In today’s rapidly evolving telecom industry, having a skilled marketing leader can make all the difference. But what if your company isn’t ready for a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)? Enter the fractional CMO, a flexible, cost-effective solution that brings top-level marketing expertise without a long-term commitment. Let’s explore what fractional CMOs are, how to pick the perfect match for your telecom business, and why they’re becoming increasingly popular.
What is a Fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is essentially a part-time Chief Marketing Officer who offers senior-level marketing expertise and strategic leadership. Instead of hiring a full-time executive, fractional CMOs can be brought in to support your marketing efforts exactly when and how you need them. This could mean working a few days each month, several hours a week, or providing guidance on specific projects.
For telecom companies, fractional CMOs are particularly valuable because they bring specialized industry knowledge and fresh marketing insights, without the burden of a full-time executive salary and benefits. By adopting this flexible approach, telecom businesses can access high-quality, experienced marketing leadership tailored precisely to their growth stage, goals, and budget.
NUOPTIMA’s Fractional CMOs for Telecom
At NUOPTIMA, founded by Alexej Pikovsky, we connect telecom businesses with fractional CMOs who deeply understand the telecom industry. Every fractional CMO we work with goes through a strict five-step vetting process personally supervised by Alexej. This ensures you’ll work with experts who genuinely know telecom marketing, understand regulatory nuances, and deliver strategies designed to match your growth targets.
Each NUOPTIMA fractional CMO has:
- Proven experience scaling telecom companies to eight- or nine-figure revenues.
- Passed a detailed background check confirming their past achievements.
- Demonstrated expertise through a live assessment focused on telecom-specific growth strategies, customer acquisition metrics, and product-market fit.
- Earned positive references from telecom founders and industry investors.
- Completed a paid two-week project demonstrating practical, compliant marketing strategies and campaign execution.
We select only the top 2% of fractional CMOs who apply.
Why Choose NUOPTIMA for Telecom
- Strategy and execution: Your fractional CMO doesn’t just build strategic plans but actively helps implement campaigns, content, partnerships, and ad strategies.
- Telecom expertise: Our CMOs understand telecom-specific marketing, customer journeys, compliance requirements, and complex B2B or B2C sales channels.
- Rapid onboarding: Get matched with your ideal telecom CMO and kick off your marketing initiatives within 10 days.
- Personalized fit: Alexej personally approves each CMO placement, ensuring the ideal match in terms of skills, culture, and risk management.
With NUOPTIMA’s C-Suite Connect, telecom companies gain access to experienced marketing leadership, driving sustainable, data-driven growth that blends SEO, targeted campaigns, and profitable economics.
Top Fractional CMOs for Telecom Companies
1. Yvonne Brown
Yvonne Brown is a highly experienced fractional CMO specializing in telecom, technology, enterprise software, SaaS, and professional services. With over 25 years of expertise, she is known for transforming marketing departments into powerful engines that deliver measurable business growth. She has served as a senior marketing executive at over 45 companies, ranging from startups to billion-dollar enterprises, enabling her to quickly diagnose marketing challenges and create targeted, effective solutions.
Expertise and Specialties
- Market Entry and Expansion: Expert in launching new products, entering new markets, and scaling existing telecom businesses, both domestically and internationally.
- Branding and Positioning: Successfully rebranded more than 25 companies, clearly differentiating their messaging to resonate with target decision-makers.
- Revenue Growth: Demonstrated ability to significantly boost revenue, in one case increasing it by 84% in a single year through strategic refocusing.
- ROI Optimization: Skilled at maximizing tight marketing budgets, consistently delivering substantial increases in marketing ROI.
Notable Achievements
- Led a European mobile technology company’s successful entry into the competitive U.S. telecom market, winning major contracts worth $40 million within two years.
- Drove a 2000% ROI improvement on key marketing initiatives for a professional services firm through branding and lead generation enhancements.
- Successfully repositioned multiple enterprise SaaS and telecom companies, achieving rapid market acceptance and significant revenue growth.
Educational Background
- MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- BA, Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania
- International Baccalaureate, The British Schools, Uruguay
Approach and Working Style
Yvonne employs a highly collaborative approach, partnering closely with internal teams to deeply understand customer needs, competitive landscapes, and market trends. Her hands-on style ensures that strategies not only look good on paper but are realistically executable, delivering tangible results.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yvbrown
- Location: Belmont, Massachusetts, United States
2. Ross Kernez
Ross Kernez is a fractional CMO specializing in telecom and digital marketing, bringing over 15 years of experience driving strategic growth and innovation. Known for his ability to blend high-level strategic vision with hands-on execution, Ross excels at creating marketing systems that efficiently attract and retain customers, particularly in highly competitive industries like telecom.
Expertise and Specialties:
- Strategic Growth and Digital Transformation: Proven record of leading telecom companies through digital transformations and implementing AI-driven analytics, automation, and personalized customer journeys.
- Omni-channel Marketing: Extensive experience in leveraging multiple marketing channels, including SEO, paid search, social media, email marketing, digital PR, and content strategy to enhance brand visibility and customer acquisition.
- Performance Optimization: Adept at using data-driven decision-making to maximize marketing ROI and optimize resource allocation.
Notable Achievements
- Founded and grew a marketing community with over 3,000 members, providing mentorship and thought leadership within the digital marketing industry.
- Organizer of a prestigious annual SEO marketing conference in New York City, attracting global industry leaders and innovators.
- Extensive experience mentoring startups at Techstars and Starta VC, providing strategic marketing advice that drives measurable growth.
Educational Background:
- Executive MBA, Rutgers University (expected 2027)
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Approach and Working Style
Ross approaches each project by thoroughly understanding the telecom company’s unique challenges, customer base, and competitive landscape. He then creates tailored marketing strategies that emphasize clear communication, precise positioning, and effective customer engagement. Ross is particularly skilled at simplifying complex telecom offerings to clearly highlight their value to customers, resulting in increased customer acquisition and retention.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ross-kernez
- Location: Edgewater, New Jersey, United States
3. Matt Benner
Matt Benner is a seasoned fractional CMO specializing in telecommunications, financial services, technology, retail, and energy sectors. Based in Houston, Matt has over 25 years of marketing and management expertise, consistently driving substantial revenue growth, profitability, and brand strength for his clients. He combines strategic vision with deep market insight and proven execution to deliver impactful results.
Expertise and Specialties
- Revenue Growth and Profitability: Proven ability to significantly enhance revenue and profit margins across telecom and related industries through targeted strategic marketing and sales initiatives.
- Branding and Market Positioning: Deep experience in building and revitalizing brands, establishing clear differentiation, and driving customer preference and loyalty.
- Strategic Vision: Skilled at developing innovative growth strategies, customer segmentation, and new market entry plans.
- Sales Channel Optimization: Expert in integrating and optimizing new sales channels, leading to increased efficiency and higher profitability.
Notable Achievements
- Increased a telecom and internet hosting company’s monthly sales volume by more than 40%, reduced cost per sale by nearly 80%, and nearly tripled new business opportunities within one year.
- Improved average revenue per sale by 150% for a financial services firm, while simultaneously reducing sales costs by over 60% within six months.
- As SVP at Reliant Energy, led efforts resulting in an 85% increase in EBITDA and significantly enhanced customer satisfaction and brand reputation.
Educational Background
- BSE, Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, Princeton University
Approach and Working Style
Matt is known for his collaborative, results-driven approach. He aligns closely with executive teams to identify barriers to growth, strategically reposition brands, and implement pragmatic go-to-market plans. His hands-on style ensures strategies translate seamlessly into measurable business outcomes.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-benner-a590694
- Location: Houston, Texas, United States
4. Ed Valdez
Ed Valdez is an experienced fractional CMO with deep expertise in telecom, AI, SaaS, and emerging technologies. Based in Austin, Texas, Ed specializes in helping telecom and technology-driven companies accelerate B2B and B2C growth through agile, data-driven marketing strategies and effective go-to-market playbooks. His focus on measurable, metric-driven outcomes has consistently enabled businesses to achieve significant revenue growth, attract funding, and successfully navigate acquisitions.
Expertise and Specialties
- Metric-Driven Growth: Uses data analytics, automation, and targeted marketing sprints to deliver measurable growth in customer acquisition, retention, and revenue.
- AI and Emerging Technologies: Specializes in integrating AI, SaaS, telecom, and emerging tech (IoT, AR/VR) into effective growth strategies.
- Go-to-Market Strategies: Experienced in creating agile marketing plans, sales playbooks, and digital transformation roadmaps tailored to telecom and technology companies.
Notable Achievements
- Drove 10X growth in U.S. sales and 2X growth internationally at Parrot, successfully launching Bluetooth products into major telecom retailers and leading to a successful IPO.
- Contributed to achieving $1 billion in sales and significantly reducing costs at Motorola, playing a key role in the global launch strategy of the iconic RAZR platform and the first iPhone collaboration.
- Facilitated 35% year-over-year revenue growth at a digital media provider through strategic repositioning, resulting in a successful company acquisition.
- Mentored numerous startups and scale-ups, leading to funding rounds, acquisitions, and IPOs, including helping companies secure over $100 million in venture and Shark Tank investments.
Educational Background
- BSEE, Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Executive MBA, University of Texas, Austin
- Entrepreneur Leadership Program: Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
Approach and Working Style
Ed operates as a hands-on, strategic partner, closely aligning with executive teams to define clear, actionable marketing goals. He emphasizes agile methods, rapidly testing and scaling marketing strategies based on real-time data insights. His approach consistently delivers measurable outcomes, fostering innovation and building sustainable competitive advantages.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/edvaldez8888
- Location: Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area
5. Shiv Narayanan
Shiv Narayanan is an experienced fractional CMO specializing in telecom, SaaS, private equity (PE)-backed companies, and B2B marketing strategies. As the founder and CEO of How To SaaS, Shiv helps telecom and technology companies rapidly scale their marketing capabilities to drive significant growth and enterprise value. Based in Toronto, he brings deep expertise in using data-driven, predictable marketing engines to accelerate revenue, improve valuations, and guide successful exits.
Expertise and Specialties
- Marketing Strategy for Telecom and B2B SaaS: Specializes in developing sophisticated, scalable marketing strategies that significantly increase revenue predictability and enterprise value.
- Fractional CMO and Advisory Services: Offers strategic marketing leadership to telecom, B2B, and PE-backed companies, particularly post-acquisition, driving rapid growth and integration.
- Exit and Acquisition Readiness: Helps companies professionalize marketing to maximize valuations upon exit or acquisition.
Notable Achievements
- Served as fractional CMO and strategic advisor to top SaaS and technology companies, including Wrike, Chargebee, BigCommerce, InsightSoftware, Upland Software, and Boomi, successfully growing marketing-driven revenue and valuations.
- Authored two bestselling books: “Post-Acquisition Marketing”, guiding PE-backed companies through the first 100 days post-acquisition to rapidly scale growth and “Exit-Ready Marketing”, offering a 9-step framework for founders to enhance revenue predictability and maximize valuation at exit.
- Led marketing at Wild Apricot (acquired by Personify and later Pamlico Capital), significantly growing revenue through online acquisition and scalable marketing operations.
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Schulich School of Business, York University
Approach and Working Style
Shiv is known for blending strategic vision with hands-on, practical execution. He leverages deep analytics and predictable demand-generation strategies to align marketing closely with corporate objectives, significantly enhancing revenue predictability and driving measurable results. His methodologies focus on creating enterprise value, streamlining post-acquisition integrations, and building scalable marketing teams and processes.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/shiv-n22
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6. Jayant Kshirsagar
Jayant Kshirsagar is a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and co-founder of Fractional CMO Partners, specializing in helping startups achieve scalable growth through strategic marketing, particularly in Telecom, IT, SaaS, and B2B sectors. With over 27 years of experience, Jayant has a track record of building global demand-generation engines, powerful brands, and optimized go-to-market strategies.
Expertise and Specialties
- Telecom and IT Sector Marketing: Deep understanding of telecom, IT, and enterprise software marketing strategies, having held leadership roles at Idea Cellular, Wipro, Intuit, SAP, CleverTap, and MarketsandMarkets.
- Fractional CMO Services: Offers executive-level marketing leadership to startups and growth-stage companies, bridging the gap between business strategy and effective marketing execution.
- Demand Generation and Go-to-Market Strategy: Builds scalable demand engines with targeted content, growth marketing techniques, and marketing automation to drive predictable business growth.
- Brand Building and Thought Leadership: Proven expertise in positioning companies as category creators and thought leaders, significantly enhancing market visibility and brand equity.
Notable Achievements:
- Co-founded Fractional CMO Partners, supporting global startups in the US, EU, and India to accelerate their market presence and revenue growth.
- Global Head of Marketing at CleverTap, significantly scaling the demand generation engine, contributing to 100% YoY growth.
- Headed Marketing for MarketsandMarkets, setting the foundation for achieving unicorn status through strategic demand generation and branding initiatives.
- Senior Director at SAP, led brand-building initiatives and strategic demand-generation programs in Telecom and IT markets across India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
- Recognized as the Most Admired Marketer across the Asia-Pacific Japan region by SAP in 2019 and 2020 for strategic excellence and effective demand-generation programs.
Educational Background
- MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune
- Certified Digital Marketing Professional from Digital Marketing Institute
Approach and Working Style
Jayant is known for his strategic thinking, pragmatic execution, and collaborative leadership style. He emphasizes measurable outcomes, leverages data-driven insights, and adopts an integrated approach to demand generation, brand strategy, and product marketing. He is passionate about helping startups realize their global ambitions by building sustainable, high-impact marketing programs.
Contacts
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jayantkshirsagar
- Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
How Telecom Companies Benefit from Hiring a Fractional CMO
Hiring a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is becoming a popular and practical solution for telecom companies of all sizes. Here’s why this flexible model fits so well in the fast-changing, competitive telecom landscape.
Access to Senior-Level Expertise Without the Full-Time Cost
Telecom companies often operate on tight margins and in highly competitive markets. A full-time CMO can be expensive, especially when considering salary, bonuses, equity, and benefits. A fractional CMO gives you access to the same high-level strategic thinking and leadership, but only for the time and scope you need. This means you can stay nimble and invest your budget where it counts.
Flexibility to Scale Marketing Leadership as You Grow
Need help launching a new product? Entering a new market? Rethinking your brand? A fractional CMO can step in with the right playbook and roll off once the job is done. You get top-tier support without long-term commitments or organizational bloat. This is especially helpful for telecom startups and scale-ups navigating rapid growth or transition periods.
Deep Industry Knowledge With a Fresh Perspective
Telecom companies face unique marketing challenges, like navigating complex B2B and B2C funnels, managing partner channels, and communicating tech-heavy value propositions. Experienced fractional CMOs often come with a solid background in telecom and adjacent industries like SaaS, IT, or AI. They can jump in quickly, understand the technical nuances, and bring fresh, cross-industry insights that drive results.
Faster Go-to-Market and Smarter Demand Generation
Telecom moves fast. Markets shift, technologies evolve, and customers expect instant solutions. A good fractional CMO can rapidly assess your current marketing efforts, optimize your go-to-market strategy, and implement demand-generation systems that bring in qualified leads and improve conversion. You don’t have to wait six months for impact.
Improved Alignment Between Sales, Marketing, and Product
In many telecom companies, marketing operates in a silo. A fractional CMO can help align your marketing with sales and product teams, ensuring your message is consistent, your value proposition is clear, and your go-to-market approach supports business objectives. That kind of alignment helps close more deals and reduce churn.
Objective Advice and Fresh Strategy
Sometimes internal teams are too close to the business to see what needs to change. Fractional CMOs bring an outsider’s perspective, backed by real experience and data. They’re not caught up in company politics or legacy systems. That makes them especially valuable for telecom companies looking to pivot, innovate, or shake things up.
In short, fractional CMOs are a powerful asset for telecom businesses that want expert leadership, agility, and results, without the long-term commitment or overhead of a full-time hire.
How to Choose the Right Fractional CMO for Your Telecom Company
1. Understand Your Business Needs
Before starting your search, identify the specific marketing gaps you want to fill. Are you launching a new product, entering a new market, or needing to modernize your brand? Knowing whether you need demand generation, product marketing, or digital transformation will help narrow your options.
2. Look for Telecom Experience
A strong candidate should understand telecom’s unique challenges – long sales cycles, regulatory pressure, high churn, and complex go-to-market motions. Look for someone with prior experience in telecom or adjacent sectors like infrastructure, enterprise software, or IoT.
3. Assess Strategic vs. Tactical Capabilities
You want someone who can see the big picture: positioning, brand differentiation, customer segmentation, but also get hands-on when needed. The right fractional CMO balances long-term vision with short-term execution.
4. Prioritize Data-Driven Thinking
Telecom is increasingly data-rich. A good fractional CMO should be comfortable making decisions based on analytics, measuring marketing ROI, and aligning metrics with sales and customer success outcomes.
5. Evaluate Cultural Fit
A fractional CMO must integrate quickly with your existing leadership team and work cross-functionally with product, sales, and ops. Look for strong communication skills, stakeholder alignment experience, and adaptability to your company’s pace and style.
6. Check References and Track Record
Ask about results from previous roles: Did they drive subscriber growth, improve retention, or launch a product successfully? Verify their claims with references, especially from companies in complex B2B or infrastructure-heavy environments.
7. Start with a Pilot Engagement
Consider beginning with a 3- to 6-month engagement to assess impact before committing longer-term. This lets you see how they operate and whether they align with your growth priorities.
FAQ
This depends on your needs. Some companies engage a fractional CMO for just 10–15 hours per month, while others may need more consistent involvement like 1–2 days per week.
Consultants typically give advice and walk away. A fractional CMO is hands-on and accountable. They lead your marketing efforts from the inside, working with your team as a strategic partner and often rolling up their sleeves to execute.
Rates can vary based on experience, industry expertise, and the scope of work. However, it’s often far more affordable than hiring a full-time CMO, especially when factoring in benefits and overhead.
Yes. Fractional CMOs are especially valuable for growing telecom companies that need executive-level marketing guidance but don’t yet have the budget or need for a full-time executive. It’s a great way to scale smart without overextending resources.
