# Sam Akbari, Fractional CXO

> Sam Akbari is a Melbourne-based fractional CXO who joins mid-market leadership teams part-time as a Fractional CRO/CMO, Fractional COO / GTM Operations lead, or Fractional Chief AI & Transformation Officer. 15+ years of executive leadership across ASX-listed and private companies. Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Works in person in Melbourne and remotely worldwide; open to travel and relocation for longer engagements.

Clients and employers are deliberately anonymised on this site; figures are as reported at the time. Last updated: 2026-10-07.

## Services
- [Fractional CRO & CMO](https://samakbari.com/fractional-cro/): A fractional CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) or CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a senior revenue leader who joins your leadership team part-time, typically one to three days a week. They own go-to-market strategy, pricing, channels and the sales and marketing engine, without the cost of a full-time executive.
- [Fractional COO](https://samakbari.com/fractional-coo/): A fractional COO (Chief Operating Officer) is a senior operations leader who joins your executive team part-time, typically one to three days a week. They own the operating rhythm, processes, systems and cross-team execution, so the business can grow without relying on a few people holding it together.
- [Fractional Chief AI Officer](https://samakbari.com/fractional-chief-ai-officer/): A fractional Chief AI Officer (CAIO) is a senior executive who leads your AI strategy and delivery part-time, typically one to three days a week. They decide where AI should create value, get the first use cases into production, put governance in place and build your team’s capability, without a full-time hire.
- [Interim executive](https://samakbari.com/interim-executive/): full-time interim COO, CRO/CMO or Chief AI & Transformation Officer for 3–18 months, open to relocation.
- [Private equity portfolio companies](https://samakbari.com/private-equity/): fractional and interim leadership across the hold period, from 100-day plans to exit readiness.
- [Board & advisory](https://samakbari.com/services/#advisory): advisory board seats, GTM readiness before a raise, IPO or exit, and technology and AI due diligence.

## Pricing (AUD, excluding GST)
- Diagnostic sprint (about two weeks, board-ready findings and a 90-day plan): From A$15,000
- Fractional seat (about one day a week, typically 6–12 months): From A$12,000 a month
- Advisory retainer (one to two days a month): From A$5,000 a month
- Interim executive and program leadership: quoted after a call
- Details: [How I work](https://samakbari.com/how-i-work/) · [What a fractional executive costs in Australia](https://samakbari.com/insights/fractional-executive-cost-australia/)

## Selected results
- ~US$1M/yr: saved by moving a global brand's translation to AI across 14 languages (Global consumer brand; role: Head of Global GTM Operations)
- US$1M+: in capex avoided by stopping the wrong project, plus ~US$600K a year in opex (Global consumer brand; role: Business owner, digital program)
- 450 tasks: triggered from a single form: one launch workflow across 8 teams, 4 regions and 14 agencies (Global consumer brand; role: Head of Global GTM Operations)
- 330%: of global revenue target for an enterprise SaaS platform (Enterprise SaaS; role: Global Head of Product)
- ~A$15M: global P&L led as CRO/CMO of an ASX-listed technology company (ASX-listed technology; role: CRO / CMO)
- A$300M+: IPO raise supported with go-to-market strategy (ASX-listed financial services; role: Go-to-market consultant)

## Case studies
- [One form. A global product launch](https://samakbari.com/results/one-form-global-launch/): Turning a global new-product launch into a single automated workflow across teams, regions and agencies.
- [AI translation at global scale](https://samakbari.com/results/ai-translation-at-scale/): Moving a global brand's translation and localisation to an AI-first platform, saving around US$1M a year.
- [The project worth stopping](https://samakbari.com/results/the-project-worth-stopping/): Recommending a US$1M+ digital program be stopped, and the better alternative the business adopted instead.
- [Building a global go-to-market](https://samakbari.com/results/building-a-global-go-to-market/): From consultant to CRO/CMO of an ASX-listed technology company, owning a ~A$15M global P&L and three international joint ventures.
- [Scaling an enterprise SaaS platform](https://samakbari.com/results/scaling-an-enterprise-saas-platform/): As Global Head of Product, delivering 330% of global revenue target for an enterprise content-marketing platform.
- [Go-to-market for IPO campaigns](https://samakbari.com/results/ipo-go-to-market/): Developing and delivering go-to-market strategy for investment affiliates' IPO campaigns, including a A$300M+ raise.

## Insights
### Fractional leadership (https://samakbari.com/insights/category/fractional-leadership/)
- [Fractional vs interim executive: which do you need?](https://samakbari.com/insights/fractional-vs-interim-executive/): Fractional, interim or consultant? A plain comparison of time, cost, accountability and when each makes sense for a mid-market business.
- [When to hire a fractional COO: 7 signs it's time](https://samakbari.com/insights/when-to-hire-a-fractional-coo/): The seven signs you need a fractional COO, when a full-time or interim hire suits better, and what the first months and the cost look like.
- [When to hire a fractional CRO vs a VP of Sales](https://samakbari.com/insights/when-to-hire-a-fractional-cro/): The signs you need a fractional CRO, how the role differs from a VP of Sales, when neither is right, and what the first months and the cost look like.
- [What a fractional CXO actually does in the first 90 days](https://samakbari.com/insights/first-90-days-fractional-cxo/): A practical look at how a fractional executive goes from diagnosis to delivery, and what a CEO should expect to see along the way.
- [What a fractional executive costs in Australia (2026)](https://samakbari.com/insights/fractional-executive-cost-australia/): Typical monthly rates for fractional CROs, CMOs, COOs and Chief AI Officers in Australia, how they compare with a full-time hire, and what drives the price.

### AI & transformation (https://samakbari.com/insights/category/ai-transformation/)
- [AI governance checklist for Australian boards](https://samakbari.com/insights/ai-governance-checklist-australia/): A practical AI governance checklist for Australian mid-market boards and leadership teams, built on the National AI Centre's six essential practices.
- [Does your mid-market company need a Chief AI Officer?](https://samakbari.com/insights/does-your-company-need-a-chief-ai-officer/): When a mid-market company needs a Chief AI Officer, and how a fractional CAIO compares with a full-time hire or an AI consultant on scope and cost.
- [AI in the mid-market: where the real return is (and isn't)](https://samakbari.com/insights/ai-in-the-mid-market/): AI pilots often stall before production. Here's where I see practical, measurable returns for mid-market businesses, and the traps to avoid.
- [When to kill a transformation project](https://samakbari.com/insights/when-to-kill-a-transformation-project/): Stopping a program is one of the hardest calls a leader makes. Here's how I recognise a project worth stopping, and how to do it well.

## Tools
- [AI Readiness Scorecard](https://samakbari.com/scorecard/): a free 10-question AI readiness assessment across strategy, data, process, people and governance.
- [Fractional vs full-time cost calculator](https://samakbari.com/fractional-executive-cost-calculator/): compare the cost of a full-time C-suite hire with a fractional executive in Australia.

## About
- [About Sam Akbari](https://samakbari.com/about/): career history, credentials and how I work.
- [How I work](https://samakbari.com/how-i-work/): the diagnostic sprint, engagement models and FAQs.

## Contact
- Book a 30-minute call: https://tidycal.com/samakbari/30min
- Contact page: https://samakbari.com/contact/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samakbari/
- Location: Melbourne, Australia