Kim Whitler | Colonel Mustard in the Study With the Job Spec How Poor Design Shortens CMO Lifespans

CMO Confidential

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kim Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, board member, and former GM and CMO. Kim shares insights from more than a decade of research with over 500 CMO's including how 50+% of roles are misaligned, the huge gap between CEO's and CMO's, the fact that misalignment results in weaker financials, and her belief that better position matching would "prevent" the "cure" of firing the CMO. Key discussion topics include: why the CMO position has the most variance in the C-suite; the importance of matching responsibility, experience and status; and why she thinks search firms can do a better job. Tune in to hear marketing analogies to the New England Patriots line-up and James Bond movie casting.

Colonel Mustard, in the Study…with the Job Spec? Why Poor Role Design Shortens CMO Lifespans | CMO Confidential

Welcome back to CMO Confidential, the podcast that takes you inside the drama, decisions, and politics that go with being the head of marketing. Hosted by 5x CMO Mike Linton (Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance, Ancestry.com).

This week, Mike welcomes back Dr. Kim Whitler, Professor of Marketing at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, former CMO, board director, and one of the foremost researchers on the CMO role. Kim has spent 14+ years analyzing 500+ interviews and hundreds of job specs to uncover why nearly 54% of CMO roles are misaligned—and what that means for tenure, effectiveness, and marketing’s reputation in the C-Suite.

From her groundbreaking research (published in HBR, Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science) to real-world board and executive experience, Kim breaks down:

* Why job specs often set CMOs up to fail

* The massive perception gap between CEOs (who think roles are well-designed) and CMOs (who don’t)

* How status, responsibility, and experience combine to drive—or derail—firm outcomes

* The practical questions every CMO candidate should ask before taking a job

* Why “throw away the job spec and write your own” might be the smartest advice you’ll hear

🎙️ Whether you’re a CMO, CEO, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this is a masterclass in role design, negotiation, and how to set marketing up for real impact.

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📌 Episode Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential

01:30 – Introducing Dr. Kim Whitler

04:00 – Why CMO job specs often fail

08:15 – Defining “misalignment” in CMO roles

13:00 – The role of status, responsibility & experience

18:30 – The CEO vs. CMO perception gap

24:00 – Practical questions every CMO candidate should ask

30:00 – Negotiating role design & avoiding pitfalls

33:30 – Kim’s closing advice & final story

- About Our Sponsor: Typeface AI

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