Let’s be honest: If you only own marketing, you’re not getting a seat at the table.
You can have the best campaigns, the tightest attribution model, and a pipeline machine that churns out MQLs like clockwork. But when it comes to the strategic decisions that actually matter—budget allocation, organizational direction, go-to-market strategy—you’re often left standing outside the room.
It’s not fair, but it’s reality. And, according to Drew Neisser, founder of CMO Huddles, it’s getting worse. Drew has spent over 20 years interviewing CMOs and now leads a community of hundreds of B2B marketing leaders who gather to help each other navigate what he calls “the toughest job in the C-Suite.” Lucky for us, he made time to stop by our Best Story Wins podcast to share his insights on the state of B2B marketing leadership, along with the strategy that’s working for the most successful CMOs in his community—something he calls “CMO Plus.”
If you’re having trouble getting a foothold in your organization, his insights might be the key to finally getting the respect and resources you deserve.
The Hard Truth About Marketing Leadership
According to Drew, a CMO’s job simply cannot stop at marketing. “If a CMO is responsible for another aspect of the business, they get a seat at the table, like a leader of the organization as a business person as opposed to just the marketer,” Drew says.
This isn’t just about optics. It’s about survival. The average tenure for a CMO at a PE-backed firm is 17 months, which is barely enough time to get through one enterprise sales cycle. At Fortune 500 companies, it’s four years. Compare that to other C-suite roles, and the disparity is stark.
The problem gets worse when you look at reporting structures. Less than one in 10 CROs come from marketing backgrounds, which means most B2B CMOs report to someone who, as Drew put it, “firmly admits he knows nothing about marketing.” Without that understanding from leadership, CMOs struggle to secure budget, influence strategy, or demonstrate their value beyond lead generation.
So how do you break out of this cycle? You expand your remit and follow Drew’s tips to become a “CMO Plus.”
1. Own something beyond marketing.
The CMO Plus strategy is simple: Take responsibility for another business function that directly impacts revenue. This could be partnerships, e-commerce, customer success, or sales development. When you own something beyond traditional marketing, you’re no longer just “the marketing person”; you’re a business leader.
Drew shared the example of Sandy Ono (Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at OpenText), who serves as both head of marketing and head of partnerships. When Drew asked her what she talks about with her CEO, Sandy said he wants to talk about partnerships because it’s revenue, and he understands partnerships. But he never really understood marketing to begin with, so partnerships have become the bridge to connect.
That’s the reality. CEOs understand revenue. When you control a revenue-generating function, you speak their language.
Tip: Look for adjacencies that make strategic sense for your business. If you’re in a partner-driven ecosystem, own partnerships. If you have a significant digital revenue stream, fight for e-commerce. If lead quality is a constant battle, take over the SDR function.
2. Navigate the reporting structure challenge.
You can’t always change who you report to. If you’re stuck reporting to a CRO with no marketing background, you need to find ways around this constraint.
Drew describes this as one of the biggest impediments to marketing leadership success. When your direct manager doesn’t understand what you do, they can’t advocate for you with the CEO or board. They can’t help you secure the resources you need. And they certainly can’t help you make the case for long-term brand investment.
The workaround? Create your own access to the CEO and other key stakeholders. Use the functions you do control to demonstrate business acumen. Build relationships across the organization. And most importantly, speak the language of business outcomes, not marketing activities.
Tip: If you can’t change your reporting line, focus on getting regular CEO facetime through business reviews, strategic initiatives, or cross-functional projects. Make yourself indispensable to conversations beyond marketing.
3. Fight for P&L ownership.
Here’s what separates B2B CMOs from their B2C counterparts: P&L ownership. Drew pointed out that at companies like Procter & Gamble, most CEOs come up through product marketing—because product marketers own a P&L. They’re accountable for both revenue and costs, which trains them to think like business operators.
CMOs don’t own a P&L, but if you’re lucky and have e-commerce, owning that will help you be perceived differently.
E-commerce isn’t the only path to P&L ownership, but it’s one of the clearest. When you own a business line with revenue responsibility, you’re measured the same way other executives are measured. You have skin in the game. And suddenly, you’re not fighting for budget; you’re allocating it.
Tip: If full P&L ownership isn’t immediately available, look for ways to demonstrate P&L thinking. Work with the CFO, learn the language of business, and demonstrate that you understand business economics by owning the financial planning for campaigns and tracking customer lifetime value and acquisition costs religiously.
4. Think like a business leader first, marketer second.
Drew makes an important distinction between what he calls “Big M Marketing” and “little M Marketing.” Little m marketing? That’s the funnel mechanics: lead gen, attribution, campaign execution. It’s important work, but it’s not leadership.
Big M Marketing is different. It’s about being a business leader who happens to run marketing. It’s setting vision for the whole organization. It’s building teams that can execute. It’s allocating resources across functions. It’s driving strategy for how the entire company goes to market (not just how marketing generates leads).
The CMO Plus strategy is fundamentally about elevating yourself from little m to Big M. When you own additional functions, you’re forced to think bigger. You’re solving problems that span the entire customer journey, from first touch to renewal and expansion. And that’s exactly the mindset that gets you a permanent seat at the table.
Tip: Start thinking and talking like a business leader first, marketer second. In meetings, lead with business outcomes. When you present plans, frame them in terms of organizational strategy, not marketing tactics. Show that you understand the whole business, not just your silo.
How to Become a CMO Plus
Making the shift to CMO Plus doesn’t happen overnight, but there are practical steps you can take right now.
- Start with strategic conversations. Talk to your CEO and CFO about where the business needs leadership beyond your current scope. Is there a partnership strategy that’s been neglected? Is the SDR function underperforming? Position yourself as someone who can solve business problems.
- Build credibility through results. Before you ask for more responsibility, demonstrate excellence in what you already own. Show that you can drive measurable business outcomes, not just marketing activity.
- Speak the language of finance. Work closely with your CFO to understand how they evaluate investments and measure success. When you can articulate marketing value in financial terms, you’re much more likely to be invited into strategic conversations.
- Look for natural adjacencies. The best CMO Plus moves feel logical, not forced. If you already work closely with the partnerships team, it might make sense to bring them under your umbrella. If customer marketing is producing your best pipeline, maybe you should own the entire customer success communication strategy.
This isn’t about empire building; it’s about survival and impact. In an environment where CMO tenure is measured in months, not years, you need every advantage you can get. Expanding your remit isn’t just good for your career; it’s good for the business.
Just remember: You can be the most talented marketer in the world, but if you don’t control revenue, you’ll always be fighting for credibility.
The CMO Plus strategy isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s one of the most effective ways to shift your reputation from being “the marketing person” to being a business leader.
Want to hear more about how B2B CMOs are navigating the toughest job in the C-Suite? Listen to our full conversation with Drew Neisser on the Best Story Wins podcast. And if you’re looking for more ways to elevate your marketing leadership, take a look at our resources library for more guides and templates to work smarter and win your market.
