Fractional & interim CMO · B2B software and tech
Fractional CMO for B2B software and tech companies.
Senior marketing leadership for software, SaaS and API businesses that sell to technical and commercial buyers at the same time.
A fractional CMO for a B2B software company is a senior marketing leader who works part-time inside the leadership team and owns the decisions that turn a technical product into pipeline: which buyers and use cases to focus on, one message that works for engineers and for budget holders, a clean hand-off to sales and a weekly rhythm the team keeps running. Phil Ruttens, based in Antwerp, was CMO of the API software company Tyk from 2022 to 2025.
When a software company needs a fractional CMO
- The product is strong, the story is not. Engineers love it, but the people who sign the budget cannot repeat why it matters.
- Two buyers, two conversations. Developers and technical evaluators need proof; commercial buyers need a business case. Marketing serves one and loses the other.
- Pipeline depends on the founder. The best deals still come from the founder's network and demos.
- Activity without ownership. Content, events, paid and an agency are all running, but nobody senior decides what to stop.
- The marketing leader has left. Then the question is interim first, fractional after. See Your CMO just left.
Who buys B2B software, and what each needs
| Role | What they need to see | What marketing must give them |
|---|---|---|
| Technical evaluator / developer | That it works in their stack, at their scale | Documentation, architecture content, honest comparisons, a fast path to trying it |
| Budget holder (CTO, VP, line of business) | Why now, why this, what it saves or earns | A clear business case, named outcomes, references at their level |
| End users and team leads | That adoption will not slow them down | Use-case stories, onboarding content, community proof |
| Security, IT and procurement | That the risk is understood and controlled | Security and compliance information ready before they ask |
What Phil takes ownership of
- Market focus: the segments, use cases and accounts that matter now, and the ones to stop chasing.
- Message: one clear reason to buy that works for technical and commercial buyers, used by marketing and sales.
- Sales alignment: one qualification standard, one hand-off and one weekly review of pipeline.
- Team, agencies and budget: clear briefs, decisions about where spend goes, and reporting the board trusts.
- Operating rhythm: a plan, a cadence and owners, so the team keeps moving after the mandate.
Relevant experience
- CMO, Tyk (2022–2025): marketing organisation, marketing P&L, hiring briefs and scorecards for a scaling API software business.
- cleverbridge: martech selection and an account-based programme built from nothing.
- Iron Mountain: lead generation and online marketing across 19 countries in Europe.
- Fractional CMO / Revenue Leader, RUTTENS+ (2016–present): defined mandates, interim work and advisory.
James Hirst, Co-founder, Tyk
Full detail on the Track Record page and the CMO profile and CVs.
Choosing between models? Read Interim CMO vs fractional CMO and What does a fractional CMO do?
Frequently asked questions
What does a fractional CMO do for a B2B software company?
A fractional CMO leads marketing part-time from inside the leadership team. For a B2B software company that means choosing the segments and use cases to focus on, building one message for technical and commercial buyers, aligning marketing with sales and setting an operating rhythm the team can run.
Should a SaaS or API company hire a fractional or a full-time CMO?
Hire fractional when the team can execute but nobody senior owns the marketing decisions, and a full-time CMO is not yet the right cost or timing. Hire full-time when the strategy is settled and the company needs a permanent executive every day.
Does Phil Ruttens have software marketing experience?
Yes. Phil Ruttens was CMO of the API software company Tyk from 2022 to 2025 and built a martech and account-based programme for cleverbridge. He has run fractional and interim mandates through RUTTENS+ since 2016.
Does Phil work with software companies outside Belgium?
Yes. Phil is based in Antwerp and works on-site in Belgium and remotely or hybrid across Europe, with selected US mandates, in English, Dutch and French.