CMO Moves September Summary
In September, there were 20 new Chief Marketing Officer appointments worldwide, with women representing the majority—11 out of these 20 roles. Of the appointments, 4 were internal promotions, while 16 were filled by external candidates. Notably, 6 of these leaders are stepping into a C-level position for the first time.
Regionally, California led with 6 CMO appointments, followed by Texas with 2. Eight other states, including New York, Florida, and Illinois, also welcomed new marketing leaders. Internationally, Europe saw three appointments, with new CMOs in London, Paris, and Stockholm, while New Zealand also added a new marketing executive.
The Software Development sector was the most active, with 4 CMO hires. Financial Services, Security and Investigations, and Banking each had 2 new appointments, while the remaining hires were spread across 14 additional industries.
- Burberry appointed Jonathan Kiman as its new CMO this fall to lead a digital transformation and refresh the brand’s strategy, following a 22% revenue dip and a drop from the FTSE 100. Previously with Gucci, Jonathan aims to modernize Burberry to appeal to a younger, affluent audience.
- In another shift, Angela Zepeda, former Hyundai CMO, joined X (formerly Twitter) as Global Head of Marketing. Her role, under Elon Musk’s new product-led and low-ad strategy, marks a shift in X’s marketing approach.
- The trend of hiring fractional CMOs is growing, with brands like JCPenney bringing in Marisa Thalberg as a consulting CMO for seasonal campaigns. This flexible model, popular among smaller companies, offers targeted expertise to adapt in dynamic markets.
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