CMO Tenure Hits 43 Months, Varies by Gender
Winmo's comprehensive CMO tenure report reveals that the average CMO tenure is 43 months, with female CMOs—who constitute 42 percent of tenures—rotating out five months sooner than males (37.5 vs. 43 months), highlights significant industry variations such as longer tenures in Financial Services and Travel (48 months) versus shorter in Digital Business Providers (29 months), and notes that the CMO role exhibits the highest gender parity among C-suite positions at 42 percent female representation.
In its definitive CMO tenure report, Winmo finds that female CMOs, who make up about 42 percent of tenures across industries, rotate up and out of roles five months sooner than their male counterparts (37.5 months vs. 43 months).
This was the first year that gender parity was included in the report, which considered over 2,400 CMO data points across national advertisers with media spend above $2 million, investigating CMO tenure by duration, industry, and more. The report is described as the broadest and most conclusive examination of marketing leadership tenure to date.
On average, Winmo finds that overall CMO tenure is 43 months (3.5 years), while CMOs are more likely to rotate up and out of roles between 30 and 45 months.
“This report provides a level of granularity that’s never been covered for CMO tenures,” said Jennifer Groese, Winmo’s Vice President of Marketing. “Not all CMOs are the same, and this analysis sheds light on how marketing executives across different industries and of different genders typically rotate up and out of their current roles.”
Beyond the high-level takeaways about CMO tenure and gender parity, Winmo’s report also delves into more specific findings within industry and gender. Key takeaways include:
- CMO tenure is, on average, half the duration of average CEO tenure (3.6 years vs. 7.2 years)
- Financial Services and Travel industries lead average duration (48 months), while Digital Business Providers (online-only businesses) have the shortest average tenure at 29 months
- Digital Business Providers (online-only businesses) represent the greatest gender parity among the top five industries analyzed, where women represent 50 percent of all tenures
- The CMO position represents the most gender parity among C-suite positions at 42 percent. The next-leading position is the CFO role, with female leaders representing 12 percent of positions
Related
Shortened CMO Tenures & Why Sales Should be Watching
The article explains how WinmoEdge analyzed over 1,400 CMO tenures across 1,100 companies in various industries to reveal that shortened CMO tenures serve as a key sales trigger, enabling sales teams to strategically time outreach by anticipating agency reviews and leadership changes for better business development opportunities.
The CMO Lifecycle: 5 CMOs to Watch in 2019 - Winmo
Winmo's 2018 CMO Lifecycle report analyzes over 2,400 CMO tenures to identify key marketing leaders poised for potential role changes in 2019, highlighting five CMOs—including Erik Lautier of Francesca’s Holdings—who fall within the critical tenure "sweet spot" across top industries, offering strategic insights for new business professionals and media sellers to optimize prospecting by industry-specific watch lists.
CMO Sweet Spot: 5 CPG CMOs to Target Now - Winmo
The article from Winmo emphasizes the importance of targeting CPG CMOs within their first 3-12 months in role—especially given the high churn rate and average 37-month tenure in the CPG sector—highlighting that agencies can increase success by timing outreach during this "sweet spot," exemplified by five current CPG CMOs like Rivian’s Chris Wollen, to strategically position themselves for agency reviews and media vendor shifts.
First Timers: 4 Brands That Hired Their First-Ever CMO - Winmo
The article highlights the strategic importance for sales and marketing professionals of tracking brands that hire their first-ever Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), exemplified by four companies including Monkey Knife Fight, which recently appointed Danny Tawiah as its inaugural CMO to lead marketing and platform development, signaling imminent increased marketing investments and agency opportunities within the first year of the CMO's tenure.
CMOs on the Move: December 2023
The December 2023 report highlights significant CMO movements, including Guild Mortgage hiring its first-ever CMO, Adam O’Daniel, signaling a likely return to higher digital ad spending and diversified marketing strategies, while Cohesity's loss of CMO Lynn Lucas amid spending declines underscores the critical impact of new marketing executives on agency changes, media spending, and martech investments within a 3-12 month adjustment period.
CMO Sweetspot: 5 Retail CMOs to Target Now - Winmo
Winmo's report highlights that the optimal time to engage retail CMOs is within 3-12 months of their appointment, as this period often triggers agency reviews and media vendor shifts, and identifies five retail CMOs currently in this "sweet spot," including IKEA's Peter Wright, who since his October appointment as global CMO is driving digital modernization efforts such as new store formats, a shopping app, and increased AI use to boost e-commerce and in-store engagement.