{"id":108017,"date":"2025-12-27T08:12:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T08:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2025\/12\/27\/10-cmos-set-to-make-waves-in-2026\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T08:13:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T08:13:04","slug":"10-cmos-set-to-make-waves-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2025\/12\/27\/10-cmos-set-to-make-waves-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"10 CMOs Set To Make Waves in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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2025 was a carousel of chief advertising officer (CMO) exits, arrivals, and shake-ups that kept the advertising world on its toes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whereas the CMO door retains revolving, 2026 will as soon as once more see advertising bosses challenged by geopolitical upheaval and squeezed shopper spend. There will even be alternatives, together with the FIFA 26 World Cup and a buzzy M&A market. AI development will likely be a double-edged sword, making it simpler for manufacturers to attach with audiences whereas additionally elevating questions in regards to the human value of the tech. <\/p>\n

For entrepreneurs at a few of the world\u2019s most talked-about manufacturers, the following 12 months will take a look at how properly they’ll adapt, innovate, and lead.<\/p>\n

With that in thoughts, ADWEEK is spotlighting 10 CMOs price watching in 2026.<\/p>\n

Some are setting the tone for challenger manufacturers. Others are steering their groups into unfamiliar territory. A number of are tasked with modernizing legacy companies and some are defining what management appears to be like like in new roles.<\/p>\n

Scroll all the way down to see who\u2019s on the checklist for 2026.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ahmed Iqbal, CMO, Cadillac F1\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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As Cadillac Formulation 1\u2019s first-ever CMO, Iqbal arrives at a second of peak momentum for the game, with international curiosity surging due to a nail-biting 2025 Grand Prix and Netflix\u2019s fly-on-the-wall documentary sequence, Drive to Survive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The CMO joins on the again of McLaren\u2019s dominant run, elevating each the stakes and the expectations for the challenger.<\/p>\n

In 2026, Iqbal\u2019s activity will likely be to outline what Cadillac stands for in a crowded, fast-moving F1 panorama.\u00a0He\u2019ll must translate the model\u2019s American heritage into international relevance whereas constructing credibility with followers who’re already deeply invested within the sport.<\/p>\n

Jill Kramer, CMCO, Mastercard <\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Former Accenture advertising boss Jill Kramer steps into the chief marketing and communications (CMCO) role at Mastercard<\/a> following one of many longest and most influential CMO tenures within the trade, taking on from Raja Rajamannar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her arrival marks a second of transition for a model lengthy related to consistency, cultural credibility, and the enduring energy of its \u201cPriceless\u201d platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2026, Kramer\u2019s problem will likely be evolving Rajamannar\u2019s legacy, and protecting Mastercard culturally related and modern whereas defending its model fairness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Per figures from Interbrand, Accenture\u2019s model worth virtually doubled from $12 billion to $20.9 billion over the near-decade Kramer was CMCO there. Previous to that, she held senior roles at BBDO and DDB, the place she led campaigns for manufacturers akin to AT&T and ExxonMobil.<\/p>\n

Jon Halvorson, Chief Digital and Advertising and marketing Officer, Kenvue<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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In October, Tylenol maker Kenvue gave Jon Halvorson the decision. The enterprise was reeling after a September press convention during which well being secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., buttressed by President Trump, implied a hyperlink between autism and acetaminophen, the energetic ingredient in Tylenol.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regardless of the medical institution lengthy discrediting such hyperlinks, on the identical day, Kenvue reported Q3 gross sales down 3.5%, and some weeks later, Kimberly-Clark introduced it had acquired Kenvue for practically $49 billion.<\/p>\n

Kenvue is betting that with expertise spanning Starcom MediaVest, GM, and Mondelez\u2014the place he led AI adoption\u2014Halvorson brings the advertising and messaging chops wanted to reassure customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As Trump and RFK proceed to make main modifications to pharma promoting, and a lawsuit from Texas Legal professional Common Ken Paxton looms, Halvorson has a difficult 2026 forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kate Rouch, CMO, OpenAI\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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OpenAI\u2019s new CMO Kate Rouch.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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This is Rouch\u2019s second year on ADWEEK\u2019s CMOs to watch list.
In 2025, Rouch\u2019s impact saw the AI challenger dive into mass marketing for ChatGPT and its other products. The company advertised in the Super Bowl earlier this year with a 60-second spot from Droga5 that recounted the history of human innovation<\/a>, and focused faculty college students with a smaller marketing campaign throughout ultimate examination season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In June, the exec took temporary leave<\/a> following a breast most cancers analysis, with former Fb CMO Gary Briggs taking the advertising reins within the interim. Rouch returned in November, sharing the news that she was cancer-free<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2026, the previous Coinbase CMO might want to construct on the momentum round ChatGPT\u2019s first big emotional ad campaign<\/a>, which demonstrates how the AI chatbot is helpful in relatable, each day moments. <\/p>\n

Within the coming yr, Rouch will even assist the enterprise market blockbuster partnerships with Disney<\/a> and Mattel, and proceed to satisfy the problem of constructing model belief in a world nonetheless cautious of AI.<\/p>\n

Marian Lee, CMO, Netflix\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Netflix\u2019s Marian Lee can also be marking her second yr on this checklist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s advertising ethos, the place culture is the \u201cmain character,\u201d<\/a> has put Netflix on the map as one of many buzziest and inventive manufacturers of 2025. Within the final 12 months, the platform has launched IRL campaigns for shock hit film KPop Demon Hunters<\/a> and introduced brands like Gatorade into the Upside Down<\/a> for the ultimate season of Stranger Issues.<\/p>\n

It additionally opened the doorways to 2 Netflix Homes in Dallas and Philadelphia, the place followers can discover, style, play, and store their favourite reveals, from Bridgerton to Cash Heist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lee will play a key position in 2026 as Netflix cozies up to brands, including AB InBev<\/a>, for partnerships linked to its rising advert tier, which now counts virtually 100 million subscribers. She\u2019ll additionally proceed to assist the corporate increase its viewers past films and sequence into gaming, dwell sports activities, and extra.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looming largest on the horizon is Netflix\u2019s push to shut its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery<\/a>. Slated for late 2026, the transfer might deliver iconic movie franchises, together with Harry Potter, and huge studio capabilities into the streamer\u2019s fold. If accredited, it can reshape not solely Netflix\u2019s content material arsenal however how Lee positions the streamer in tradition and Hollywood.<\/p>\n

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Marcel Marcondes, International CMO, AB InBev<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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During the last 18 months, Marcondes has flipped AB InBev\u2019s marketing model to put a \u201cdisproportionate\u201d amount of spend behind its master brands<\/a> and double down on culture-first advertising.<\/p>\n

In 2025, that technique gained momentum. Mixed, Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, and Michelob Extremely now characterize round 57% of the brewer\u2019s income and account for 8 of the highest 10 most precious beer manufacturers on this planet, per Kantar.\u00a0Megabrand revenues had been up 3% in Q3, driving AB InBev\u2019s general 0.9% development.<\/p>\n

In 2026, a few of the brewer\u2019s manufacturers are poised to go huge for Tremendous Bowl 60 (although it has not formally revealed its plans but). The corporate can also be a FIFA 26 World Cup sponsor and the official beer associate of the Winter Olympics, the VMAs, and the Grammys.<\/p>\n

The approaching yr will even see AB InBev combine beers akin to Bud Gentle and Stella into Netflix reveals like The Gents. This collaboration will prolong off-screen to packs, too, as a part of a historic multi-year partnership<\/a> between the 2 manufacturers designed to succeed in audiences more and more immune to conventional adverts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The subsequent 12 months are shaping as much as be spectacularly busy for the enterprise, and Marcondes will likely be tasked with making certain AB InBev\u2019s grasp manufacturers are high of thoughts in tradition and on cabinets all over the world.<\/p>\n

Manu Orssaud, CMO, Duolingo<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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When Duolingo declared itself \u201cAI-first\u201d in April, the transfer signaled a structural shift in how the corporate approaches product, content material, and advertising. It additionally invited scrutiny. <\/p>\n

A subsequent memo from CEO Luis von Ahn linking hiring to AI capability sparked backlash and raised questions on people\u2019 position within the model\u2019s future. <\/p>\n

In September, Duolingo confirmed its AI investments hadn\u2019t led to any full-time workers being laid off. As a substitute, AI is boosting human productiveness, von Ahn mentioned at Quick Firm\u2019s Innovation Pageant.<\/p>\n

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Because the model\u2019s CMO Manu Orssaud appears to be like forward to 2026, his activity will likely be scaling up its AI advertising instruments whereas driving sustained subscriber development, all whereas holding on to the brand personality that made Duolingo culturally iconic<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Meghan Imbres, CMO, Peloton<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Megan Imbres is Peloton\u2019s chief advertising officer (CMO).<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


<\/strong>In June 2025, Megan Imbres grew to become Peloton\u2019s fourth CMO since 2020.<\/p>\n

The previous Apple, Amazon, and Netflix exec changed Lauren Weinberg, who left in April after the advertising and comms capabilities had been break up.<\/p>\n

Peloton has had a difficult few years, however in Q3 it stunned Wall Road by posting a revenue regardless of falling subscriber numbers and a 37% lower to its advertising price range.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve not seen a tentpole inventive marketing campaign from Imbres but, however 2026 is likely to be the yr, following the model\u2019s AI-powered September product relaunch<\/a>, which embedded the tech into its health merchandise to customise particular person exercise applications.
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Tamika Younger, CMCO, Hinge <\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/strong>In December, Hinge named a new CMCO in Tamika Young<\/a>, who joined the enterprise as svp, international communications in 2023 from Netflix. Hinge\u2019s former CMO, Jackie Jantos, was promoted to CEO after founder Justin McLeod left to launch Overtone, an AI-powered courting app.<\/p>\n

As she provides advertising to her communications accountability, Younger will likely be tasked with constructing on the success of Jantos\u2019 most high-profile campaigns, together with Hinge\u2019s international trademarked \u201cDesigned to Be Deleted\u201d positioning, which remodeled it from a swipe-culture novelty into one outlined by extra significant connections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She\u2019ll even be working alongside a CEO who understands and champions the worth of selling.<\/p>\n

Younger\u2019s appointment comes as Hinge\u2019s monthly revenue overtakes its biggest, rival Bumble<\/a>, and as 78% of U.S. courting app customers say they\u2019ve skilled dating app fatigue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Todd Kaplan, CMO, Kraft Heinz <\/strong><\/h4>\n
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In his first full yr main advertising for Kraft Heinz\u2019s 200-strong portfolio of manufacturers, Todd Kaplan has pushed the legacy CPG beyond its comfort zone<\/a> with culturally related advertising.<\/p>\n

First got here Heinz\u2019s collaboration with producer Mustard <\/a>(full with a 30-second spot throughout the Grammy Awards and social extensions tied to an IRL, limited-edition mustard product). Heinz also worked with Rethink on its fun \u201cLooks Familiar\u201d ads<\/a>, which highlighted the uncanny resemblance between the sauce maker\u2019s iconic brand and fry bins utilized by eating places all over the world.<\/p>\n

In 2026, the $29 billion firm will split into two public entities<\/a>: International Style Elevation, which is able to home sauces and spreads, and North American Grocery Co., encompassing cabinet staples like Oscar Mayer and Lunchables. <\/p>\n

Put up-split, Kaplan\u2019s future title and portfolio stay unannounced. Nevertheless, this yr he\u2019ll be tasked with defining how Kraft Heinz\u2019s new advertising playbook interprets throughout the 2 new firms earlier than the reorganization is full.<\/p>\n

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