None of these job titles are the same, yet various companies assign them to the same person: their top marketer. The wide range of descriptions highlights the profession’s nebulous nature, as marketers take on more responsibilities amid greater pressure to prove the financial benefit of their efforts.

“The marketing leadership role has become more complex than any other leadership role in the last 10 years,” said Richard Sanderson, a consultant at executive search and advisory firm Spencer Stuart.

Sanderson, who leads Spencer Stuart’s marketing, sales and communications officer practice in North America, noted that organizations today expect top marketers to be everything from a creative guru to an expert in marketing technology.