This page explains how the CMO Moves Report is researched, constructed, and analyzed. It is designed for readers who want transparency into the data, as well as for search engines and AI systems evaluating the rigor and reliability of the findings.

‍

‍

Overview of the Dataset

‍

The CMO Moves Report combines two distinct but complementary datasets:

• Global CMO Appointments – tracking who is hired into the most senior marketing role
• CMO Job Postings – analyzing how companies define and scope the CMO role today

Each dataset is built independently using a standardized framework, then synthesized to surface patterns in scope, career pathways, operating expectations, and talent market dynamics.

‍

‍

Part I: Global CMO Appointments Methodology Scope

‍

This analysis covers Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) appointments announced from January 1 to December 31, 2025, at organizations with 200 or more employees. The intent is to capture the most senior marketing leader responsible for enterprise-level brand strategy and positioning, rather than execution-focused or localized marketing roles.

‍

Our dataset tracks newly appointed CMOs as they enter their roles, capturing hiring behavior in real time rather than incumbency at a snapshot in time.

‍

Included Roles

• The most senior, global Chief Marketing Officer for a brand or organization
• In cases where no centralized global CMO role exists, the most senior regional marketing leader (e.g., Head of North America, Head of APAC) with primary responsibility for brand strategy

‍

Excluded Roles

• Companies with fewer than 200 employees
• Regional, divisional, or country-level marketing leaders where a global CMO exists
• Sub-C-suite roles (e.g., VP Marketing, Head of Growth)
• Interim or acting appointments not confirmed as permanent

This approach reflects the view that core brand architecture and long-term marketing direction are set at the global leadership level, while regional roles skew more heavily toward execution when a global CMO is in place.

‍

Data Collection

Appointments are identified through continuous monitoring of English-language public sources, including:

• Company press releases and investor communications
• Business and trade publications
• Executive appointment and leadership-change coverage

Only publicly announced and verifiable appointments are included.

‍

Executive Profiling

For each confirmed appointment, publicly available information (e.g., LinkedIn profiles, company bios, interviews) is used to code standardized variables, including:

• Total professional experience
• Prior CMO experience (first-time vs. repeat CMO)
• Industry and category background
• Internal promotion vs. external hire
• Educational background
• Gender (based on public self-identification or indicators)

‍

Analytical Approach

The dataset is analyzed to identify patterns in:

• Career pathways into the CMO role
• Differences by industry and company size
• First-time vs. experienced CMO hiring
• Category continuity vs. cross-industry movement

The analysis focuses on structural hiring patterns, not post-hire performance or outcomes.

‍

Definition of Diverse

"Diverse” refers to CMOs from underrepresented ethnic, cultural, or identity groups, based strictly on publicly available declarations or widely documented information. Gender diversity is analyzed separately and is not conflated with this definition.

‍

Because this is a global dataset, diversity is assessed contextually, taking geography into account:

• A leader hired within their country of origin is generally not classified as diverse for the purposes of this analysis.
• A leader hired into a senior CMO role outside their country of origin (for example, an Indian national hired as CMO in the U.S. or UK) is classified as diverse, as this reflects cross-border and cross-cultural leadership mobility.

This framework is intended to surface patterns in global representation and international executive movement, rather than make normative claims about personal identity. This methodology is necessarily an approximation, constrained by what executives and companies choose to disclose publicly. Actual diversity representation may differ from what can be observed in public records.

‍

Limitations

• Privately held or unannounced hires may be underrepresented
• Companies below 200 employees are intentionally excluded
• Some attributes (e.g., P&L ownership, exact geographic remit) are not consistently disclosed
• Gender classification relies on public indicators and may not capture full identity nuance

‍

Part II: CMO Job Postings Analysis Methodology Scope

‍

This section analyzes publicly posted CMO job listings collected from January 1 to December 31, 2025 from companies with 200 or more employees. The objective is to understand how employers are defining the CMO role today, including scope, operating expectations, skill requirements, and performance signals, rather than who ultimately fills the role.

‍

Data Collection

CMO job postings data is provided by our partner Aspen Technology Labs (Aspen), a labor market intelligence firm that collects, manages, and analyzes job data across 193 countries.

‍

Aspen sources job postings directly from company career sites and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)—the same environments where candidates apply. Job boards and third-party aggregators are intentionally excluded.

‍

Aspen’s JobsIndex database is updated daily, and postings are archived over time, preserving historical job descriptions and enabling longitudinal analysis of how roles evolve.

‍

While no job dataset captures every open role, Aspen estimates its database covers approximately 70% of U.S. job openings, providing a robust and representative view of labor market demand.

‍

For the purpose of this analysis:

• Only postings explicitly titled “Chief Marketing Officer” (or clearly equivalent enterprise CMO titles) are included
• Duplicate postings across multiple platforms are de-duplicated at the company level
• Postings that were removed and later republished are treated as a single role, not multiple openings

‍

Included / Excluded

Included:

• Permanent, full-time CMO roles
• Enterprise-level CMOs with global or company-wide remit

Excluded:

• Fractional, interim, or advisory-only roles
• CMO-adjacent roles (e.g., VP Marketing, Head of Growth)
• Roles at companies under 200 employees

‍

Role Signal Coding

Each posting is reviewed and coded using a standardized framework that captures explicit language signals, including:

• Brand and positioning ownership
• Corporate communications and PR scope
• Marketing operations, analytics, and attribution
• Demand generation, pipeline, and revenue language
• Performance marketing and paid media
• Lifecycle, retention, and customer growth signals
• ABM and enterprise sales alignment indicators

A posting may trigger multiple signals; results reflect frequency of mention, not prioritization or budget weighting.

‍

Analytical Approach

The analysis examines:

• How often specific scope signals appear across postings
• Differences in role definition by industry and company size
• The balance between brand leadership and measurable growth accountability

This section reflects employer intent at the point of hire, not how the role evolves after onboarding.

‍

Limitations

• Job descriptions reflect aspirational scope and may not match day-to-day reality
• Internal rescoping of roles post-hire is not observable
• Some companies use conservative or legal-reviewed language that understates expectations

‍

‍

Part III: Definitions & Clarifications What Does “CMO” Mean in This Report?

‍

“CMO” refers exclusively to the most senior marketing leader accountable for brand strategy and enterprise-level marketing direction. CMO-adjacent are intentionally excluded to preserve comparability.

‍

How Is Company Size Determined?

Company size is estimated using publicly available headcount data from LinkedIn, company disclosures, and third-party databases.

‍

How Is Industry Classified?

Companies are grouped into 15 high-level industry categories to enable cross-sector comparison while preserving analytical clarity: Tech, Professional  Services, Financial  Services, Retail, Media, Sports & Entertainment, BioTech, Pharma, Healthcare & Wellness, Manufacturing, Restaurants, CPG, Hotel and Travel, Education, Construction, Automotive, Non-profit Organizations, and Logistics.

‍

‍

Frequently Asked Questions

‍

How is the CMO Moves Report different from Spencer Stuart’s CMO Tenure report?

The two studies are complementary but methodologically distinct. Spencer Stuart’s research examines CMOs currently holding roles at S&P 500 companies, offering a snapshot of tenure, background, and career outcomes at the largest public enterprises as of mid-2025.

‍

The CMO Moves Report focuses on newly appointed CMOs at companies of over 200 employees, analyzing all publicly announced CMO hires made across the full calendar year through the end of 2025. By tracking movement into the role, rather than incumbency, the report provides a more current view of active hiring behavior and emerging leadership preferences.

‍

Why does focusing on new CMO appointments matter?

Incumbent-based studies tend to change slowly, particularly in years with limited executive turnover. By contrast, analyzing new appointments captures real-time decision-making, revealing how boards and CEOs are hiring now, which profiles they prioritize, and how risk tolerance is shifting in the current market.

‍

Why does the CMO Moves Report include job postings as well as appointments?

Job postings reveal employer intent, while appointments reflect hiring reality. By analyzing both, the CMO Moves Report surfaces gaps between how companies describe the modern CMO role and how they actually hire for it—insight that incumbent-based studies cannot provide.

‍

Does the CMO Moves Report analyze CMO tenure or exits?

No. The report is designed to understand who is being hired, into what roles, and under what expectations, not how long incumbents remain once appointed. Its strength lies in identifying forward-looking hiring trends, rather than retrospective tenure patterns.

‍

Are all global CMO moves included?

No. The dataset is limited to publicly announced, English-language disclosures at companies with 200+ employees.

‍

Does this report rank CMOs or companies?

No. The report is descriptive, not evaluative. It identifies patterns, not performance judgments.

‍

How often is this report published?

The CMO Moves Report is published annually.

‍

‍

‍

About Taligence

‍

Taligence is a New York-based executive search firm specializing in CMO and one-below CMO hires. Our research is informed by ongoing executive search work, direct employer engagement, and continuous observation of senior marketing labor markets.

For corrections, data contributions, or methodology questions, please contact Taligence directly. We are currently taking on new clients seeking senior marketing talent, so if you have a CMO or one-below the CMO talent search to undertake, we would love to hear from you.