CMO Moves January 2025 Update
January came in swinging, setting a record with 43 global CMO appointments. That’s the most we’ve ever tracked in a single month. Of those, 28 women and 15 men snagged the coveted title, and 18 are stepping into the C-suite for the very first time.
A quick breakdown:
- By region: California led U.S. activity with 5 new CMOs, while Massachusetts, Texas, New York, and Florida followed with 3 each. In total, appointments were spread across 16 states.
- Globally: The UK had a particularly active month, adding 4 new CMOs. Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, India, and Canada also saw key appointments.
- By industry: Software Development saw the highest number of hires (11 new CMOs), followed by Retail with 5, Hospitality, Healthcare, and Network Security, each with 3. Altogether, new CMOs are hired across 21 industries.
Promotions A Rare but Glorious Sight
Here’s the thing—CMO promotions are rarer than a quiet Slack channel. Of the 43 new CMOs, only 10 were internal promotions. That’s just 23%,though still the highest percentage we’ve seen since we started tracking.
To put things into perspective, 84% of the 310 global CMO hired in 2024 were external recruits. Compare that with CEOs—73% of global, publicly listed companies in 2024 promoted from within, according to Russell Reynolds. So, what gives? Is this a pipeline problem? A sign that companies want fresh perspectives over familiarity? We’re pondering.
That said, this month’s higher-than-usual internal promotions deserve a toast. And speaking of celebrations, let’s kick things off with three promotions that are set to shake things up.
Spotlight on Recent Appointments:
- The North Face: Dennis Seydel, with a background at Nike, Google, and Uber, became CMO, aligning his experience with the brand's outdoor exploration mission.
- Coach: Joon Silverstein, known for her innovative campaigns like the Brooklyn Bag, advanced to CMO, contributing to Coach's rise in the Lyst Hottest Brands Index.
- Carlsberg Britvic: Munnawar Chishty moved up to Global CMO after the $4.2 billion merger, leveraging her experience in both the beauty and beer industries.
- LinkedIn: Jessica Jensen transitioned from Indeed to LinkedIn as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, amid a wave of leadership changes at the platform.
- Litera: Cynthia Gumbert was appointed as CMO, bringing extensive experience from SmartBear and a strong background in technology and business strategy
Click on the links below to find out more about these CMOs and their new mandates:
