How to find an executive coach who was a former CMO?

Start by checking whether a former CMO is the right filter for you.

In my experience, it is a good starting point, and it has one risk you should plan for.

The benefit is clear. A coach who has done the job knows the C-suite pressure, the CEO questioning your numbers, the board asking hard questions and the moments when you lose confidence.

The risk is that a coach who held exactly the same role tends to tell you their own story and repeat their own experiences, which means they may not set goals that help you improve.

Look for someone who has been a CMO and also has wider experience, such as Growth, Product, or running a business unit like a GM role, consulting or advising.

This unique mix gives them first-hand experience plus enough distance to step back from your situation and coach you towards a better outcome.

» I wrote a dedicated guide to help find the best exec coach for you

How I'd go about finding one

1. Search by title and track record. Look on LinkedIn and on coaches' own sites for people who have actually held CMO, CGO or VP Marketing roles. Then check how recently they held them. Channels, AI and the role itself change fast, so a coach whose last CMO job was ten years ago may be out of date.

2. Check who they have coached. Look for testimonials from marketing leaders at your level and in businesses like yours, whether that is startup, PE-backed, scale-up or corporate. Moving from a big company into startup life is a different problem from a first CMO promotion, so a good coach should be able to show they have handled the situation you are in.

3. Ask how the sessions run. I would steer away from coaching that is only conversation. Talking helps you name a problem, but it rarely gives you practice at fixing it. Workshops with drills, real outputs and homework between sessions are what change how you work.

4. Test whether they cover IQ, EQ and PQ. Most exec coaches focus on work skills (IQ). CMOs usually also need help with emotional intelligence (EQ) and political intelligence (PQ), meaning how you work with the CEO, the CFO and your peers on the leadership team. If a coach only talks about tactics, they will miss the part of the job where many CMOs struggle.

5. Ask about templates and frameworks. Ask whether they adapt frameworks to how you work and where you work. A generic template you are handed tends to fall apart the first time someone questions it.

6. Ask about support between sessions. Problems at work don't wait for your next booked session. A hiring or firing decision, a board update or a clash with a peer often needs a quick sanity check. Ask whether they offer chat access or emergency calls.

7. Insist on a matching call. A short fit call before you commit will tell you a lot about how they think. The best coaches ask sharp questions and help you reach your own answers instead of handing you quick fixes.

The right exec coach will have their own approach not just have sat through the same exec coaching training as others and will be rinse and repeat of old formats and replaying their experience

Know when to bring an exec coach in

CMOs tend to look for a coach at predictable moments:

- After a first promotion to CMO

- When joining a new company or taking on new teams or business lines

- When investors or the board ask questions you struggle to answer

- When the CEO starts questioning performance

- When they feel "too old" for new channels

Choose a coach who has handled the trigger you are facing. Also check the time commitment. A typical engagement is 10 to 15 hours, spread over a few weeks or about three months.

» If you are looking for more insights about my approach, my CMO coach breakdown will help

Where I fit, As A Disclosure

  • I do this work myself. I have been a CMO twice, a CGO, and I have led Product teams and a business unit.

  • I have been coaching marketing leaders for over a decade across North America, the UK and Europe, and MENA.

  • CEOs and HR teams have also asked me to audit or coach their CMOs, which shows me the role from both sides. I mention this so you can weigh my advice. Use the checklist above on any coach you consider, including me.

I have a full coaching FAQs and will help you make the right choice

Before you start contacting coaches, write down the 2 or 3 problems you most need help with. If you cannot write this down, it’s best to talk to colleagues and trusted industry friends to help you to collate.

That list will make each matching call much more useful.

If you tell me where you are now (first-time CMO, VP stepping up, or a CMO under pressure from the CEO), I can suggest the questions to ask on those matching calls or you can arrange one with me below