Most B2B CEOs never spent time in marketing. Fewer than one in five ever held the title. Which explains a lot. From undervalued budgets to misaligned expectations, marketing often gets boxed in as a support function instead of the growth driver it is. If marketing is going to lead, CEOs need to understand what it can really do and what to look for in a CMO who’s built to deliver.
To set the record straight, Drew taps three marketing leaders, Rebecca Stone (Cisco), Grant Johnson (Chief Outsiders), and Jan Deahl (Drake Star), to reframe how CEOs see marketing. It is a strategic engine built to shape markets, guide buyers, and drive growth. Together, they make the case for what’s possible when CMOs are empowered to lead.
In this episode:
- Rebecca on why CMOs need to think and act like a CEO
- Grant on how mismatched expectations set CMOs up to fail
- Jan on aligning marketing’s role to company stage and goals
Plus:
- The key questions every CEO should ask their CMO
- What to fix when marketing is stuck in order-taking mode
- How smart onboarding sets CMOs up to lead
- Why growth depends on more than just demand gen
Tune in for signals that shift how your CEO sees marketing.