The Average Job Tenure of CMOs in 2020

Career Development — Wed., May. 12, 2021

Recent research by Spencer Stuart has found that the average job tenure of chief marketing officers at large brands decreased in 2020 to the shortest it has been in more than a decade. The report analyzed the tenures and demographics of CMOs at 100 of the most-advertised US brands in 2020 and found that the average CMO tenure was 40 months, with a median of 25.5 months.

The number of female CMOs at the companies examined increased from 43% in 2019 to 47% in 2020. Women even accounted for over half (52%) of the incoming CMOs in 2020. However, there was a decrease in racial/ethnic diversity, with only 13% of the CMOs examined being racially or ethnically diverse, and only 12% of incoming CMOs in 2020 being racially or ethnically diverse.

The research was conducted by Spencer Stuart and was based on the tenures and demographics of CMOs at the 100 most-advertised US brands in 2020. It is hoped that the decrease in job tenure will be addressed in future years to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

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