Cara Boatswain
Chief Marketing Officer
Fractional CMO driving growth and lead generation for businesses ready to scale
About Cara
I help businesses turn marketing investment into measurable growth.
With more than 20 years' experience across marketing, communications and business management, I bring the commercial perspective of a business owner, the strategic thinking of a Marketing Director and the practical experience to get things done.
For the past six years, I've worked as a fractional CMO and senior marketing consultant, taking responsibility for marketing strategy, lead generation and delivery across businesses in logistics, SaaS, manufacturing-related services, compliance, healthcare and professional services.
My focus is on making marketing work harder for the business. That means understanding where revenue comes from, identifying opportunities to generate better-quality leads, improving conversion and ensuring marketing activity supports the sales pipeline.
I've led marketing functions, managed substantial advertising budgets and worked with external agencies, digital specialists, designers and developers to deliver results. I'm equally comfortable developing the overall marketing strategy, challenging an agency's performance, reviewing campaign data or rolling up my sleeves to improve a website, customer journey or CRM workflow.
A few examples of my work include:
Business growth: Helped a healthcare business achieve a fivefold increase in new business and triple its year-on-year repeat business through improvements to its booking systems, customer journey and automated marketing.
B2B lead generation: Developed and delivered integrated marketing programmes across SEO, paid media, LinkedIn, email, content and website conversion, supporting customer acquisition in specialist B2B markets.
Agency and budget management: Managed external agencies and specialist providers, including oversight of paid media campaigns with monthly advertising budgets exceeding $20,000.
Marketing and sales alignment: Improved lead-generation websites, CRM processes, customer journeys and marketing automation to support conversion and ongoing customer relationships.
I've also built and operated my own publishing company, developing two international consumer publications and managing everything from marketing and sales to budgets, people, partnerships and commercial operations. That experience has shaped how I approach marketing. I understand what it means to invest in growth, make commercial decisions and be accountable for the results. Good ideas matter, but ultimately, they need to deliver value to the business.
I'm HubSpot Marketing Software Certified, with experience across HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Pipedrive, ActiveCampaign and a range of digital marketing platforms.
I work with businesses that need more than someone to manage marketing campaigns. They need someone who can take ownership of the marketing function, identify opportunities for growth, manage the people and resources needed to deliver, and ensure marketing contributes to the bottom line.
Experience
CAZBAH MEDIA
Marketing Consultant / Fractional Marketing Director (2020 – Present)
Provide senior marketing leadership and hands-on marketing management to Australian businesses across B2B services, logistics, SaaS, compliance, healthcare, manufacturing-related industries and professional services.
Working directly with business owners, CEOs and leadership teams, I take responsibility for developing marketing strategies, managing delivery and improving commercial performance. My engagements range from leading established marketing functions and external agencies to building marketing capabilities, systems and campaigns from the ground up.
Key responsibilities and achievements:
Marketing strategy and leadership: Develop and implement integrated marketing strategies aligned with business objectives, lead generation, customer acquisition and revenue growth.
B2B lead generation: Develop multichannel campaigns across SEO, Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn, email and content marketing, with a focus on attracting qualified prospects and improving conversion.
Agency and budget management: Manage external agencies, paid media specialists, freelance designers, offshore developers and virtual assistants, coordinating budgets, priorities, campaigns and performance.
Website and conversion optimisation: Lead website redevelopments and digital improvement projects, including customer journey mapping, landing-page development, SEO and conversion optimisation.
CRM and marketing automation: Implement and optimise CRM platforms, customer segmentation, lead management workflows and automated marketing campaigns to improve acquisition, retention and customer lifetime value.
Sales and marketing alignment: Work with leadership and sales teams to strengthen lead qualification, improve sales pipelines and establish reporting that connects marketing activity to business outcomes.
Brand and communications: Lead brand strategy, positioning, content development, thought leadership and communications programmes for businesses operating in specialist and technical markets.
Selected results:
40% improvement in lead conversion: Improved qualified lead conversion rates by up to 40% through targeted marketing, improvements to customer journeys and lead qualification processes.
300% growth in organic website traffic: Delivered a 300% increase in organic traffic over two months for a healthcare client through SEO and digital optimisation.
$20,000+ monthly advertising budgets: Managed substantial Meta advertising programmes, overseeing campaign development, targeting, creative and performance optimisation.
Fivefold increase in new business: Helped a healthcare business achieve a fivefold increase in new business through improvements to its online booking platform and customer experience.
Tripled repeat business: Introduced automated repeat-booking workflows that tripled year-on-year repeat business, increasing customer retention and lifetime value.
CAZBAH MEDIA
Founder and Publisher (2014 – Present)
Founded and operated an independent Australian health publishing business, establishing two specialist consumer publications, Australian Gluten-Free Life and FODMAPPER.
- Developed and managed the business's commercial strategy, revenue streams, operational systems and marketing programmes.
- Built national consumer audiences through content marketing, SEO, social media, email campaigns, paid advertising and strategic partnerships.
- Managed advertising sales, subscription marketing, brand partnerships and commercial campaigns, generating six-figure annual campaign revenue.
- Directed digital and print publishing operations, working with contributors, designers, developers, agencies, advertisers and distribution partners.
- Developed and managed e-commerce, subscription, email marketing and digital platforms to support revenue generation and audience engagement.
- Built partnerships with national brands, retailers and industry organisations.
ODYSSEUS PUBLISHING
Associate Publisher (2009 – 2014)
Played a key role in the success of leading health titles during launch and growth phases. Contributed to revenue growth through high-impact content and strategic brand partnerships. Strengthened brand authority and supported circulation expansion across various outlets.
Key Skills
Qualifications
Graduate Certificate in Journalism (2008)
UTS
Bachelor of Commerce (2004)
University of Wollongong
Key Industries
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