FAQs

Why not simply hire a full-time Head of Marketing?

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Sometimes a full-time hire is the right call. Often it is too early or too slow: the position is vacant now and a search takes months, you are not yet sure which profile you need, or the budget for a senior executive is not yet justified.

As interim, I give you senior leadership from week one while you find the right person. At almapharm I built the foundation and a clear roadmap during the search, and both the General Manager and the private equity investor valued the smooth transition. At IONITY I onboarded the permanent Head of Marketing with a clear action plan.

As fractional lead, I guide a junior team that lacks direction and experience, set priorities and remove inefficiencies, without the cost of a full-time executive.

"She got up to speed in a very short time, challenged us again and again, and led us in exactly the right direction."

Inge Weber, CEO, almapharm (translated from German)

What is the difference between interim, fractional, a freelancer and an agency?

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With an agency you often don't know who does the work or what priority your project has. With me you have one counterpart on eye level. I do the job, and I take responsibility if things don't work.

Interim: I take over a vacant leadership role and am accountable for strategy, team and results.

Fractional: I provide recurring senior leadership. I set the direction, coach your team and make sure the right things get done.

A freelancer executes a defined task, and direction and responsibility stay with you.

I combine brand and performance marketing, and I implement what I plan.

When is the right moment to bring in interim or fractional marketing leadership?

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  • A leadership position is vacant or about to be, and marketing cannot wait for a search to finish.

  • A private equity firm has acquired a business with no marketing structure and needs fast results. I build on the due diligence and implement the key value drivers on time.

  • You are entering a new market, for example a US company launching in Europe, and need local insight and a go-to-market plan before you decide if you build a team.

  • You have product-market fit, but marketing lacks structure and stakeholders expect tangible results from the spend.

  • Brand and performance marketing run separately.

  • Your team is capable but junior and needs guidance and clear priorities.

What does it cost to work with you?

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Every engagement is scoped to your situation. My day rate is 1,500€, and the total depends on the role, the scope, how much hands-on implementation is involved and the duration of the engagement. You pay for senior leadership when you need it, without recruiting fees, a long search or a full-time executive salary. As my clients often think in FTE salaries I created this cost of work calculator to put it into perspective. In the first conversation we define goals and scope, and you receive a proposal with clear deliverables.

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Why not simply hire a full-time Head of Marketing?

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Sometimes a full-time hire is the right call. In many situations it is too early or too slow: the position is vacant today and a search takes months, you are not yet sure which profile you need, or the budget for a senior executive is not yet justified.

With an interim solution you get senior marketing leadership from the first week and use the time to find the right person. At almapharm, I set up the foundation and built a clear roadmap while the company searched for the permanent hire. The transition was smooth, and both the General Manager and the private equity investor appreciated it. At IONITY, I onboarded the permanent Head of Marketing with a clear action plan, so momentum was never lost.

A fractional role works differently. It fits when you already have a team but its junior talent lacks clear guidance and experience. I guide the team, set priorities and remove inefficiencies, so your people grow and your budget is spent where it counts, without the cost of a full-time executive.

"Over five months we worked intensively with Carolin Sandfort as interim marketing lead. The focus was in particular on developing a brand strategy for different target groups. I would like to sincerely thank Carolin for her professional and personal competence. She got up to speed in a very short time, challenged us again and again, and led us in exactly the right direction"

Inge Weber, CEO, almapharm (translated from German)

How does the collaboration start, and what happens in the first weeks?

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I have a strong bias to action. We define the three key projects that need to be delivered, and while I ramp up, I already work on them with your team.

The ramp-up consists of stakeholder interviews, usually two weeks depending on availability. They show me the key milestones, the obstacles in the way, how your teams work together and how data-driven your decisions are. You get a clear picture of where the organization stands, its strengths and weaknesses, and where I can add the most value. We then adjust the scope and build the implementation roadmap together.

Do you only advise, or do you also implement?

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I do both, and I am accountable for the result. I set the strategy, then work with your team on campaigns, tools, processes, agencies and hiring.

  • At Squarespace, I developed the German strategy and launched the first locally developed multi-channel campaign.

  • At Rover, I launched the brand in the UK, introduced a localization tool across eight languages and led the integration of an acquired competitor across eight countries.

"Carolin has a rare combination of strategic vision and hands-on execution - she not only helped us define a clear and impactful brand and communication strategy but also rolled up her sleeves to ensure it was implemented flawlessly."

Niklas Best, CEO, Oska Health

How can you give us enough focus if you work for several clients?

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How do you measure success, and what results can we expect?

What happens when the engagement ends?

Which companies do you work with best, and do you have experience in our industry?

Usually I have one main client with three to four days per week. My other clients are companies I have worked with intensively in the past, and with them I now mainly coach and mentor. So my full focus is on you.

I distribute my time across the week and make sure I am never the bottleneck: emails are answered on time and decisions get taken.

"She is exceptionally execution-oriented and turns ideas into tangible results with determination and reliability even under fast changing circumstances."

Kai Mitterlechner, COO, L1VE

We define measurable KPIs at the start and tie them to your business goals. I make brand investments measurable and bring brand thinking into performance marketing, so you see short-term results and long-term brand value.

  • HUK Autoservice: customer acquisition cost down 60 percent, conversion rate doubled, brand awareness up 11 points, consideration up 7 points and bookings up 5 percent within six months.

  • Airbnb Germany: brand awareness tripled within two years.

  • Squarespace: Germany became the fastest-growing non-English market.

"With her deep knowledge about online marketing, especially performance and brand she put us on a whole next level."

Moritz Tillmann, Director Product & Marketing, HUK Autowelt

I build structures that keep working after I leave: clear processes, documented playbooks, defined KPIs and a team that has learned by doing. If a permanent hire follows, I onboard that person with an action plan and a structured handover. I stay available for coaching and sparring afterwards.

I work best with ambitious companies at a turning point: scale-ups with proven product-market fit that need structure to grow, US companies entering Europe, and businesses under new ownership that need fast results. B2C, B2B or hybrid.

My experience spans consumer goods, travel, marketplaces, software, health, mobility, food and beverage, and animal health, with companies such as Airbnb, Danone, Squarespace, Rover, IONITY, almapharm and Oska Health. Every industry has its own rules, so I start by listening, then apply what carries over: understanding the customer, setting clear priorities and measuring what matters.

"We hired her to advise us on our launch strategy in Germany. From the first online meeting we had she showed that she was professional, knowledgeable, and fun to work with. I like her rigorous approach."

Serge van Lier, Salsa Shop