August 23, 2022

7 Top B2B CMO Coaches to Achieve New Levels of Success

by Melissa Caffrey

There’s a lot to be gained from having a coach, but if you’re at the executive level, it can be daunting to find the perfect fit. This is especially true for the CMO role. There are many general executive-level coaches out there, but a great CMO coach is hyper-focused on guiding CMOs through the landmines that threaten just about every B2B CMO today.

B2B CMOs face a next-to-impossible challenge. First, they are expected to be experts in product marketing, brand marketing, marketing ops, revenue marketing, digital, SEO/SEM, analyst relations, partner marketing, ABM, analytics, social media, events, regional marketing, influencer marketing, and more. Second, they are expected to drive revenue growth in a ridiculously short time frame. It’s little wonder that the average CMO tenure is under 3 years.

To beat the odds, many savvy CMOs hire coaches. Someone who will not just listen to their challenges (“no, you’re not crazy!”) but also help them map out a path to success. If you’re in the market for a CMO Coach, we’ve vetted 7 for your consideration. With their counsel, you’ll be less lonely, more confident, and hopefully sleep better as you achieve your potential not just as a marketer, but as a leader. 

1. Drew Neisser

Hire Drew as your next CMO Coach: Coaching Services 

Quick Facts: 

About Drew: Jay Baer identified Drew Neisser as “one of the strongest B2B marketing thinkers in the world.” Having interviewed 500+ CMOs, Drew wields the wisdom of many to provide one-on-one coaching for current and aspiring B2B CMOs. He will help you assess your current situation, establish clear objectives, tailor coaching to your specific needs, and guide you towards the realization of a personal brand that is good for you and your company. 

CMO Coach Drew Neisser brings a flexible yet effective approach to each engagement while promising 5 core benefits: Clarity, Accountability, Confidence, Creativity, and Conclusiveness. Drew is also the founder of CMO Huddles, a community of CMOs that come together to share, care, and dare each other to greatness, which only adds to his CMO-sourced wisdom and keeps it cutting-edge. [To see if you qualify for a guest pass, visit CMO Huddles – it’s like having 100+ CMO coaches!]

Drew’s Social Channels: 

2. Alan Gonsenhauser

Hire Alan as Your Next CMO Coach: Coaching Services 

Quick Facts: 

About Alan: Alan Gonsenhauser is an experienced CMO and general manager, leveraging six years as a CMO Executive Advisor at SiriusDecisions and Forrester where he mentored 108 CMOs. Alan works directly with B2B SaaS, Health IT, medical device, and digital health CMOs to advise on business strategy, alignment, and marketing transformations backed by best practice models and frameworks that accelerate results. 

Whether you’re a mid-market, start-up, or enterprise-level company Gonsenhauser will create personalized coaching plans that will fit any B2B CMO. A quote from Alan himself: “I love optimizing marketing & business strategies to create remarkable customer experiences, accelerate top-line and P&L growth, and grow brands.”

Alan’s Social Channels: 

3. Lola Bakare

Hire Lola as your next CMO Coach: Coaching Services 

Quick Facts: 

About Lola: Lola helps marketing executives unleash their magic, empowering them with strategic guidance, coaching, training, and workshops that unleash new levels of success. With a wealth of experience on the frontlines of marketing leadership at The Daily Dot, PepsiCo, New World Pasta, Diageo, and Dell (for world-class brands including Gatorade, Ronzoni, and Smirnoff), Lola’s uniquely empathetic approach comes from her a deeply nuanced understanding of the unique challenges marketing leaders face across industries.

Lola’s Social Channels: 

4. Grant Johnson

Hire Grant as your next CMO Coach

Quick Facts: 

  • Four-time CMO with more than 14 years in the trenches experience
  • Proven methodology for maximizing impact in the first 100 days
  • Multiple public companies, Section 16 officer, and board experiences
  • Deep experience working with both VC and PE-backed owners
  • Expertise in M&A, Integration, and Change Management
  • Unique approach driving cross-functional alignment and KPI/OKR achievement
  • Published author in a wide range of marketing best practices

About Grant: Grant is a seasoned CMO with a proven track record of more than doubling revenues and scaling businesses, building high-performance teams, and transforming global companies, from early-stage to multi-billion dollar enterprises, including Emburse, Cylance, Kofax, Pegasystems, FileNet (acquired by IBM) FrontBridge (acquired by Microsoft) and Symantec. As a key member of executive teams, he has helped drive growth and led acquisition integration of 20 companies.

CMO Coach Grant Johnson has mentored more than a dozen CMOs. He brings a tailored approach to assignments with an emphasis on ensuring a fast start for new leaders, establishing strategic direction, driving GTM alignment, and building highly motivated, performance-driven teams.

Grants’ Social Channels: 

5. Beth Granger

Hire Beth as your next CMO Coach: Coaching Services

Quick Facts: 

About Beth: Beth Granger is a social sales, social media, and LinkedIn trainer, consultant, and speaker. She works with organizations, individuals, and leaders who want to grow their business or professional brand by unleashing the power of LinkedIn and networking, and knowing exactly what to say in both places.

Beth is also a trainer, coach, moderator, emcee, and certified virtual speaker. She helps produce and facilitate engaging and interactive online networking events for American Business Associates and is a host of LinkedIn Local, a series of events designed to let attendees “meet the people behind the profiles.”

Before starting her own consulting company, Beth was the Director of Online Marketing and Design at Pall Corporation, a global industry leader in filtration and separation. Beth provided the vision, strategic planning, and management for all initiatives related to the global multi-language website. She also directed the web and corporate design departments, and the global corporate identity program.

Beth’s Social Channels: 

6. Stacey Danheiser

Hire Stacey as Your Next CMO Coach: Coaching Services

Quick Facts: 

About Stacey: Stacey Danheiser is here to elevate your impact as a B2B Marketing Leader. She’s a lifelong learner, marketing nerd, and passionate about helping marketers earn (and keep) a seat at the leadership table. 

Stacey started SHAKE to help growing companies and business units overcome their struggle to understand what matters most to their customers. By replacing the internal ‘guesswork’ with real customer feedback and knowledge, she helps clients confidently create distinct value propositions that lead to winning more business.

Stacey has helped over 100 marketing and sales professionals through her online courses, workshops, and consulting engagements achieve higher customer engagement, increased sales, and stronger internal alignment between marketing, sales, and product. 

Stacey’s Social Channels: 

7. Lynne Stainthorpe

Hire Lynne as Your Next CMO Coach: Coaching Services

Quick Facts: 

About Lynne: Lynne Stainthorpe is all about brand. She works with you to help make your brand human, relevant, and distinctive, so it gets noticed, attracts your best-fit clients, and makes an impact. She’ll work together with you to nail your brand strategy, messaging, and identity. Lynne’s strategy is on a human-to-human approach because at the end of the day you’re here to make a difference and create a huge impact.

Lynne’s Social Channels: