Forbes 2026 Most Influential CMOs: The 50 Leaders Redefining Marketing in the Age of AI

The 2026 Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list recognizes chief marketers whose approach to driving growth is charting new paths. These leaders are moving companies, categories, and cultures—not just attracting attention. Here's what sets them apart.

The New CMO Mandate

Today's CMOs must drive enterprise growth, introduce new products, revive stagnant sales, bolster confidence, and become talent magnets—all in an increasingly agentic world. Influence is not visibility; it's the ability to move things: companies, categories, consumer decisions, and cultures.

Artificial intelligence is no longer an experiment. It is restructuring marketing functions globally, reshaping creative production, collapsing timelines, and personalizing at scale. The CMOs on this list determine what AI makes possible and what it should never replace.

Key Sectors Represented

Sports has arrived at a new scale of ambition. Marketing leaders from the NFL, Formula 1, FIFA, and the Premier League manage some of the world's most watched and emotionally charged brands.

Apparel tells a story about identity. Brands like Nike, New Balance, Levi's, American Eagle, and Lululemon engage in something closer to anthropology than advertising.

Automotive is living through one of its most disruptive periods. CMOs from BMW, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Ford appear on the list—a sign that brand stewardship is a survival capability.

The Top 10 CMOs

1. Marian Lee (Netflix) – Topping the list for the third year, she transformed Netflix into a fan-first storytelling engine, surpassing 300 million paid memberships and $39 billion in revenue.
2. Emily Prazer (Formula 1) – Oversaw record $3.87 billion revenue, launched the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and reshaped partnership strategy.
3. Frank Cooper III (Visa) – Leads global marketing in 200+ countries, focusing on commerce, culture, and technology.
4. Tim Ellis (NFL) – Modernized the league's brand, driving $23 billion revenue and 86 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts.
5. Mark Weinstein (Hilton) – Oversees 28 brands, 9,200 hotels, and the 250-million-member Hilton Honors program.
6. Chris Davis (New Balance) – Transformed the brand from product-led to brand-led, doubling sales to $9.2 billion.
7. Jochen Goller (BMW) – Guides customer strategy and brand management for BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce amid electrification.
8. Marc Speichert (Four Seasons) – Expands luxury beyond hospitality into yachts, wellness, and retail.
9. Kate Rouch (OpenAI) – Shaped the public narrative around AI, overseeing the first Super Bowl campaign for the technology.
10. Romy Gai (FIFA) – Modernized FIFA's commercial strategy ahead of the 2026 World Cup, driving $2.6 billion in revenue.

Methodology

The list was created in partnership with Sprinklr, assessing over 10 billion data points across 20 domains of marketing influence, including attention for marketing work, CMO attention and sentiment, and brand awareness. The starting pool exceeded 1,500 CMOs worldwide.

The Future of Marketing

As one CMO put it: "The future of marketing belongs to brands with conviction. AI will make creativity more accessible, but the brands that break through will pair technology with humanity."