Chief marketing officers are operating with greater influence, broader responsibilities and growing pressure to deliver business impact. But while the CMO role continues to expand across revenue, brand, talent, technology and transformation, many organizations are still building the structure needed to support marketing at that level.

In the first edition of CMO Signals & Shifts, Arketi Group and JM Search explore how CMOs and senior marketing, communications and PR leaders are navigating growth priorities, AI adoption, C-suite alignment, corporate voice and the evolving expectations of the role.

The Q1 2026 survey includes responses from more than 110 marketing, communications and public relations leaders, including more than 60 CMOs, representing organizations ranging from $10 million to more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Respondents came from industries including technology and software, financial services and professional services.