Fractional Leaders feat. Dale Graham

We caught up with Dale Graham, a seasoned marketing leader with over 13 years of experience driving growth for both established brands and startups. Having led multiple agencies and worked with top companies like IBM, Meta, and Marks & Spencer.

In this blog, Dale offers invaluable insights on what it takes to scale, the importance of data, and how fractional leadership can make a real impact.

Can you please introduce yourself and your journey to becoming a Fractional Leader?

My name is Dale Graham and over the last 13 years, I have been driving growth for ambitious brands through innovative marketing strategies, data-driven insights, and cutting-edge digital solutions. I have run multiple marketing agencies over the last 7 years and have worked heavily in the technology space with companies such as IBM, Deutsche Telekom, Meta, TechnologyOne, and RS Group, as well as consumer brands like Nyetimber and Marks & Spencer. 

I have also supported many startups helping them with their Go-To-Market strategies and supporting them with investment preparation. 

I enjoy having a direct impact on these brand’s growth, helping them better understand their audiences and how to build strategies that actually work and convert.

Let’s talk impact, what achievements are you proud of the most? 

Some are large and some are small but both have the same impact on me.

• I recently helped a client develop & launch a full 360 brand activation and partnership for Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

• My agency at the time was appointed by the Australian Government to support 150+ tech firms with marketing programs and insights into the UK market, covering Green Energy, Cyber, AI, IoT and FinTech sectors. This was a huge win and the 1st time it had ever happened.  

• Being appointed by Meta (Facebook) to deliver their Global Go-To-Market Strategy to drive market entry for their telco incubation labs across EU, APAC, Africa & North America. (TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centre) 

Whilst these are impressive, the impact to me can be very similar to working with pre-funded companies in say, the fem-tech space. Helping test markets and successfully preparing for and executing investment raises. The impactful reward within that is unmatched.  

Based on your work with start-ups and scale-ups, do you have any pieces of wisdom you could share with businesses in scale-up mode?

A* players and being data led. 

Too many founder-led businesses are too passionate about their product or services before fully understanding the true needs of their consumers. They just truly believe “it will work” and that’s that. Of course, sometimes it does, but not often. 

It’s vital when scaling a startup that you ground decisions in data, not assumptions or emotions. “Why are we doing this?” – Because the data said. 

And of course A players – and ensuring the right people are in the right roles. I’ve worked with a lot of companies with this similar pain.

Startups simply cannot afford to carry ‘C players’ or to have misaligned talent. The team you build as you prepare to scale will directly influence your trajectory. You need a team that not only shares your vision but is also equipped with the skills, mindset, and resilience to thrive in a high-growth environment. Missteps here, whether hiring the wrong talent or placing good talent in the wrong roles, can derail momentum, increase costs, and strain company culture. 

When it comes to building your brand and creating the perfect marketing strategy, you need to ensure you hire the right CMO/MD.

If you’re not ready to hire a full-time position, then hire a Fractional CMO who can provide you with strategic guidance and leadership on how to reach your goals. 

If you’re a business interested in hearing more about our Fractional Leadership offering you can:

Find out more here

If you are a fractional leader and would like to be featured as part of the “Fractional Leaders” series please get in touch.