Why CEOs Don't Trust Marketing Chiefs to Grow the Business

The CMO role is under fire, but there are ways they can earn respect and trust in the C-suite

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CMOs are facing doubt within their organizations that they can drive growth. Time is increasingly committed to counseling CEOs who believe they have a marketing challenge. And they’re not alone—other C-suite executives are expressing the same concerns about their CMOs, indicating an industrywide dilemma about the perception of chief marketers. 

The data is startling. According to research by Deloitte, only 26% of CMOs are being regularly invited to attend board meetings, and Spencer Stuart has reported that CMOs continue to have the shortest tenure on average of any member of the C-suite at 40 months.

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This story first appeared in the Sept. 20, 2021, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.