CMO Moves May 2026
May was a busy month for departures, but hiring activity eased slightly after a frenetic Spring. Following 49 new CMO appointments in both March and April, May saw 37 announced globally: 23 women and 14 men. 10 were internal promotions, while 27 were external hires. Notably, 20 of the new appointees had never held a CMO title before, reinforcing what we already knew: boards are becoming more comfortable backing first-time marketing chiefs. Industry expertise, however, remains highly valued: only 2 appointments involved executives moving into an entirely new sector. Shelve your pivot plans for now.
The U.S. remained the most active market, with 20 CMO appointments across 10 states. California led the way with 6 hires, followed by Massachusetts and New York with 3 each, and Illinois with 2.
Outside the U.S., momentum picked up. England announced 4 new CMOs, India hired 3, while Canada and Australia each welcomed 2. France, Singapore, Sweden, Cyprus, South Africa, and Germany all recorded one new appointment.
By sector, technology continued to dominate with 15 new CMOs, followed by Media, Sports &Entertainment with 5. Financial Services and Retail each appointed 4, while CPG and Professional Services added 3 apiece.
- Tech: 15
- Media, Sports & Entertainment: 5
- Financial Services: 4
- Retail: 4
- CPG: 3
- Professional Services: 3
- Restaurants: 1
- Logistics: 1
- Manufacturing: 1
Spotlight on Recent Appointments:
- OpenAI has reportedly appointed former ServiceNow CMO Colin Fleming as Chief Marketing Officer, Business, highlighting the company's increasing focus on enterprise adoption. His role will be to build trust with large organizations by translating complex AI capabilities into clear, enterprise-ready value propositions while supporting OpenAI's next phase of B2B growth.
- DoorDash has named media executive Tim Castree as its new Chief Marketing Officer, signaling a strategy that extends beyond food delivery into advertising, membership, and local commerce. Castree's experience in media and performance marketing positions him to strengthen customer engagement while scaling DoorDash's rapidly growing advertising business.
- Smashburger has appointed Kate Savelli as Chief Marketing Officer to support the brand's transition from recovery to expansion. Drawing on her expertise in digital marketing, loyalty, and customer experience, Savelli will focus on increasing repeat visits, strengthening franchise growth, and building long-term customer habits beyond promotional pricing.
- Godiva has appointed former PepsiCo executive Kurt Frenier as Global Chief Marketing Officer during a period of significant disruption in the global chocolate market. His challenge will be to reinforce Godiva's premium heritage and emotional brand appeal while navigating rising cocoa costs and evolving consumer preferences.
- Saucony has hired former Nike marketing leader Wendy Kula as Chief Marketing Officer following a breakout year of growth for the running brand. Kula will focus on expanding Saucony's global visibility while preserving its credibility with serious runners through community-building, athlete partnerships, and digital engagement.
- Fanatics Commerce has appointed Jamie Gersch as Chief Marketing Officer as the company expands beyond merchandise into a broader sports commerce ecosystem. Leveraging her experience in retail, customer loyalty, and community-led growth, Gersch will work to unify Fanatics' expanding portfolio into a seamless, fan-centric brand experience.
Read more about each CMO and the scope of their new mandates via the links below:
