Chief Outsiders adds Kelly Megel as fractional CMO

Chief Outsiders has added growth-focused marketer Kelly Megel as a fractional CMO to help CEOs and leadership teams drive profitable growth across consumer products, technology, retail and financial services. Megel brings experience leading major portfolios, building new revenue engines and linking marketing execution to measurable business outcomes.

Why it matters: - Chief Outsiders is expanding its bench of fractional marketing leaders as more mid-sized companies look for senior talent without adding a full-time executive. - Kelly Megel’s background spans consumer products, technology, retail and financial services, giving Chief Outsiders another operator who can work across multiple growth models. - Megel’s mix of marketing, sales, operations, data and AI experience fits the company’s push to connect strategy with measurable revenue results.

What happened: - Chief Outsiders named Kelly Megel as a Fractional CMO on its team of more than 100 fractional chief marketing officers and chief sales officers. - Megel will partner with CEOs and leadership teams to accelerate commercial performance for clients in consumer products, technology, retail and financial services. - Karen Hayward, West Region Managing Partner at Chief Outsiders, said Megel brings commercial acumen, storytelling and innovation leadership to the firm’s network.

The details: - At SharkNinja, Megel led a $2 billion global portfolio and helped drive $40 million in incremental revenue through product innovation and international expansion. - At True Value, Megel built new growth engines for more than 4,500 independent retailers. - That work included a $10 million services opportunity, a Retail Media Network and a performance media plan that delivered $4.2 million in EBITDA in year one. - Megel previously served as Chief Marketing Officer at Wayfair Specialty Brands. - She also held GM/VP Marketing roles at SharkNinja and vice president of marketing roles at Discover Financial Services. - Earlier roles include global vice president at EnergyBBDO for Bayer Consumer Health and Pearle Vision, and global director at FCB NYC/Chicago for Mondelez and KraftHeinz businesses. - Megel earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and double majored in Advertising and Telecommunications at Michigan State University. - Her board and professional affiliations include Back2School America, the Kellogg Women’s Association, the Out of Home Advertising Association Advisory Board, The U.S. Marketing Academy Fellowship and the National Retail Federation Marketing Councils. - Chief Outsiders says its Team Outsiders and GrowthGears OS platform combine fractional executive strategy with enterprise-grade execution.

Between the lines: - Chief Outsiders is leaning on executives with operating-company experience, not just agency or advisory backgrounds. - Megel’s track record suggests a focus on translating marketing investments into financial outcomes, which is central to the fractional CMO value proposition. - The firm’s mention of AI, data and operating-model modernization signals that it is positioning fractional marketing as a broader growth function, not only brand strategy.

What's next: - Megel is expected to begin working with Chief Outsiders clients on growth initiatives and commercial planning. - Chief Outsiders will likely continue recruiting senior operators as demand rises for flexible marketing leadership tied to revenue performance. - The company will use its fractional executive model and GrowthGears OS platform to support those engagements.

The bottom line: - Chief Outsiders is adding another high-experience marketer to help clients turn strategy into measurable growth faster and with less risk.