For 20 years, govt search and advisory agency Spencer Stuart has printed information on chief advertising officer (CMO) tenure. Since 2022, the typical variety of years that advertising bosses keep in a single function has hovered round 4 years.

ADWEEK can solely reveal that CMO tenure amongst S&P 500 corporations now stands at 4.1 years in 2025, down barely from 4.3 years in 2024. That compares to five years for all C-suite roles.

Chief executives (CEOs) keep a median of seven.6 years, whereas chief monetary officers (CFOs) usually stay in submit for 4.7. Solely chief working officers’ (COO) tenures have been shorter, at 3.3 years on common, owing to their aspirations to step as much as the CEO workplace.

The explanation for the incremental year-on-year CMO tenure decline, in accordance with Richard Sanderson, who leads Spencer Stuart’s advertising, gross sales, and communications officer apply in North America, is because of the affect of longtime CMO exits on the dataset. As an example, Raja Rajamannar left Mastercard after 13 years as chief advertising and communications officer.

Whereas some would possibly learn CMOs’ comparatively brief reigns as a sign they’re failing to make an affect or being fired, Sanderson mentioned the info exhibits the other to be true.

“Quick tenure is definitely a operate of the function,” he advised ADWEEK, “as a result of the CMO function is a developmental one which leads as a stepping stone or a springboard onto greater issues.”

Beneath, ADWEEK unpacks 4 of the highest findings from Spencer Stuart’s 2025 CMO Tenure report.

1. CMOs are shifting on up

Hinge CMO Jackie Jantos was promoted to CEO in 2025. / Hinge

When CMOs go away their function, they’re prone to advance to larger tasks, the report discovered.

Of the 218 CMO exits between 2021 and 2025, practically two-thirds (62%) have been both promoted at their firm or went on to the same or greater function at one other firm.

Notably, 9% superior to a CEO function, as Hinge’s Jackie Jantos did in 2025 after 4 years as advertising chief. 13% grow to be a divisional CEO, COO, or president.

Of these leaving their group, 77% of CMOs landed at a brand new firm inside six months.