Fractional Chief Growth Officer for Agencies & B2B Brands

Consultants hand you a strategy and disappear.

I’m not a consultant. I’m a revenue growth partner that works directly alongside the owner, CRO, or sales lead to sharpen your positioning and then close deals in the field together.

Let's Talk LinkedIn

Twenty-five years of sales, marketing & brand partnerships experience. I've built the agencies. I've had the corporate title. I've run the global team. After all of it, I realized the most valuable thing I have isn't a job title — it's the relationships and the ability to actually close. So I built Forward to deploy that, directly, for the companies I work with.

Connecting the right people, watching a deal come together, helping companies land a client they thought was out of reach — that's the work.

How it works

Retainer engagements start at 6 months. Here's a snapshot of the overall process.

Step 01

20-Minute Call

Tell me what you're building and who you're trying to reach. No prep needed — just an honest conversation.
Step 02

Sharpen Positioning

Fresh eyes on your pitch and positioning. I'll identify what's working, what's not, and sharpen how you go to market.
Step 03

Network Mapping

I map my network against your target accounts and find the strongest paths in through direct relationships, not cold outreach.
Step 04

Warm Introductions

I make introductions personally. You're not getting a list of names — you're getting walked in by someone they already trust.
Step 05

Close Together

I stay in it through negotiation and close, or pivot if the target shifts. I don't disappear after the introduction.

What I do

Driving sales revenue is tough. If it was easy, you wouldn't be reading this. I don't have a magic wand or a list of services you'll never use. I simply do three things and I do them well.

Relationship Brokering & Warm Introductions

You need a way in. I have one.

My network spans CMOs, VPs of Partnerships, and brand leads at Fortune 100 companies across gaming, tech, and CPG. When you work with me, you're not getting a list of names — you're getting a direct introduction from someone they already know. I brokered the relationship that became Intel's $13M global agency-of-record deal. That's the kind of door I open.

Strategic Business Development

Activity metrics don't close deals. Systems do.

I've built CRM ecosystems from scratch at three companies using Salesforce, Outreach, Apollo.io, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator. I'll audit your current pipeline, identify the gaps, and build a system that generates qualified meetings. I did this at Riot Games across three continents. I can do it for your company.

Prospecting & Sales Intelligence

Pitch more. Win more.

I use AI and custom prompt frameworks to turn a raw Salesforce export into a prioritized target list with personalized outreach sequences. I've trained agency teams on using AI for prospect research, pitch development, and account mapping. This isn't theoretical — it's how I work every single day.

Track record

The deals behind the numbers

Previously: Riot Games · Intel · Ubisoft · Verizon · T-Mobile · Samsung · TikTok · Xbox · EA · LG · HTC · Subaru · Square Enix

$13M
Intel — Built the relationship from a cold intro, closed Intel as global gaming agency of record at Damage. Largest single deal in the agency's history.
$55M+
Riot Games — Designed the global partnerships presentation used across APAC, EMEA, and Americas. Contributed to $55M+ in partnership revenue during my two-year tenure.
500%
Damage — Drove 500% revenue growth as CRO & Co-Founder over six years. Signed T-Mobile, TikTok, Ubisoft, and Subaru while building 7 new strategic partnerships.
$2.5M
RedPeg Marketing — Launched the LA office from zero. Wrote the business plan, hired the team, closed $2.5M in new business within the first year.
3,019
Girl Scouts — Handled the backend strategy for my 10-year-old daughter, Sienna, to sell 3,019 boxes of delicious Girl Scout cookies in 15 days. Where my Girl Dads at?!
“Johnny has a rare combination of deep industry relationships and genuine hustle. He doesn't just open doors — he walks you through them and makes sure the meeting goes somewhere.”
Paul Sams
President/COO — Certain Affinity
Former 20-Year President/COO — Blizzard Entertainment

Happy to connect you with more people I've worked with if you want to hear it from them directly.

Tell me who you're trying to reach.

I'll tell you honestly whether I can help — and how.

No pitch deck. No commitment. Just a 20-minute conversation.

Let's Talk
johnny.ward@forwardmktg.com linkedin.com/in/johnnyrward