Consumer & Retail
Five Competing Brands, One Focused Growth System
Year-over-year growth on only 15% more ad spend, from a portfolio cut from five brands to three.
About Us
About
Mahdlo
Executive advisors, not just advisors.
We are not a consulting firm that hands you a deck and leaves. We are executives who step into the seat, build the strategy, and stay through execution.
- 2017Founded by a recovering CMO
- US & CanadaPlus partners across the UK and EU
- One functionSales and marketing, integrated, not two departments
01
Our Story
Mahdlo was founded in 2017 by Craig A. Oldham, a self-described recovering CMO, out of a problem he had lived on both sides of the table.
As job tenures for marketing leaders shrink, most get confined to short-term tactics instead of the transformative growth they were hired to drive. The mandate says growth; the calendar says campaigns.
Mahdlo exists to close that gap: by integrating sales and marketing into one function instead of two departments pulling in different directions, and by putting executives who have actually done the job into the seat, not consultants advising from the sidelines.
Craig A. OldhamFounder & Fractional CMO, Washington, DC
Our Mission
To redefine growth for mid-market and private equity-backed companies by uniting sales and marketing into seamless, scalable frameworks.
Our Vision
A future where mid-size businesses achieve sustainable growth, inspire innovation, and claim their place as leaders in their industries.
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Executive experience, built into practices
We have turned what our executives learned carrying the number into practices that drive incremental growth. Then we built the software our Executive Advisors use to deliver those practices, so every client gets the best of them.
- Executive experienceAdvisors who have held the CMO or CRO seat and carried the number themselves.
- PracticesFour practices and seventeen services, each a repeatable way to find growth and build it.
- Advisor toolsSaaS tools we built for our Executive Advisors: discovery research, a growth diagnostic, go-to-market playbooks, 100-day plans and executive updates.
Incremental growthGrowth on top of the business you already have, reported the way your board reads it.
03
Our Difference
Unlock growth. Drive value. Lead with confidence.
Every firm claims to be different. Here are the four things that actually change on a Mahdlo engagement.
- Interim Revenue LeadershipTransformation needs an adult in the room. We bring the executive gravitas to steady the ship and accelerate change: showing up to the board meeting, owning the number, and making the calls a real executive makes.
- AI-Accelerated ExecutionThe advantage is not using AI; it is knowing where to use it. We embed it at the decision points that drive valuation, so more of the engagement goes to strategy and judgment. The full approach.
- Go-to-Market AlignmentSales and marketing pointed in different directions kills deals. We align them under one plan, one set of metrics and one accountable executive. Most companies do not have a marketing or a sales problem; they have an alignment problem.
- Strategy, ExecutedYour team does not need more headcount; it needs the right expertise, fast. We plug the gaps and execute, with no hiring cycle and no ramp-up quarter. Every engagement includes the execution, not just the plan.
How This Compares
The same four questions, asked of the three options usually on the table.
| A Traditional Agency | A Consulting Firm | Mahdlo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owns the outcome | No, executes what you ask for | No, advises and does not execute | Yes, with the same accountability as an in-house executive |
| Sits in the executive seat | No | No | Yes |
| Aligns sales and marketing | Rarely, usually marketing only | Sometimes, in theory | Always, it is the core model |
| Built to hand off cleanly | No, an ongoing retainer by design | Ends after the recommendation | Yes, to your hire or a lighter retainer |
04
How We Work
A process built to execute, not just plan.
Every engagement follows the same disciplined process, because the process is what makes the results repeatable.
- AssessmentIdentify the real leadership gaps
- SelectionMatch the right executive to the need
- OnboardingFast alignment, no lengthy ramp-up
- ExecutionStrategy and results, owned end to end
- TrackingClear KPIs, tracked continually
Engagement Models
Four shapes the same executive leadership can take. We recommend the fit during assessment.
- Full FractionalEmbedded, ongoing leadership for companies with no current leadership in the function.Best for: No CMO or CRO today
- InterimImmediate coverage while you search for and onboard a permanent leader.Best for: Leadership transition
- Project-BasedA defined scope and end date for a specific initiative or inflection point.Best for: One initiative
- CoachingOne-to-one development for the leader already in the seat who needs a sparring partner.Best for: Leader in place
Where most engagements start
The 100-Day Accelerator
A structured Plan, Activate, Accelerate, Sustain framework built for immediate traction: quick wins inside the first month, with the longer arc already in motion.
- 01Plan
- 02Activate
- 03Accelerate
- 04Sustain
Your First 90 Days
Diagnosis and quick wins, not a slow ramp-up.
Your executive is operating at full speed by the time most new hires would still be finishing onboarding paperwork. Weeks one and two are diagnosis; by week four there is a plan with owners and metrics; by the end of the quarter the first results are on the board and reported the way your investors read them.
- Week 2Diagnosis complete
- Week 4Plan, owners, and KPIs live
- Day 90First results reported
05
Our Values
Four commitments that decide how every engagement runs.
- Strategic ImpactInnovative, data-driven solutions for the growth challenges that actually move valuation.
- Analytical RigorAdvanced analytics and industry expertise behind every recommendation we make.
- Executive PartnershipsTrusted partnerships with senior leadership, aligned to their vision and their board.
- Authentic CommunicationHonest, transparent communication at every step, including the hard reads.
06
The Team
Every Mahdlo engagement is led by an executive who has carried the exact function they are now leading for you.
Our advisors have sat in CMO and CRO seats at mid-market and PE-backed companies across the United States and Canada, with partners in the UK and EU supporting clients with international operations or expansion plans.
Craig A. OldhamFounder & Fractional CMOWashington, DC
Jeremy AhtoExecutive Advisor, Fractional CMOChicago
Ryan HallExecutive Advisor, Fractional CROAtlanta
Greg NemitzExecutive Advisor, Fractional CROSan Francisco
Charmon StilesExecutive Advisor, Fractional CMOSacramento
Jim TaxExecutive Advisor, Fractional CMOPhoenix
Chris PerezExecutive Advisor, Fractional CMOSan Antonio
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Where We Are
An advisor network across the US and Canada, with a partner in the EU for clients expanding abroad. Each metro carries a 150-mile on-site radius, about a two-and-a-half hour drive, so most of the country is a same-day room. Virtual or in person, your call.
- 13Metros across the US and Canada, plus a partner in the EU.
- 150 miCore on-site radius from each metro. The lighter field is the 300-mile reach.
- 4Time zones covered, so a working session fits your day.
- Washington, DC
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Toronto
- Chicago
- Minneapolis
- Denver
- Austin
- San Antonio
- Atlanta
- Phoenix
- San Francisco + Sacramento
- Los Angeles
Coverage shown as true geodesic radii. Shaded pairs share one coverage corridor.
Schedule a conversation08
Memberships
The communities and programs Mahdlo belongs to.
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PavilionMember -
HubSpot Gold PartnerSolutions partner -
NSBA Leadership CouncilNational Small Business Association
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The Work Itself
Engagements documented end to end: the situation, what we changed, and what moved.
Financial Services | Insurance
From Search-Led Acquisition to AI-Enabled Growth Decisioning
CPA down 30% and growth rates up 32%, on a proprietary cross-platform intelligence layer.
Telecommunications
Transforming Marketing From a Cost Center Into a Profit Center
Up from −$2 per dollar. Revenue up 27% year over year, margin up 9 points.
10
Questions
About Mahdlo6 questions
Who founded Mahdlo Executive Advisors?
Mahdlo was founded in 2017 by Craig A. Oldham, a former CMO who built the firm around a gap he had experienced firsthand.
What does Mahdlo do?
Mahdlo provides fractional CMO and CRO executives to mid-market and private equity-backed companies, integrating sales and marketing into one growth engine.
Where does Mahdlo operate?
Across the United States and Canada, with partners in the UK and EU supporting clients with international operations or expansion plans.
What makes Mahdlo different from a traditional consulting firm?
We combine the agility of a boutique firm with the depth of a larger consultancy, and our executives sit in the seat and execute rather than advising from the sidelines.
What tools do Mahdlo’s advisors use?
SaaS tools we built for our Executive Advisors: discovery research, a growth diagnostic, go-to-market playbooks, 100-day plans and executive updates. They carry the best of our practices into every engagement.
Is Mahdlo a member of any professional organizations?
Yes. Mahdlo is a HubSpot Gold Partner and a member of Pavilion, and our founder, Craig A. Oldham, serves on the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council.
Our difference4 questions
What does interim revenue leadership actually mean day to day?
A Mahdlo executive is accountable for the number, not just advising on it, running the team and reporting results the way an in-house executive would.
Is AI-accelerated execution just marketing language?
It changes the pace of the research and analysis behind the strategy. The judgment and the decisions stay human.
How is go-to-market alignment different from good communication?
It is structural, not cultural: one plan, one set of metrics, and one executive accountable for both functions.
What happens after the engagement?
Engagements are built to hand off cleanly, to your own hire, or to a lighter ongoing retainer.
How we work4 questions
How long does assessment and selection take?
Most clients move from initial conversation to an engaged executive within a few weeks.
Which engagement model is right for my company?
It depends on whether you have a leadership gap, a specific initiative, or an existing leader who needs development. We recommend the fit during assessment.
Does every engagement start with the 100-Day Accelerator?
Many do, but it is not mandatory. Some engagements start directly with embedded leadership.
What happens after the initial engagement period?
We track toward a clean transition from day one: either to your own hire or to a lighter ongoing retainer.
Start the conversation
Ready to talk?
Bring us the growth problem. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit for it.