Now in its seventh year, CMO50 recognises Australia’s most innovative and effective chief marketing officers transforming their organisations.
The annual program recognises the work done by Australia’s most innovative and effective marketing leaders. As marketers have continued through the Covid-19 pandemic, the concept of effectiveness, as well as the role of the CMO, has taken on different shades of meaning and responsibility.
“It’s interesting to see that shift from marketing as pure communications and brand awareness, to marketer as an actual business driver and innovator. It is something that’s definitely changed over the last 3-4 years,” said Zuni MD and CMO50 judge, Mike Zeederberg.
The 2021 CMO50 are:
1 – Jo Boundy, Chief marketing officer, Qantas
2 – Mim Haysom, Executive general manager, brand and marketing, Suncorp Group
3 – Alexander Meyer, Chief marketing officer, The Iconic
4 – Mel Hopkins, VP marketing, Optus
5 – Jeremy Nicholas, Chief marketing officer, Telstra
6 – Lara Thom, Global chief marketing officer, Guzman y Gomez
7 – Melina Cruickshank, Chief audience and marketing officer and CEO, PropTrack REA Group
8 – Sweta Mehra, Chief marketing officer, ANZ
9 – David Nicholls, Commercial director, PPG (Architectural Coatings)
10 – Dan Ferguson, Chief marketing officer, Adore Beauty
11 – Lucinda Barlow, Senior director, head of marketing, APAC Uber
12 – Yash Gandhi, Head of marketing, Baiada (Steggles and Lilydale)
13 – Natalie Ashes, Chief digital officer, Grays
14 – Susan Coghill, Chief marketing officer, Tourism Australia
15 – Matt Fletcher, Head of marketing, Fitness First Australia
16 – Jessica Richmond, GM, marketing and insights, Officeworks
17 – Ben Hill, Marketing director, Mars Wrigley Australia
18 – Amber Collins, Chief marketing officer, Australia Post
19 – Carolyn Bendall, Chief marketing officer, Swinburne University of Technology
20 – Michael Branagh, Group executive, marketing, Tourism and Events Queensland
21 – Chaminda Ranasinghe, Chief experience officer, RMIT University
22 – Paul Connell, Marketing and sales director, Naked Wines
23 – Louise Eyres, Chief marketing officer, Vanguard
24 – Belinda Dimovski, Director, engagement and support, Australian Red Cross
25 – Simon Jarvis, CMO, Youfoodz
26 – 50 (In alphabetical order):
Andrew Balint, VP marketing, A/NZ& APAC, Afterpay
Yves Calmette, Chief marketing officer, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Australia)
Simon Cheng, Marketing director, Menulog
Nikki Clarkson, Chief marketing officer, Southern Cross Austereo
Louise Cummins, Marketing and digital innovations director, H&R Block
Jenni Dill, CMO, The Arnott’s Group
Emily Dowling, Marketing director, Mars Pet Nutrition Australia
Julia Edwards-Smith, Chief customer officer, McMillan Shakespeare Group
Aisling Finch, Senior director of marketing, A/NZ Google
Paul Gloster, CMO, Lyre’s Spirit Co
Tara Heath, Chief customer officer, Healthengine
Vladka Kazda, Marketing director AU, Xero
Megan Keleher, Chief customer officer, Great Southern Bank
Fiona Le Brocq, Senior executive, brand, marketing and customer experience, Medibank
Sofia Lloyd-Jones, Director of future students (CMO), University of NSW
Fabian Marrone, Chief marketing officer, Monash University
Rosemary Martin, Chief customer officer, Flybuys
Daniel McDermott, Marketing director, Mimecast
Nicole McInnes, Director of marketing, member engagement and commercial, A/NZ WW (formerly Weight Watchers)
Nicole Papoutsis, Head of brand and marketing, Genea
Jason Piggott, GM marketing, Freedom Furniture
Mark Renshaw, Chief marketing officer, SiteMinder
Anand Surujpal, General manager, marketing and innovation, Patties Foods Group
Kristin Viccars, Marketing director, Apex Tool Group
Kate Whitney, Chief marketing and growth officer, Marley Spoon
Ones to watch (In alphabetical order):
Ana Sofia Ayala, Chief marketing officer, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia
Adam Lee, Chief marketing officer, rt Health
Andrew May, Chief growth officer, v2 Foods