Short answer
A study by Findem and CMO Huddles finds that the time CMOs stay in their seat in the US has shortened markedly in recent years, and today's CMOs stay in post for less time than CEOs. Tenure also varies with a company's ownership structure. Marketing leaders' relationship with the board and clear success metrics matter more than ever.
Highlights
- CMOs who started in 2010 stayed an average of 4 years in the US, against 2.6 years for those who started in 2022, a fall of 35 per cent.
- Sitting CMOs have an average tenure of 36 months, while for CEOs it is 51 months.
- The average of 4 years at public companies falls to 2.6 years at venture-backed companies.
2 min readEditor-in-chief: Uğur Deniz İlhan
According to Marketing Türkiye, a joint study by Findem and CMO Huddles shows how short-lived marketing leadership has become. The CMO, the most senior executive responsible for marketing, now stays in post for far less time in the US than before.
How long do CMOs stay in their seat?
CMOs who started in 2010 stayed an average of 4 years, while those who started in 2022 stayed 2.6 years. In other words, tenure shortened by 35 per cent over 12 years. The study draws on the career data of more than 13,000 CMOs at companies with 100 or more employees.
The average tenure of sitting CMOs is 36 months; for CEOs it is 51 months. Of the CMOs now in post, 30 per cent have been in the seat for less than 18 months, while 33 per cent have been there for more than five years.
Does the company's ownership structure affect tenure?
Yes. According to Ad Age data cited in the report, CMOs at public companies stay an average of 4 years. At private equity companies this falls to 3.1 years, and at venture-backed companies to 2.6 years.
According to Drew Neisser, founder of CMO Huddles, a long CMO career starts to take shape before the job begins. Candidates should ask up front about business strategy, investor expectations, the CEO's experience and tenure, what is expected of marketing, the resources on offer and how success will be judged.
What should companies and marketing leaders do?
The figures describe US companies, and the report offers no comparable measurement for other markets, so they should not be applied directly elsewhere. Even so, the direction is a practical warning for brands and agencies alike. Three steps are a reasonable start:
- When hiring a marketing executive, or moving into the role, write down the success metrics, the budget and the first-year goals; the list in the report works as a ready-made checklist.
- Make sure marketing reports to the CEO, the CFO and the board on a regular rhythm; the report presents that relationship as a determinant of the CMO's room to manoeuvre, from budget support to strategic decisions.
- If you work as an agency, tie reporting and goals to documents rather than to a person, in case the marketing leader at your client changes.
Frequently asked
- Why is CMO tenure getting shorter?
- The report links the shorter tenure to pressure on marketing leaders to deliver results. It does not give a single cause; ownership structure and the relationship with senior management stand out as factors.
Sources
- Marketing Türkiye ·
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