Wednesday 29th January 2025: The Marketing Society, the global community of marketing leaders is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dame Carolyn McCall DBE as its new President. The appointment marks a significant milestone as the Society celebrates its strongest year to date in its 65-year history, with record membership numbers and expanding international presence.
Dame Carolyn, CEO of ITV, brings exceptional leadership experience spanning media, aviation, and broadcasting through her transformative roles leading Guardian Media Group, easyJet, and ITV. Her appointment as President—the first CEO in the role for many years—reflects the growing strategic importance of marketing in driving business success. Her decision to commit time to supporting and championing the marketing profession, particularly at this level of business leadership, demonstrates the critical role marketing plays in building successful businesses and brands.
Dame Carolyn McCall said: “It’s an honour to be named President of The Marketing Society in such a pivotal year for the organisation, and also as we celebrate the 70th birthday of TV advertising with ITV’s 70th anniversary. Marketing has been at the heart of my career. It has the power to make a meaningful impact on every business by changing consumer perceptions, driving growth and inspiring change by being at the forefront of innovation and product development. I’m looking forward to working with the Society to champion marketing’s critical role in our rapidly evolving world.”
The appointment comes at a time when The Marketing Society has been actively bridging the gap between CEOs and marketers through its successful events and thought leadership content, featuring conversations with prominent business leaders such as Amanda Blanc, Will Stratton-Morris, Roisin Currie, and Salman Amin. This initiative has strengthened the critical relationship between marketing leadership and business success.
Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, added: “Having a leader of Dame Carolyn’s calibre, who has successfully led multiple complex organisations and recognises and champions the power of marketing is incredibly significant. Her appointment not only elevates the marketing profession but also helps take our message to a broader business audience. Dame Carolyn mentioned that one of her favourite quotes was Michelangelo’s when he said: ‘the greatest danger is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it’. This perfectly aligns with our ambitions to embolden marketing leaders and drive excellence in business leadership”.
Dame Carolyn will take up the role from January 2025.
