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

Key Insights

• Among career aspirations, becoming a board member is most on CMOs’ and CCOs’ minds—ranking ahead of switching companies, the desire to stay put, or other exit options such as becoming CEO, starting one’s own company, or becoming a professor or thought leader.

• Recognition helps retain experienced employees, keeping their expertise, institutional knowledge, and relationships within the organization.
• Marketing and communications leaders dissatisfied with their work are most likely to change companies, start their own business, or become board members.

Both CMOs and CCOs Are Interested in a Board Position

When it comes to CMOs’ and CCOs’ career aspirations, becoming a board member leads (Figure 1). One in four marketing and one in five comms leaders cite becoming a board member as a personal ca