Fractional CROs in Detroit Making Things Happen

Fractional CROs in Detroit Making Things Happen in 2025

Detroit Interim Chief Revenue Officers to Know
Detroit is a city with a legacy of innovation and grit—now home to a new wave of startups, tech-forward manufacturers, and high-growth service firms. As these businesses scale, the demand for revenue leaders who can bring structure, speed, and strategy has surged. That’s where Fractional Chief Revenue Officers (CROs) come in.
Fractional CROs offer hands-on commercial leadership without the overhead of a full-time executive. Whether it’s building out a sales function, refining a go-to-market strategy, or aligning revenue operations post-investment, these professionals bring clarity and traction.
In this blog, we’re spotlighting a few of the professionals helping Detroit’s companies scale smarter and grow faster.
How We Built This List – Fractional CRO Services
At Digital Reference, we prioritize professionals who aren’t just making noise—but making impact. For this Detroit list, we selected leaders based on:
📍 Local presence and activity in the Detroit metro
📈 Proven experience in revenue leadership, strategy, and team building
🧠 Expertise in GTM execution, RevOps, and enablement
🗣 Engagement in Michigan’s startup and business communities
Featured Fractional CRO Service Providers
Kristin Broadley
Kristin Broadley is a fractional risk‑and‑policy leader making waves in Detroit’s finance and fintech sectors. With over two decades in mortgage risk, compliance, and enterprise strategy—starting at Rocket Mortgage in 2002 and rising into VP of enterprise risk—she now co‑founded Excelerate Advisors and serves as a fractional risk & policy executive for Assurance Solutions. She combines technical know‑how (she holds a patent from her risk innovations at Rocket) with a startup mindset to give companies structure around credit, compliance, and lending quality.
Her approach stands out for turning audit, servicing, and quality control into scalable business advantages. She’s known for building frameworks instead of shore‑up fixes: think embedding risk monitoring into product design rather than add‑on checks. Her tagline? “Risk as a growth enabler, not a drag.”
- 🧩 Created a patented risk tool during her Rocket Mortgage tenure to improve enterprise assurance
- 🚀 Coaches fintech teams to integrate risk compliance into GTM rollout—minimizing regulatory friction
- 🎯 Focuses on mid‑stage lending platforms navigating scale with enterprise‑grade risk maturity
William Bell
Bill Bell cuts through buried sales and marketing inefficiencies in Detroit’s industrial and automotive sectors. A veteran CEO and now fractional CRO/CSO via Chief Outsiders, he’s famous for delivering triple‑digit million‑dollar revenue growth in complex B2B environments—such as Leadec, where he grew revenue over 80% in 24 months, and Dürr Ecoclean, where he doubled global revenue in four years. He specializes in blue‑ocean repositioning and adjacent market expansion.
Bill’s no‑BS style centers on a structured playbook: disciplined forecasting, market segmentation, and team coaching. His philosophy? A fractional CRO gives you strategic clarity—fast. Measurable outcomes without bloated overhead.
- 📈 Built and executed industrial go‑to‑market systems that drove >80% revenue growth in two years
- 🧠 Famous for Blue Ocean strategies that unlock untapped industrial segments
- 🏆 Mentor and coach to CEOs and startup founders across Michigan manufacturing and tech clients
Ryan Stevens
Ryan Stevens is the go‑to fractional revenue strategist for Detroit tech founders who want to go from hustle to scale smart fast. He’s spent the past year leading local programs—like a 2‑day Hustler→CEO pipeline workshop for Southeast Michigan founders—to help teams translate ambition into structured GTM execution.
His strength? Aligning product, sales, and customer success in companies stuck in founder‑led chaos. He digs into systems and uncovers where revenue leaks happen. His POV: clarify roles, build reporting rhythms, and hold the line on metrics.
- 🔧 Facilitates Michigan tech founder programs coaching them through scaling GTM operationally
- 🧰 Known for system audits that find hidden misalignments between product roadmaps and sales capacity
- 🛠 Specializes in early‑stage startups prepping for first real sales ramp
John M. Kalusniak
John Kalusniak, aka “The Revenue Rocket,” works deeply with manufacturing firms in Detroit’s $20M–$40M range that are stuck in founder‑led selling even after deploying a CRM and building a team. He leads them to scale sales by building repeatable systems, instituting forecasting discipline, and elevating reps into structured team leaders.
John’s value? He translates founder sales energy into a scalable sales engine, reducing dependence on a single rainmaker and improving predictability.
- 🚀 Helps manufacturing companies break founder‑led selling cycles with sales playbooks and leadership training
- 📊 Tunes rep performance using consistent pipeline metrics, forecasting, and accountability routines
- 💬 Focused on mid‑market firms transitioning beyond founder‑growth into repeatable commercial success
Why This List Matters
Fractional CROs have become essential for companies navigating fast growth, leadership transitions, or market pivots. These are professionals who step into the chaos and bring structure—aligning vision with execution and helping companies build systems that scale.
The Detroit leaders featured here aren’t just adding value—they’re accelerating outcomes. They combine operational savvy with a strong grasp of local dynamics, ensuring that strategy connects with execution in a way that’s practical, measurable, and sustainable.
We'll continue updating this list as more fractional CROs emerge across Michigan. Know someone doing great work in this space? Let us know.
A Note from Digital Reference
We believe great revenue leadership doesn’t have to be full-time to be transformational. Whether you’re a founder building your first GTM engine or an executive team rethinking your approach to scale, we’re here to help spotlight the Fractional CROs driving results behind the scenes.
Want to recommend someone for this list? Get in touch.
Want to be part of this conversation? You’re already in the right place.
Learn More
- How to Hire a Revenue or Sales Consultant
- Revenue Consultants vs. Sales Experts: What Do They Do?
- What Are Revenue Professionals and What Do They Do?
- Find Fractional CROs Near Me
At Digital Reference, we help Fractional CROs stand out in a competitive market. Our platform supports executive operators, GTM architects, and RevOps leaders with structured, verified insights that elevate visibility and build trust.
Check Out Our Local Directories of Fractional CROs and Interim Chief Revenue Officers by City
This resource highlights city-specific guides to some of the most impactful Fractional Chief Revenue Officers across the U.S. and Canada. Each directory offers a snapshot of the regional business vibe and the revenue leaders bringing structure, speed, and results to fast-moving companies.
- Atlanta
Fractional CROs in Atlanta Making Things Happen
Atlanta’s revenue leaders are fueling the Southeast’s hottest growth corridor—where startups, logistics firms, and creative agencies collide. These CROs are known for turning ambition into pipeline, and pipeline into profit. - Austin
Fractional CROs in Austin Making Things Happen
In the city where tech meets talent and speed meets scale, Austin’s fractional CROs are helping founders ditch the duct tape and build go-to-market machines that actually work. - Boston
Fractional CROs in Boston Making Things Happen
Home to biotech breakthroughs and SaaS giants alike, Boston demands CROs who can think fast and scale smart. These leaders turn academic precision into commercial horsepower. - Charlotte
Fractional CROs in Charlotte Making Things Happen
Charlotte’s on the rise, and so are the companies within it. These CROs are helping businesses break through their next growth ceiling—bringing sales, marketing, and ops into lockstep. - Chicago
Fractional CROs in Chicago Making Things Happen
In the city that knows how to hustle, Chicago’s CROs blend old-school grit with modern GTM strategy. Whether you’re scaling SaaS or rebooting a sales team, these are the pros who get it done. - Dallas
Fractional CROs in Dallas Making Things Happen
Big goals meet big execution in Dallas. These CROs are the architects behind the revenue engines driving scale in one of the country’s most ambitious business markets. - Denver
Fractional CROs in Denver Making Things Happen
Denver’s growth-stage scene is thriving—and these CROs are building the systems to match. From SaaS to wellness, they bring structure to scale and clarity to chaos.
- Los Angeles
Fractional CROs in Los Angeles Making Things Happen
In the land of big ideas and tight timelines, LA’s CROs know how to move fast and make it stick. They specialize in aligning creative teams with commercial outcomes. - Miami
Fractional CROs in Miami Making Things Happen
Miami’s going from sun and sand to serious scale. These CROs are helping tech, fintech, and healthcare companies grow with intention—without losing momentum. - New York City
Fractional CROs in New York City Making Things Happen
This city runs on pressure—and NYC’s fractional CROs know how to perform under it. From Wall Street to Williamsburg, they build revenue engines that match the city's pace and complexity. - Philadelphia
Fractional CROs in Philadelphia Making Things Happen
In Philly’s mix of innovation and legacy industries, these CROs are guiding businesses through GTM makeovers, sales optimization, and scaling with substance—not just speed. - San Diego
Fractional CROs in San Diego Making Things Happen
Biotech, defense, and SaaS all converge in San Diego—and so do CROs who can scale them. These leaders are hands-on, sharp, and built for complexity. - San Francisco
Fractional CROs in San Francisco Making Things Happen
When you need execution, not just advice, SF’s CROs deliver. They help companies navigate high-growth stakes, messy GTM ops, and the push from founder-led selling to scalable systems. - Toronto
Fractional CROs in Toronto Making Things Happen
Toronto’s business scene is international, ambitious, and moving fast. These CROs are translating strategy into systems for companies scaling across North America and beyond. - Washington, DC
Fractional CROs in Washington DC Making Things Happen
In a city full of policy, purpose, and pivoting sectors, DC’s CROs are guiding organizations through complex sales motions and regulated markets—with speed and precision.
If you're a Fractional CRO ready to grow your reputation and attract better opportunities, join Digital Reference today and take ownership of your professional narrative.
Written by the Digital Reference editorial team. We spotlight the people behind the pipelines—empowering the operators, strategists, and builders who drive revenue forward.
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