Priorities of a CMO
The Setup CMO Spotlight series highlights high achieving marketing executives from different industries. After over 70 interviews with leaders at brands like Papa Johns, HEINEKEN, Randstad, NCR, and more, we’ve found that, despite each leader’s individual career journey and siloed industry, many CMOs and marketing professionals share the same priorities and outlook.
Besides wanting to create groundbreaking marketing campaigns and a successful ROI, many Chief Marketing Officers, SVPs of Marketing, and other marketing leaders want to be well-rounded leaders who shape strong teams and individuals.
Here are a list of values from most referenced to least referenced that CMOs expect from their team:
Servant / Mentor Leadership
Integrity
Honesty / Authenticity / Transparency
Empathy - Being Kind / Compassion
Communication
Accountability
Curiosity
Positivity
Vulnerability / Openness
Collaboration
Drive / Ambition / Take Risks / Passion
Respect
Intelligence
Listening
Resilience
Reliability
Directness
Teamwork
Encouragement / Inspiration
Acceptance
Confidence
Fairness
Attention to Detail
Trust
Adaptability
In a world where Servant Leadership is prioritized by the people at the top of an organization, of course attributes like “Vulnerability” and “Empathy” rank high as desired traits for employees. Leaders are taking more of a human-centered approach to managing their teams. This is evident in the advice they share from the interviews as well. They encourage new marketers to seek growth in every aspect of their career.
5 Pieces of Advice from CMOs
Take some risks, don't be afraid of change, and try new things. Be fearless and confident.
Learn as much as you can, and continue to learn and seek growth.
Always find the joy in what you’re doing, and enjoy it and the people you're with.
Be intentional, go after what you want, and advocate for yourself/manage your own career.
Be curious, ask questions, and listen.
Wherever you are on your marketing journey, there is so much to gain from hearing how peers have navigated their wins, losses, and overall journeys. If you’d like to check out other CMO Spotlights, you can find the interviews here. If you know someone who should be interviewed, please submit them here.
If you are navigating your own career journey and may be new to a marketing leadership role, we have free Guides that can assist you in that process here.
Subscribe to the Setup newsletter below to get the latest CMO Spotlights and other industry news in your inbox!
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Trish Nettleship, the Chief Marketing Officer at NCR Voyix, about understanding your “why,” the power of relationships and listening, passion, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Dan Csont, the EVP & Chief Marketing Officer at Corpay, about leveraging every opportunity to gain experience in your career, the evolution of U2, the power of understanding people as a leader, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Mika Yamamoto, the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer at Freshworks, about the power of perseverance and believing in yourself, Warby Parker’s tactful and intentional experiential marketing, the importance of listening to your team for campaign input and success, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with DeLu Jackson, the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer of ADT, about the power of collaboration, harnessing different communication styles, Apple’s innovation, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Rich Honiball, the EVP and the Global Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for the Navy Exchange Service Command (which is also known as NEXCOM), about the power of taking risks and failing, true authenticity in a brand, and the importance of curiosity.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with the Co-Founder of Reebok, Joe Foster, about the foundation behind building a strong brand, the importance of listening as a leader, Winston Churchill, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alec Hanson, the Chief Marketing Officer at loanDepot, about how his irrational self-confidence allows him to embrace his inner nerd, the beauty of perspective, the power of sales experience, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, spoke with Alex Cwirko-Godycki, the Chief Marketing Officer of Human Capital and the Head of Digital Marketing at Aon, about his problem solving skills, the power of simplicity, United Airlines’ relatable motto, and more.
Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Amy Comeau, the Vice President of Marketing for Emory Healthcare, to share about her journey from vocal performance and Opera houses to Healthcare, building collaborative bridges, passion for Publix, the power of her mother’s words, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Pam Piligian, the CMO and SVP of Navy Federal Credit Union, to discuss her admiration for Chick-fil-A, her experience at Ocean Spray, and her ability to charm consumers.
In the spirit of Black History Month, Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Sheraun Britton-Parris, the Chief Marketing Officer at Cordance, to discuss why following her gut is her superpower, the importance of customer-centric marketing, and the inspirational story of how Nathan Nearest Green, an enslaved black man, taught Jack Daniels.
In the spirit of Black History Month, our CEO, Joe Koufman, recently virtually connected with Jacqueline Woods, the Chief Marketing Officer at Teradata. Join us in this insightful conversation that goes beyond marketing strategies and delves into Woods’ journey to becoming a marketing leader, advice she would share with other marketers, where she finds inspiration, and more. Let's honor and celebrate diversity, leadership, and the impactful journey of Jacqueline Woods.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Ami Badani, the Chief Marketing Officer at Arm, to talk about the power of relationship building, Louis Vuitton’s powerful impact as a brand, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Kaylin Durham, the Chief Customer Officer at The Aaron's Company, Inc., to talk about the importance of having tough conversations, how to be intentional and brave in your career, and why she admires Delta’s brand.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with David Reid, the Chief Technology and Marketing Officer at NOV to discuss the importance of immersing yourself in the business, how to adapt your business during trying times, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Jaclyn Ruelle, the VP Head of Brand at Papa Johns, to talk about the impact that a positive attitude can have on an organization, lessons she learned from an impactful campaign, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Matt Preschern, the Chief Marketing and Demand Generation Officer at NTT, to talk about the importance of diversifying your marketing skills, the three quotes he lives by, and more.
Setup President, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Genefa Murphy, the CMO at Udemy, to discuss the importance of seeking inspiration outside of marketing, Disney’s powerful branding, and more. This is the full-length version of the interview.
Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Colleen Murphy-Gomez, the VP of Marketing at iBwave Solutions, to talk about gift-giving as a superpower, inspirational quotes from her father, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, the Chief Marketing Officer at Carnival Cruise Line to talk about the importance of creating a safe space for her team, having a sense of humor, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Kristy LoRusso, the National Chief Marketing Officer at Kaiser Permanente to discuss the importance of building a great foundation for your team, how the book "How Will You Measure Your Life" by Clayton Christensen impacts her life, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Joe De Sena, the founder and CEO of Spartan, to discuss the importance of sticking to your values, getting out of your comfort zone, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Karima McDaniel, the President and General Manager for 4U by Tia, to discuss the importance of advocating for yourself, being an adaptable and flexible leader, and more.
Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Lauren Weinberg, the Chief Marketing Officer at Square, to discuss how she gained the confidence to advocate for herself in her career, how Michael Jordan inspires her, and more.
Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Jonathan Adashek, the Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Marketing and Communications at IBM, to discuss the novelty of Disney and Nike’s brand loyalty and legacy, the power of running towards solutions, and more.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with John Ross, the Vice President of Marketing at PosiGen to discuss his career journey, the benefits of continuous learning, and groundbreaking brands.
Setup COO, Amanda Thompson, virtually sat down with Marti Walsh, the Vice President of Marketing at NAPA to discuss the benefits of hard work, empathetic leadership’s ripple effect on an organization, and Delta and Peloton’s brilliance as brands.
Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Laurie McGrath, the Chief Marketing Officer at Momentus Technologies to talk about the influential power of design, fashion, and art, her favorite quote from Pema Chödrön, and more.
Setup CEO + Founder, Joe Koufman, spoke with Ben Boyd, the Chief Communications Officer at Chobani, about designing your own career path, the importance of empathy and understanding as a leader, and more.