Strap in, marketers. This week, Ben van Rooy (Human Digital) and Stephanie Quantrill (Cue Marketing) take you behind the closed doors of the C-suite to unpack the most misunderstood, and arguably most exciting, role in business: the Chief Marketing Officer.
From career pathways to power plays, bold calls to boardroom politics, this episode is your masterclass in what it takes to thrive as a CMO.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode- The CMO’s Seat at the Table: Why being in the exec team (not just near it) is non-negotiable.
- Career Moves That Count: Why sideways steps into sales, ops, or finance can turbocharge your marketing career.
- Customer at the Core: How top CMOs embody the voice of the customer – and bring it right into the boardroom.
- Bold Calls & Risky Business: Why great CMOs aren’t afraid to pivot, back themselves, and sometimes crash spectacularly.
- Power Dynamics: The real truth about managing your CEO, befriending your CFO, and building a leadership team that trusts you.
- Tenure & Turnover: Why some CMOs thrive for decades while others bounce every 3 years.
- Pro Tips for Aspiring CMOs: From reading a P&L to balancing brand vs. performance, Ben and Steph drop the wisdom you need to step up.
- HubSpot Connect highlights – and why cutting the clutter matters.
- The rise of AI in marketing (and why it’s harder than YouTube makes it look).
- Ads on your fridge? Samsung thinks so.
- SXSW Sydney preview + Mo Gawdat’s vision of AI dystopia vs. utopia.
- Cannes Lions 2026 early hype.
Because if you want to move from “colouring in” to being the growth engine of the business, this is the roadmap. No fluff. No fencesitting. Just the raw truth about what it takes to be a kick-ass CMO.
Chapters
00:00 Weekend Highlights: World of Wearable Arts
02:56 Insights from HubSpot Connect
06:08 Innovative Business Models and Leadership
08:49 The Future of Advertising: Smart Fridges
11:57 Excitement for South by Southwest
14:48 The Role of the Chief Marketing Officer
17:50 Defining the CMO's Responsibilities and Challenges
23:20 The Role of a CMO: Balancing Business Acumen and Customer Focus
27:42 Leadership Challenges: Risk, Trust, and Decision-Making
30:09 Transitioning to CMO: From Execution to Influence
33:49 Navigating Relationships: The Importance of Cross-Functional Trust
36:47 The Tension of Marketing Goals vs. Business Objectives
39:45 CMO Tenure: Fresh Perspectives vs. Long-Term Impact
Got feedback? Email us:
Ben Van Rooy - ben@cannedmarketing.com
Steph Quantrill steph@cannedmarketing.com
Website: www.cannedmarketing.com
Instagram: @cannedmarketing
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