From Specialist to Decathlete: The Evolution of Marketing Expertise

“What are the most critical skills I should prioritize in my new CMO?” This was a question from a Fortune 100 CEO in a conversation earlier this week. His business isn’t struggling, but with the rapid pace of change and the growing impact of AI, many CEOs are seeking clarity on the key competencies their marketing organizations need to thrive.

Here’s what I told him.

The pendulum is swinging. In today’s rapidly reshaping world, the era of hyper-specialization is fading. Now, successful marketers need to be more like decathletes than single-event specialists. They must possess a broad range of skills and excel across multiple disciplines to quickly adapt to the ever-changing ecosystem. I call them Decathlete Marketers?.

One of my favorite Olympic events growing up—and even today—is the decathlon. I remember watching the legendary British decathlete Daley Thompson. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Thompson dominated the decathlon at his peak, holding every major title: Olympic, World, Commonwealth, and European championships. His versatility was unmatched, and it inspired the creation of the Decathlete Marketer concept I introduced in my second book, Marketing for Tomorrow, Not Yesterday.

The decathlon is a two-day event that tests athletes across ten different track and field events, from the long jump to the 1,500-meter race. In much the same way, today’s marketers must excel in multiple disciplines that now converge and overlap, demanding a broad and flexible skill set.

This ability to adapt, perform, and thrive in various areas is what defines the top marketers today. Success in modern marketing isn’t about excelling in just one domain, like creative development or digital strategy. It’s about being versatile enough to navigate multiple fields, much like Thompson mastered an array of athletic events.

At the heart of the Marketing Decathlon are what I call the “E3 elements”: experience, engagement, and equity. These elements form the foundation of how brands create value and build lasting relationships with customers.

Experience: Every interaction a customer has with your brand

Engagement: The emotional connection that’s built over time

Equity: The financial value realized from strong brand-customer relationships

Mastering these elements requires a diverse skill set and the ability to integrate various marketing disciplines—ten events that today’s marketers must master:

The first three represent the traditional cornerstones—brand strategy, creativity, and positioning. The next three stand for the digital-first nature of the world we live in requiring ability in social engagement, digital integration, and AI-amplification. The third three center on delivering empathetic experiences, emotional engagements, and empowered equity.

Just as the decathlon includes a hybrid event (the 110-meter hurdles) that combines running and jumping, data mastery is the hybrid event of the Marketing Decathlon, blending analytics with strategic insight to unlock unified customer understanding.

As you can see, these ten events span traditional marketing disciplines, emerging digital capabilities, and technological empowerment. Success in the Marketing Decathlon isn’t about being the best in every area, but rather being competent across all while excelling in a few.

Today’s Decathlete Marketers?

So, who are the Daley Thompsons of marketing today—the decathletes who excel across multiple disciplines? Here are five that I believe, with validation from Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT (in alphabetical order):

Ann Lewnes , Chief Marketing Officer at Adobe, combines brand vision, data-driven insights, and technology to navigate Adobe’s shift into the cloud while maintaining strong customer engagement and brand equity.

Antonio Lucio , former CMO of Facebook and HP, has demonstrated his decathlete-like abilities by successfully leading marketing teams through digital transformations, managing brand strategy, and promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Linda Boff , CMO at GE, has reimagined GE’s brand for the digital age. Her skills span content marketing, social media, digital transformation, and corporate storytelling, proving as comfortable crafting a Twitter campaign as she is developing long-term brand strategy.

Marc S. Pritchard , Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble, has been recognized for his ability to master brand strategy, digital integration, and creative leadership, while driving P&G's transformation toward data-driven marketing.

Raja Rajamannar , CMO at Mastercard, has led Mastercard’s transformation from a financial services company into a tech powerhouse. His range spans from traditional brand management to cutting-edge AI and blockchain, pioneering initiatives like Mastercard’s “Priceless” experiences and its sonic branding strategy.

These leaders are modern-day Decathlete Marketers. They aren’t just specialists—they are highly competent across many areas, excelling in several. They’ve all stepped outside their comfort zones, continuously learning new skills to drive business impact.

As Daley Thompson once said, “Sometimes you have to resist working on your strengths in favor of your weaknesses. The decathlon requires a wide range of skills.”

So, are you ready to become a Decathlete Marketer?