It’s an evolution, decades in the making. The look of leadership in the marketing industry is changing, it’s become more diverse. Women have gained significant ground when it comes to advancing to top level positions in the field. According to executive search firm Spencer Stuart in 2019, 43% of CMO’s were women compared to 36% in 2018. But getting a corner office was not easy for ambitious female marketers in a once overwhelmingly male dominated industry.
Marketing Makeover
Alessandra Montrasio, Global Marketing Director at Nestle Waters knows this all too well. At a recent GDS Group CMO summit, she spoke about how at the start of her career she was advised not to smile so much, wear heels for more height, and work on her voice. All to appear more assertive. Montrasio shares, “for a long time, women had to borrow male leadership models if they wanted to be seen as serious and trustworthy professionals. In fact, the first cracks in the glass ceiling were made by women in grey suits and tons of assertiveness.” Well, those days are over. So, what’s driving rapid change to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
Marketing Leadership Becomes more Diverse
The answer lies in the numbers. The marketing industry like so many others see the trend: America is becoming A more diverse nation and people want to see themselves reflected in the message and leadership of brands they associate with. Leaders like Bozoma Saint John, the charismatic African American Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix often advises people to, “show up as your full self.” Bottomline: Diversity is good for business. In fact, a recent Gartner study shows 40% of Americans report that they have researched a brand’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts prior to making a purchase.
Future Marketers
A survey by Deloitte finds that millennials, who are set to make up 75% of the workforce by 2025, overwhelmingly feel more engaged when their organization fosters an inclusive culture. While diversity among marketing leaders has grown over the years, there is still room for improvement. In order to attract top talent with diverse backgrounds Montrasio says organizations have to think outside the box when it comes to recruitment. “If you spot talent in your teams and the talent doesn’t look like the classic role model that you’re used to have back in the days of your junior market years, you have to nourish this talent. Do not ask them to be molded into something they’re not.”
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