Listen to the full Virtual Roundtable [56:57]
Watch the Highlights Video [3:02]
For new CMOs, the enormity of the position and the vastness of responsibility is intimidating. Three senior marketers with highly successful careers recently told The CMO Club about their first days on the job, and the core values they embraced that led them to prosperity.
Our panel included: Christine Nashick, CMO & CEO at DHL Express, Syl Saller, Executive Coach, former Global CMO, Diageo, and Sherilyn Shackell, Founder and CEO of The Marketing Academy.
“Although I was responsible for commercial results, and brand growth, putting the emphasis on people and talent made the difference. When you're trying to work across 180 countries with 1,200 people, you realize pretty quickly, it is not about you. It's about everybody else.”
– Syl Saller, Executive Coach, former Global CMO, Diageo
“We have better communicators than any other function in the board suite. The CMO understands what communication is at a visceral level. And communications is one of the biggest leadership superpowers. Being a fantastic communicator really can add value, credibility to the impact and influence that you can make in the boardroom. ”
– Sherilyn Shackell, Founder & CEO at The Marketing Academy
“One big reason I got there was just always being open to learning. I’m not your typical marketer who just knows marketing. And I think marketing has truly evolved to needing to be a general manager. I want to continue to learn, be challenged, and add value.”
– Christine Nashick, CMO & CEO at DHL Express
DHL Express
CMO and CEO
Diageo
Former CMO & President of the Marketing Society
Christine Nashick is CEO for the Caribbean where she oversees all aspects of the country’s International Express business in the region, managing 30 countries and 600 employees. She additionally serves as the CMO for DHL Express Americas, responsible for sponsorships, brand management, retail marketing, digital marketing, social selling, public relations, internal and external communications, lead generation and product management.
Syl Saller CBE is the former Global Chief Marketing Officer for Diageo, and a member of Diageo’s Executive Committee. Syl oversaw all Global Marketing, Design, Innovation, the Futures Group, and Reserve, Diageo’s luxury division. Before she was appointed CMO, she was Global Innovation Director, responsible for Diageo’s innovation strategy, including all new product development, launch programmes and R&D. Prior to that, she was Marketing Director for Diageo Great Britain.
Syl is a Board Director of The Marketing Academy and coaches on the Academys exclusive Fellowship Program.
She is also President of the Marketing Society, a member of the 30 Club, MGGB and WACL. She is consistently recognised by external organisations as a leader and expert in her field, recently being recognised as one of Campaign Magazine’s 5 most influential Global CMOs. She was named Marketer of the Year, one of the 500 Most Influential People in Britain, Forbes top 50 CMOs, and Ad Age’s Women to Watch.
Syl has been a Non-Executive director of Domino’s Pizza Group plc where she chaired the Nominations committee and served on the RemCo.
Syl was awarded ‘Commander of the Order of the British Empire’ in 2019 for services to marketing.
Syl graduated summa cum laude from the University of New Hampshire and holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She is married to Roger and has two children, Alexa and Jake.
