About This Event
A candid conversation with 6 senior CMOs unpacking what it actually takes to rise into marketing leadership — built for marketing executives and aspiring CMOs who want clarity on the path ahead.
Featured Speakers
Anil Nandakumar
Marketing Head – Asia Growth, GTM & Market Expansion
Birla Carbon
Rashmi Vasisht
VP and Global Head – Marketing & Communications, GCCs
Cognizant
Ishani Doshi
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Gallagher
Gaurav Bansal
Sr Director & Head – Marketing
SHRM
Shreya Bhatnagar
Head of Marketing – India
Automation Anywhere
Sumantra Mukherjee
VP & Head of Marketing
Datamatics Business Solutions
Event Agenda
Welcome & Framing(5 min)
Sets the stage on why the marketing leadership path looks different today and what this conversation will help aspirants unpack.
Panelist Introductions(5 min)
A quick look at 8 different routes to the CMO chair — giving aspirants a sense of how varied and non-linear the journey can be.
The Career Path to CMO(20 min)
Helps aspirants map their own trajectory — functional routes (brand, growth, sales-adjacent), backgrounds (agency vs. in-house) and pivots that realistically lead to a CMO role today.
Skills & Expertise That Set CMOs Apart(18 min)
Hard skills (P&L ownership, data/analytics, digital fluency) and soft skills (stakeholder management, boardroom storytelling) that separate a Director from a CMO-ready leader.
Advice to the Next Generation of CMOs(7 min)
Direct, practical advice from each panelist — the one thing they would tell any marketer aiming for the top.
Closing(5 min)
Host wraps the session, thanks panelists and reinforces key takeaways for aspirants.