Why Your Next CEO May Be Sitting in the CMO Seat

Published:11/02/2026 | Posted by

Nov. 2, 2026 · By: Kirk Bukowski – Vice President, Executive Search

When boards map out CEO succession, they usually look first at the CFO or the COO. Those executives know the numbers and the operations, and they have earned the board’s trust. But in a market where growth is the hardest thing to deliver, the strongest successor may be the person who owns the customer: the Chief Marketing Officer.

In more than 25 years of executive search, I have watched the CMO role change more than almost any other seat in the C-suite. The companies that recognize that shift early will have a deeper bench when it is time to choose their next leader.

The CMO Role Is No Longer About Advertising

A generation ago, the CMO ran advertising, managed the agencies and protected the brand. It was often treated as a creative function, judged on awareness rather than results. Today’s CMO is a growth executive. In many companies, marketing owns the customer data, the digital channels, pricing input, the product roadmap conversation and a measurable share of the revenue pipeline. The best CMOs are now held to revenue, margin and customer lifetime value, not impressions. That shift matters for succession. A role that is accountable for growth, and that touches nearly every part of the business to deliver it, is a strong training ground for the top job.

What Modern CMOs Bring to the Corner Office

The strongest CMOs build the same muscles boards look for in a CEO.

• They know the customer better than anyone. In a world where customer expectations change quickly, the executive closest to the customer often sees the next opportunity, or threat, first.
• They lead across the enterprise. Marketing can’t deliver growth alone. Great CMOs influence product, sales, operations, finance and technology without direct authority over them, which is very close to how a CEO actually leads.
• They are fluent in data. Today’s CMO manages analytics, attribution and marketing technology, and makes investment decisions based on measurable returns.
• They tell the company’s story. CEOs spend much of their time communicating with employees, customers, investors and the board. CMOs have spent their careers shaping exactly that kind of narrative.
• They are built for change. Marketing has been through constant disruption, from digital to social to AI. CMOs who have thrived through it know how to lead an organization through change.

The Path Has Already Been Proven

Some of the most closely watched CEOs of the last decade came up through marketing. Brian Niccol served as Taco Bell’s CMO before becoming its president and CEO. He went on to lead Chipotle through one of the strongest turnarounds in restaurant history, and Starbucks recruited him as CEO in 2024. Mary Dillon was McDonald’s global CMO before becoming CEO of U.S. Cellular, then Ulta Beauty, where she led years of strong growth, and later Foot Locker. These leaders didn’t succeed in spite of their marketing backgrounds. They succeeded because they understood what customers wanted and could rally an entire organization around delivering it.

The Gaps a CMO Has to Close

Not every CMO is ready for the top job, and it’s worth being honest about why. The most common gaps I see are these:

• Full P&L ownership. Many CMOs manage a large budget but have never owned profit and loss for a business unit.
• Operational depth. Supply chain, manufacturing, field operations and service delivery are often outside a CMO’s experience.
• Financial and investor credibility. Boards and investors want a CEO who can speak fluently about capital allocation, margins and cash flow.
• Board exposure. Some CMOs have had limited time in front of the board, which makes it harder for directors to picture them in the role.

None of these gaps are permanent. They are development needs, and they can be closed with deliberate assignments.

What Boards and CEOs Should Do Now

If your CMO has CEO potential, don’t wait until the succession decision to find out. A few practical steps:

1. Give them a P&L. Put your CMO in charge of a business unit, a new market or a product line where they own the results.
2. Broaden their scope. Add responsibility for sales, customer experience or digital so they lead more of the revenue engine.
3. Get them in front of the board. Regular board presentations build both their skills and the directors’ confidence.
4. Pair them with finance. Partner the CMO with the CFO on budgeting, investment decisions and investor communications.
5. Include them in succession planning. Make sure marketing leaders are evaluated alongside operating and financial executives, not overlooked by default.