The Top Mistakes CMO's Make During the Interview Process | Kate Bullis & David Wiser | ZRG Partners

CMO Confidential

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners and Global Marketing Practice Leaders for ZRG Partners. Kate and David translate their extensive search experience into a pre-game, game time, and post game look at the errors candidates make during the recruiting process. Key topics include: why thorough preparation includes self awareness, a "shopping list" and pattern recognition; how "playbooking," talking too much, and disengagement can doom your interview; and best practices for turning down an offer, handling a disappointment, negotiating an offer, and accepting the opportunity. Tune in to hear why you should never turn down a written offer and other things to avoid if you want to stay off of the search firm's "Do Not Call List."

What are the biggest mistakes CMOs make during the interview process?

This week on CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners at ZRG and two of the most experienced executive search leaders in marketing. Together, they break down the interview process into Pre-Game, Game Time, and Post-Game—sharing where CMOs most often stumble and how candidates can set themselves up for success.

If you’re a C-Suite executive, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this episode delivers unfiltered insights into how top recruiters evaluate CMOs and what separates successful candidates from the rest.

Sponsored by @typefaceai — the generative AI platform helping the world’s biggest brands scale personalized marketing in hours, not months.

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome and introduction

03:15 – Why interviewing for a CMO role is uniquely challenging

07:40 – Pre-Game: Preparing beyond the résumé

13:05 – What search firms and boards are really looking for

17:50 – Game Time: How to manage the actual interview

23:30 – Mistakes CMOs make when telling their career story

29:10 – Post-Game: Following up and maintaining momentum

34:20 – The role of references and backchannel checks

37:50 – Final advice for candidates and boards

40:00 – Wrap-up and sponsor message

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📌 Tags

CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Kate Bullis, David Wiser, ZRG Partners, CMO interview tips, marketing executive search, chief marketing officer, CMO mistakes, CMO hiring process, how to become a CMO, executive interview prep, board expectations for CMOs, marketing leadership, CMO role design, interview strategy, executive recruiters, marketing careers, marketing C-Suite, executive search firms, leadership hiring

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