Chief marketing officers · the role
What does a CMO do?
The short answer · updated
CMO stands for chief marketing officer: the most senior marketing executive in a company. A CMO sets the marketing strategy, owns the brand, and leads the teams that find, win and keep customers. The CMO usually reports to the chief executive and answers for how marketing contributes to growth, revenue and reputation.
What is a CMO? The chief marketing officer meaning
CMO stands for chief marketing officer. The CMO is the executive in charge of marketing across the whole company, and sits in the senior team alongside the chief executive, the finance lead and the heads of the other functions.
The title says where the role sits, not only what it does. A CMO is expected to shape the company’s direction, not just run campaigns: which markets to enter, how the brand is positioned, what customers are told and why, and how marketing money is spent.
Not every company uses the title. Some give the same job to a marketing director or a head of marketing; some add “customer” or “growth” to the name. The CIM’s Global Professional Marketing Framework describes marketing at every level through direction, capability, professionalism and impact, and the CMO is the person accountable for all four at the top of the company.
What a CMO is responsible for
The remit differs between companies, because it depends on what the chief executive and the sales lead keep. The common core is below.
- Marketing strategy. Deciding which customers and markets to go after, and how the company will win them.
- Brand and positioning. What the company stands for, how it describes itself, and how it is seen.
- Demand and growth. Campaigns, channels and content that bring in customers, working with sales on the pipeline.
- Customer insight. Research and data on who buys, why, and what they need next.
- Product marketing and pricing input. Taking products to market, and advising on pricing and propositions.
- Budget and measurement. Setting the marketing budget and showing what it returns.
- Team and agencies. Building the marketing team and managing agencies and other suppliers.
- Compliance. Making sure advertising, data use and claims stay within the rules.
Who a CMO reports to, and the rules a CMO answers for
A CMO usually reports to the chief executive. Some CMOs are executive directors with a seat on the board; many are not. A CMO who is a director takes part in board decisions and carries a director’s legal responsibilities, set out in Companies House guidance. A CMO who is not presents to the board on marketing and growth, usually alongside the CEO.
Marketing is regulated, and the CMO owns the risk. The CAP Code is the rule book for non-broadcast advertising, sales promotions and direct marketing, enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority; claims need evidence. Emails, texts, calls and cookies fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, and the ICO’s direct marketing guidance covers consent and business-to-business marketing.
Environmental claims carry particular risk. The Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code explains how to make them without breaching consumer protection law.
CMO vs marketing director vs head of marketing
A CMO leads marketing across the company, sits in the senior executive team, and shapes company strategy as well as marketing strategy. The role is most common in larger companies, and in growing companies where marketing drives growth.
A marketing director runs the marketing function and its plan, and is sometimes the most senior marketer in a mid-sized company. Our page on what a marketing director does sets out the role in full.
A head of marketing usually leads the marketing team and its day-to-day delivery, often reporting to a marketing director, a CMO or the chief executive. In a small company the head of marketing may be the whole marketing leadership.
Titles vary between companies, so compare the remit, the reporting line and the budget, not the name. The CMO job description sets out a template for the most senior role.
Fractional, interim and permanent CMOs
A permanent CMO is employed full-time with no fixed end date. It suits a company that needs senior marketing leadership every day. Our CMO headhunter page covers the permanent search.
An interim CMO works full-time for a fixed period: a rebrand, a launch, a turnaround, or cover while the permanent search runs. See how to hire an interim CMO.
A fractional CMO works part of the week. It suits a growing company that needs a senior marketer to set strategy and lead the team but cannot yet justify a full-time CMO. See how to hire a fractional CMO.
A fractional or interim CMO working through their own company may fall within the off-payroll working rules (IR35). Status turns on how the engagement runs in practice, and a medium or large client makes the determination. Our IR35 guide sets out the tests.
What a CMO earns and costs
CMO pay depends on the size of the company, the sector, the scale of the budget and whether the role carries a board seat. A permanent CMO costs a salary plus employer costs, benefits and often a bonus or equity. An interim or fractional CMO is usually paid a day rate for the days worked.
We do not publish a pay band here. Our CMO salary page sets out full-time CMO pay and fractional day rates, and our fractional CMO cost page sets out day rates against interim and full-time costs, each figure with its source. We set out pay or day rate for every candidate on the shortlist.
How to hire a CMO
Start by writing down what the CMO will own: the budget, the team, the targets, and where marketing ends and sales begins. Agree it with the chief executive and the sales lead before the search, not after the appointment.
Then choose the form: permanent, interim, part-time or fractional. Test the work, not only the interview. The CIPD sets out structured, fair selection, including skill-based assessment tasks: ask candidates to critique your current marketing and build a plan for a budget you set. CIM Chartered Marketer status shows professional standing and current learning, and membership of the Marketing Society is common among senior marketers, though neither is a requirement.
We recruit fractional, interim, part-time, temporary and permanent executives, and non-executive directors. For a CMO brief we send a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out, after our five-stage vetting. To hire a CMO for part of the week, see how to hire a fractional CMO; for a permanent appointment, see our CMO headhunter page.
Questions people ask
What does CMO stand for?
CMO stands for chief marketing officer, the most senior marketing executive in a company. The CMO leads marketing strategy, the brand and the marketing team, and usually reports to the chief executive.
What is the difference between a CMO and a marketing director?
Scope and seniority. A CMO leads marketing across the company and shapes company strategy; a marketing director usually runs the marketing function and its plan. Titles vary, so compare the remit. See what a marketing director does.
Is a CMO on the board?
Sometimes. Some CMOs are executive directors; many attend the board to present on marketing without a vote. A CMO who is a director carries a director’s legal responsibilities, set out in Companies House guidance.
Does every company need a CMO?
No. Many companies run well with a marketing director or head of marketing. A CMO becomes useful when marketing drives growth and needs a voice in company strategy. A fractional CMO gives that seniority for part of the week.
What qualifications does a CMO need?
None is required. Most CMOs come up through marketing leadership roles. CIM Chartered Marketer status is a recognised mark of professional standing and current learning.
How much does it cost to hire a CMO?
It depends on whether the role is permanent, interim or fractional, and on the size of the company. Our fractional CMO cost and CMO salary pages set out sourced figures. We set out pay or day rate for every candidate on the shortlist.
How do I hire a CMO?
Agree the remit, budget and targets with the chief executive, choose between permanent, interim, part-time and fractional, and test every candidate on your own marketing. Our fractional CMO page sets out the process; we send a shortlist of 3–5, each with pay or day rate, availability and IR35 position set out.
