Fractional Head of Commercial & Consultant for a business school.

9 months leading the commercial function for a London-based business school: from an initial business review to a structured fractional engagement and finally handover to the permanent hire we helped select.

9months, from assessment to handover

3teams overseen: brand marketing, performance marketing and sales

2xrevenue per £1 of marketing spend, first vs last quarter of engagement

6lenses, one framework

The challenge

Senior leadership, without the full-time commitment.

The school needed senior commercial leadership, but committing to a senior full-time hire straight away wasn't the right move.

The brief: assess the commercial function independently, stabilise it, rebuild the foundations, and prepare the ground for a permanent leader.

Scope

Assessment first, then execution.

The first weeks produced an independent business review of the full commercial function, structured on the IOMMIX framework. It became the working agenda for the rest of the engagement.

From there, the role ran as fractional Head of Commercial, and finally as a Consultant: overseeing marketing, performance marketing and sales, monthly channel reviews, budget and target planning, team restructuring, and support in hiring the permanent successor.

Approach

The IOMMIX framework, from review to handover.

The same 6 lenses structured the initial assessment, the monthly management rhythm, and the final handover documentation.

i

Insights

Brand positioning and marketing personas documented

o

Orchestration

Marketing, performance and sales teams restructured

m

Measurement

Monthly channel reviews, from gross leads to quality

m

Marketing mix

Paid mix diversified beyond one dominant channel

i

Innovation

Martech rationalised, team's AI literacy improved

x

Growth

A 90-day and long-term roadmap, handed over

Impact

A stronger foundation, handed over properly.

Revenue per marketing spend almost doubled between the first and last quarter of the engagement. The mix diversified, measurement shifted from lead volume to lead quality, and positioning went from undocumented to written down and usable.

The engagement closed the way a fractional role should: with a final independent review as handover documentation, and a permanent Head of Commercial in the seat.

Education Fractional leadership Fractional Head of Commercial Performance management Marketing and sales Student recruitment

FAQ

Common questions on fractional leadership.

What is a fractional Head of Commercial?

A senior leader who runs marketing and sales under daily rate or retainer, in this case. The business gets the seniority it needs, without committing to a full-time cost before the case for it is proven. Fractional leadership can be also delivered based on project.

Was this a client engagement?

Yes. A part-time fractional engagement through Iommix, from September 2025 to June 2026, ending with a planned handover to a permanent hire I helped select.

What does the handover include?

A final independent review documenting structure, performance, decisions taken and a roadmap for the first 90 days and the long term, so the incoming leader starts from evidence rather than guesswork.

Let's work together

Interested in building a success story? Let's chat.

Build smart growth and global impact. Work with former Vodafone, WPP Media, JLL, Global University Systems.

Book a call Prefer to write first? silvia@iommix.com