CMO50

CMO50 2015

Leaders in diversity

If there’s one thing all great marketing leaders have in common today, it’s a willingness to adapt to their new surroundings. Here, we present the findings of the first-ever CMO50 list of Australia’s most innovative marketers for 2015

  • 1

    Mark Reinke

    Suncorp

    Group executive – customer, data and marketing

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  • 2

    John Batistich

    Scentre Group (Westfield)

    Director, marketing

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  • 3

    Andy Lark

    Xero

    Chief marketing officer

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  • 4

    Ed Smith

    Foxtel

    Executive director sales and marketing

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  • 5

    Vittoria Shortt

    Commonwealth Bank

    Group executive, marketing and strategy

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  • 6

    Allan Collins

    Domino's

    Chief marketing officer

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  • 7

    Barni Evans

    Sportsbet

    Chief marketing officer

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  • 8

    Richard Burns

    Aussie Home Loans

    General manager, customer experience and technology

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  • 9

    Renee McGowan

    Mercer

    Chief customer officer

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  • 10

    Jonathan Amery

    Vocus Communications

    General manager, marketing and customer experience

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  • 11

    Steve Brennen

    eBay Australia

    Senior director marketing and retail innovation

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  • 12

    Joe Pollard

    Telstra

    Group managing director, media and marketing

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  • 13

    Mike Billing

    Melbourne Storm

    Marketing director

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  • 14

    Kim Portrate

    Helloworld

    Chief marketing officer

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  • 15

    David Robinson

    David Jones

    Group executive, marketing, financial services and customer innovation

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  • 16

    Trisca Scott-Branagan

    Deakin University

    Executive director, marketing

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  • 17

    Jane Merrick

    IAG

    Head of marketing

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  • 18

    Kevin Ryder

    IR

    Chief marketing officer

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  • 19

    Cameron Pearson

    Cover-More Group

    Director of growth, innovation and marketing

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  • 20

    Kent Davidson

    Mantra Group

    Executive director – sales, marketing and distribution

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  • 21

    Tim Tez

    MetLife

    Chief product and marketing officer

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  • 22

    David Redhill

    Deloitte

    Partner and chief marketing officer

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  • 23

    Linda Duncombe

    Citi

    Managing Director - marketing, digital and customer experience

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  • 24

    Nick Reynolds

    Lenovo

    Chief marketing officer, Asia-Pacific

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  • 25

    Amanda McGregor

    SBS

    Director of marketing

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26 - 50 (In alphabetical order)

  • Alice Chiew

    Guild Insurance

    Head of marketing

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  • Christopher Coyne

    Crown Resorts

    Chief marketing officer

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  • Col Kennedy

    Cotton On Group

    Global head of marketing and ecommerce, Cotton On

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  • Darren Wright

    Flight Centre

    General manager P.A.C.E (products, advertising, customer experience) Australian leisure brands

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  • David McNeil

    Campbell Arnott's

    Chief marketing officer

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  • Dominic Brandon

    Allianz Australia

    Group manager marketing and brand

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  • Grant Lee

    M2 Group

    Group general manager, business sales and marketing

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  • Greg Sutherland

    Australia Post

    Chief marketing officer and executive general manager of Consumer and Small Business

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  • Guy Taylor

    Tourism Tasmania

    Executive director marketing

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  • Jay Hannant

    Conn3cted

    Chief marketing officer

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  • Jean-Luc Ambrosi

    Telstra Super

    General manager marketing

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  • Jono Gelfand

    Spotlight Retail Group

    General manager of marketing

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  • Lewis Pullen

    NRL

    Executive head of marketing, content and digital

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  • Melina Cruickshank

    Domain Group

    Chief editorial and marketing officer

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  • Melinda Madigan

    ANZ Stadium

    General manager, marketing and membership

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  • Paul McGrath

    Lendlease Group

    Group head of marketing and brand

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  • Rob Langtry

    Australian Wool Innovation

    Global chief strategy and marketing officer

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  • Scott Heffernan

    Department of Agriculture and Food WA

    Director, communications and promotion

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  • Simon Cheng

    Carnival Australia

    Director of marketing, PR and distribution, P&O Cruises

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  • Simon Marton

    Treasury Wine Estates

    Chief marketing officer

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  • Sofia Lloyd-Jones

    Pacific Brands

    General manager marketing, Sheridan Group

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  • Suzana Ristevski

    GE Australia and New Zealand

    CMO and head of strategy and growth, A/NZ and Papua New Guinea

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1
Mark Reinke Group executive – customer, data and marketing Suncorp
2
John Batistich Director, marketing Scentre Group (Westfield)
3
Andy Lark Chief marketing officer Xero
4
Ed Smith Executive director sales and marketing Foxtel
5
Vittoria Shortt Group executive, marketing and strategy Commonwealth Bank
6
Allan Collins Chief marketing officer Domino's
7
Barni Evans Chief marketing officer Sportsbet
8
Richard Burns General manager, customer experience and technology Aussie Home Loans
9
Renee McGowan Chief customer officer Mercer
10
Jonathan Amery General manager, marketing and customer experience Vocus Communications
11
Steve Brennen Senior director marketing and retail innovation eBay Australia
12
Joe Pollard Group managing director, media and marketing Telstra
13
Mike Billing Marketing director Melbourne Storm
14
Kim Portrate Chief marketing officer Helloworld
15
David Robinson Group executive, marketing, financial services and customer innovation David Jones
16
Trisca Scott-Branagan Executive director, marketing Deakin University
17
Jane Merrick Head of marketing IAG
18
Kevin Ryder Chief marketing officer IR
19
Cameron Pearson Director of growth, innovation and marketing Cover-More Group
20
Kent Davidson Executive director – sales, marketing and distribution Mantra Group
21
Tim Tez Chief product and marketing officer MetLife
22
David Redhill Partner and chief marketing officer Deloitte
23
Linda Duncombe Managing Director - marketing, digital and customer experience Citi
24
Nick Reynolds Chief marketing officer, Asia-Pacific Lenovo
25
Amanda McGregor Director of marketing SBS

26 - 50 (In alphabetical order)

Alice ChiewHead of marketingGuild Insurance
Christopher CoyneChief marketing officerCrown Resorts
Col KennedyGlobal head of marketing and ecommerce, Cotton OnCotton On Group
Darren WrightGeneral manager P.A.C.E (products, advertising, customer experience) Australian leisure brandsFlight Centre
David McNeilChief marketing officerCampbell Arnott's
Dominic BrandonGroup manager marketing and brandAllianz Australia
Grant LeeGroup general manager, business sales and marketingM2 Group
Greg SutherlandChief marketing officer and executive general manager of Consumer and Small BusinessAustralia Post
Guy TaylorExecutive director marketingTourism Tasmania
Jay HannantChief marketing officerConn3cted
Jean-Luc AmbrosiGeneral manager marketingTelstra Super
John BroomeDirector, marketingKelloggs
John MooreDirector, marketingBupa
Jono GelfandGeneral manager of marketingSpotlight Retail Group
Lewis PullenExecutive head of marketing, content and digitalNRL
Melina CruickshankChief editorial and marketing officerDomain Group
Melinda MadiganGeneral manager, marketing and membershipANZ Stadium
Mitchell MackeyMarketing directorAnsell
Paul McGrathGroup head of marketing and brandLendlease Group
Rob LangtryGlobal chief strategy and marketing officerAustralian Wool Innovation
Scott HeffernanDirector, communications and promotionDepartment of Agriculture and Food WA
Simon ChengDirector of marketing, PR and distribution, P&O CruisesCarnival Australia
Simon MartonChief marketing officerTreasury Wine Estates
Sofia Lloyd-JonesGeneral manager marketing, Sheridan GroupPacific Brands
Suzana RistevskiCMO and head of strategy and growth, A/NZ and Papua New Guinea GE Australia and New Zealand

If there’s one thing CMO’s inaugural CMO50 list showcases about Australia’s marketing leaders, it’s that they have a desire to take charge of change, and are willing to extend their knowledge, teams and transform their organisations to make it happen.

The CMO50 is an annual list recognising those who are taking the leading role in developing new ways of thinking within marketing and the wider company using the core assets of data, technology, customer experience and creativity.

There’s no one, other than the CEO, with such a generalist view than the CMO

Former Qantas CMO and CMO50 judge, Tim McColl Jones

One of the first things that became apparent was just how diverse the title ‘CMO’ has become. In fact, two out of five on the list have roles that extend outside the traditional borders of marketing, encompassing ecommerce, CRM, customer service and loyalty, IT and technology, strategy, media, editorial and sales.

“There’s no one, other than the CEO, with such a generalist view,” commented one judge and former Qantas CMO, Tim McColl Jones, during the judges’ meeting. “It goes to show just how much the role of marketing has changed,” said fellow judge and former STW Group COO, Chris Savage.

Thought leadership was another common thread across the CMO50 ranks, and judges commented on how many are trying new things to orchestrate better marketing programs, covering everything from startup partnerships and mobile and social product innovations, through to co-creation and data-driven customer initiatives.

Here are a few other facts about our CMO50 list:

  • More than 80 per cent are members of the executive team; of the nine that aren’t, all sit on their business unit’s or organisation’s local or global brand council.
  • Average tenure across the 50 CMOs this year is 3.5 years, although there are significant discrepancies in tenure across individuals represented, with several holding executive-level roles only created in the last 2-3 years.
  • The majority of CMOs who have been with their organisation for at least two years have seen their roles change, or have been regularly promoted.

Definition of marketing

The diversity of roles in these submissions goes to show just how much the role of marketing has changed

Former STW Group COO and CMO50 judge, Chris Savage

Defining what modern marketing success looks like was an early challenge in building our CMO50 list. While our emphasis this year was on innovation and transformation, there was plenty of debate across the judging table as to how this is then executed and forms the basis of new strategies and customer experience improvements. As a result, judges were looking for instances where CMOs had exercised change and restructure teams and strategies to better support their customer-led approach.

And while we put plenty of attention on data and technology initiatives, it’s vital CMOs keep an eye on creativity. For our judges, creativity is not just as a means to a campaign end, but a sustained, customer-led thread that runs through the modern marketing function.

Arno Lenior, former Samsung CMO and CMO50 judge, viewed creativity as about taking an idea and executing it, while Zuni’s co-founder and managing director, Mike Zeederberg, applauded the bravery of many CMOs on the list around creativity and taking risks. Marketing leadership consultant and former Nestle CMO, David Morgan, also saw a link between strategy and creativity.

The top 10

This year’s top 10 CMOs stand out for the breadth of responsibility they’ve taken on not just as marketers, but business leaders.

Judges pointed out those with more strategic, cross-functional relevance – and most of the top 10 – sit within large, Australian-headquartered companies with both scale and resources to orchestrate strategic change. For example, seven of our top 10 CMOs work for either ASX-listed or privately owned Australian organisation.

It’s great to see the bravery of clients around creativity. The CMO has huge role in seeing creativity come to light of day

Zuni co-founder and MD and CMO50 judge, Mike Zeederberg

Equally, it was clear those in A/NZ-based organisations had a wider ability to effect more impactful business change, and were rewarded with an executive seat and influence in areas well outside their own function.

So how did they get there? When you look closer at our top 10 for 2015, backgrounds and career history are quite significant. The majority have worked outside of Australia, either starting their careers in the UK, US or Asia-Pacific, or relocating in order to build out their business experience before taking up their current positions. Most have also taken on roles outside the traditional marketing boundaries, stretching into HR and talent management, M&A activity, technology strategy, customer operations and data management. And most will tell you diversity of thought in their own teams is crucial.

Many of the top 10 have also been promoted to executive-level roles, gained more cross-functional responsibility or became the first to hold their newly created positions in the last two years. Suncorp’s Mark Reinke, for example, was elevated to the executive table two years ago. Renee McGowan at Mercer was appointed its first chief customer officer two years ago, uniting marketing and customer operations into one function. And just this year, Aussie Home Loans’ Richard Burns took on the combined role of technology and customer experience leader, a position that sees IT and marketing teams all working for the one boss.

Whatever readers make of the CMO50 this year, what has become evident through this initiative is that the role of CMO is an ever-moving feast.