When a CEO brings on a new CMO, it’s essential that they establish regular 1:1 meetings together. After all, the CEO is trusting the CMO to manage product positioning, founder brand, demand generation, customer and analyst relations, press engagement, and more, so regular alignment, coaching, and feedback is key. 1:1s are also crucial for building and maintaining personal trust.
Meeting cadence
While every CEO has his or her own leadership style, the CEO should meet with the CMO at least once every other week. Meetings can be 45 or 60 minutes, depending on the stage of the business and the number of strategic initiatives in motion.
One tried and true rhythm is as follows:
- Week 1: CEO holds 1:1 meetings with each executive
- Week 2: Full ELT meeting to align cross-functionally
This pattern ensures regular contact with all key leaders while maintaining space for deeper, focused conversations. If more time is needed, these meetings can both occur on a weekly basis.
In addition to structured meetings with his or her CMO, the CEO should maintain fluid, frequent communication over the phone, Slack, or SMS to offer ideas, feedback, or market signals as they arise. This style of communication is a hallmark of a high-functioning partnership.
Note: Time-sensitive market updates (e.g., competitor pricing, analyst reports) should be shared in real-time, not saved for the 1:1.
Meeting preparation
The CMO should send relevant materials in advance of each 1:1 meeting. This may include:
- Dashboards
- Campaign updates
- Board or internal presentations
- Positioning or messaging proposals
This allows the CEO to come prepared and focus the meeting on discussion, rather than review.
Recurring CEO–CMO 1:1 agenda (45–60 minutes)
| Section | Topics of discussion |
| Quick check-in | Personal or professional wins/challenges |
| CEO input / decisions needed | Decisions, approvals, or feedback required from the CEO |
| Cross-functional & CEO support | How Marketing can support top CEO priorities |
| Top priorities & progress | Status of top 2-3 priorities, launches, and metrics |
| Team & resource updates | Changes to budget, open roles, and hiring |
| Strategic topics | 1-2 key strategic areas (see list below) |
| What’s working & not | Feedback |
| Wrap-up & action items | Summary of next steps |
- Quick check-in (5 min)
- How are things going overall?
- What personal or professional wins/challenges came up over the past week?
- CEO input / decisions needed (5–10 min)
- What does Marketing need from the CEO?
- Does the CEO need to make decisions or approvals or offer any guidance?
- Are there urgent topics that require the CEO’s undivided attention for a longer period of time? (In this case, the CMO can reschedule the 1:1 to focus on this topic for the entire meeting)
- Cross-functional & CEO support (5 min)
- What are the CEO’s top priorities for the next 1–2 weeks?
- How can Marketing support these priorities or cross-functional initiatives?
- Are there any frictions or blockers that need CEO awareness or support?
- Top priorities & progress (10 min)
- Are there any updates related to Marketing’s top 2–3 initiatives?
- What is the status of major launches or campaigns?
- Does the CEO need to support any key initiatives?
- What changes (if any) have been made to forecasted performance metrics? (E.g., pipeline, revenue influence, brand health, adoption)
- How do next-period forecasts look?
- Team & resource updates (5 min)
- Are there any updates to budget or headcount?
- Have we made any progress on open roles or updated any hiring timelines?
- Strategic topics (20 min)
Pick 1–2 focus areas per session:
- Positioning and messaging evolution
- Organizational structure or talent discussions
- GTM alignment with Sales, Product, or CS
- New growth bets (e.g., brand campaigns, new ICPs, PLG initiatives)
- Planning cycles (e.g., H2 readiness, budget reallocation, long-term roadmap)
- New learnings from customers, market shifts, or competitor moves
- Feedback: What’s working / not working (as needed)
Pick desired topics:
- CMO’s professional development
- What’s working well across GTM
- Wrap-up + action items (5 min)
- Summarize key takeaways
- Confirm next steps and ownership
- CMO follows up with a brief recap via Slack or email
Additional CEO-CMO touchpoints
Beyond the regular 1:1, the CEO and CMO should meet frequently to advance work on joint initiatives and projects, such as the below:
- The CMO often supports or leads all-hands and internal communications
- The CMO is often involved in board meetings, either as a participant or content owner
The CEO and CMO should have an ongoing dialogue about founder brand, press opportunities, GTM alignment, strategic customers, and analyst relationships