The Future of Marketing Leadership Explained | Trends for 2026 (Ep 56)

As we kick off 2026, co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren take the stage to reflect on the biggest lessons from 2025 and what those lessons are telling us about the year ahead.This episode has been shaped by dozens of interviews with CMOs, business founders, marketing experts, strategists, and growth leaders over the past year.In this half an hour of value-packed content, Alec and Barb share with us why the most effective leaders in 2026 won’t be the ones who claim to have everything figured out, but the ones who know how to learn in public, adapt in real time, and make thoughtful trade-offs as the landscape keeps shifting.You’ll hear their perspective on:• The continued rise of fractional, interim, and advisory CMOs and why this model is expanding beyond marketing into the broader C-suite• Why sizing marketing investments correctly is becoming one of the most valuable leadership skills• Why the CMO CFO relationship is no longer optional and how it elevates marketing’s influence• What’s really happening with AI in marketing, from search behavior to internal team adoption• Why 2026 will reward leaders who embrace continuous learning over chasing expertiseWhether you’re a CMO, a VP of Marketing, a founder, or a growth leader navigating change, this conversation will help you think more clearly about what matters most in 2026.Timestamps00:00 Welcome to 2026 and why this episode is different01:30 Reflecting on 2025 and the themes that kept coming up02:05 The rise of fractional, interim, and advisory CMOs06:00 Why sizing marketing investment is now a critical skill08:20 Building a portfolio of marketing leadership skills09:05 Marketing inside PE and VC owned companies12:30 The growing importance of the CMO CFO relationship15:45 Why CMOs still have the shortest C-suite tenure17:20 AI in marketing: search impact vs internal adoption19:00 Writing for humans again in an AI-driven world21:45 From AI hype to measured evaluation24:00 Creating a culture of continuous learning26:40 Tool sprawl, ROI, and smarter tech adoption28:40 Final thoughts and what excites us about 2026Connect with the hosts:👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you.