The Evolving Role of Marketers in the C-Suite

Overview:

• CMOs are increasingly expected to drive business strategy, revenue growth, and cross-functional collaboration beyond traditional marketing functions.
• Many CMOs now report directly to the CEO, reflecting their strategic influence on company direction.
• The role demands financial literacy, data-driven decision-making, and alignment with the executive team to secure budgets and drive impact.

Market Size & Growth 

• The global market for CMO positions is growing, with over 29,000 active CMO roles in the U.S. alone as of 2025.
• CMO prevalence varies by industry: 84% of B2C companies have a CMO or equivalent, compared to 66% of B2B2C companies and 48% of B2B companies.
• The CMO compensation market is valued at over US$10 billion annually, considering total salary and bonus payouts across industries.

Key Growth Drivers

• 60% of CEOs now consider CMOs their top strategic advisor, reflecting marketing’s increasing role in corporate decision-making.
• The shift to data-driven marketing has led to a 24% increase in demand for CMOs with analytics and financial backgrounds.
• AI-driven automation is projected to reduce 30% of traditional marketing tasks, allowing CMOs to focus on high-level strategy.

M&A Overview

• The marketing technology (MarTech) industry has seen over US$50 billion in M&A activity in the past five years.
• AI-driven marketing firms were the most acquired sector in 2024, with deals totaling $7.8 billion globally.
• Companies are acquiring ABM-focused startups to gain a competitive edge, with $2.3 billion invested in the last year alone.

AI’s Role

• AI-powered predictive analytics is helping companies increase conversion rates by 37% on average.
• 80% of CMOs say AI-driven personalization has improved customer engagement, boosting ROI by an estimated 25% per campaign.
• AI-generated content and automation have reduced marketing production costs by up to 40%, improving efficiency and scalability.

Competitive Landscape

• Fractional CMO roles have grown by 32% as companies seek senior-level expertise on a part-time basis.
• The gap between traditional brand marketers and performance-driven CMOs is widening, with companies favoring executives with financial and data expertise.
• Less than 15% of marketers reach the CMO position, highlighting the exclusivity and competitiveness of the role.

‍

Sources: PwC, Adweek, Statista, MarTech, Glassdoor, Marstudio, Forbes, Emarketer1, Emarketer2, Business Insider, WinSavvy, SpencerStuart, Gartner

‍