14-07-2025
Confession: I'm a CMO who's friends with my CFO
Business thrives on good tension: speed and stability, risk and control, vision and order. The dynamic between the chief marketing officer (CMO) and the chief financial officer (CFO) embodies this dynamic. Once seen as occupying opposite ends of the corporate spectrum, today's CMO and CFO must now operate as strategic allies, aligning brand vision with financial rigor to drive growth for the company.
And while my own relationship with my CFO includes a healthy dose of budget debates and eye rolls over, 'Did marketing really source this deal?,' it's also the secret sauce to how we drive real, sustainable growth. Because when marketing and finance align, magic—and money—happen.
A recent study shows that only 22% of CMOs feel their relationship with CFOs is genuinely collaborative. This friction often arises from viewing marketing as a cost center rather than a growth engine, forcing CMOs to constantly justify their budgets.
But, here's the thing: My CFO, Ed McGowen, and I have a great partnership. Actually, I would call us friends. Sure, there's some healthy tension (okay, sometimes a lot), but we're united by our main goal: driving profitable growth. Or, more importantly, driving up our stock price, which helps keep us exactly on the same page!
Don't get me wrong—I'm deeply passionate about driving customer value and the impact we make for our customers every day. That said, one of the core tenets of my role is fueling growth. From my experience, the key to unlocking revenue growth lies in aligning finance and marketing (Kim & Ed). Deloitte's research backs this up, showing that companies with aligned C-suite leaders on marketing metrics see higher revenue growth. In fact, 79% of leaders in high-growth companies agree on marketing metrics, compared to only 55% in slower-growing firms.
In my opinion, here are three 'musts' for a successful CMO-CFO partnership:
Shared Goals: Both the CMO and CFO should see the stock price and profitable revenue growth as the main measures of success, their top KPIs. This common goal helps align strategies and decisions.
Speak The Same Language: Effective communication is key. Both marketing and finance should speak the same language—return on investment (ROI), return on marketing investment (ROMI), revenue growth, market share growth, customer lifetime value—whatever your buzzwords are, they should align. They also need to speak the same language when it comes to the company narrative to manage how the market, investors, customers, and analysts view the company, as perception impacts reality.
Be Open And Accountable: Build a relationship based on honest communication, mutual accountability, and trust. This foundation is crucial for navigating challenges and seizing opportunities. Ed and I can say anything to each other. Why? Because our relationship is based on trust. But … I still don't have enough budget … are you reading this, Ed?????
WSJ research also supports this approach, showing that well-aligned executives measure marketing's impact more effectively. By turning negative tension into healthy tension and teamwork, CMOs and CFOs can drive their companies toward greater success.
