Wow, doesn’t time fly? Episode 5 of our 12-part podcast series is upon us. We have covered topics from marketing fundamentals to social responsibility. Now, we hear from a senior marketer about the top job in the profession. Cat Dutton, Global Deputy CMO at Atos, talks to us about the multi-disciplinary CMO and what today’s CMO needs to succeed. Read on and listen in to find out more.
A deputy CMO aiming for more success
Cat is the Global Deputy CMO at Atos. Atos is a global multinational organisation and a leader in secure and de-carbonised digital services. Atos works on large transformation projects from financial services to retail, public sector and health. Group revenue is 12bn euros per annum with operations across 70 different countries. Atos was also the lead technology integrator for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Cat is responsible for the marketing team including the marketing centres of excellence, leading a 160-strong marketing function. Cat’s career saw her progress through Fujitsu before she joined Atos around 8 years ago. She has quickly risen through the ranks to one of the most senior marketing roles in the UK. So, let’s hear what she has to say.
A full plate for today’s CMO
We all have an idea of what life is like at the top but most of us need kind-hearted people like Cat to make it real. We asked her what the main priorities are for today’s CMO.
- Understanding your market
- Staying ahead of what is happening internally and externally
- Customer interaction
- Appreciate that you can’t know everything
- Marketing drives performance and is not just a support function
Cat highlights that she also gets involved in budgets, planning and managing and coaching people. On people management, she emphasises that “getting that right helps to make sure that you are continually moving the marketing function forward”.
It’s challenging for senior marketers
We asked Cat whether she agrees with research that suggests the CMO role is one of the loneliest in the boardroom and one of the shortest tenures. Cat responded that, “Ultimately, you’re the one who makes the decisions. You’re the one that takes the risks and you’re accountable for it.” In this respect, Cat agrees that it can be lonely at the top but that she has clear goals. There is a large marketing transformation project underway at Atos to become ‘customer first’.
In terms of advice for other senior marketers, Cat suggests that people need more than one supporter behind them. She recommends 2-3 supporters when you need guidance. Cat also notes that in many organisations, there is a constant need to justify what marketing brings.
Progression to a multi-disciplinary CMO
In terms of how to manage a marketing career for those starting out, Cat advises that you need to take the opportunities that come up. Having taken her opportunities and proven herself at Fujitsu and Atos, she has learnt much from her failures. She says that “I always think it’s what you take from things that maybe haven’t worked out so well [that matters]”. Cat encourages an open mindset, to get stuck in and “roll your sleeves up”. Furthermore, Cat added that “I’ve seen far too many people in my career that are quite happy to sit back and let other people take ownership…take ownership, take responsibility, don’t wait for people to tell you how it should be done. Just make it happen.”
In terms of resilience and emotional strength, Cat uses the term ‘bounceability’. This refers to knockbacks, differences of opinion and negative feedback from senior leaders. She says that emotional resilience is something that she is still building and is critical to success. Finally, Cat notes the need to be confident in what you do and how marketing contributes to business success.
Spinning many plates and multi-disciplinary
There is a school of thought that the CMO role could be split into Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Data Officer or Chief Customer Officer. We asked Cat about this and she pointed to her deputies in roles such as Head of Client Success and Head of Insight. She agrees that this growing scope may be necessary and notes that the overall CMO at Atos has three roles.
Cat says “I do like the idea of having more focus behind that customer piece”. Additionally, she notes the efforts in the B2C world with roles like a ‘Chief Happiness Officer’. It is also important that customers of Atos have the ‘wow effect’ when dealing with different touchpoints. This requires greater focus in areas of customer and insight to help deliver this change through the centres of excellence.
Juggling digital and the fundamentals
One final question centred on digital technologies and priorities. She points to the new digital marketing centre of excellence and a review of the technology stack. Cat emphasises that it is not all about digital tools and that “we are here to make sure our customers have a great experience and to win more business”.
Cat finishes by saying that “it’s about making sure that ultimately you’re driving the right marketing for your business”.
A smash hit from a multi-talented CMO
A huge thank you to Cat Dutton and to Atos for loaning us their prized Global Deputy CMO. We do hope that this insight gives weight to the valued role of a CMO.
Think Beyond is a marketing and business consultancy offering value add solutions to marketers and the C-Suite. We offer research, planning and change services to find new opportunities and accelerate your business performance.
If you have a journey to tell us about your organisation, your transformation or customer experience, why not call us on 01565 632206. Alternatively, email us at sales@think-beyond.co.uk and we will call you back.
Finally, if you loved episode 5, why not give episode 4 a listen about creating new opportunities for social responsibility.
To listen to the podcast, you can check it out on Anchor, Google and also Spotify. Simply follow the links below so you can tune in.
