How to become a Chief Marketing Officer in the ecom sector

To help senior marketers in the ecommerce industry progress their careers, we held a seminar event to reveal more about the CMO career. This blog post reveals the key takeaways from their conversation. 

With so many businesses relocating and expanding in the North West, we're seeing a growing demand for marketing leaders in Greater Manchester and beyond. To support ecommerce marketing leaders progress to Chief Marketing Officer, Andy Larkin held a panel event to break down the job title. 

Attendees heard from: 

• Nicki Capstick, Chief Marketing Officer at PrettyLittleThing.com 
• Duke Tanson, Chief Digital Officer at GLAMIRA 
• Alex Adamson, Chief Marketing Officer at SECRET SALES 

Together, they discussed the following topics: 

• The leap from Marketing Director to CMO 
• Skills and traits required to become an ecommerce CMO 
• The right path to the job title

Keep reading to learn the key takeaways from their conversation. 

The leap from Marketing Director to CMO 

Moving from the Marketing Director role to the Chief Marketing Officer isn’t just a promotion, it’s a step change in mindset, scope, and responsibility.  

“As the CMO, you’re responsible for the business strategy.” 

Head of vs Director vs CMO 

Our panellists broke down the differences between the three marketing leadership roles: 

• Head of Marketing: Responsible for overseeing the execution of the marketing strategy. 
• Marketing Director: Have increased input into the overall business strategy and responsible for ensuring that marketing efforts compliment the wider company strategy.  
• Chief Marketing Officer: Responsible for the business strategy as well as the marketing plan. 

Essentially, as a CMO, you are no longer expected to simply look after marketing but contribute to the overall success of the business.

The impact of company size 

It's important to understand that each role’s responsibilities can depend on the size of the business. For example, a Marketing Director in a smaller business can expect to absorb some of the responsibilities of a CMO. 

Traditional Chief Marketing Officers are more commonly found in large corporations. 

Skills and traits to be a CMO 

One of the most candid parts of the discussion centred on what it really takes, personally, to become a CMO. The answer? Sacrifice. 

Whether it’s long hours, relentless pressure, or being ‘always on,’ panellists were open about the cost of operating at the top. Becoming a CMO often comes at a time when personal priorities are shifting, and the tension between ambition and life outside work becomes harder to ignore.  

Our speakers described their turning points and shared the changes they made in to balance the demands of their retail marketing job and homelife. 

The importance of resilience and adaptability 

The retail and ecommerce sectors have undergone significant changes in the past few years. If there’s one learning to take, it’s the importance of resilience in this ever-changing market. 

“You must be able to adapt to the industry that’s constantly evolving.” 

Marketers must be able to roll with the punches. Not only do you need to ensure that your marketing campaigns aren’t hindered by challenges, but you want to ensure your business is at the forefront of the industry.  

This is crucial not only for the success of your business, but also for leading your marketing team. CMOs must be resilient, emotionally intelligent, and able to absorb pressure without passing it down the line. 

You do not need to be the expert 

We often focus on what you need to do and rarely what you don’t. A defining skill of a successful CMO isn’t knowing everything - it’s knowing how to empower those who do. 

In a modern marketing function, especially in ecommerce, you’re surrounded by specialists: Data Analysts, CRM Leads, Performance marketers, and emerging tech experts. The CMO’s role is to lead them, challenge them, and bring everything together. 

This shift in mindset doesn’t come easily, but it’s important to trust your team so that you’re not overcome with imposter syndrome. 

What is the right route to CMO? 

One of the most reassuring messages from the panel was that there is no perfect route to the Chief Marketing Officer job. Our speakers shared that they didn’t have a “defining moment” that led to the opportunity. Instead, they focussed on building trust and confidence within their businesses, building up to the C-suite. 

The role is changing 

The CMO role has already evolved enormously over the past few years, and this isn’t slowing down. AI, automation, data analytics, and changing customer behaviour are all reshaping what businesses expect from senior marketers. But while the marketing tools are changing, the panel agreed: the fundamentals of brand, customer connection, and commercial focus are here to stay. 

Do you have the right marketing leadership? 

We want to extend a big thank you to our panellists for your time and expertise. It was a truly insightful event.  

One key learning from the event was that the retail and ecommerce sector is forever evolving. This raises the questions... 

• Do you have the right marketing leader in place to guide you through this change?  
• Is your business at the forefront of your target market, speaking directly to potential customers?

If the answer is ‘no’ to any of these questions, it might be time to hire. Get in touch with our marketing recruiters to find out how we can help.