A+: the new skills for success
The DNA of the CMO is being rewritten. What new skills will the A-shaped CMO need to hone? And what can they leave behind?
A+: the new skills for success
The DNA of the CMO is being rewritten. What new skills will the A-shaped CMO need to hone? And what can they leave behind?
Over the next two years, AI-powered CMOs will lean into skills to lead hybrid human-agent teams, strengthen cross-functional alliances and orchestrate automated workflows – uniting brand, demand and growth into one marketing ecosystem.
The skills required for successful marketing leadership in the age of agentic AI are changing.
Tomorrow’s CMOs won’t win by being channel specialists or brand guardians alone. Their skillset needs to evolve, to be broader, more strategic and far more operational. The successful A-shaped marketer will need to combine commercial thinking with creative instinct, data fluency with ethical judgement and leadership with orchestration.
That means moving beyond siloed expertise and becoming fluent in AI governance, transformation, customer experience and complex decision-making, while still protecting the creativity and human insight brands are built on.
From strategic thinking to data strategy and analysis, CMOs see an immediate need for high-level strategy above traditional core marketing functions.
By 2028…CMOs’ top skills
Human:
Strategic thinking - 53%
Creative thinking - 44%
Critical thinking - 32%
Ethical judgement - 32%
Leadership:
Leadership and stakeholder management - 54%
Complex problem solving - 52%
Team management - 48%
Marketing:
Digital marketing strategy including SEO/GEO - 44%
Creative strategy - 39%
Customer experience - 30%
AI & data:
Data strategy & analysis - 49%
Agentic AI use case design - 42%
AI governance & quality control - 38%
CMO-led transformation
CMOs expect to embed agentic AI into creative and content workflows soon. But, before redesigning teams around AI, marketing leaders need to rethink how they lead, operate and make decisions themselves.
of CMOs expect their teams to manage content and creative production workflows using agentic AI in the next 6 months
“Adopting AI requires a growth mindset in every role, particularly as a leader. For CMOs, operational excellence will be perhaps more important than ever before.
Agentic AI requires all leaders to rethink processes and what should be completed by humans compared to agents. CMOs will need to focus on systems thinking and workflow architecture to establish effective hybrid (human and agent) teams – as well as considering collaboration with other functions and stakeholders, like external agencies or sales teams.
It’s worth every CMO taking a private skills audit: being honest with yourself about your strengths and any gaps in your knowledge or experience. You can then look at ways to upskill yourself, whether it’s formal training or hands-on practice.”
Different buyers, different skills
The future CMO won’t look the same across every business model. In B2B, marketing leaders are increasingly evolving into organizational architects focused on systems thinking, operational efficiency and aligning teams across the business to drive long-term growth.
Meanwhile, leading B2C marketers are leaning more into agility: building resilient brands, responding quickly to market change and protecting customer relevance in increasingly volatile environments.
Despite those differences, though, they share one key priority: AI capability. Whether they’re driving operational transformation or boosting brand competitiveness, CMOs increasingly see AI fluency as critical to staying effective, influential and commercially relevant in their next, A-shaped era.
B2B CMOs: systems and organizational architects
Most important skills over next two years:
Human:
Strategic thinking - 50%
Systems thinking - 40%
Creative thinking - 40%
Leadership:
Leadership and stakeholder management - 60%
Complex problem solving - 58%
Team management - 40%
Operational excellence - 40%
Cross-functional management - 40%
Marketing:
Digital marketing strategy including SEO/GEO - 46%
Customer experience - 40%
Creative strategy - 36%
Strategic content strategy and planning - 36%
AI & data:
Data strategy & analysis - 62%
AI governance & quality control - 38%
Agentic AI programming - 36%
B2C CMOs: agile brand stewards
Most important skills over next two years:
Human:
Strategic thinking - 56%
Creative thinking - 48%
Flexibility, resilience and agility - 38%
Leadership:
Team management - 56%
Leadership and stakeholder management - 48%
Complex problem solving - 46%
Marketing:
Digital marketing strategy including SEO/GEO - 42%
Creative strategy - 42%
Brand strategy - 34%
AI & data:
Agentic AI use case design - 50%
AI governance & quality control - 38%
Agentic AI programming - 36%
Data strategy & planning - 36%
