McAfee Names Deirdre Findlay Its New CMO

Looking to further its efforts in its pure-play consumer shift, McAfee has named Deirdre Findlay svp and chief marketing officer. Findlay joins the online privacy and security business after nearly three years at Condé Nast as global chief marketing officer and head of consumer revenue. In her new role, Findlay will oversee all worldwide marketing and communication efforts and report to Greg Johnson, president and chief executive officer at McAfee. "My biggest priority is diving into the category and consumer research to find the opportunities and white space where McAfee is uniquely suited to win," Findlay told Adweek. "I believe there is a big opportunity to build upon the strong reputation of the McAfee brand and continue its evolution to develop deeper connections within the category." While at Condé Nast, Finlay was named to the Adweek 50 list in 2021 for her efforts in growing the publisher's total subscriptions by 16% year over year and commerce revenue 42% year over year. Before joining Condé Nast, Findlay was global chief marketing officer of online personal styling service Stitch Fix and had senior marketing roles in the tech space with Google and eBay. How New Alaska Airlines’ Head of Marketing Eric Edge Plans to Put Customers First "Deirdre is a changemaker, brand innovator and an accomplished leader. She possesses an enviable skillset that allows her to expertly tap into the hearts and minds of consumers, build lasting brand relevance and drive business results," Johnson said in a statement. Securing a new brand shift to consumers Findlay's hiring comes at an interesting time for McAfee. The brand has shifted its business strategy over the past year, selling off its enterprise business to a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group in 2021. That enterprise business was a trusted partner for 86% of the Fortune 100 firms around the world. McAfee has become a pure-play consumer cybersecurity company looking to narrow its focus and attain long-term growth. Earlier this year, an investor group led by Advent International and Permira acquired McAfee's consumer security business in a deal valued at $14 billion. The move made McAfee a privately held company after it went public in 2020. Soon after, former CEO Peter Leav stepped down and was replaced by Johnson. There are also other new senior staff members in recently promoted COO Gagan Singh and CFO Jennifer Biry. Now, the brand has its CMO in Findlay who was impressed by McAfee's culture and senior staff. She wants to to find new and innovative ways to expand consumer education on why McAfee is the partner of choice for consumer digital safety needs. Findlay said the brand's marketing strategy will start with the consumer's needs as the brand competes in a crowded category with brands like Norton and Symantec. "I am a businessperson first, who happened to major in marketing to solve business problems," Findlay said. "There is real value in thinking about what the business needs are, coupled with the consumer needs and determining what the right intersection is to achieve desired business outcomes." Her work as a marketer in the tech, media and insurance categories have helped her along the way and made McAfee a great fit and the brand's strong recognition in the security and privacy space. However, there are challenges that do exist. "The challenge within the category is shifting perceptions from 'nice to have' to 'must have' in order to drive behavior change," Findlay said. "It's like insurance; people do not care about insurance until they need it, so how do you get them to care more about it? It requires a strong emotional connection between the category and consumer. I'm excited to unearth and delve into those emotional connections and bring them to life."

Leadership & Talent

McAfee's New CMO Wants to Drive Emotional Connection With Consumers

Deirdre Findlay joins a brand looking to secure its b-to-c standing

Rafael Canton

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Rafael Canton