positioning firms for a successful exit. A charismatic, transparent, and persuasive communicator, Howard builds trust and buy-in with ease and excels in delivering business value.

Outsider Insights | The Backup Plan You Don't Have Is Already Costing You

Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Posted by Dawn Werry

Executive Takeaways

Commercial team gaps happen for many reasons: someone leaves, someone is underperforming, or the business needs a capability the current team doesn’t have.
Mid-sized companies tend to run lean, which means there’s rarely a qualified backup ready to step into a critical role.
The real cost of that gap isn’t the empty seat. Priorities slow, teams lose direction, good people get frustrated, and commercial efforts stall.
Rushing a permanent hire isn’t always the answer. Fractional resources can keep the business moving while you make the right long-term decision.
The best time to decide how you’ll handle a critical commercial is before one opens.

Outsider Insights

Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.

Read More

Is Your Sales Strategy Built to Adapt?

Tue, Jan 7, 2025 — In today's changing business environment, agility isn't just an advantage—it's essential for survival. According to McKinsey's 2023 B2B Sales Pulse Survey, 71% of sales leaders say market unpredictability is their biggest challenge, and 65% report struggling to adapt their plans quickly enough to keep pace with change. Yet 65% of sales leaders report they can't adapt their plans fast enough to keep pace with rapid change.

Unifying Revenue Teams: How a Fractional CRO Drives Cross-Functional Success

Tue, Dec 17, 2024 — For mid-market CEOs navigating growth, aligning sales, marketing, and customer success can feel like herding cats. As these teams expand, they often develop siloed processes that hinder efficiency and impact the bottom line. A fractional chief revenue officer (CRO) offers a cost-effective solution to this challenge, bringing executive-level expertise to unite revenue functions without the full-time price tag.

Five Key Signals CEOs Need a Fractional CRO: Accelerating Growth for Mid-Market Companies, Part 2

Wed, Dec 11, 2024 — Our previous blog explored five key signals indicating when mid-market CEOs should consider hiring a fractional chief revenue officer (CRO). These signals included stagnant growth, entering new markets, preparing for funding rounds, misalignment across revenue functions, and scaling beyond founder-led sales. Let's delve into two additional critical scenarios where a fractional CRO can provide invaluable expertise and support.

Five Key Signals CEOs Need a Fractional CRO: Accelerating Growth for Mid-Market Companies

Tue, Dec 3, 2024 — For mid-market CEOs, navigating growth can feel like walking a tightrope. There's immense pressure to scale the company, optimize revenue streams, and hit ambitious targets without overextending resources or risking quality. While some companies have full-time Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) to spearhead these initiatives, others find that hiring a CRO on a fractional basis provides the right mix of expertise, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.

Growth Insights for CEOs