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In today’s fast-evolving corporate landscape, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) tenure has become increasingly transient, with executives rarely staying longer than a few years at any given company.
A recent report by global research and advisory firm Forrester highlighted this trend, noting that the average tenure of CMOs at Fortune 500 companies has dropped from 4.1 years in 2024 to just 3.9 years in 2025.
Back home in India, the trends mirror this global shift. In the past six months alone, there have been at least 60 CMO appointments, with 15 CMOs from top companies across sectors like automotive, FMCG, consumer tech, and consumer durables exiting their roles after tenures ranging from 19 months to 4 years and 5 months.
High-profile CMO departures in India
In the past six months, numerous high-profile CMOs have moved on from their positions across various sectors in India. Noteworthy exits include Shubhranshu Singh from Tata Motors, who served for 3.1 years in the company; Deepali Naair, who spent 2.5 years at CK Birla Group in the consumer tech space; and Somasree Bose, who left Marico after 2.8 years in the FMCG sector.
Amit Doshi, who was with Britannia for 3.3 years, and Hardeep Singh Brar, who served Kia Motors for 4.4 years, are also among the significant departures. Anshul Khandelwal’s tenure of 2.8 years at Ola Electric, along with Sachin Chhabra’s 2-year stint at Relaxo in the fashion and accessory segment, also stand out.
In the consumer durables sector, Gagandeep Bedi of Infinix India and Saakshi Verma Menon from Kimberly-Clark exited after 2.2 and 2 years, respectively. Arvind Mohta spent 3.2 years at Pernod Ricard in the alco-bev sector, while Ken Sekhar from Recoup Health departed after a 1.9-year tenure in healthcare. Shoumyan Biswas from Tata Digital also moved on after 2.5 years in the tech industry.
Economic pressures and shifting responsibilities
Alongside shortening tenures, Forrester’s research shows fewer marketing chiefs are part of the top leadership circle. The share of Fortune 500 companies where CMOs report directly to the CEO or sit on the leadership team declined from 63% to 58% in a year. This shrinking influence reflects a redefinition of the CMO role amid rising pressures to prove measurable business impact.
Economic uncertainty and tighter budgets are key drivers. Ongoing trade tensions, inflationary pressures, and cost-cutting have companies scrutinizing every investment. Fast-changing consumer behaviour, fuelled by digital disruption, demands constant reinvention of strategies.
Ashwin Ballal, Partner at Deloitte, says the role has evolved far beyond traditional brand custodianship. Traditionally, CMOs were primarily responsible for brand building, advertising, and communication. Today, their role extends well beyond that. With the rise of digital technologies, the proliferation of data, and the shift in consumer behaviour, CMOs are now expected to be growth drivers, customer experience champions, and even technology leaders.
Forrester’s data shows only 49% of top marketing executives still hold the title “Chief Marketing Officer,” down from 55% in 2024. Titles like Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Commercial Officer are rising, reflecting the merging of marketing leadership with sales, revenue generation, and commercial strategy. Today’s organizations want leaders with strategic vision, commercial acumen, technological fluency, and operational agility.
Digital and data-driven transformation
Ballal notes that digital and data-driven strategies have redefined marketing. CMOs now need to harness advanced analytics, AI, and automation to understand customers deeply, predict their needs, and deliver personalised experiences at scale. This requires close collaboration with CIOs and CTOs as marketing technology stacks become increasingly complex. Moreover, CMOs are expected to demonstrate a clear link between marketing activities and business outcomes.
Creativity and analytics: A balancing act
As media consumption fragments across digital, mobile, and emerging platforms, CMOs must deliver not just creativity but measurable results. Budgets face tighter scrutiny, with ROI under the microscope.
Ballal believes creativity and analytics should complement rather than compete. Data can inform and inspire creativity, while creativity can bring data-driven insights to life in ways that resonate emotionally with customers. The best CMOs build teams that value both perspectives and encourage collaboration between data scientists and creative professionals.
He also points to a significant shift in measurement. With AI and modern technology, organizations can micro-segment customers and measure exactly how a promotion performed, from interest generated to actual conversions. This ability to track customer lifetime value has delivered up to a 25% improvement in profitability for organizations that focus on it.
Adapting to market volatility
The dual pressures of managing shrinking margins and adapting to volatile market conditions have intensified the role. Rajneesh Singh, CEO of Simpli Group, observes that CMOs are being asked to tackle multiple disruptors simultaneously, from AI integration to unpredictable consumer behaviour. Only those who can quickly pivot and innovate sustain long tenures.
CMO’s evolving relationship with the C-Suite
Ballal also highlights that the CMO’s role is increasingly intertwined with other C-suite functions. With the CEO, the relationship is about driving business growth and brand equity. With the CIO and CTO, it is about leveraging technology to deliver seamless, personalised customer experiences. In many organisations, CMOs are becoming the voice of the customer in the boardroom, using data and insights to shape company strategy.
This demands leadership, collaboration, and an ability to operate across silos. Ballal says you need to master one domain but also understand every other aspect of the business well enough to know how it impacts your core area. The most successful CMOs will be growth-oriented, data-savvy, and deeply customer-centric, balancing short-term results with long-term brand building.
Agility is now non-negotiable. Product life cycles are shorter, entry barriers are lower, and substitute products can come from entirely different industries. The ambiguity in business is increasing, and CMOs must adapt their strategy on the go.
Future-proofing the CMO role
For upcoming leaders, Ballal emphasises the importance of blending creativity with analytical rigour. Data skills, a little statistical understanding, and creativity are critical. You need to understand technology enough to deploy it strategically, while still telling stories that connect with people.
Both Ballal and Singh agree that the CMO’s future lies in being a connector, orchestrating cross-functional expertise to enhance the customer experience. Ballal adds that it is an ecosystem, and the CMO’s role is to bring the right set of people together to enhance the human experience, not just the customer experience.
The great CMO shuffle, then, is more than a wave of resignations. It is the outward sign of a deeper transformation in marketing leadership. In an age where AI, data, and revenue accountability define success, only the most adaptable and interdisciplinary CMOs will still be standing.
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