October 9th: ‘Becoming a Non-Executive Director’ in partnership with EY

This article recounts the key takeaways from our latest ‘How to transition from CMO to NED’ event in partnership with EY. It is an excellent read for anyone looking for career growth options beyond the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role. 

On Wednesday, October 9th, our Executive Search team co-hosted our latest CMO to NED event in partnership EY’s Centre for Board Matters.  

EY Centre for Board Matters – supporting members in their oversight role by helping them address complex boardroom issues: 

• Monthly newsletter sharing relevant and timely insights, thought leadership and on-demand content 
• Peer to peer connection with invites to roundtables and events 
• Educating and guiding aspiring and current board members 

Attendees heard from Marketing Leaders turned Non-Executive Directors: 

• Celia Pronto, Non-Executive Director at South East Water, Moto Hospitality, Samworth Brothers, Hostmore plc & Campden BRI, formerly Managing Director at Love Home Swap and formerly Chief Customer & Digital Officer at Casual Dining Group 
• Mark Evans,  Non-Executive Director at The Marketing Society and Emma3D, Chair of the School of Marketing, Trustee for OnSide, Advisor to Saracens Rugby, HMRC, Accenture and Save the Children. Formerly CMO at Direct Line Group and CEO at 118118 Media 
• Sara Bennison, NED at Equifax, the LTA, The West Brom, The Openwork Partnership and DUAL Group. Formerly CPMO at Nationwide, CEO at The Mortgage Works and CMO at Barclays 

Together, they discussed their own career journeys and the learnings they’ve gained along the way. Continue reading for key takeaways from the morning. 

Is the Non-Executive Director role for you?

As a Chief Marketing Officer, there are a variety of options to progress your career. From Operating Partner to Chief Executive Officer, there are a variety of senior leadership roles that would benefit from your marketing skills. So, how do you know the NED title is the right one? 

Why become a Non-Exec? 

Before pursuing this career path, you should assess whether it aligns with your strengths, interests and professional goals. There are a range of reasons why you would pursue the role. For Celia Pronto, she knew she was ready for the role when she was seeking more variety in her marketing career. 

The shift from Executive to Non-Executive

You should also be aware of the differences between the leadership roles. Unlike an Executive role, where you drive the daily operations of a business, a NED provides oversight, governance, and strategic guidance.  

As one panellist put it, “Your job is not to tell the executive team what to do; you’re there to ensure the business is well-run, appoint the right CEO, and help shape the company’s strategy from a high-level perspective.” 

How to secure your first role 

Once you know the role is right for you, it’s time to prepare. The process to securing your first Non-Executive assignment is unique to every other recruitment process you would have been involved with. 

It's important to be aware that the process is usually lengthy. The journey often involves networking, upskilling and demonstrating your value in areas beyond your functional expertise. 

Prepare early  

Each of our panellists began preparing for the shift early in their careers. The skills required in the boardroom differ from those of an executive role. As a result, even your CV should look different than what you’ve used for all other marketing roles.  

One key piece of advice from Sara Bennison was to write your NED resume early on. This way you can identify your skill gaps and take steps to fill them. By taking deliberate steps to expand your skill set, you strongly position yourself for future opportunities. 

Networking 

Finding your first assignment is often the hardest. “Boards are risk averse”, so they will tend to lean towards someone with established experience. As a result, your network is often the key to your first assignment. 

Having people who can vouch for you and speak on your behalf is incredibly important. Executive Search firms are becoming increasingly important in searches as they’re uniquely connected with Private Equity firms. 

Mark Evans shared that once you’ve secured that first role, you’ll often find the “snowball effect” happening. More doors will open that you didn’t know existed.

The importance of marketing on the board

In recent years, we’ve seen increasingly more Non-Executive opportunities for senior marketers. Normally the board is dominated by finance, legal, and operational expertise.  

Now, however, more brands are placing more focus on the customer. As a result, the board of directors need senior leaders with that in-depth understanding of customer behaviour. This is where marketers come in. 

Marketing skills are varied 

Each board requires different skills. Marketing professionals are uniquely positioned to offer insights into a variety of areas, such as consumer behaviour, brand strategy, and digital transformation. These are increasingly important for businesses navigating disruption and growth. 

It’s important to understand which skills a particular board is looking for, so you know which one you’ll need to use most in your role. 

Developments in marketing trends

Another core reason for marketing leadership to be a part of the board is the rapid developments we’re seeing in areas, such as GenAI. These developments, conversations and trends need to be at the forefront of brand’s minds and often marketers at the right person to lead them. 

Thank you to EY and our speakers 

We want to extend a big thank you to our hosts at EY – Rebecca Hirst, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer UK, and Lise Evans, Associate Director, Brand, Marketing & Communications. As well as our excellent panellists, Celia Pronto, Mark Evans and Sara Bennison.  

It was a truly informative and inspiring event, and we look forward to hosting more conversations for our CMO Community in the future.