The role of chief marketing officers has evolved into strategic leadership, with a focus on financial health and long-term growth, speakers said at the Brand Innovators CMO & CFO Summit. The shift requires a stronger partnership with finance, with a new emphasis on finding common ground on key performance indicators and risk management.

"Being a marketer is being strategic, being creative and being artistic, but it's also being a business leader," says Gabrielle Wesley, chief marketing officer, confectionery, at Mars Snacking North America. "You should not just show up from the perspective of your discipline. You should show up from the perspective of the business," says Greg Boosin, chief marketing officer at Equitable.