Fractionals United Event: Marketing: Bridging the Gap Between CFOs and CMOs

An April 17, 2025 candid conversation with veteran CMO and growth advisor Alan Gonsenhauser, CEO of Demand Revenue, LLC and Fractional United Marketing and Growth Advisory Board member. Alan’s unique career journey began in finance and evolved into leading marketing at some of the world’s largest B2B companies. Alan will share how his financial roots shaped his approach to marketing leadership – and why today’s CMOs must understand and align with finance more than ever.

We’ll explore how marketing and finance can work better together, lessons from Alan’s experience as a CMO (both full-time and fractional) and what it really means to be a business-first marketer.

Expect sharp insights, real talk, and takeaways you can apply immediately in your fractional marketing leadership.

Learn more about Alan at https://www.demandrevenue.com/

Summary

💡 From Finance to Marketing Leadership Alan Gonsenhauser shares his journey from a financial background to becoming a seasoned CMO, emphasizing the importance of understanding both financial and marketing perspectives to drive business growth.

🤝 Aligning CFO and CMO Objectives He discusses the common disconnect between CFOs and CMOs, advocating for a unified approach where marketing strategies are closely tied to financial goals, ensuring both departments work towards shared business outcomes.

📊 Emphasizing Data-Driven Marketing Gonsenhauser highlights the shift from traditional marketing metrics to data-driven approaches, stressing the need for CMOs to present measurable results that resonate with CFOs, such as ROI and customer lifetime value.

🔄 Implementing Net Promoter Score (NPS) 3.0 He introduces the concept of NPS 3.0 as a tool for real-time customer feedback, enabling organizations to make informed decisions that enhance customer experience and drive retention.

🧩 Role of Fractional CMOs in Private Equity Gonsenhauser explains how fractional CMOs can be instrumental in private equity settings, providing strategic marketing leadership during transitional periods and aligning marketing efforts with financial objectives.

Insights Based on Numbers:

12x CMO Experience: Gonsenhauser’s extensive experience as a CMO across various organizations provides him with a unique perspective on aligning marketing and financial strategies.

150+ CMO Coaching Engagements: His involvement in over 150 coaching engagements underscores his expertise in guiding CMOs to become indispensable leaders within their organizations.

NPS 3.0 Implementation: The adoption of NPS 3.0 allows for continuous customer feedback, enabling companies to make data-driven decisions that improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Example Exploratory Questions

How can CMOs effectively communicate marketing ROI to CFOs?

What are the key benefits of implementing NPS 3.0 in an organization?

In what ways can fractional CMOs add value during organizational transitions?