This article recounts the key takeaways from our latest event for our CMO community. This is an excellent read for those wanting to learn how private equity and venture capital firms source marketing leaders for their portfolio companies.
On Wednesday, 22nd January 2025, our Executive Search team co-hosted an event with specialist B2B software investor, Dawn Capital. With over 100 Chief Marketing Officers in attendance, we explored how venture capital and private equity firms identify CMOs.
Our panel featured three senior talent leaders from funds, to share deep insight and advice, including:
- Avalon-Lee Bacon, Talent Director at Dawn Capital – portfolio includes Collibra, Quantexa, Dataiku, Cover Genius, Quantexa, Gelato
- Shannon Harrington, Portfolio Network and Talent Advisor at Balderton Capital – portfolio includes Aircall, Beauty Pie, Contentful, DELLI, Dream Games, GoCardless, Lendable, Matillion, Merama, Photoroom, Revolut, Tibber, Wayve, Writer and ZOE
- Hannah Dray, Talent Manager at Livingbridge – portfolio includes Exclaimer, Loveholidays, World of Books, Venatus, Nourish and CitNOW
Together, they explored several topics, including:
- Why hire a Chief Marketing Officer?
- How funds identify talent
- Hiring trends in 2025
Keep reading for the key takeaways from their conversation.
Why hire a Chief Marketing Officer?
The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) plays a pivotal role in shaping a company’s growth trajectory. Responsible for creating a marketing strategy that will build long-term brand awareness, they play a key role in establishing a business within the market.
One key point raised during the discussion was around the need for the CMO role within venture-backed and private equity-backed businesses. Are Chief Marketing Officers the right talent to lead growth in these early-stage start-ups? Or are other C-suite roles – such as the Chief Revenue Officer – more suitable?
The right option largely depends on the goals of the business and the structure of the team.
Chief Growth Officer (CGO)/Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Chief Growth or Chief Commercial Officers are commonly found in direct-to-consumer businesses. There can often be a lot of overlap between these roles and the Chief Marketing Officer. Each have a firm focus on the customer and their relationship with the brand.
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
As CROs focus on the sales output of an organisation, the Chief Revenue Officer role is more common in sales-led businesses.
When is the right time to hire a CMO?
There are lots of options to onboard marketing, including agency and contract support. Another point raised was around the timing of hiring a Chief Marketing Officer.
Our panel agreed that there is no set framework that any business should follow. Each investment-backed business is at a different stage in their growth journey and have a unique relationship with marketing. In some cases, the Founder may be an experienced marketer themselves.
Is the CMO job title right for the role?
The first thing to understand is whether the Chief Marketing Officer job title is right for the business. Sometimes the company does not require the level of expertise that a CMO can offer, so will choose a VP or Marketing Director instead.
On other occasions, venture capitalist companies will advise businesses to hire a VP/Director to give candidates the opportunity to grow and expand in their role. As a result, candidates shouldn’t be afraid of exploring this more junior title.
Hiring trends in 2025
"2024 was a year of efficiency,” as brands recovered from the “grow at all costs” mindset of 2022. Our panellists discussed how the market has evolved in recent years, and the marketing recruitment trends expected in 2025.
Skills in demand
Looking ahead to 2025, key marketing skills identified include:
- Product marketing
- Brand
- Account-based marketing
- Demand and growth marketing
Those searching for CMO jobs within venture capital investments, should prioritise these areas when upskilling and on their CV.
Product and brand marketing
In particular, our panellists predicted a resurgence of product marketing as brands try to “stand out in a sea of sameness”. This is largely being driven by the emphasis on artificial intelligence. Early adopters of technology can fall into the trap of replicating other brand’s marketing strategies. They need support in getting creative to stand out from the crowd.
As a result, businesses are not only searching for marketing leaders with a track record of delivering growth. There is an increased emphasis on those with experience in positioning companies uniquely in their competitive markets.
Focus on consulting
As companies balance cost considerations with the need for specialist expertise, Fractional and Interim CMOs are in high demand. With increased hesitation from businesses, these roles offer flexibility and allow them to test strategic hires before committing to a permanent employee.
There are many benefits to hiring a Fractional Marketer. They can:
- Advise and/or mentor a Head of Marketing
- Support with the marketing recruitment process
- Run a “diagnostic” on marketing processes
- Create a high-level marketing strategy
- Define the job description of a full-time, permanent hire
The Fractional/Interim route continues to be an excellent opportunity for senior marketers in 2025.
Looking for more support with expanding your marketing career?
A big thank you to our panellists and co-host – Dawn Capital. We had an excellent morning learning together.
Whether you’re an ambitious start-up or experienced marketing leader – explore our Executive Search offering to find out more about how we can help you grow.
