[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3pnda2tyljdwi":3,"$f1fn4bvlmx2a6v":232,"page-template:\u002Farticles\u002Fmarketing-career-paths:{}":253},{"content":4,"navigationFallbacksEnabled":35,"previewEnvironmentEnabled":35},{"siteKey":5,"siteName":6,"tagline":7,"seo":8,"errorPage":21,"siteModals":36,"customSettings":37,"globals":42},"darden-report","Darden Report","News and knowledge from the UVA Darden School of Business.",{"title":9,"description":10,"image":11},"Darden Report - The Latest News and Ideas from UVA Darden School of Business","The Darden Report offers the latest news, research, and stories about the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.",{"src":12,"alt":13,"aspectRatio":14,"width":15,"height":16,"bynderDat":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002F189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a\u002FGoodwin-Grounds-autumn","goodwin grounds","6048 \u002F 4024",6048,4024,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":19,"name":20},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu","189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a","Goodwin-Grounds-autumn",{"statusLabel":22,"title":23,"summaryBeforeHomeLink":24,"homeLinkLabel":25,"homeHref":26,"summaryAfterHomeLink":27,"searchEnabled":28,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"seo":31},"Error 404","Wa-who?","We cannot locate a page at this address. Try searching using the input below or starting from the ","homepage","\u002F",".",true,"Search Darden Report","Search...",{"title":32,"description":33,"robots":34},"Page Not Found",null,{"noindex":28,"nofollow":35},false,[],{"algoliaEngagement":38},{"activeSeconds":39,"scrollRatio":40,"idleSeconds":41,"mediaPercent":39},20,0.5,60,{"masthead":43,"menuOverlay":59,"footer":191},{"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"topicsLabel":44,"subscribeLabel":45,"menuLabel":46,"searchLabel":47,"topics":48},"Trending","Subscribe","Open menu","Open search",[49,51,53,55,57],{"label":50,"href":26},"Tariffs Q&A",{"label":52,"href":26},"AI Datacenters",{"label":54,"href":26},"Productivity Boom",{"label":56,"href":26},"CES 2026",{"label":58,"href":26},"Colorado Water Rights",{"overlayLabel":60,"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"quickLinks":61,"topicsLabel":62,"topics":63,"browseLabel":121,"browseLinks":122,"connectLabel":154,"connectLinks":155,"registerLabel":172,"registerCta":173,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"searchSubmitLabel":189,"closeLabel":190},"Site menu",[],"Topics",[64,71,77,83,89,95,102,109,115],{"id":65,"label":66,"href":67,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":68,"imageSrc":69,"imageAlt":70},"2PGBfQ54OTbNUe92lTxC30","Artificial Intelligence","\u002Ftopics\u002Fartificial-intelligence","Research and expert perspective on intelligent systems, automation, and the changing economics of decision-making. Darden faculty explore how organizations can evaluate emerging tools, govern responsible adoption, and use AI to improve judgment, productivity, customer value, and competitive advantage without losing sight of people and institutional trust.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Feadee323-faa1-436f-979b-40761fb64624\u002FAI-Primary-Topic-Vertical","Surreal AI-Generated Cosmic Landscape – Generative AI, Art and Human Creativity",{"id":72,"label":73,"href":74,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":75,"imageSrc":76,"imageAlt":73},"7hvQgsg6I0A9QRkXKcNJrN","Data & Analytics","\u002Ftopics\u002Fdata-analytics","Data & Analysis examines how leaders turn information into sharper questions, stronger evidence, and better decisions. Darden insights cover analytics, experimentation, forecasting, risk, and interpretation, helping organizations separate signal from noise and translate complex findings into practical choices across strategy, operations, markets, and society.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fbbea14b9-cfe3-415b-bcab-f97f753f6c54\u002FData-Analytics-Primary-Topic",{"id":78,"label":79,"href":80,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":81,"imageSrc":82,"imageAlt":79},"7hztN5kb1RdsP9iGiC05dV","Entrepreneurship","\u002Ftopics\u002Fentrepreneurship","Economic and social advancement require leaders who embrace an entrepreneurial outlook and a commitment to innovation. Darden thought leadership emphasizes that an entrepreneurial mindset is about more than starting a new business venture; it encompasses the opportunity-seizing and action-oriented behavior essential for sustained growth in organizations of all sizes.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fa8e8e5fe-f1d5-478b-8877-31b8b0c43f0c\u002FThe-Importance-of-Courage",{"id":84,"label":85,"href":86,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":87,"imageSrc":88,"imageAlt":85},"2dPcCN1FQ26ZIFcvdIsh4","Global Economies & Markets","\u002Ftopics\u002Fglobal-economies-markets","Faculty insight on trade, markets, policy, global business, and economic change. This topic connects macroeconomic forces with organizational decisions, examining how leaders navigate uncertainty, regulation, capital flows, geopolitical shifts, and cross-border opportunity while building resilient institutions in markets that are increasingly interdependent.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fd6db5e0d-c0fe-4e51-8f38-5e995d232d04\u002FA-Quick-Queue-or-a-Long-One-Waiting-in-Line-Around-the-World",{"id":90,"label":91,"href":92,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":93,"imageSrc":94,"imageAlt":91},"7mgp2vBjTofDsgB34ap4nb","Ethics & Society","\u002Ftopics\u002Fbusiness-ethics-society","The multidisciplinary study of Business, Ethics & Society focuses on sustaining, growing and sharing value, not just for businesses and their shareholders, but for stakeholders and the societies in which they operate. This vein of study encompasses ethical decision-making, examination of how business can and does impact society, implications for policy, principles of moral and institutional leadership, and the tenets of stakeholder theory.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F326ec289-e377-49ca-81ff-8a78a16d7e6d\u002FEthics-and-Society-Primary-Topic",{"id":96,"label":97,"href":98,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":99,"imageSrc":100,"imageAlt":101},"18nXfYyrV3JAT3y57GWhcK","Leadership & Management","\u002Ftopics\u002Fleadership-management","Practical research for leading teams, organizations, culture, and change. Darden thought leadership explores how managers build trust, make difficult decisions, communicate purpose, develop talent, and guide people through uncertainty while sustaining performance and strengthening the human systems that make organizations work.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F6557a226-8bac-44d0-83c1-0efdfe88b396\u002F11-Key-Characteristics-of-a-Global-Business-Leader","various colors of blocks stand in an equality and inclusive space, in the style of precisionism influence, silhouette figures, superimposed text, nul group, disfigured forms, miniature illumination, consumer culture critique --ar 128:85 --stylize 50 --v 6 Job ID: 2731b55d-e2b8-4468-81be-bb16e507686f",{"id":103,"label":104,"href":105,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":106,"imageSrc":107,"imageAlt":108},"5JMdm6cuNXm8p9L15kOLSX","Marketing & Sales","\u002Ftopics\u002Fmarketing-sales","Ideas for understanding customers, building markets, and communicating value. This topic examines consumer behavior, brand strategy, sales effectiveness, pricing, segmentation, and digital channels, helping leaders connect insight to action and create relationships that support growth across changing audiences and competitive environments.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F146f2b70-b04a-4495-853d-c5b78196f276\u002FMarketing-Primary-Topic","Marketing Primary Topic",{"id":110,"label":111,"href":112,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":113,"imageSrc":114,"imageAlt":111},"siVfdjcE5Xfd4pbT1jeWD","Operations & Technology","\u002Ftopics\u002Foperations-technology","Research on systems, digital operations, supply chains, and technology-enabled performance. Darden faculty examine how organizations design processes, manage complexity, improve reliability, and use new tools to create efficient, adaptable operations that support strategy, customer experience, and long-term organizational resilience.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff36239ad-c7bf-46fe-93b2-e6df18cb2fef\u002FOperations-Technology-Primary-Topic",{"id":116,"label":117,"href":118,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":119,"imageSrc":120,"imageAlt":117},"4NDEiXoxAt8TlDGLBWYCqu","Strategy","\u002Ftopics\u002Fstrategy","Frameworks and evidence for competition, growth, transformation, and long-term enterprise decisions. Strategy insights from Darden help leaders assess where to play, how to win, when to change course, and how to allocate resources in ways that create durable advantage amid uncertainty.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff8c81a7f-2b2c-4d37-964e-84382b3b1ef5\u002FBeyond-Strategy-3-Lessons-and-4-Ingredients-of-Execution","Browse",[123,127,131,135,139,143,146,150],{"id":124,"label":125,"href":126,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"49UXns6sWSYS1QfelJsnUS","Articles","\u002Farticles",{"id":128,"label":129,"href":130,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"5h02IsSCwqwqdvAeEfC2uq","Podcasts","\u002Fpodcasts",{"id":132,"label":133,"href":134,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3i2eJKSFhZolFdIe3c6t5V","Videos","\u002Fvideos",{"id":136,"label":137,"href":138,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"7x4aolsVH0DQFMby9iunAJ","Media Features","\u002Fmedia-features",{"id":140,"label":141,"href":142,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3rM0mhH3WJY4ThjFiyfnoV","Experts","\u002Fexpert\u002Fdirectory",{"id":144,"label":45,"href":145,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1pq8d8gTugtnM0goPxBXVR","#subscribe",{"id":147,"label":148,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2G9kuRukBaUj9ddCJur1rC","Give","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.givecampus.com\u002Fcampaigns\u002F20048\u002Fdonations\u002Fnew",{"id":151,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1ql3y6NAQuUglXnn3dKJPy","About","\u002Fabout","Connect with Darden",[156,160,164,168],{"id":157,"label":158,"href":159,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2EPrW3IELdCZUN4AdZc5aU","Facebook","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FDardenMBA",{"id":161,"label":162,"href":163,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"382CfbeZQiqklJrRmCGew4","Instagram","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fdardenmba\u002F",{"id":165,"label":166,"href":167,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5IPd9qziZHiSSLmZ9ypypW","LinkedIn","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fedu\u002Fschool?id=19605",{"id":169,"label":170,"href":171,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5DpGLgbQS541wvmzk7yAn4","YouTube","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fuser\u002FDardenMBA","Featured Event",{"id":174,"previewOnly":35,"href":175,"external":28,"accessibleLabel":176,"openInNewWindow":28,"image":177,"date":186,"startDateTime":187,"endDateTime":188,"title":179},"3sGe8qongAY1Kc95z4h0Oh","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fexecutive-education\u002Fstrategic-data-analytics-for-competitive-advantage","Test",{"src":178,"alt":179,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":182},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fc9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7\u002FDriving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","AI-Powered Data Analytics","1 \u002F 1",700,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":183,"name":184,"preset":185},"c9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7","Driving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","square-medium","Nov 10-13","2026-11-10","2026-11-13","Submit search","Close menu",{"homeHref":26,"links":192,"subscribeHeading":227,"subscribeLabel":45,"imageSrc":228,"imageAlt":229,"institutionalLabel":230,"copyright":231},[193,197,201,204,207,211,214,217,219,223],{"id":194,"label":195,"href":196,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6GCwvduoNlDEeO6nq1laFq","For The Media","\u002Ffor-the-media",{"id":198,"label":199,"href":200,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2lqtlsCRCghroHk8jgcCi0","Publications","https:\u002F\u002Fstore.darden.virginia.edu\u002F",{"id":202,"label":203,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4rcubVXgLnQBYxJ833G7DO","Press Releases",{"id":205,"label":206,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6ColvvcR2M2zggiQQ0l965","In the Media",{"id":208,"label":209,"href":210,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"61sOurYMjR8U4mU5omcUjP","Apply to Darden","https:\u002F\u002Fapply.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fapply\u002F",{"id":212,"label":213,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"563xnF7I5F2UYWYwJc5eXE","Support Darden",{"id":215,"label":216,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"2BySyFumqkDGPDVmTtMYai","Contact Us",{"id":218,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4QSVOSvmRnltRwfr5rLoSS",{"id":220,"label":221,"href":222,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"75C0Q1ojWWmESgYLsm9bQk","Privacy Policy","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fprivacy-policy-copyright",{"id":224,"label":225,"href":226,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"35rcom3AAkYzApoNSavl1g","Search Darden","\u002Fsearch","Get Darden news, research, and thought leadership in your inbox.","\u002Fimages\u002Fdarden-report-footer.png","Autumn foliage over a brick courtyard at the UVA Darden School of Business.","UVA Darden School of Business","Copyright ©2026 The Rector and Visitors Of The University Of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.",{"enabled":28,"complete":28,"capacity":233,"label":44,"stale":35,"items":234},4,[235,241,245,249],{"contentId":236,"contentType":237,"label":238,"href":239,"source":240},"3IO50DiUrQm8ML20joajCL","article","Defense Innovation at Darden","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-business-of-national-defense-is-changing-so-is-the-classroom","algolia",{"contentId":242,"contentType":237,"label":243,"href":244,"source":240},"4mDfyVZuEtdDW9g96wu1rU","On Academic Freedom","\u002Farticles\u002Fon-academic-freedom",{"contentId":246,"contentType":237,"label":247,"href":248,"source":240},"2GBmzAadCKzwTWJggqmArB","Christopher Fuller Named CMCO","\u002Farticles\u002Fchristopher-fuller-named-chief-marketing-and-communications-officer-at-uva-darden",{"contentId":250,"contentType":237,"label":251,"href":252,"source":240},"5QtyLWjq3hauPenG5pGTED","Alumni Career Advice","\u002Farticles\u002Fin-uva-dardens-classroom-building-six-alumni-put-career-advice-on-the-wall",{"path":254,"template":255,"content":256,"context":522},"\u002Farticles\u002Fmarketing-career-paths","articlePage",{"id":257,"title":258,"slug":259,"path":254,"modifiedAt":260,"summary":261,"publishedDate":266,"topics":269,"authors":272,"insightsFrom":273,"topper":274,"bodyBlocks":283,"outro":477,"seo":514},"legacy-article-5536","From Aspiring Marketer to C-Suite: ‘Dream Idea’ Showcases Marketing Career Paths","marketing-career-paths","2026-09-24T22:03:46.274Z",{"plainText":262,"inlines":263},"Darden Professor Kimberly Whitler hosted a virtual event for students across UVA featuring Greg Welch, head of executive search firm Spencer Stuart’s North American Marketing, Sales and Communication Officer Practice.",[264],{"type":265,"value":262},"text",{"display":267,"dateTime":268},"18 September 2020","2020-09-18T05:53:58.000Z",[270],{"id":271,"label":104,"href":105},"marketing-sales",[],[],{"id":275,"variant":276,"title":258,"subheadline":33,"topic":277,"image":278},"legacy-article-5536-topper","small",{"id":271,"label":104,"href":105},{"src":279,"alt":280,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":281},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fe7ee7203-af76-4e50-bb89-4e51bb8a0ad6\u002F5536-jpg","5536-jpg",{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":282,"name":280,"preset":185},"e7ee7203-af76-4e50-bb89-4e51bb8a0ad6",[284],{"id":285,"contentType":286,"region":287,"render":288},"legacy-article-5536-body-0","richText","body",{"component":289,"props":290},"RichTextBlock",{"content":291},{"blocks":292},[293,299,304,338,350,355,360,367,372,377,382,387,425,430,435,441,446,451,456,462,467,472],{"type":294,"content":295},"paragraph",[296],{"type":265,"value":297,"marks":298},"Marketing departments are not created equal in every company. And the opportunities for career development for marketers in those companies are not equal, either.",[],{"type":294,"content":300},[301],{"type":265,"value":302,"marks":303},"Yet, the nuances of the marketing function can be difficult for aspiring marketers at the beginning of their careers to parse, which can lead to early career missteps that alter their trajectory for years to come.",[],{"type":294,"content":305},[306,309,314,317,321,324,328,331,335],{"type":265,"value":307,"marks":308},"To help students across the University of Virginia avoid those pitfalls, ",[],{"type":310,"value":311,"href":312,"external":28,"marks":313},"link","Darden School of Business","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002F",[],{"type":265,"value":315,"marks":316}," Marketing Professor ",[],{"type":310,"value":318,"href":319,"external":28,"marks":320},"Kimberly Whitler","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ffaculty-research\u002Fdirectory\u002Fkimberly-a-whitler",[],{"type":265,"value":322,"marks":323}," received the 2020 Mead Endowment ",[],{"type":310,"value":325,"href":326,"external":28,"marks":327},"John Colley Award","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.meadendowment.org\u002Fcolley",[],{"type":265,"value":329,"marks":330}," and was invited to submit a “",[],{"type":310,"value":332,"href":333,"external":28,"marks":334},"dream idea","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.meadendowment.org\u002Fdream-ideas",[],{"type":265,"value":336,"marks":337},".” Her idea was to connect aspiring marketers from undergraduate and graduate programs at UVA and teach them about different career paths.",[],{"type":294,"content":339},[340,343,347],{"type":265,"value":341,"marks":342},"On 15 September, that dream idea came true despite the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic, as Whitler hosted a virtual event attended by more than 100 students from across the University featuring ",[],{"type":310,"value":344,"href":345,"external":28,"marks":346},"Greg Welch","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.spencerstuart.com\u002Four-consultants\u002Fgreg-welch",[],{"type":265,"value":348,"marks":349},", head of executive search firm Spencer Stuart’s North American Marketing, Sales and Communication Officer Practice.",[],{"type":294,"content":351},[352],{"type":265,"value":353,"marks":354},"Welch has placed more than 800 C-level marketing professionals for his clients over the years. Examples include the chief marketing officers at Facebook, Planet Fitness, Target, Patron, CVS, Aetna, Beam Suntory, Buffalo Wild Wings and even English Premier League football club Manchester United as just a few of his placements.",[],{"type":294,"content":356},[357],{"type":265,"value":358,"marks":359},"“There’s no one I can think of who is better-suited to understand how early career choices can impact later career options,” Whitler said, introducing Welch to start the session.",[],{"type":361,"id":362,"level":233,"content":363},"heading","slow-and-steady-versus-big-salaries-and-startups",[364],{"type":265,"value":365,"marks":366},"Slow and Steady Versus Big Salaries and Startups",[],{"type":294,"content":368},[369],{"type":265,"value":370,"marks":371},"Welch commended the UVA students for proving their academic merit to date, but said upon graduation, they will reach a crossroads. “Now what are you going to do with your impressive degree?” he asked them.",[],{"type":294,"content":373},[374],{"type":265,"value":375,"marks":376},"Some students pursuing first jobs out of an MBA or undergraduate business program pursue the largest salary they can earn while others chase a big company name and others still target work for a startup. Welch said there is no one right path, but urged students to consider taking a first job at a larger company with a “pedigreed” marketing department where they can learn the craft well, benefit from corporate resources to train them, learn from a great leader — all while earning a competitive salary.",[],{"type":294,"content":378},[379],{"type":265,"value":380,"marks":381},"“It may not sound exciting to work for Proctor & Gamble, General Mills or Unilever, but they produce some of the best global marketers I’ve ever seen,” Welch said. “Don’t just get lulled into the sex appeal of the company’s brand or some hot, new startup.”",[],{"type":294,"content":383},[384],{"type":265,"value":385,"marks":386},"When he is looking to find chief marketing officer (CMO) candidates for his corporate clients, Welch said he is looking for “five Cs in executives:”",[],{"type":388,"items":389},"unorderedList",[390,397,404,411,418],{"blocks":391},[392],{"type":294,"content":393},[394],{"type":265,"value":395,"marks":396},"Career",[],{"blocks":398},[399],{"type":294,"content":400},[401],{"type":265,"value":402,"marks":403},"Capabilities",[],{"blocks":405},[406],{"type":294,"content":407},[408],{"type":265,"value":409,"marks":410},"Capacity",[],{"blocks":412},[413],{"type":294,"content":414},[415],{"type":265,"value":416,"marks":417},"Character",[],{"blocks":419},[420],{"type":294,"content":421},[422],{"type":265,"value":423,"marks":424},"Compatibility (the alignment of the leader with the organization and desired outcomes)",[],{"type":294,"content":426},[427],{"type":265,"value":428,"marks":429},"“When I look at the alumni from companies like General Mills and Kellogg who are now running companies, they are some of the finest executives I know,” Welch said. “Their early training and foundation allowed them to go on and do great things.”",[],{"type":294,"content":431},[432],{"type":265,"value":433,"marks":434},"If an aspiring marketer isn’t sure if a company really cares about marketing or is a springboard for marketer careers, Welch advised the students to ask a few questions. Who are the people who joined the core marketing team and what are they doing now? What does the company spend on marketing compared to its size? How large is the marketing team? Where have marketers moved on to inside or outside the company? And which function does the CEO come from?",[],{"type":361,"id":436,"level":233,"content":437},"to-be-a-successful-marketer-it-takes-being-da-vinci",[438],{"type":265,"value":439,"marks":440},"To Be a Successful Marketer, It Takes Being da Vinci",[],{"type":294,"content":442},[443],{"type":265,"value":444,"marks":445},"Welch shared the top skills students would need to become a CMO of the future, including the ability to steer company strategy, present a future vision to a company’s board of directors and “whole-brain thinking,” among others.",[],{"type":294,"content":447},[448],{"type":265,"value":449,"marks":450},"He distilled the broad set of skills encompassing both left-brain and right-brain attributes down to being like Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci was a mathematician, architect and scientist, demonstrating his prowess for left-brain thinking, but he was also a renowned painter, sculptor and storyteller, traditionally associated with right-brain thinking.",[],{"type":294,"content":452},[453],{"type":265,"value":454,"marks":455},"While Welch acknowledge it doesn’t take being da Vinci to succeed in marketing, his broad skillset is a perfect analogy for the balance successful marketers will be asked to manage between quantitative, data-based marketing and what he called the “magic, artsy” creative marketing.",[],{"type":361,"id":457,"level":233,"content":458},"what-an-aspiring-marketer-s-resume-should-say",[459],{"type":265,"value":460,"marks":461},"What an Aspiring Marketer’s Resume Should Say",[],{"type":294,"content":463},[464],{"type":265,"value":465,"marks":466},"Many young professionals fresh out of an undergraduate or MBA program tend to bounce between several jobs early on. While this isn’t a fatal flaw, Welch said, at a certain point, a job candidate’s resume must show stability and a willingness to stay with a company for several years, if the candidate hopes to reach a senior leadership marketing position.",[],{"type":294,"content":468},[469],{"type":265,"value":470,"marks":471},"“With my clients, I have to take 25-year careers and boil it into a 30-second pitch,” Welch said. If someone has bounced around throughout their career or not worked for companies with a known marketing pedigree, the pitch can be tough.",[],{"type":294,"content":473},[474],{"type":265,"value":475,"marks":476},"Spending three to five years with a consumer packaged goods company, as an example, might not sound incredibly appealing for students, but Welch said such early career decisions will open more opportunities in marketing in their future.",[],{"tags":478,"pressContact":483,"bios":513},{"topics":479,"storyType":481},[480],{"id":271,"label":104,"href":105},{"label":482,"href":126},"Article",{"id":484,"heading":485,"body":486,"image":496,"action":504,"contactLabel":506,"contactId":507,"contactName":508,"contactTitle":509,"contactEmail":510},"1JXqEbL3azVV5umnM8ChNj","About UVA Darden School of Business",{"blocks":487},[488,492],{"type":294,"content":489},[490],{"type":265,"value":491},"The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences.",{"type":294,"content":493},[494],{"type":265,"value":495},"Darden's graduate degree programs and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact.",{"src":497,"alt":498,"aspectRatio":499,"width":500,"height":501,"bynderDat":502},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fc88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22\u002FDarden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","Darden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","8354 \u002F 5569",8354,5569,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":503,"name":498},"c88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22",{"label":505,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"Learn More","Press Contact","2KGmVfjHQigGuWjTI4aCKw","Lauren Foster","Senor Director of Communications",{"label":511,"href":512},"fosterl@darden.virginia.edu","mailto:fosterl@darden.virginia.edu",[],{"title":258,"description":262,"image":515},{"src":516,"alt":280,"aspectRatio":517,"width":518,"height":519,"bynderDat":520},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fwidescreen-large\u002Fe7ee7203-af76-4e50-bb89-4e51bb8a0ad6\u002F5536-jpg?io=transform%3Afill%2Cwidth%3A1200%2Cheight%3A630&quality=75","1200 \u002F 630",1200,630,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":282,"name":280,"preset":521},"widescreen-large",{"canonicalPath":254,"identity":523},{"id":257,"contentType":237,"title":258,"path":254,"publishedAt":268,"modifiedAt":260,"topics":524,"authors":526,"eligibility":527},[525],{"id":271,"label":104},[],{"searchEngines":28,"followLinks":28,"internalSearch":28}]