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This week, we're diving into some surprising research about marketing leadership. Turns out, reports of the CMO's death have been greatly exaggerated.
—Elena
Only 40% of Fortune 500 marketing leaders hold the title "Chief Marketing Officer."
The rest go by titles like Chief Growth Officer, Chief Customer Officer, or combined roles like CMO plus communications. This shift reflects function evolution, not decline.
The CMO role is evolving, not disappearing
Recent Spencer Stuart research on Fortune 500 CMOs reveals several surprising truths that challenge the "dying CMO" narrative:
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Career advancement is strong: 65% of CMOs who leave their roles move to similar or more senior positions, and 10% become CEOs.
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Marketing experience matters at the top: 37% of Fortune 500 CEOs have marketing backgrounds.
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Tenure is stabilizing: Average CMO tenure is now 4.3 years, up from previous years.
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Internal mobility is healthy: 58% of CMOs were promoted from within their companies.
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The function persists: 66% of Fortune 500 companies still have enterprise-wide marketing leadership.
The challenge isn't that marketing leadership is disappearing. It's that marketing faces an identity crisis. When titles shift from CMO to Chief Growth Officer or get split across multiple roles, it often reflects confusion about marketing's true purpose rather than its declining relevance.
"CMOs Onward and Upward: The Evolution of Marketing Leadership"
This comprehensive Spencer Stuart report examines Fortune 500 CMO trends, revealing how marketing leadership roles are evolving and what it means for career advancement. The data challenges common assumptions about CMO decline and offers insights into successful marketing leadership paths.
Marketing is bigger than a department.
"Marketing is not a function, it is the whole business seen from the customer's point of view."
— Peter Drucker, management consultant and author
