1. Embrace marketing’s evolving scope — and widening skillsets
The CMO role changed significantly in recent years, and should be expected to keep changing in the coming years. As AI gains a greater foothold, marketing leaders will need to embrace new reporting structures, expanded purviews and even new titles.
For example, recent Spencer Stuart research found that 16% of CMOs in 2024 had another function named in their title (such as chief marketing and communications officer), and 10% didn’t even have the word marketing, instead using words such as “commercial,” “growth” and “customer.” This points to the idea that today’s marketing leaders need broad expertise in many areas. Last year, we saw even more demand for CMOs with knowledge in AI, data utilization and customer-centricity.
In this context, aspiring marketing leaders must exhibit chameleon-like qualities and comfort with ambiguity, especially when it comes to role, scope and reporting. They must be scrappy, able to wear many functional hats and tolerant of constant change. This is especially true as CMOs integrate AI into marketing strategies.
2. Be clear and vocal about your ambitions
Being proactive and vocal about your career path is vital. What is important to you? Where do you want to go in your career? Then, seek out experiences that can help you achieve your goals, and find sponsors and mentors inside and outside of your organization who can advise on how to advance your career, boost your skill set and/or get connected with decision-makers who can help carve out learning paths with and for you.
Marketing is particularly unique in that skills can translate across industries, particularly in brand management and customer analysis. Our 2026 CMO Tenure Study found that 43% of externally hired CMOs came from a different industry, suggesting companies are willing to look beyond traditional boundaries to find a different perspective or capability set — even during uncertain times. If you are looking to make a transition, particularly to another industry, highlighting your transferable skills and making a compelling case for you can bring value and fresh perspective will help create a compelling case for a move.
The good news is that more and more companies see the critical value of marketing backgrounds. Almost 40% of CEOs today have some marketing in their background. Furthermore, CMO is one of the most gender-diverse in the C-suite today; half of CMOs in the S&P 500 are women.
3. Own your career path: You are your biggest champion
Marketing leaders are often seen as the biggest brand ambassadors, so why not turn those skills onto yourself? Build a strong personal brand by getting clear on your purpose and values and weaving them into everything you do.
Some brand-building exercises are straightforward, like updating your resume, refreshing your LinkedIn profile and networking with connections who can link you with the right leaders. Podcasts and the speaking circuit are also other effective ways to get your name and expertise known. At the same time, it is important to balance effectively marketing yourself with being a consummate brand ambassador for your current organization. The best leaders do both without being perceived as “celebrity marketers” who care only about themselves.
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While no one can predict the future, we can all agree that marketing will continue to evolve. However, for rising marketers, the path to success is filled with opportunities to shine.