The Marketing Academy selects first cohort of global fellows

This is the first time the Marketing Academy has selected a list of global fellows, having consolidated its regional programmes.

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New leadershipThe Marketing Academy has selected the 30 CMOs and marketing leaders who form its first-ever cohort of global fellows.

The fellowship programme, which is now in its 13th year, has, for the first time, been consolidated into one global initiative, having previously ran in regional cohorts (EMEA, US and APAC).

The fellowship is designed to give the selected CMOs the skills needed to transition to a CEO or broader C-suite role. The course will cover essential board-level skills including strategy, corporate finance, leading transformational change and stakeholder influence.

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

Following a rigorous selection process, the Marketing Academy has chosen 30 marketing leaders from around the world to form its first of two fellowship cohorts in 2026.

The global list includes many marketers based in the UK including John Lewis chief customer officer Anna Braithwaite, Barclays UK chief marketing and designed officer Inderjit Bassi, and Monica Silic, KFC UK and Ireland CMO.

The 30 fellows making up the first 2026 global cohort are:

  1. Allyson Witherspoon, chief marketing officer, Nissan Motor Corporation
  2. Andy Freeman, group brand & marketing officer, Centrica
  3. Anna Braithwaite, chief customer officer, John Lewis Plc
  4. Avi Laufer, CMO – Strauss Israel, Strauss Group
  5. Bart Quinton Smith, marketing & sales director, UK & Ireland, TUI Group
  6. Cilesta Van Doorn, chief brand & marketing officer, BT
  7. Clairy Moraitou, group head of customer, market and brand insights, Zurich Insurance
  8. David Hilbert, marketing director, Europe, Kia Europe GmbH
  9. Gabriella Libonati, head of global marketing, Venchi
  10. Georgina Bradford, general manager for Foods UK & Ireland and Mini Meals Europe, Unilever
  11. Hamish McVey, director of marketing, British Airways
  12. Inderjit Bassi, chief marketing and design officer, Barclays UK
  13. Jill Dougan, group chief marketing officer, Informa
  14. Laetitia Raoust, CDMO L’Oreal UK and Ireland, L’Oréal
  15. Laura Joseph, chief customer officer, Tesco Mobile
  16. Lisa Vortsman, chief marketing & innovation officer, US, The Magnum Ice Cream Company
  17. Luis Garcia, chief marketing officer, Naterra International
  18. Michelle Spillane, managing director of marketing, Flutter
  19. Monica Silic, chief marketing officer, KFC UK & Ireland
  20. Mounir Jazouli, chief communication & institutional relations officer, Bank of Africa
  21. Naomi Kasolowsky, category director, Tesco PLC
  22. Patrik Hansson, CMO and exec VP marketing and innovation, Arla Foods
  23. Robert Blythe, CMO – Europe Beverages, PepsiCo
  24. Samantha Reader, chief marketing and innovation officer, Mark Anthony Brands International
  25. Sarah Fuller, chief marketing officer, The Automobile Association
  26. Shubhranshu Singh, marketing advisor & columnist, global board member, Effie Lions Foundation
  27. Stephanie Shields Jacoby, global category director, Vodka, Diageo
  28. Sumit Virmani, global chief marketing officer, Infosys Limited
  29. Valentina Ciobanu, CMO – Europe, Australia and North Asia, General Mills
  30. WenWu Yuan, chief marketing officer, C&A Mode GmbH

The response to the 2026 Global Fellowship programme has been “extraordinary in both volume and calibre”, says Marketing Academy founder and global CEO Sherilyn Shackell, adding that it saw an “unprecedented” number of applications.

“Being selected is a significant achievement, but more importantly, it’s an invitation into a global community where leaders can learn, across industries, borders and cultures, together,” she says. “We are thrilled and deeply honoured to welcome this exceptional group as they help shape the future of boardrooms globally.”

A study from the Marketing Academy found that 57% of former fellows had moved into CEO or C-suite roles, while 32% stepped into larger CMO positions.

Applications for the second global cohort of fellows for 2026 remain open until 30 March.

The 2026 Global Fellowship Program is sponsored by Salesforce, The Brandtech Group, TikTok and Omnicom with support from McKinsey & Company, Thomas Barta and board-level coaching organisation Wisdom8.

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