Around one in 10 CMOs who have departed their roles go on to become CEOs, according to analysis from leadership advisory firm Spencer Stuart.

The average tenure for CMOs at S&P 500 companies, an index of US companies with the highest stock market capitalisation, was just 4.1 years versus an average of five years for all C-suite roles.

However, the analysis suggests many of these CMOs may be departing to take on CEO or other high-level general management roles. Between 2021 and 2025, there were 218 CMO departures across these companies, of which 9% left to take on a CEO role and a further 13% became a divisional CEO/president or chief operating officer.

Three CEOs on making the jump from marketing to the top job

The analysis finds that nearly two-thirds (62%) either were promoted at their company or went on to a similar or bigger role at another company. Of those who depart their organisation, three-quarters (77%) land at a new company within six months.

While consumer companies are often seen as more likely to be marketing-led businesses, the analysis found CMO tenures at these companies are the shortest out of any sector analysed at 3.5 years.

CMO-less companies

Just under a third (31%) of S&P 500 companies have no CMO whatsoever. The research states that most of these companies do have some kind of marketing capability, but it might sit somewhere else on the organisation chart, with no marketing presence in the C-suite.

In the industrials sector, just half (53%) of companies have a CMO, while a similar proportion (56%) of healthcare companies have a C-suite marketer.

The research also finds job titles are expanding, with the top marketing role growing to take on more responsibilities. For example, in the hospitality industry, many companies now have a chief commercial officer, a role that may hold responsibility for both sales and marketing. Other titles like chief revenue officer and chief customer officer – which encompass marketing but also other functions – are also becoming more common, the research suggests.

Hiring from within

CMOs are most likely to be promoted from within organisations, with 62% internal hires. Of the 38% of S&P 500 CMOs who are externally hired, nearly half (43%) come from a different industry, suggesting companies may be seeking a different perspective when recruiting externally.

The research also suggests women may be more well-represented among CMOs versus other C-suite executives. Half (50%) of S&P 500 CMOs are women, versus 35% of C-suite leaders overall.

However, just 9% of CMOs are from historically underrepresented ethnic or racial groups, compared to 12% of the general C-suite, suggesting marketing leadership is underrepresented in terms of racial diversity.