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Sam AkbariFractional CXO
Sam Akbari, fractional CXO, Melbourne
Sam AkbariSam AkbariFractional CXO · AICD member

C-suite leadership for mid-market growth, without the full-time cost.

I'm a Melbourne-based fractional CRO, COO and Chief AI Officer. I step into your leadership team to fix what's slowing growth and build what scales it, drawing on 15+ years of executive leadership across ASX-listed and private companies.

Available for fractional, advisory and interim engagements

  • ~US$1M /yr · saved by moving a global brand's translation to AI across 14 languages
  • US$1M+ · in capex avoided by stopping the wrong project, plus ~US$600K a year in opex
  • 450 tasks · triggered from a single form: one launch workflow across 8 teams, 4 regions and 14 agencies
  • 330 % · of global revenue target for an enterprise SaaS platform
  • ~A$15M · global P&L led as CRO/CMO of an ASX-listed technology company
  • A$300M+ · IPO raise supported with go-to-market strategy
  • Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors

The executive you need, for as long as you need them.

Three senior roles, one accountable leader. I embed with your executive team and own the outcome, not just the advice.

When to bring me in

Growth has stalled, or you're entering new markets.

Go-to-market strategy, pricing and channels that turn ambition into revenue, at home and in new markets.

More on this role

What I deliver

  • Board-ready go-to-market strategy
  • Pricing, packaging & business model
  • Direct, partner & channel strategy
  • Sales & marketing operations

Track record

Results measured in dollars, scale and speed.

Read the case studies
saved by moving a global brand's translation to AI across 14 languages
Global consumer brand~US$1M/yr
in capex avoided by stopping the wrong project, plus ~US$600K a year in opex
Global consumer brandUS$1M+
triggered from a single form: one launch workflow across 8 teams, 4 regions and 14 agencies
Global consumer brand450tasks
of global revenue target for an enterprise SaaS platform
Enterprise SaaS330%
global P&L led as CRO/CMO of an ASX-listed technology company
ASX-listed technology~A$15M
IPO raise supported with go-to-market strategy
ASX-listed financial servicesA$300M+

Clients and employers are anonymised. Figures are as reported at the time.

Inside the numbers

One form. A global product launch.

At a global consumer brand, I turned a manual launch process into a single automated workflow. One intake form now sets off every task a launch needs, across teams, regions and external agencies.

See how it worked
  1. 1intake form
  2. 8teams
  3. 4regions
  4. 14agencies
  5. 450tasks, automatically

Each square = 10 automated tasks450 tasks

When to call

You don't need a full-time executive. You need the right one, at the right moment.

  • Growth has stalled, and nobody can say whether it's the product, pricing, channels or execution.

  • You're expanding overseas, and what worked at home isn't working there.

  • A raise, IPO or exit is coming, and the go-to-market story needs to hold up under scrutiny.

  • Operations run on spreadsheets and heroics, and every launch feels like the first one.

  • The board is asking "what's our AI plan?", and the pilots haven't made it past the demo.

Sector experience

Four sectors where I've led growth, operations and transformation.

How we'd work together

Start small. Prove value. Then go deep.

  1. Step 01

    Diagnose

    A two-week sprint to find what is really holding growth back, ending with board-ready findings and a 90-day plan.

    From A$15,000 + GST

  2. Step 02

    Plan

    We agree the priorities, the measures of success and the role I'll play.

  3. Step 03

    Embed & deliver

    I join your leadership team for 1–3 days a week, as an advisor, or full-time on an interim basis, and I'm accountable for results.

See engagement models

Case study · Global consumer brand

The project worth stopping.

Good leadership isn't always about starting things.

  1. The situation. A US$1M+ digital program, in flight, that wasn't going to deliver.

  2. My call. As business owner, I recommended stopping it and proposed an alternative.

  3. The outcome. After due diligence, the business adopted the alternative.

Read the case study
capex avoided
US$1M+
operating cost avoided each year
~US$600K
Sam Akbari

About Sam

I've sat in the seats I now fill.

Over 15+ years I've been Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer of an ASX-listed technology company, Head of Global GTM Operations at a global consumer brand, Global Head of Product for an enterprise SaaS platform, and founder and CEO of a global systems integrator.

That mix of revenue, operations, product and the CEO seat is what I bring to every engagement, along with a practical, results-first approach to AI.

  • CRO / CMO, ASX-listed technology
  • Head of Global GTM Operations, global consumer brand
  • Global Head of Product, enterprise SaaS
  • Founder & CEO, global systems integrator
More about me

Latest thinking

Practical views for mid-market leaders

All insights

Free · 5 minutes

Is your business AI-ready?

Answer 10 questions to see where you stand on strategy, data, process, people and governance, and get your next three moves.

Take the AI Readiness Scorecard

Let's talk about what's next for your business.

A 30-minute conversation, no pitch deck. If I'm not the right fit, I'll tell you, and point you to someone who is.