Is it time to be more Maryam?

There is always a lot of discussion around the role of the CMO. How is it changing? What is the level of churn? Is the CMO role becoming redundant? Or should the CMO be shooting for the stars and eyeing the CEO spot?

The received wisdom is that the CMO is typically overlooked when it comes to the search for the next CEO. Marketing is perceived as too peripheral, too creative to foster the kind of rigor required in a CEO. Or to put it more bluntly, the perception is that maybe we can’t do the really hard math.

The role of the CMO has evolved beyond recognition– with anyone who is successful in that role being adept at 'rolling with the punches', managing change and driving tangible results through a combination of data and technology.?Ambitious CMOs have in the past been hampered by a lack of readily quantifiable results but with the advent of data analytics they are often now more in tune with the success (or failure) of the business than almost anyone else. So, is the next CEO currently your CMO?

As relationships and personalization become increasingly valued by both customers and the Board alike (happy customer, happy Board member) the CMO is in an increasingly strong position. Organizations are moving from large scale, multi-month brand led campaigns and investing increasingly in strategies that make contact with customers again and again (and again) as part of a long-term relationship.

At the heart of this is data – or rather data analytics. This means that CMOs can use the detailed insights about customers, sales trends, opportunities, cycle times and revenue to inform and adapt marketing decisions. With our societal prevalence of technology and with the most obvious being smartphones, it’s the CMO – or rather her/his thoughts, decisions, choices – that the customer carries with them at all times.

It's also very much about re-invention – which is where Maryam comes in (in case the title was confusing!). I met Maryam at an industry event through my good friend and former boss, Roxanne Taylor. She impressed me from day one – smart, warm, engaging and generous. I also remember she was wearing great boots!

The ultimate chameleon and authentic leader, Maryam Banikarim ???? ?? is an inspiration to marketers who don’t want to get pigeon-holed. Her career journey has taken her from Nextdoor, NBCUniversal, Gannett, Hyatt, and most recently, NYCNext, a grassroots volunteer movement she co-founded during the pandemic. She is now at Fortune where she is leading Fortune Live Media.

Passion, vision and a refusal to accept limitations is at the heart of her success – and I challenge any young and ambitious CMO to pay close to attention to the way she has grown her career - and embraces all that life throws at us. Maryam has led multiple organizations through major transformations. She knows how to drive bottom line impact and lasting change through every aspect of a company.

Nothing worth having was ever easy, and in a world where proximity to the customer is the ultimate goal, the CMO has a distinct advantage. The traditional heirs apparent – CFO, CSO etc. – should look to their laurels. They have competition.

#CMO

?PS. If you want a little Maryam Inspiration, you can watch her recent Ted Talk “Life’s an obstacle course – here’s how to navigate it”.

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