Chief Marketers Need to Balance Digital, Relationship, and Financial Skills

Our Privacy Policy has been updated! The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "OK", you acknowledge our privacy policy and consent to the use of cookies.

Chief Marketers Need to Balance Digital, Relationship, and Financial Skills

18 October 2024 / Article

Download Article

To achieve business goals, today’s chief marketing officers (CMOs) need to have artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills to leverage complex data—in addition to human intelligence, business capabilities to drive growth, and interpersonal skills to be effective collaborators and change agents across the company.

This article highlights what skills CMOs and CEOs consider most important skills based on insights from interviews with CMOs, CEOs, and executive recruiters; a CMO roundtable and survey; and third-party sources.

This article is part of a series of insight articles on the CMO role.

Key Insights

In contrast to CEOs, CMOs highlight tech and data skills more as increasingly important for future CMOs than relationship and financial expertise.
CEOs want a CMO who is primarily a businessperson and has marketing expertise, emphasizing business acumen and soft skills as relatively more crucial for CMOs than CMOs do.

Author

Denise Dahlhoff, PhD

Denise Dahlhoff, PhD

Director, Marketing & Communications Research
The Conference Board

This publication is available to you, but you need to sign in to myTCB^® or create an account to access it.To learn more about becoming a Member click here. To check if your company is a Member, click here

Sign In

Forgot your password

Create An Account

Keep my computer signed in

Forgot your password

Create An Account

myTCB^® Members get exclusive access to webcasts, publications, data and analysis, plus discounts to events.

Other Related Resources

Report

Marketing & Comms Leaders Rate Their Financial Acumen: Overconfident or Spot On?

Marketing & Comms Leaders Rate Their Financial Acumen: Overconfident or Spot On?

July 23, 2025

Report

Increased Strategic Focus: More Impact, Less Stress for CMOs and CCOs?

Increased Strategic Focus: More Impact, Less Stress for CMOs and CCOs?

April 24, 2025

Article

Employers Are Seen as an Anchor of Stability and Trust in Uncertain Times

Employers Are Seen as an Anchor of Stability and Trust in Uncertain Times

March 13, 2025

Article

Which Key Internal Collaborators Boost Marketing’s and Comms’ Success?

Which Key Internal Collaborators Boost Marketing’s and Comms’ Success?

March 04, 2025

Article

For CMOs and CCOs, Joining a Board Has Clearly More Appeal than Becoming CEO

For CMOs and CCOs, Joining a Board Has Clearly More Appeal than Becoming CEO

February 27, 2025

Article

As Team Leaders, CMOs Focus More on Metrics, CCOs on AI Upskilling and Culture

As Team Leaders, CMOs Focus More on Metrics, CCOs on AI Upskilling and Culture

February 26, 2025

Essay

CMOs and CCOs Can Learn from Each Other Regarding Partnership with the CEO

CMOs and CCOs Can Learn from Each Other Regarding Partnership with the CEO

February 24, 2025

Podcasts

CEOs Want Growth. What Can CMOs Do Differently?

CEOs Want Growth. What Can CMOs Do Differently?

November 04, 2024

Report

CCOs’ Evolution: From Reactive Service Desk to Strategic Business Advisors

CCOs’ Evolution: From Reactive Service Desk to Strategic Business Advisors

October 29, 2024

Report

CCO–CEO Relationship: Better Collaboration for Bigger Impact

CCO–CEO Relationship: Better Collaboration for Bigger Impact

October 29, 2024

Report

Today’s CCO: Communicating with Words and Pictures, Leading with Insights

Today’s CCO: Communicating with Words and Pictures, Leading with Insights

October 29, 2024

Article

CCOs’ Profile: Blending Hard Skills with Human Intelligence and People Skills

October 29, 2024

Report

Chief Communicators’ Soft Skills Suit a Bigger Role

Chief Communicators’ Soft Skills Suit a Bigger Role

October 29, 2024

Report

Today’s CMOs: Chasing Business Growth While Juggling Executional Demands

Today’s CMOs: Chasing Business Growth While Juggling Executional Demands

October 18, 2024

Article

Do CMOs Need a New Title?

Do CMOs Need a New Title?

October 18, 2024

Report

CMO-CEO Collaboration: CEOs Want CMOs to Focus on Business Growth—Period

CMO-CEO Collaboration: CEOs Want CMOs to Focus on Business Growth—Period

October 18, 2024

Article

Marketing’s Marketing Issue: Explain in Your Colleagues’ Terms

Marketing’s Marketing Issue: Explain in Your Colleagues’ Terms

October 18, 2024

Article

CMOs’ Status Symbol: Commercial Growth

CMOs’ Status Symbol: Commercial Growth

October 18, 2024

Article

From CMO to CEO? Yes, You Can!

From CMO to CEO? Yes, You Can!

October 18, 2024

Quick Take

CEOs Want CMOs to Drive Growth

CEOs Want CMOs to Drive Growth

September 17, 2024

Report

Marketing & Comms Leaders Rate Their Financial Acumen: Overconfident or Spot On?

Marketing & Comms Leaders Rate Their Financial Acumen: Overconfident or Spot On?

July 23, 2025

Report

Increased Strategic Focus: More Impact, Less Stress for CMOs and CCOs?

Increased Strategic Focus: More Impact, Less Stress for CMOs and CCOs?

April 24, 2025

Article

Employers Are Seen as an Anchor of Stability and Trust in Uncertain Times

Employers Are Seen as an Anchor of Stability and Trust in Uncertain Times

March 13, 2025

Conference Board Sample Web Chat