James McCracken FCIM

I’m a strategic marketing leader with over 20 years’ experience helping organisations across education, training, and property unlock measurable growth. As a Fractional CMO and freelance consultant, I partner with founders, boards, and in-house teams to build scalable marketing functions that deliver real commercial impact.

Through Frances & Kevin, I mentor marketing professionals and deliver training programmes to help the next generation of marketers step into leadership roles with confidence. Alongside this, I run McCracken Marketing, providing consultancy and interim leadership for organisations that need hands-on support to steady the ship and accelerate growth.

As Chair of CIM North West, I’m passionate about raising marketing standards across the region—supporting professionals at every stage of their career and championing the value that strategic marketing brings to business.

Tamara Rashford ACIM

Currently a Senior Marketing Specialist at Geotab, a B2B commercial vehicle technology company, with over seven years of experience in sustainable transport industry.

With a degree in International Events Management as well as voluntary experience for both public and private events, alongside multiple marketing qualifications, Tamara looks forward to taking on the role of Events Ambassador for the North West, while supporting and developing the CIM ecosystem.

Kelly Reynolds MCIM

I’m Director and lead marketing consultant for Optimum Professional Solutions Ltd, a project management and communications consultancy. We work across the public, private and non-profit sectors on projects as diverse as procuring highways infrastructure contracts to promoting a new mental health app for young people.

I’m a creative communicator who loves data as much as I love words. Statistics is another form of storytelling – right? I’m particularly interested in behaviour change and decision making and currently studying MSc Psychology to learn more about why change is so hard and how our choices aren’t always rational. I’m also fascinated by AI and how we can optimise it’s utility.

I’m proud to be a serial collaborator and believe our best work is achieved by working together. I look forward to supporting the vibrant network of marketing and communication professionals throughout the North West.

Rachel Horsford MCIM

Rachel Horsford is a strategic marketer with over twenty years’ experience in senior management. After graduating from the University of Cambridge, she joined PWC (Coopers & Lybrand) before developing her career across profit and not-for-profit sectors. Her senior level roles include Head of Marketing at the Disability Rights Commission, Head of External Relations at the University of Manchester, and Director of External Relations at Stockport Grammar School.

Rachel has found CIM qualifications, support and resources to be invaluable, and membership of the committee is a way to continue that and to help others at different career stages. She joined CIM as an affiliated professional in the early 2000s, qualified as a full member in 2006, and has completed many courses along the way, most recently the Digital Strategy Award. Rachel also has a MSc from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Brian Martin MCIM

Brian is a senior marketing leader with over a decade of experience accountable for growth, demand generation and commercial performance across multi service organisations.

He works directly with boards, C-suites and senior leadership teams to align marketing with revenue priorities, positioning and long term commercial sustainability.

Alongside his full time role, Brian serves as Trustee and Head of Marketing at M2 SPED Awareness, contributing to governance, strategic direction and sustainable growth.

As a member of the CIM North West Committee, he contributes to raising regional marketing standards and ensuring marketing is understood as a commercial growth function, not a communications support role.

Vasiliki Pagkali ACIM

Coming soon...