Adweek Launches Marketing Vanguard Membership Program

ADWEEK today officially launched the Marketing Vanguard membership program for CMOs, an invitation-only executive club rooted in ADWEEK’s editorial expertise and designed to provide access, intelligence, and influence for industry-leading, innovative, brand-side C-level marketers. 

Founding Members include Emilie Cotter, CMO, Audi; Tim Ellis, CMO, NFL; George Felix, senior vice president and CMO, Chili’s; Stephanie Fried, executive vice president and CMO, McAfee; Krystal Hauserman, CMO, Consulting, NOYZ; Charisse Hughes, senior vice president and chief growth officer, Kellanova; Soyoung Kang, CMO, eos; Todd Kaplan, CMO North America, Kraft Heinz; Mark Kirkham, CMO, PepsiCo Beverages U.S.; Francine Li, CMO, Ipsy; Vineet Mehra, CMO, Chime; Jim Mollica, president of luxury audio and CMO, Bose Corp.; Maggie Schmerin, chief advertising officer, United Airlines; Marisa Thalberg, chief customer and marketing officer, Catalyst Brands; Mark Weinstein, CMO, Hilton; and more. 

Membership is limited, requested by application, and includes a mix of events, content, networking, mentorship, and other offerings. 

The three pillars of membership include:

• Access—bespoke and group introductions and exposure to thought leaders within and beyond the advertising, marketing, and media industry
• Intelligence—CMO-first content, research, and data
• Influence—a platform for personal and/or brand visibility and growth

While Marketing Vanguard membership is not category exclusive, it is open solely to brand-side CMOs or people with equivalent titles who are invited or selected to join by application or nomination. Carefully curated, it will include CMOs at both large multinationals and smaller, disruptive growth companies, as well as CMOs at B2C and B2B brands, creating an environment of different perspectives and strategies. 

“With Marketing Vanguard membership, ADWEEK is going deep to support this influential, incredibly dynamic cohort of our audience, the leaders at the center of the industry: CMOs,” said Jenny Rooney, chief brand and community officer, ADWEEK. “CMOs face unique challenges and opportunities. Marketing Vanguard—powered by the editorial heft of our newsroom, pulling insights from our journalism to inform our discussions, programming, events, experiences, and education offerings—will deliver unmatched value at a time of unprecedented industry overhaul,” she said, adding that the Founding Members will help shape the offering. “This is a club built by CMOs, for CMOs.” 

In February, ADWEEK hired Liz Kneebone as vice president of community programs and development to lead the creation of the membership initiative.  

Kneebone was previously vice president of the Sustainability Collective and global CMO Growth Council at the Association of National Advertisers (CMO). 

In her nearly three years with the ANA, Kneebone organized gatherings of CMOs at events such as Cannes Lions and the IAA World Congress; helped increase membership in the Global CMO Growth Council by more than 100; and launched the ANA Sustainability Collective, which is now composed of more than 400 marketing practitioners dedicated to driving inclusive and sustainable business growth. 

“The industry doesn’t need just another CMO community—it needs a resource that’s deeply connected to what’s happening now, as leaders make decisions that define the future of their brands in real time,” says Kneebone. “Marketing Vanguard offers a seat at the table with the executives who aren’t just reacting to change—they’re driving it.”