How CMO Roles Are Changing

I’ve been in the room when FMCG boards reviewed the final shortlist for a CMO role. Over the last 12 months, something remarkable has happened in those rooms: the most debated profiles aren’t traditional brand marketers from legacy CPG houses, they’re growth leaders from tech. Leaders from Spotify, Uber, TikTok, Amazon, Klarna. They’re not coming in with 20 years of experience managing heritage brands across grocery channels. But they’re fluent in another language altogether: data-led storytelling, performance-driven growth loops, real-time consumer signals, and omni-channel acquisition that doesn’t require above-the-line muscle. And suddenly, for global consumer companies that have struggled to keep up with how consumers discover and engage with brands, this “outsider” language is exactly what they’re craving. -76% of consumers now expect brands to anticipate their needs and behaviors, not just respond to them. (Salesforce, State of the Connected Customer, 2023) - Personalization and real-time relevance aren’t just “digital priorities”, they’re growth levers. -And for Gen Z consumers, brand loyalty is no longer built in-store or through TV spots. It’s earned through value-driven storytelling, digital community engagement, and consistent online presence across formats. The traditional FMCG CMO was a master of category management, retail activation, and brand architecture. That role still matters. But the emerging CMO, the one most in demand today looks a little different: → They think in funnels, not channels. → They test, learn, and optimize daily. → They’re equally comfortable briefing creators for TikTok as they are building full-funnel attribution models. → They manage marketing like a product team: agile, cross-functional, data-literate. I’ve seen this play out firsthand in executive search mandates. The world of consumer goods has changed and the skill sets needed at the top are evolving too.It’s no longer just about knowing the category. So, if you’re leading a consumer brand and hiring for its future, here’s my question: Are you searching for someone who knows your brand’s history? Or someone who can build its future? Let’s talk. #FMCG #MarketingLeadership #ExecutiveSearch #DigitalTransformation #ConsumerGoods #CMO #Hiring #FutureOfMarketing

Fortune 500 companies are quietly eliminating CMO positions. Spencer Stuart just released research that should terrify every marketing leader: only 66% of Fortune 500 companies still have Chief Marketing Officers. Down from 74% just two years ago. Companies aren't replacing CMOs when they leave. They're carving up marketing responsibilities and handing them to other executives: • Chief Revenue Officers get demand generation • Chief Growth Officers take customer acquisition • Chief Digital Officers own technology and analytics • Chief Experience Officers handle brand and customer journey Why are CMOs getting eliminated while other C-suite roles stay stable? Harvard Business Review research points to the core issue: 90% of CEOs lack marketing backgrounds, and 40% of CFOs are most skeptical of marketing's value. Here's the disconnect I'm seeing: While CFOs speak in terms of gross margin contribution, customer acquisition efficiency, and revenue attribution, CMOs show up with brand awareness scores, social media engagement, and campaign performance metrics. From an anthropology perspective, this is a classic language barrier. When two groups can't communicate value in shared terms, one group gets marginalized. Executive authority comes down to this: proven business impact + financial language fluency. When marketing can't prove revenue contribution in CFO terms, the role becomes expendable. The CMOs who are surviving (and thriving) have mastered three critical capabilities: • Revenue Attribution Mastery - Connecting every marketing dollar to business outcomes • CFO Language Fluency - Communicating value in financial terms • Integrated Measurement Systems - Unified data that proves marketing's strategic contribution Is there a choice? Adapt your measurement and communication approach, or risk joining the 34% who've already been eliminated. #CMO #MarketingLeadership #RevOps #MarketingROI