Executive interview with Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director CMO Council

This interview is part of the CMO Council / Wise Marketer interview series. We have been publishing interviews on assorted topics over recent months and before we got too far down the road, we thought it appropriate to talk with the man that founded the organization.

Donovan Neale-May is the co-founder of the CMO Council and serves as Executive Director. South African by birth, a Rugby player by nature, and a career marketer and advertising executive where he touched brands like Avis (he was part of a team that created the famous We try harder” moniker), Dell, Jello, Kawasaki, Samsonite, Subaru, and many others.

Founded in Silicon Valley over two decades ago, the CMO Council is a unique organization that Donovan describes as a “global knowledge transfer organization” designed to “uplift the role and responsibilities of chief marketers and create alignment with other members of the C-Suite.”

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, established in 2001, is a peer-powered network of more than 16,000 chief marketing executives in 10,000 companies across 120 countries. Membership requires demonstration of marketing expertise, a proven history of accomplishment, and leadership in marketing innovation and digital transformation.

The CMO Council has just released its first Marketing Vitality Index, and we talk about findings in the report and much more. We appreciate the CMO Council for helping to arrange this interview and hope you enjoy the conversation!

Time Stamps for the Time-Starved

:47 – CMO Council & The Wise Marketer

6:14 – A Synopsis of Donovan’s Career

11:02 – Founding the CMO Council

12:22 – New Research: Marketing Vitality Index

17:35 – Shepherds and Sheep Dogs

19:56 – The CMO Council Mission – Global Networking

21:06 – Highlights of the Marketing Vitality Index

25:58 – How to Access the Marketing Vitality Index 28:38

Download your copy of The Marketing Vitality Index