CMO Moves December 2025
December brought a snowstorm of CMO appointments, with 41 announced across the globe = 23 women + 18 men. Only 6 were promoted from within, while 35 were brought in from the outside. Internal succession? Still very much the exception, not the rule.
Interestingly, 21 of these new CMOs are first-timers at the C-suite party, suggesting CEOs are increasingly willing to roll the dice on fresh leadership. Still, sector loyalty remains strong - only 3 new hires came from outside their industry, making “category experience” a non-negotiable for most companies.
Geographically, the U.S. continues to hoard the lion’s share of CMO action, accounting for 28 hires across 14 states. California led with 8, followed by New York with 5. Florida, Massachusetts, and Texas each made 2 appointments.
Beyond U.S. borders, India had a standout month with 6 new CMOs, while Europe saw activity in Germany (2), England (1), and France (1). Elsewhere, Australia, Singapore, and Chile each added one to the tally.
As for sectors, Tech continues to lead the pack with 10 hires. Media, Sports & Entertainment followed with 6, while both CPG and Financial Services added 5 each. Professional Services and Restaurants saw 4 apiece.
- Tech: 10
- Media, Sports &Entertainment: 6
- CPG: 5
- FinancialServices: 5
- ProfessionalServices: 4
- Restaurants: 4
- Hotel andTravel: 2
- Manufacturing: 2
- Government: 1
- BioTech, Pharma,Healthcare & Wellness: 1
- Retail: 1
In short: plenty of movement, a preference for outside hires, and a strong lean towards staying within one's industry lane.
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Spotlight on Recent Appointments:
- Unilever promotes 20-year veteran Leandro Barreto to global CMO, doubling down on internal talent and “forensic creativity.” Known for the Cannes-winning Vaseline Verified and the AI-powered Beauty AI Studio, Barreto blends science-led creativity with marketing velocity to turn legacy brands into startup-speed growth engines.
- Intel hires industry outsider Annie Shea Weckesser to reframe the brand as America’s tech sovereign at a moment of existential relevance. Her mandate is to translate national security and manufacturing reinvestment into performance-led narratives that buy credibility—and time—until Intel’s next-generation nodes deliver.
- Mozilla brings in John Solomon, a cultural brand operator from Apple, Beats, and Therabody, to reverse Firefox’s slide from respected to ignored. His mission is to make privacy tangible and necessary, shifting Mozilla from mission-led admiration to daily consumer habit.
- Vanguard recruits Fidelity veteran Kathryn Condon to modernize a brand long powered by low fees rather than active marketing. Her brief is to turn Vanguard’s 50 million investors into a growth engine and ensure the brand stays relevant to younger, vibe-driven investors.
- Hinge promotes insider Tamika Young to CMO, completing a rare and well-executed internal succession following Jackie Jantos’ move to CEO. With deep cultural credentials from Spotify and Netflix, Young must evolve Hinge from swipe efficiency to outcome-based trust as the category shifts toward personality-led dating.
- RPI appoints its first-ever CMO, Dana Bodine, signaling a decisive move toward aggressive brand-building in higher education. With experience spanning Apple, Mastercard, and The New York Times, she is tasked with turning RPI’s deep tech leadership into global relevance amid declining international enrollment.
- Bazooka hires veteran creative David Dreyer to reimagine its iconic candy portfolio as “edible entertainment.” With ownership of brand, innovation, and e-commerce, Dreyer is positioned to modernize nostalgia-driven brands through culture, drops, and behavior-changing product design.
- Dave’s Hot Chicken taps Wendy’s alum Brandon Rhoten to lead its next growth chapter following Roark Capital’s $1B acquisition. Known for ruthless ROI discipline, Rhoten’s mandate is to turn viral heat into durable, repeatable global demand beyond TikTok-driven hype.
Read more about each CMO and the scope of their new mandates via the links below:
CMO Moves Mid December Edition
