Leadership News, Features, and Interviews

For experienced digital marketer, Rich McPharlin, his decision to take on the CMO role at comparison service, Compare Club, was motivated by his positive impressions of the company’s culture and growth potential. But it was his recollection of his own experience with the business that led him to see the true opportunity it presented.

In 2020 political division and instability shocked the world, and it came in a year with protests and a new movement for racial equality, all while the world grappled with the coronavirus pandemic. The events of last year have thrown the role of brands into sharp relief as many people looked to them for their support and leadership on these health, social, racial and progressive crises.

CMO asks four marketing leaders about where do we go from here and what can be expect now that’s it’s 2021 and whether we continue to operate in short timelines and get backer to longer term planning.

Former Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) marketing chief, Lisa Sharp, has taken the CEO reins at Herefords Australia.

Keeping one eye firmly fixed on the long game while securing incremental wins – and executive trust – is the best way of describing Monash IV chief marketer, Fiona Allen’s, approach to the fertility service provider’s marketing strategy.

A willingness to move away from doing business the way you’re used to, along with passionate commitment across leadership, are vital for brands looking to striking successful external partnerships, Uber’s head of marketing says.

ThinkNewsBrands has appointed former AUB and Wilson Parking marketing chief, Vanessa Lyons, as its new general manager to help spearhead a new drive encouraging advertisers to support news media publications.

Nicholas Adams has confirmed his departure from Allianz after a three-year run as its chief market manager for A/NZ.

Over the last eight years BlackBerry has gone through a huge transformation, from a consumer brand selling hardware to an enterprise brand focused on software. “We still have a focus on what we’re good at - productivity, security, mission critical systems - we’ve never moved away from that, BlackBerry CMO, Mark Wilson, says. And recently, building off the idea of ‘intelligent security, everywhere’ the company is unveiling a new campaign aimed at securing all businesses across the globe, regardless of their location, workforce or user device.

Australian Professional Leagues (APL) has appointed Ant Hearne as chief commercial officer and Michael Tange as director of strategy and digital, following the news it had unbundled the four professional leagues from Football Australia late last year.

Want to find partnerships that can build your brand strategically and commercially? Then try making a movie of your customer’s day-day-life to identify patterns of behaviour and touchpoints and you might just find some hefty clues.

Australian luxury watch retailer, Kennedy, has brought on QBE’s former chief marketing and customer officer, Bettina Pidcock, as its marketing chief amid a trio of recent executive appointments.

Boomtown has brought on a new marketing lead tasked with driving the regional media owner’s presence and connection with advertisers.

The a2 Milk Company is on the hunt for a new brand leader after confirming its chief growth and brand officer, Susan Massasso, will exit the company in April.

One of the clear trends to emerge during 2020 was brands striking external partnerships. And if Deloitte’s recent Marketing Trends 2021 report is to go by, such partnership aspirations remain firmly in the spotlight this year as a way to drive growth, meet changing customer needs, lift cultural credentials and drive innovation.

The Marketing Academy has taken the wrappers off a new global virtual campus program available to all participating sponsor marketing teams plus 1000 individuals who have been made redundant or lost work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Future proofing by making the big transition from physical to digital proposition and engagement has seen Australia lifestyle offer business, Entertainment, embark on simultaneous digital and brand transformation.

Bank of Queensland has confirmed Westpac marketing and digital chief, Martine Jager, as its new group executive of retail.

In a year many of us wished had been cancelled, it should not surprise anyone that ‘cancel culture’ peaked in 2020, Landor & Fitch executive director insights and analytics for the Americas, Maarten Lagae, says. And it’s going to remain front and centre in 2021, too.

ASX-listed retailer, Michael Hill Jeweller, has recruited Jo Feeney as its new chief marketing officer as it looks to chart a course for continuing growth in 2021.

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology, globalisation and cultural conscience is creating a perfect storm of economic and societal change businesses and consumers must navigate. And if several CEOs and industry leaders speaking at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show are to be the guide, seeking out and rewriting the rules of partnership and pursuing value alignment not just between companies but also humans and machines will be vital to ensuring cultural equality and in turn, commercial success.