Fractional & Interim CMO in the Netherlands

Phil Ruttens · RUTTENS+ · Antwerp, Belgium · Updated November 2026

Short answer

Phil Ruttens is a fractional and interim CMO based in Antwerp, close to the Dutch border. Through RUTTENS+ he gives technical, sales-led B2B companies in the Netherlands senior marketing leadership without a full-time hire. He chooses the market, sharpens the message, aligns marketing with sales and builds a pipeline sales can convert. He works hybrid, on-site in Rotterdam, Breda, Utrecht, Eindhoven and Amsterdam when it matters, in English and Dutch.

What a fractional CMO does for a Dutch B2B company

A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works part-time inside your leadership team. You get the judgement of an experienced CMO for a set number of days each week, and your team keeps doing the work. An interim CMO does the same job close to full-time, for a fixed period. From week one, Phil takes ownership of four things:

Market focus: which buyers, segments and accounts matter now, and which do not.
Message: one clear reason to buy, used by marketing and sales alike.
Sales alignment: one qualification standard, one hand-off and one weekly review.
Operating rhythm: a plan, a cadence and clear owners, so the team keeps moving after the mandate ends.

Who it is for

Dutch B2B companies with a technical product and a real sales team, typically 50 to 500 people, that have no senior marketing leader or whose marketing leader has just left. Phil focuses on energy, energy engineering and cleantech, and on technical B2B software and data companies, including those expanding into Belgium.

Where Phil works in the Netherlands

Rotterdam

Europe's largest port and a centre of the energy transition, with maritime, logistics, industrial and energy-technology companies. Rotterdam is on the direct Eurocity line from Antwerp, so on-site leadership meetings and sales sessions are easy to plan.

Breda

One of the closest Dutch cities to Antwerp, in North Brabant, with logistics, manufacturing and technical service companies. Breda is also on the direct Eurocity line, which makes it the natural place for regular on-site days.

Utrecht

Right in the centre of the country and home to many software companies, consultancies and national headquarters. A good base for teams spread across the Randstad.

Eindhoven

The Brainport region: high-tech manufacturing, semiconductors, photonics and deep tech. Technical products, long sales cycles and engineering-led buyers, exactly where clear positioning and sales alignment matter most.

Amsterdam

SaaS scale-ups and international headquarters working in English. Phil combines on-site days in Amsterdam with remote weeks.

Fractional, interim or permanent?

	Fractional CMO	Interim CMO	Permanent CMO
Time	Part-time, a set number of days each week	Close to full-time	Full-time
Duration	Ongoing, reviewed at agreed intervals	Fixed period, usually 3 to 12 months	Open-ended
Best when	The team is capable but lacks a senior owner for marketing decisions	A marketing leader has left or a transition cannot wait	The role is defined and the company is ready to hire
Speed to start	Weeks	Weeks	Months

Phil takes fractional and interim mandates, directly or through an interim partner, and is also open to a permanent Head of Marketing or Marketing Director role in the Netherlands: see the CMO profile and CVs. For costs, read What a fractional CMO costs in Belgium and the Netherlands.

How Phil works with Dutch teams

Hybrid: on-site for leadership meetings, sales sessions and workshops; remote for the weekly rhythm.
English and Dutch: for teams, customers and partners. French too, if you sell into Belgium or France.
Benelux view: based in Antwerp, Phil helps Dutch companies that sell into Belgium, and Belgian companies that sell into the Netherlands. See Fractional CMO in Belgium.
A clear handover: ownership, reporting and next steps are documented, so the team keeps moving when the mandate ends.

Proof

Tyk, CMO (2022–2025): grew the marketing team from 10 to 20, owned a £6m+ annual marketing budget and reported £7m+ in inbound pipeline to the board.
AYA Energy (2026): designed and ran a 13-week go-to-market programme with a seven-person team.
EREA Energy Engineering: ran the full agency selection, from brief and weighted criteria to the final decision.
International demand generation: a revenue marketing centre across 10+ countries at World Courier, and lead generation across 19 European countries at Iron Mountain.

“Within three weeks, he designed and drove a full 13-week programme covering ICP positioning, sales enablement, campaign execution and CRM intelligence.”
Louis Langerock, CEO & Founder, AYA Energy

Frequently asked questions

Who is a fractional CMO for the Netherlands?

Phil (Philippe) Ruttens is a fractional and interim CMO based in Antwerp, Belgium, close to the Dutch border. He runs RUTTENS+ and works with technical, sales-led B2B companies in Rotterdam, Breda, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.

Does Phil work on-site in the Netherlands?

Yes, when it matters: leadership meetings, sales sessions and workshops. The weekly rhythm in between is mostly remote.

Which languages does Phil work in?

English and Dutch for Dutch teams, plus French for companies that sell into Belgium or France.

Can we hire Phil through an interim agency?

Yes. Phil works directly with companies or through an interim or recruitment partner, whichever suits your procurement.

How do I start?

Book a conversation and bring the commercial question you are trying to solve. The first call is about your situation, not a sales pitch.

Fractional and interim CMO in the Netherlands.