The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
VP, Global Marketing Planning & Analytics (from a large enterprise)
16-20 yearsSkills to master
- Years leading large teams, building complex planning models, and presenting to executive leadership. Expert in marketing finance and data governance.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of managing £5M+ budgets.
- Successfully implemented 2+ major MarTech platforms.
- Led a team of 15+ people.
- 2
Head of Marketing Operations (from a fast-growth scale-up)
15-18 yearsSkills to master
- Built marketing operations from scratch, scaled processes rapidly, and adept at navigating ambiguity and driving change in high-growth environments.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully scaled marketing operations through multiple funding rounds.
- Built out a team from 5 to 20+ people.
- Implemented a full MarTech stack.
- 3
Senior Director, Commercial Finance (with Marketing focus)
18-20 yearsSkills to master
- Deep financial background, having spent years partnering with marketing to manage budgets, forecast revenue, and optimise spend. Master of financial modelling.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed significant commercial budgets (£20M+).
- Partnered directly with marketing leadership for 5+ years.
- Strong understanding of marketing metrics and their financial implications.