C-Suite Roles

A new analysis of the top 1,000 U.S. companies by revenue finds the percentage of women in most C-Suite positions is dramatically lower than their male counterparts. The study, by Korn Ferry, was conducted in June 2016 and examines the percentage of women by title and by industry.

Today receptionists revel in the grandiose title of ‘Director of First Impressions’ . Title-fluffing fools no-one, except perhaps the title holder; after all, the late boss of North Korea, Kim Jong-il, had 1,200 official titles including ‘Greatest Man Who Ever Lived’. Even after he died in 2011 he gained another –‘Eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea’. One title he didn’t have was ‘Chief Narcissist’.

Boards of directors are coming under increasing pressure from an array of stakeholders, some of whom are questioning the boards’ understanding of end users/consumers and customer experience. Now may be the time for nominating committees to proactively recruit marketing officers into their ranks. From activist investors, government agencies, and changing consumer behavior to cyberattacks, new digital platforms, and the need for new disruptive innovations to drive topline growth, many company boards could benefit from marketing expertise.

Few functional roles are more vital—or more fast-changing—than that of the chief marketing officer (CMO). A survey of 275 CMOs conducted in partnership with Forrester explores the changing nature of the role and the skills that will be required to master it.

Dr Morgan R. Olsen is the Chief Financial Officer of the largest university in the United States, Arizona State University.

​​The Internet Retailer article, “Why Chief Digital Officers Are All the Rage,” quotes Russell Reynolds Associates’ ​ Margot McShane.​ ​​​ ​​She explains which types of candidates are in high demand right now.

The CFO Journal published a Q&A with Russell Reynolds Associates' consultant Jenna Fisher​. The article, "New Market Dynamics Bring Change to CFO Searches​," discusses the new trends in CFO searches. The article is excerpted below.

TRANSEARCH International recently conducted research on newly appointed executive officers (“CXOs”) and their diversity, or lack thereof. Researchers observed more than 3,000 hiring and promotion C-suite decisions from 2015, across ten industry groups and organizations of varying size.

At the 2016 CMO Summit, Spencer Stuart explored what skills chief marketers need to look for as they build best-in-class teams, ways to develop their marketing talent and how to build their own careers.

Chief Marketing Officers are becoming vital players in their CEOs’ success, with digital innovation and data analytics often playing key supporting roles, according to the Executive Monitor released today by Boyden global executive search.