Is It Time to Hire a CMO?

At Winston Rowe, we speak to a growing number of businesses navigating inflection points, scaling fast, entering new markets, or re-evaluating their brand position.

A question we’ve heard lots over the years:

“Is now the right time to hire a Chief Marketing Officer?”

It’s a valid and often exciting question. A strong CMO can have a transformational impact, unifying strategy, aligning teams, and driving meaningful growth – and we all know that ‘transformation’ is a key topic in today’s business landscape.

But timing is everything.

• Hiring a senior marketing leader too early can lead to misalignment, unmet expectations, and wasted investment.
• Waiting too long can stall progress and leave opportunity on the table.

Here’s what we’ve learned through years of advising on senior marketing appointments, and what every leadership team should consider before making the leap.

The role of the CMO has evolved far beyond campaign oversight. The most effective marketing leaders today operate as growth architects, brand custodians, and strategic partners to the CEO and board. According to McKinsey, the most successful CMOs are “Unifiers”, leaders who align marketing with finance, technology, product and revenue generation to ensure the entire organisation is pulling in the same direction.

You may be ready for a CMO if:

• You’ve outgrown fragmented marketing and need a unified strategy
• You’re expanding into new territories or markets and require senior guidance
• Marketing is disconnected from product, brand, or commercial objectives
• You’re seeking to build internal marketing capability for long-term growth

In these scenarios, a CMO can offer more than leadership, they provide clarity, cohesion, and long-range vision.

There’s increasing pressure on scale-ups and mid-market businesses to bring in senior titles to “look the part.” But a premature CMO hire, without the structure, support, or internal alignment, can create significant challenges for both the organisation and the individual.

You may want to pause if:

• The business strategy is still in flux, or marketing’s role within it is unclear
• Budget limitations prevent meaningful execution of strategy
• Internal buy-in to marketing as a growth driver is lacking
• The current need is delivery and implementation, not strategy and leadership

In these cases, the better path may be an experienced Head of Marketing, a fractional CMO, or an interim strategic advisor to lay the groundwork.

Hiring a senior marketing leader is not just about filling a gap, it’s about preparing your business to benefit from that leadership. That includes clarity of objectives, alignment across departments, and a structure that allows the CMO to be effective from day one. If these aren’t yet in place, a different hire might serve your current stage better, with a view to scaling into the CMO role in time.

At Winston Rowe, we take a consultative approach to marketing leadership recruitment. We understand that not every organisation is ready for a CMO, and that doesn’t mean failure. It means being honest about where you are and building the right foundations for future growth.

Whether you’re ready to begin a search or simply need a confidential sounding board, we’re here to offer market insight, practical options, and long-term thinking.

If you’re exploring the structure of your marketing function, let’s talk. We’re here to help you build with intention—not just ambition.