Skill set
Industry fields of expertise
James in a few words
I'm an award-winning senior marketing leader and Fractional CMO with over 15 years of experience driving business growth across the education, property, and training sectors. As the founder of Frances and Kevin, I provide bespoke marketing consultancy and CMO-level support to ambitious organisations looking to scale.
Throughout my career, I've led high-performing teams, delivered strategic brand transformations, and optimised digital marketing to consistently exceed growth targets. At Apprentify Group, I doubled lead generation and cut cost-per-acquisition by over 50%. At Bruntwood Works, I spearheaded a digital transformation that helped boost occupancy from 66% to 88%. My expertise spans SEO, PPC, performance marketing, and integrated campaign strategy, all underpinned by a deep understanding of customer behaviour and commercial impact.
I'm a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and currently serve as Chair of CIM North West. I thrive on helping businesses align marketing with their growth goals—and delivering measurable results.
Experience
- Frances and KevinOwner/Fractional Chief Marketing OfficerEDUCATION & E-LEARNINGFebruary 2025 - Today (4 months)Stockport, United Kingdom• I set up my own business to provide marketing training and support to marketers.• Fractional CMO services for a range of companies in education, training and property
- FI-REMInterim Head of MarketingSeptember 2024 - January 2025 (4 months)• Led the Marketing function at FI Real Estate Management Ltd, providing strategic guidance for long-term success.• Implemented innovative marketing strategies to drive brand awareness and customer engagement.• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to optimise marketing campaigns and increase ROI
- Apprentify GroupChief Marketing OfficerAugust 2022 - August 2024 (2 years)• Built a high-performing marketing team from scratch, achieving record enrolments and exceeding growth targets.• Launched a new brand and product lines, driving significant business growth and market penetration.• Increased B2B and B2C leads by 100% through integrated marketing campaigns.• Optimised content and targeted advertising increased social media presence and website visits by 1000%.• Reduced invalid lead rates from 60% to 25% through improved lead qualification processes, saving costs and improving efficiency.• Decreased cost per acquisition (CPA) from £200 to £95 through performance optimisation, increasing ROI.
2 recommendations
CR
DW
Christian Redfearn and 1 other person have recommended James
5/12/2025
As the Interim Head of Marketing at FI Real Estate Management, James was a fantastic source of invaluable industry insight, providing both strong leadership and guidance for the whole team during an all too brief tenure. As the Digital Marketing Exec, I felt James' digital expertise and mentorship created an environment of encouragement and felt safe to experiment and try new marketing techniques under his tutelage. Given the chance, I wouldn't hesitate to collaborate with James on any marketing project in the future.
5/6/2025
James is an excellent Marketer, very knowledgable and insightful with a great inter-personal and strategic skillset. I would highly recommend working with him.
Education
- Master of BusinessMark Ritson2021Mini MBA in Marketing
- Level 6 Postgraduate DiplomaInstitute of Direct and Digital Marketing2019Level 6 Postgraduate Diploma
- Level 3The Manchester College Institute of Leadership and Management2012Level 3
- of Marketing: Professional DiplomaMacclesfield College2008of Marketing: Professional Diploma
- Bachelor of Arts in Communications and media studiesUniversity of Lincoln2002BA (Hons) Communication Studies,