The Skills Getting CMOs Hired: Insights from an Executive Search Specialist on Senior Marketer Roles and AI

Episode 166 with guest Rowan Fisk, Founder of GrowthKind 

The third in our mini-series on how marketing roles are changing, in this episode we hear directly from an executive hiring specialist who speaks to over a hundred senior marketing leaders every month, on the skills that modern senior marketers need to possess (particularly in founder-led, start-up scale up and VC/entrepreneurial businesses) how AI is already reshaping recruitment and marketing org charts, and the job search advice for candidates today. 

Joining Abby is Rowan Fisk, Founder of GrowthKind, an executive search company that places senior marketing, digital, and growth leadership roles into high-growth start-ups and scale-ups across the UK and EMEA.  As a trusted advisor to many founders, CEOs, and investors navigating critical leadership hires, he has real-time insight into the trends shaping marketing leadership roles and talent. 

Key takeaways 

• The job market is recovering (not yet recovered)… Vacancies for senior marketing leaders are rising and processes are moving faster, but for anyone currently out of role, the search can still be challenging. 

• Curiosity is becoming a defining leadership trait… Rowan believes CQ – the willingness to test, learn and adapt – is becoming just as important as IQ and EQ for the next generation of marketing leaders. 

• AI is reshaping marketing teams… How AI is impacting different departments, but brand and creative roles remain harder to replace. 

• AI supports recruitment decisions, but doesn't replace judgement… Rowan's firm uses AI to help rank shortlisted candidates objectively, but he's overridden an AI-recommended hire when his own instincts told him something wasn't right. 

• Networking beats job boards… Abby and Rowan share advice for anyone job hunting to get specific about their professional superpower and share it.