services

Interim leadership

Senior brand and marketing leadership, ready when you need it

Experienced leadership from day one.

Sometimes you need more than a consultant. You might have a gap between appointments, a rebrand or major campaign to deliver, or a team that needs clear direction through a period of change.

I step in as an interim or contract marketing lead, getting up to speed quickly and taking ownership of results. I’ve done exactly that at Birmingham City University, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and the University of Bristol.

25+

Years in marketing across industries

HAVAS HEIST awards for
marketing innovation

CIM

Chartered Institute
of Marketing qualified

When it helps

The right leadership at the right moment

Interim leadership works best when you need experience and momentum quickly, without the time and risk of a permanent hire. I can lead your team, deliver a defined programme of work, or do both.

Covering a vacancy · Leading through restructure or change · Launching a rebrand or major campaign · Turning around recruitment or sales performance · Building a new team or function

What I bring

Strategy, leadership and hands-on delivery

I’ve led multidisciplinary teams of up to 30 across brand, content, paid media, CRM, digital, video and design. I bring clear strategy and the practical delivery to match – setting priorities, embedding performance measures and making sure creative work drives measurable results.

Team leadership and development · Brand and creative direction · Full-funnel campaign strategy · KPI frameworks and reporting · Creative workflow and asset governance · Senior stakeholder engagement · Regulated, compliance-led sectors

Recent roles

What my contract leadership has delivered

Saïd Business School, University of OxfordSenior Marketing Manager, Executive DegreesA new proposition and storytelling-led campaign lifted applications by 41% in eight months, and the Executive MBA reached its enrolment target for the first time in five years.Read the case study →University of BristolHead of MarketingLeading a 30-strong team, I launched the university’s first high-value global brand awareness and CRM campaign, which won HEIST Gold and Bronze and grew postgraduate applications by 14.4%.Read the case study →

Birmingham City UniversityAssociate Director of Brand and Creative MarketingLeading brand and creative marketing across a complex, multi-audience institution, with stronger brand consistency, smoother creative workflows and clearer performance measures.

See all my work →

Brands I've worked with

Sophie Chamings holding a HAVAS HEIST gold award certificate

Recognition

Award-winning work, judged against the best in the sector

I’ve led and been part of teams that have won nine HAVAS HEIST awards – higher education’s national marketing awards. With hundreds of universities competing, they’re the benchmark for outstanding marketing in the sector. Most recently, my Oxford Executive MBA campaign won Silver and Bronze at the HEIST Awards 2026, and my University of Bristol postgraduate brand campaign won Gold and Bronze. My award-winning work spans strategies, content, campaigns, websites, events and prospectuses, all delivering exceptional results for reputation and student recruitment.

What people say

Loved by clients

“Absolutely superb marketing judgement.”

David Penney, Chief Marketing Officer

UCAS

“Sophie is great to work with – she quickly understood the objectives and personality of our company and has written beautiful copy which really captures the essence of who we are and what we do.”

Natalie Clark, Marketing Manager

UniQuest

Let’s talk

Let’s talk about what your team needs

If you need an experienced marketing lead, for a few months or longer, I’d love to hear about your organisation and what you want to achieve. Get in touch.

Prefer a defined project? Explore my marketing strategy, digital marketing, creative content and training services.