CMO Moves January Summary

It’s no secret—marketing leaders get a raw deal when it comes to internal promotions. Of the 310 new CMO hires we tracked last year, a paltry 16% were homegrown talent. Compare that with the 80% of COOs and 77% of CEOs who climbed the ladder internally (cheers, Spencer Stuart, for the stats), and you have to wonder—are companies allergic to promoting their own marketing stars?

Is this a fundamental flaw in talent planning? Or is it just what we call “novelty bias” at play—where businesses get distracted by shiny new candidates rather than nurturing in-house talent? Either way, the numbers don’t lie.

But hold on—January might be shaking things up!

January wrapped up with 43 new CMO appointments—the biggest haul we’ve seen since we started tracking these career catapults in 2023. The gender split? 28 women, 15 men. And while external hires still ruled the roost (33 out of 43), 10 lucky CMOs actually got promoted from within—a trend worth raising a glass to!

Nearly half (18) of January’s new CMOs are stepping into their first-ever C-suite roles. A fresh batch of marketing bigwigs—let’s see how they shake things up.

US hotspots: California led with 5 new CMO announcements, followed by Massachusetts, Texas, New York, and Florida (3 each).

Global moves: England welcomed 4 new global CMOs, while Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, India, and Canada all saw action.

Industry-wise, Software Development (as usual) was ahead, appointing 11 new CMOs. Followed by Retail with 5, Hospitality, Computer & Network Security, and Healthcare each with 3. Appointments spanned a whopping 21 diverse industries, proving that CMOs are in demand across the board. Ubiquitous, you might say…..

•  Software Development: 11

• Retail: 5

• Hospitality: 3

• Computer and Network Security: 3

• Hospitals and Health Care: 3

• Restaurants: 2

• Financial Services: 2

• Food and Beverage Services: 1

• Computers and Electronics Manufacturing: 1

• Plastics Manufacturing: 1

• Sporting Goods: 1

• Consumer Services: 1

• Technology, Information, and Media: 1

• Spectator Sports: 1

• Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals: 1

• Advertising Services: 1

•  Telecommunications: 1

• Insurance: 1

• Wellness and Fitness Services: 1

• IT Services and IT Consulting: 1

• Law Practice: 1

Now, let’s dig into an impressive trio recently elevated into their roles atop the marketing ladder. This week, we are only focused on CMOs who were PROMOTED.

The North Face

Given the snow on the ground here in chilly NY this week, and the icy political wind blowing towards our allies in the North, this one feels like the right place to start.

After joining The North Face as VP in 2023, Dennis Seydel has now been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. He shared the news in a LinkedIn post last week, expressing his excitement for the role.

Seydel brings an impressive background to the position, with 17 years at Nike, followed by key roles at Google and Uber. His experience at the intersection of culture, innovation, and brand strategy makes him well-suited to lead marketing for the iconic outdoor brand.

For nearly 60 years, The North Face has equipped explorers, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. The company is part of VF Corporation, which also owns Vans, Dickies, and Timberland—brands that have seen significant leadership changes under CEO Bracken Darrell (formerly of Logitech). VF has recently made notable hires from Spotify and Boston Consulting Group, signaling a fresh approach to leadership amid testing times for this house of iconic brands.

If you’re inspired by Seydel’s move, Dickies is currently hiring a CMO—a role we featured in last week’s newsletter.

In his own words, Seydel shared:

A well-earned promotion and one to watch in the months ahead!

Coach

Continuing with big-name brands and well-earned leadership moves, Joon Silverstein has officially stepped into the CMO role at Coach, following a successful tenure as SVP. With a track record of bold, innovative marketing, her rise to the top comes as no surprise.

Silverstein has been leading the charge in multi-generational marketing, pulling off the kind of campaigns other brands can only dream of. Take Coach’s Fall campaign, "Unlock Your Courage", which put the Brooklyn bag in the spotlight—so much so that it was crowned the world’s No. 1 Hottest Product.

She’s also behind the launch of Coachtopia’s Alter/Ego collection, a sustainability-driven line crafted from leftover leather scraps from Coach’s iconic Brooklyn and Tabby bags. A clever approach to circular fashion that’s pushing the industry forward.

Under Silverstein’s leadership, Coach skyrocketed ten places in Lyst’s Hottest Brands index, now sitting at #6—outpacing Ugg, Moncler, and Bottega Veneta. Lyst put it plainly:

And in Silverstein’s own words? "Coach is killing it!"

Meanwhile, at Coach’s parent company, Tapestry, Inc., there’s been plenty of movement at the top. The company had big plans to merge with Capri—bringing Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman under the same umbrella as Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors. The deal, announced in August 2023, aimed to expand Tapestry’s portfolio, create cost synergies, and grow sales beyond the U.S.

But in November 2024, the merger was called off. The FTC stepped in, arguing the deal would reduce competition between Coach and Michael Kors, ultimately giving the combined company too much power to raise prices. With the legal battle dragging on, both parties mutually agreed to walk away.

Despite the merger falling through, Tapestry isn’t standing still. The company just announced the appointment of Eva Erdmann as CEO & Brand President of Kate Spade, bringing her on board from L’Oréal’s Urban Decay, where she successfully led the brand back to growth.

And if you fancy a high-profile gig in fashion, Kate Spade is currently hiring a VP of Marketing for North America—with a salary of up to $300K.

As for Coach, with Silverstein at the helm, expect more bold moves ahead.

Meanwhile, across the pond, another major promotion is making waves in the UK…

Carlsberg Britvic

Fresh off being named Creative Salon’s Marketer of the Week as Britvic GB’s Marketing Director, Munnawar Chishty has wasted no time climbing higher—now taking the reins as Global CMO of the newly merged Carlsberg Britvic. With a $4.2 billion merger under her belt, she’s now steering a portfolio that blends premium beer brands like Carlsberg and Brooklyn Brewery with soft drink staples Tango, 7UP and alcopop J20.

Chishty brings serious industry credentials. Before Britvic, she honed her expertise at Walgreens Boots Alliance, leading beauty brands, and built her beer marketing chops at Scottish & Newcastle.

Her campaigns have consistently struck the right balance between cheeky nostalgia and modern insights—take her J20 Mocktails campaign with VCCP, which breathed new life into a classic brand.

It's a big move for Chishty and one to watch as Carlsberg Britvic finds its footing post-merger.

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