Chief Marketing Officers at Work

Book excerpt: Read 29 in-depth, candid interviews with people holding the top marketing roles within their organizations. Interviewees include CMOs and other top marketers from established companies and organizations—such as Linda Boff of GE, Jeff Jones of Target, and Kenny Brian of the Harvard Business School—to startups—such as Matt Price of Zendesk, Seth Farbman of Spotify, and Heather Zynczak of Domo. Interviewer Josh Steimle (contributor to business publications such as Forbes, Mashable, and TechCrunch and founder of an international marketing agency) elicits a bounty of biographical anecdotes, professional insights, and career advice from each of the prominent marketers profiled in this book. Chief Marketing Officers at Work: Tells how CMOs and other top marketers from leading corporations, nonprofits, government entities, and startups got to where they are today, what their jobs entail, and the skills they use to thrive in their roles. Shows how top marketing executives continuously adapt to changes in technology, language, and culture that have an impact on their jobs. Locates where the boundaries between role of CMOs and the roles of CEOs, CTOs, and COOs are blurring. Explores how the CMO decisions are now driven by data rather than gut feelings. The current realities in marketing are clearly revealed in this book as interviewees discuss the challenges of their jobs and share their visions and techniques for breaking down silos, working with other departments, and following the data. These no-holds-barred interviews will be of great interest to all those who interact with marketing departments, including other C-level executives, managers, and other professionals at any level within the organization.