"At its best, the CEO-CMO partnership allows a company to tell stories that resonate, connect with consumers on a deeper level, and build a brand that stands the test of time."They may not make the headlines quite like their CEO counterparts, but the CMO are powerful entities within any business. It’s hard to imagine Netflix today without Marian Lee’s guidance, or Apple without Greg Joswiak – both CMOs are notable for their sheer cultural influence.
But what is the relationship between CEO and CMO? What are the pitfalls, and what’s possible when it’s working well? And while cultural influence is important, how can the CMO communicate this in terms of the CEO’s priorities – particularly business growth?
Whether you’re at the level of Tariq Hassan, who heads up marketing at McDonalds, or Zach Kitschke, who was the fifth employee at Canva and is now their CMO, real success comes through alignment with the CEO. So, let’s break down some of the key aspects of the relationship.
CEO and CMO: A crucial relationship
Let’s start here – on the side of the CEO. Because while they are at the top of the tree, their role can often feel like the loneliest in the company. Having empathy is a good starting point for any CMO, remembering that the CEO is not always certain that the C-suite is fully behind them. So, a first step for any CMO is to imagine what it’s like to be in the CEO’s shoes and think about what they would want from their fellow C-suite in terms of support.
Meanwhile, for the CMO it’s important to influence their boss to position marketing correctly within the organisation. For the CMO to drive growth, the CEO must acknowledge marketing as a key business driver rather than just a support function. This shift in perspective – which can come through a series of conversations and presentations – is essential to putting together a high-performing marketing function that contributes directly to business objectives. In short, it puts both parties on the same page.
If this obstacle can be tackled effectively, the relationship can flourish. It’s worth noting that a recent report highlights that same old problem of perception – that CEOs trust their CMOs more than ever before, but are still sceptical about their ability to drive real business results. Bridging that gap is the first step in building trust between the two leaders. The CEO needs to position marketing as a business driver, and the CMO needs to demonstrate why marketing deserves this.
A focus on consumers
The CMO is able to get the CEO closer to the consumer. This kind of active engagement with customers is crucial for leadership, and while the CMO is of course responsible for analysing customer data and trends, the CEO can really benefit from firsthand exposure to market behaviour.
That could take several forms. Whether through attending industry events, observing consumer interactions, or participating in market visits, direct customer engagement helps the CEO develop a deeper understanding of marketing’s impact. The CMO can be the facilitator of this interaction.
Because when the CEO actively listens to customer feedback, it encourages a strong company-wide commitment to customer-centric decision-making. This in turn strengthens the collaboration between the CEO and CMO, ensuring that marketing strategies reflect real market needs and opportunities. In the end, a CEO who understands and values customer insights will be better equipped to champion marketing-led initiatives across the organisation.
How the CMO and marketing is seen in the organisation
This is all about positioning. For the CMO to be truly empowered, the CEO must ensure marketing has a seat at the leadership table. This means integrating marketing discussions into high-level business strategy rather than isolating them as separate, executional functions. The most successful companies view marketing as a driver of competitive advantage, leveraging consumer insights to shape their overall direction.
A CEO who prioritises marketing as part of the overall business strategy will also ensure that the company’s culture supports innovation and responsiveness to market trends. This means allocating the right resources, supporting data-driven decision-making, and encouraging cross-functional collaboration. When marketing, sales, operations, and product teams are all working well together, the company is far better positioned to achieve sustained growth.
When the relationship works well
It’s in any CEO’s interest to have a talented, empowered CMO working with them. Greg Hoffman, former CMO of Nike, said, ‘Every brand has the opportunity to tell a story greater than the product itself.’
When the CEO and CMO are working effectively together, this kind of thinking can transform a company that makes products or offers services into a brand that matters within the wider culture.
It’s the CMO who drives that, ensuring that stories shared with consumers pull them in and make them feel included – a part of something. This approach can be seen in Nike commercials, which focus on broader themes of self-improvement and self-empowerment rather than specific products.
This can work across any company. CMO Tariq Hassan shifted McDonald’s from a campaign-driven brand to a ‘fan-to-fan’ strategy, emphasising cultural resonance. Hassan has even said that ‘when culture calls, you have to call back’, and he has positioned the fast-food giant to create more of an ongoing dialogue with the brand’s fans and more casual consumers.
Credit cards are about as far from fast food or athletic apparel as it’s possible to get, but again, when we look at Visa, we find CMO Frank Cooper shifting the brand’s focus and landing on the theme of ‘improving people’s lives.’ A really good CMO can help create this kind of anchor from which a brand can grow beyond its original roots.
The power of a unified vision
A strong relationship between the CEO and CMO can be the difference between a brand that simply exists and one that truly thrives. When the CEO fully embraces marketing as a strategic function and the CMO aligns marketing efforts with business objectives, the result is really powerful.
The most successful companies are those where the CEO and CMO work in tandem – where marketing isn’t an isolated department but an integral force shaping the company’s future. At its best, this partnership allows a company to tell stories that resonate, connect with consumers on a deeper level, and build a brand that stands the test of time.
By Alex Ionides, Managing Director, Silx
