The Changing Face of Tech CMOs: Insights from Our North America Regional Technology Leader

Just as Moore’s Law predicts the exponential growth of computing power, the evolution of the Chief Marketing Officer role in tech is following its own breakneck trajectory. 

We’re not just witnessing the high-speed portion of technological advancement; we’re seeing marketing leadership accelerate from 0 to 60 in silicon seconds. 

As part of a recent client search, I studied nearly 900 potential CMO candidates. The insights from this data were compelling enough to inspire this article, aimed at our clients, current candidates, and ambitious professionals at all levels who aspire to become tech CMOs. 

The analysis below offers valuable information about the expertise, relocation trends, and future of marketing leadership in the tech industry.  

The Relocation Challenge: A Major Hurdle

One of the things that jumped out to me immediately while I was reviewing the data relates to relocation, and the overall bottom line is this: there is a very limited pool of top candidates willing to relocate.  

Out of 76 high-potential candidates I contacted, 67 expressed interest in the role. However, after in-depth conversations with 61 of those 67 executives, only 17 were initially open to relocation. This number further dwindled to just 12 candidates truly willing to make the move.  

What’s particularly interesting is the quality of candidates who weren’t open to relocation. Among these 49 individuals, 37% demonstrated exceptional expertise with 7+ years of experience and proven results across all skill categories. Another 26% showed solid competence with 3-6 years of practical experience in most areas, with only one category showing limited experience.  

The data showed a clear difference between experienced CMOs and emerging marketing leaders, too. Among those not open to relocation, 89% of seasoned executives demonstrated exceptional expertise with 7+ years of experience and proven results across all skill categories. In comparison, only 23% of less experienced, relocation-willing candidates showed the same level of proficiency. This gap points to an important point: while we’re ultimately hiring just one person, the “must relocate” requirement narrows our selection pool, not just in numbers but in depth of experience.  

This has serious implications for companies with strict relocation requirements. They may be excluding up to 80% of the best marketing talent from their candidate pool. It raises questions about the future of work and the need for flexible location policies. Companies facing this challenge need to consider remote and hybrid executive roles more seriously to have access to the best candidates. 

The Skillset of Modern Tech CMOs: Data Drives the Day

When I reviewed the data, I evaluated the candidates across five areas of expertise: 

• Broad multi-functional marketing experience 
• Digital marketing proficiency 
• MarTech stack management 
• Data-driven approach to connecting marketing and sales 
• Brand management 

Candidates were ranked as high (H), medium (M), or low (L) in each category. High rankings indicate exceptional expertise with 7+ years of experience and proven results. Medium reflects solid competence and 3-6 years of practical experience. Low suggests basic knowledge but limited hands-on experience, typically less than 3 years.  

The findings reveal clear trends in the skillsets of today’s top marketing executives. These trends also point to the areas aspiring CMOs should focus on to advance their careers. 

Data-Driven Marketing: The New Standard

Ninety-three percent of candidates were ranked medium or high in their data-intensive approach to connecting marketing to sales. This reflects the growing importance of data analytics in modern marketing strategies. Today’s CMOs are expected to understand data and use it effectively to show the ROI of marketing activities. 

Digital Marketing: A Must-Have

Eighty-four percent of candidates showed medium or high proficiency in digital marketing. This combined percentage includes both those with solid competence and those with exceptional expertise in digital marketing skills such as website management, social media, and webinars. 

The MarTech Paradox

In MarTech skills, 59% of candidates were ranked as medium and 13% as high, totaling 72% with at least moderate proficiency. The low percentage of candidates achieving the highest ranking suggests that while MarTech is important, deep technical expertise in this area isn’t yet common among CMO candidates. 

Here’s the main point: MarTech is important for connecting marketing and sales, but it’s not the sure path to the C-suite some might expect. From my observations, this area remains largely the domain of specialists and subject matter experts. 

Brand Management: A Core Competency

While data and digital skills are clearly at the forefront of modern marketing, brand management remains a core competency for CMOs. I found that 61% of candidates were ranked medium or high in brand management skills.  

The relatively lower percentage of candidates excelling in brand management compared to other areas could indicate a shift in priorities. As tech companies focus more on measurable, data-driven outcomes, traditional brand management skills might be taking a back seat. However, it’s important to note that brand still matters, especially in a crowded tech marketplace where differentiation is key. 

The Evolving Path to Becoming a Tech CMO: Diverse Backgrounds on the Rise

Product marketing remains the dominant background for tech CMOs, but my data review shows growing diversity in the functional areas producing marketing leaders. Sales enablement and lead generation are becoming important foundations for next-generation marketing executives, too. 

The data review revealed further differences between “been-there-done-that” (current CMOs) and “next-step” (aspiring CMOs) candidates: 

• 89% of been-there-done-that candidates ranked medium or high across all skill categories, compared to 23% of next-step candidates. 
• In MarTech, 73% of been-there-done-that candidates ranked medium, with 15% ranked high. For next-step candidates, 49% ranked medium and 40% ranked high. 

This suggests that upcoming marketing leaders are developing a more diverse and technical skill set to meet the changing demands of the role. 

Implications for Aspiring CMOs and Hiring Companies

The results of my data analysis have several implications affecting aspiring technology CMOs and those responsible for finding top technology CMOs: 

1. Data-Driven Decision Making is Non-Negotiable

The ability to connect marketing efforts to sales outcomes through data-driven strategies is now a necessary skill for almost all executive marketing roles. If you are not comfortable working with data, companies won’t be comfortable working with you. 

2. Digital Fluency is a Must

Strong digital marketing skills are now a must for modern CMOs. In the past, marketers and “digital marketers” were often separate roles—today, they’re one and the same. Marketing executives, especially in tech, need to embrace digital innovation and transformation. This leads to my next point. 

3. MarTech Knowledge is Important, But Not Everything

Understanding MarTech is important (and, trust me, it is), but deep technical expertise here isn’t a must-have for C-suite positions. Many C-suites outsource MarTech needs, or don’t expect executives to handle it—that’s often left to lower-level marketing staff. However, trends suggest this may change. The next generation of leaders might soon expect even seasoned CMOs to take a hands-on role in MarTech. 

3. Diverse Backgrounds are Valuable

The days of a set career path to CMO are over. Gone is the era when a marketing degree and decades in marketing roles guaranteed executive status. Now, the road to CMO is more varied. There’s growing emphasis on areas like sales enablement and lead generation. The traditional marketing-only background is no longer the only ticket to the top. 

4. Relocation Flexibility is a Major Factor

Companies need to rethink relocation requirements and their impact on the talent pool. Flexible location policies can help attract top candidates. More C-suites are embracing fully-remote executives, and even more are going hybrid. With today’s tech, it’s hard to argue that an executive must be in-office five days a week. With the right support, people can be just as productive and reachable in more flexible work formats. 

The Future of Marketing Leadership in Tech

Here’s my prediction: The role of the CMO, moving forward, will have an increasing emphasis on data-driven decision-making, digital proficiency, and an understanding of the marketing-sales relationship. While technical skills like MarTech management are growing in importance, they are not yet the sole determining factor for success in top marketing roles. 

For aspiring CMOs, the secret to success lies in developing a well-rounded skill set that combines traditional marketing expertise with modern digital and analytical capabilities. 

For companies, the challenge lies in attracting and retaining this top talent and reconsidering strict relocation requirements to access the broadest pool of qualified candidates. 

As the tech industry progresses, so too will the role of the CMO. Those who can adapt to these changing demands while maintaining a strong foundation in core marketing principles will be best positioned to lead the next generation of marketing innovation in the technology sector. 

About the Author

Greg Selker is a Managing Director at Stanton Chase, the Regional Sector Leader for Technology in North America, and the Global Subsector Leader for Growth Equity. He has been conducting retained executive searches for 33+ years in technology, completing numerous searches for CEOs and their direct reports at the CXO level, with a focus on fast growth companies, often backed by leading mid-market private equity firms such as Great Hill Partners and JMI Equity. He has also conducted leadership development sessions with more than 50 executives from companies such as BMC Software, Katzenbach Partners, NetSuite, Pfizer, SolarWinds, Symantec, TRW, and VeriSign.