By Philippe Ruttens — fractional and interim CMO, Antwerp · ~7 min read · October 2026
Short answer
When your CMO or marketing director leaves, protect the pipeline first and fix the org chart second. In week one, name an owner for every live campaign, budget and agency contract. Then choose between an interim CMO (close to full-time, fixed period), a fractional CMO (part-time, ongoing) or waiting for the permanent hire, based on how much commercial work is at risk in the next 90 days.
The first seven days after a CMO leaves
The first week is not about hiring. It is about making sure nothing important stops while you decide what to hire. Work through this list with the CEO, the head of sales and whoever is most senior left in marketing.
- Secure access. Check that the company, not one person, holds admin rights to the CRM, marketing automation, ad accounts, website, analytics and social pages.
- List what is live. Campaigns, events, launches, agency retainers, renewals and anything promised to sales or the board in the next 90 days.
- Name a temporary owner for each item. One name per line. Shared ownership in week one usually means no ownership by week three.
- Talk to the marketing team. Find out who is carrying what, who feels exposed and who might leave next. A leadership gap often turns into a team gap.
- Talk to sales. Ask which deals and which part of next quarter's pipeline depend on marketing. That tells you how urgent the gap really is.
- Confirm or pause large spend. Do not let a big budget run on autopilot without a senior owner, and do not cancel it in a panic either.
- Write down the real question. Do you need someone to hold the seat, or someone to fix something that was not working before the CMO left?
Interim CMO, fractional CMO or wait for the permanent hire?
The right model follows the gap, not the job title. Use the situation in front of you to choose.
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|
| Major launch, campaign or board commitment in the next 90 days; team needs daily direction | Interim CMO | Close to full-time leadership from the start, for a fixed period |
| Capable team that can execute, but nobody senior owns marketing decisions | Fractional CMO | Senior judgement a set number of days a week, without a full-time cost |
| Marketing was not producing pipeline before the CMO left | Interim or fractional with a build mandate | Fix market focus, message and the sales hand-off before you hire permanently |
| Strategy is settled, the team is stable and nothing critical is live | Wait for the permanent hire | A strong deputy and a clear brief may be enough |
For the full comparison, read Interim CMO vs fractional CMO.
How to hire an interim marketing director, step by step
- Write the mandate in outcomes, not activities. Not "lead marketing", but "keep the Q1 launch on track, agree one qualification standard with sales and leave a brief for the permanent CMO".
- Set the shape. Days per week, start date, a fixed period and a review point. Most interim mandates run until the permanent leader is in place and settled.
- Decide what authority they have. Budget sign-off, agency decisions, team management and a seat in the leadership meeting. An interim without authority is a consultant with a calendar.
- Build a shortlist. Use referrals from your board and investors, interim management networks, executive search firms and fractional platforms. Ask for people who have done this in your type of company.
- Interview for hand-over, not for charisma. Ask each candidate what your business will have in place when they leave. The good ones answer with specifics.
- Agree the hand-over at the start. The interim should help shape the brief, scorecard and interview plan for the permanent CMO.
What the interim mandate should cover
- 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.
- The permanent hire: a role brief, a scorecard and a clean hand-over file.
What good looks like after 30, 60 and 90 days
- Day 30: live work is under control, every budget line has an owner, the team knows the priorities and leadership has a clear diagnosis.
- Day 60: marketing and sales work from one qualification standard, weak spend is cut or redirected and the weekly rhythm is running.
- Day 90: pipeline reporting the board trusts, a plan for the next two quarters and a brief ready for the permanent CMO.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hiring the first available person to fill the chair before you know what the gap is.
- Giving the interim responsibility without authority over budget, agencies or the team.
- Letting the permanent search start before anyone has defined what the role must fix.
- Treating the gap as a marketing problem only, when sales is feeling it first.
Hiring an interim CMO in Belgium
For B2B companies in Belgium, two practical points matter. First, language: a marketing leader who can work with teams, customers and partners in English, Dutch and French removes friction from day one. Second, contracting: senior interims usually work through their own company, so put scope, authority, notice and confidentiality in a short written agreement before the start date.
RUTTENS+ is the interim and fractional CMO practice of Phil Ruttens, based in Antwerp. See Phil Ruttens, fractional and interim CMO or fractional CMO in Antwerp.
Frequently asked questions
What should you do first when your CMO leaves?
Secure access to your marketing systems, list everything that is live or promised in the next 90 days, and give each item one temporary owner. Then talk to sales to see how much pipeline depends on marketing before you choose an interim, a fractional CMO or a permanent search.
Should you hire an interim CMO or a fractional CMO after your CMO leaves?
Hire an interim CMO when live work and the team need close to full-time leadership right away. Hire a fractional CMO when the team can execute but needs a senior owner for marketing decisions a few days a week.
How long does an interim marketing director stay?
Usually until the permanent leader is appointed and settled in. Agree a fixed period with a review point at the start, and make the hand-over to the permanent hire part of the mandate.
Should the interim help hire the permanent CMO?
Yes. The interim sees what the role must fix, so they should help write the brief and scorecard. They should not run the final decision, especially if they could be a candidate.
Does Phil Ruttens take interim CMO mandates in Belgium?
Yes. Phil Ruttens is a fractional and interim CMO based in Antwerp who works with technical, sales-led B2B companies in Belgium and across Europe, in English, Dutch and French.