CMO level marketing,
on your budget.

I'm the fractional marketing, brand and PR partner that Australian founder-led businesses call when they need an expert.

Book a free Marketing Health Check Get in touch
Brands worked with

The C-Suite marketer,
without the full-time hire.

  • General Manager, Marketing & Innovation United Petroleum
  • General Manager The Pops Group
  • Marketing Director Gelatissimo
  • Head of Marketing Fitstop
  • Global Brand Manager EHPlabs
  • Marketing and Brand Manager RASHAYS

Are you a founder who needs senior level marketing leadership but cannot justify a full-time hire? I am the answer, with packages from 2 hours to 3 days per week to get genuinely hands-on, with contracts starting from 3 months or on a project basis.

Launching consulting in 2022 after 20 years leading in-house teams across national and international brands, I can be as hands-on as you need or work as an advisory to managers and junior teams. The choice is yours.

With omni-channel experience and a background as a General Manager, I look at your business holistically to find the right solution, not just the obvious one.

"I love working with good people and good brands doing good things. I'm here to help!"

Zoe Gorbunow
In the field
Zoe with the Fitstop leadership team at their national conference
Fitstop
Zoe at the Gelatissimo franchise expo
Gelatissimo

Senior thinking,
bundled.

Specialist agencies can do one thing well. Junior in-house hires can do a few things adequately. A fractional senior marketer can hold the whole picture. That is the gap I sit in, and it is exactly what most founder-led brands actually need.

Fractional Senior Marketer

Your embedded senior marketing function, on retainer. I hold the strategy, planning, execution oversight and team management while you keep building the business. No full-time salary on the P&L, no agency markup, no ramp-up time.

Digital Strategy Marketing Management Campaign Planning Team Leadership Content Direction

Brand Strategy

Positioning, messaging, brand architecture and visual direction. I have led rebrands for franchise networks and single-site founders. I work directly with CEOs to get the story right before any creative production starts, so nothing gets built on a shaky foundation.

Positioning Brand Architecture Messaging Franchisee Toolkits Rebrand

PR Partner

Media relations, launch PR, event management and community engagement. I studied PR and have run it in-house at brand level for most of my career. It is not a bolt-on. It is part of the integrated picture, and it compounds over time in ways that paid media alone cannot.

Media Relations Event Management Launch PR Community Sponsorship

Commitment and passion for branding

A strong marketing mind, backed by results

Flair for social marketing, brand positioning and team collaboration

What founders
and CEOs actually say

From franchise CEOs to fitness founders. These are the people Zoe has sat beside, built plans with, and stayed accountable to.

"

Zoe demonstrated an exceptional ability to blend strategic thinking with practical execution; qualities that are rarely found together. She consistently operated with professionalism, leadership and integrity. I recommend her without reservation to any organisation seeking a high-calibre, collaborative marketing leader or consultant.

Richard Hinson

CEO, The Coffee Club · Former Executive GM, United Petroleum

"

Zoe brought a high level of professionalism, creativity and energy to the role, and consistently demonstrated strong leadership and organisational skills. She was highly committed to the brand, worked well under pressure, and was always willing to go above and beyond to support the business and the team. Zoe would be a valuable asset to any organisation, and I would gladly recommend her.

Roman Tepes

Former CEO, Rashays Casual Dining · Founder, Balance My Books Australia

"

Working with Zoe was one of the better decisions we made during a critical growth phase for our brands. Her marketing strategy work and team development skills helped bring real clarity to how we were positioning Switch Nutrition and Zombie Labs. She took the time to genuinely understand our market, our customers, and what made us different. The strategic direction she provided gave our team a much stronger foundation to build from. If you're a brand that's serious about growing with purpose, I'd have no hesitation recommending Zoe.

Nev Heath

Co-Founder, Innovative Nutrition · Switch Nutrition & Zombie Labs

"

I had the pleasure of having Zoe as my Marketing Director for nearly 4 years. Zoe is a forward thinking marketing guru who engages positively at all levels to get results. She is an asset to any business and adds value beyond the marketing discipline.

Filipe Barbosa

Former CEO, Gelatissimo

Current and recent clients

Free Marketing
Health Check

Not sure where your marketing is actually working? I offer a complimentary Marketing Health Check for founder-led businesses that want an honest, outside read on where they sit. It is the easiest way to start a conversation, with no obligation and no sales pitch on the other end.

  • A short survey about your current marketing activity, channels and goals
  • A personalised written response from me within 2 business days
  • Honest observations on your biggest gaps and easiest wins
  • No obligation. No pitch. No follow-up unless you want one.

Get your free Health Check

Enter your details and you'll be taken straight to the Health Check survey.

No spam, ever. You'll be taken straight to your Health Check survey.

Things founders
usually ask first

A retainer arrangement is a little different to an agency quote or a hiring process. Here is what most founders want to know before starting a conversation.

  • Retainer fees vary based on scope and cadence. Most of my clients invest at a level that sits well below the cost of a full-time senior marketing hire, with none of the on-costs or lock-in of employment. The Marketing Health Check is a good first step because it gives me enough context to scope something realistic before any commitment is made. I don't quote before I understand what you actually need.
  • Most of my retainers run on a rolling monthly basis with a short notice period. I prefer working with founders over the long term because that is where the best marketing work happens. But I am not interested in locking anyone into something that is not working. If the fit is right, the commitment tends to look after itself.
  • Every engagement is different. Some clients need strategy and oversight only. Others want me hands-on across digital, content, PR and events. I am a generalist at a senior level, so I can hold the whole picture or zoom in on the areas you need most. We scope it properly at the start, revisit it each quarter, and adjust as your business changes.
  • I am based in Brisbane and work with founder-led businesses across Australia. Most of my day-to-day work happens remotely, so geography is never a barrier. If the brand and the brief feel like a good fit, let's talk.
  • Quite often, yes. Many of my clients have agency relationships for specific execution work, paid media, design, video. What they do not have is a senior person who can brief those agencies well, hold the strategic thread across all of them, and own the marketing function at a leadership level. I sit in that seat, alongside your existing suppliers, not instead of them.

Let's have
an honest conversation.

If you are a founder thinking about your marketing, I am always happy to chat. Whether you are ready to engage or just working out what you actually need, the conversation is free.

  • zoegorbunow@outlook.com
  • Brisbane-based, Australia-wide
  • Available on enquiry