People who make the Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list five times are not defined by a single campaign or business cycle. They shape industries, influence culture and redefine modern leadership. In short: they belong in the Forbes CMO Hall of Fame.This year’s nine inductees steward some of the world's most influential brands, products, experiences and cultural institutions. They are:Asad Ayaz, The Walt Disney CompanyLorenzo Bertelli, Prada GroupCristina Diezhandino, DiageoUlrich Klenke, Deutsche Telekom AGDon McGuire, QualcommMarcel Marcondes, AB InBevManuel Arroyo, The Coca-Cola CompanyJens Thiemer, LidlJulia White, Amazon Web ServicesProfiles of each appear below. These standouts are not just navigating AI, fragmented landscapes and new growth imperatives. They are architecting the solutions.Read more about this year’s Forbes CMO Hall of Fame inductees, as well as those from prior years, here.The Forbes CMO Hall of Fame 2026 Inductees
Asad AyazChief Marketing and Brand Officer, The Walt Disney Company (United States)As The Walt Disney Company’s first-ever enterprise-wide Chief Marketing Officer, Ayaz unifies global marketing across Disney Entertainment, Disney Experiences, and ESPN. He is charged with driving brand consistency, digital strategy, consumer analytics, and enterprise-wide franchise priorities. Overseeing a brand portfolio that generated $94.4 billion in revenue in 2025, Ayaz emphasizes an integrated approach: “Fans live simultaneously across streaming, social, sports, physical experiences, culture and community, and they expect brands to meet them seamlessly across all of it.” Throughout his two-decade tenure at Disney, Ayaz has architected campaigns for powerhouse franchises including Moana, Frozen, Black Panther, Avatar, Star Wars, and Avengers. His track record includes 28 films that each grossed over $1 billion and 13 of the top 15 box-office openings in Disney history. As the company's first CMO, he has led corporate-wide initiatives like the massive "Disney100" anniversary campaign, the global expansion of D23, and the Disneyland Resort's 70th-anniversary celebrations—while successfully directing the creative strategy for the launch of Disney+ and consolidating Disney’s in-house agencies to maximize cross-platform synergy.Lorenzo BertelliChief Marketing Officer & Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Prada Group (Italy)Bertelli spearheads brand strategy, digital innovation and sustainability across one of the most influential portfolios in fashion. In 2025, Prada Group defied a broader luxury sector slowdown by generating over $6.6 billion in revenue, fueled by the explosive growth of Miu Miu and the strategic acquisition of Versace. Bertelli has positioned Prada at the intersection of fashion, art, sport and social responsibility, proving that creativity and purpose are mutually reinforcing drivers of brand equity. He is harmonizing digital innovation with high-culture prestige—anchoring the brand in the Fondazione Prada while leveraging the success of the Luna Rossa sailing team to fuel global demand for the Prada Linea Rossa line. Under his guidance, Prada has prioritized social responsibility and sustainability by eliminating fur, shifting to 100% recycled nylon, and partnering with UNESCO for the Sea Beyond ocean literacy program. Through these initiatives and high-profile cultural ties—from the America’s Cup to avant-garde film—Bertelli has ensured Prada remains a dominant, relevant voice for the next generation of consumers. Tabbed as Prada’s future CEO, he is poised to lead the next generation of Italian luxury.Cristina DiezhandinoChief Marketing Officer, Diageo (United Kingdom)Diezhandino oversees Diageo’s portfolio of more than 200 brands, ranging from the heritage of Guinness and Johnnie Walker to the prestige of Don Julio. Her nearly two-decade tenure at Diageo—spanning roles from Global Category Director for Scotch to General Manager for Central America and the Caribbean—reflects her strategic expertise. Notably, she led Diageo’s massive multi-brand activation as the first official spirits supporter of this year’s FIFA World Cup. Her strategy integrates Smirnoff, Casamigos, Johnnie Walker, Buchanan's, and Don Julio through limited-edition packaging and global bar activations. Emphasizing the intersection of data, technology and cultural resonance, Diezhandino says, "The successful brands of the future will understand people deeply and be able to connect with them meaningfully." She currently spearheads the large-scale adoption of AI via Diageo’s Virtual Content Studio to drive marketing efficiency and creative storytelling.Ulrich KlenkeChief Brand Officer, Deutsche Telekom (Germany)Since assuming leadership in 2020, Klenke has steered his organization through a sophisticated unification strategy under the "One Company. One Brand." model. A cornerstone was the consolidation of 12 distinct regional slogans across Europe into the singular, powerful English claim, “Connecting your world.” As Klenke puts it, “Trust is earned when a brand chooses to be useful, not loud.” This philosophy has pushed Deutsche Telekom, which generated $134.6 billion in 2025, beyond traditional telecommunications into the realm of essential infrastructure. He championed initiatives that advocated internet safety, data privacy and digital responsibility, including the Cannes Gold Lion-winning “Without Consent—A Message from Ella,” a viral social awareness campaign that addressed the dangers of "sharenting" (the common habit of parents sharing photos and videos of their children). Under Klenke’s guidance, Deutsche Telekom’s brand value has more than doubled to $85.3 billion. The company is the most valuable telecom brand globally, and the preeminent corporate brand in Europe.Don McGuireExecutive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Qualcomm (United States)McGuire is leading Qualcomm’s evolution from behind-the-scenes component supplier to visible, consumer-facing powerhouse. Under his stewardship, Qualcomm has become a $44.3 billion tech leader and Snapdragon has emerged as one of the world's most valuable semiconductor identities. During today’s shift from tried-and-true SEO to generative engine optimization, McGuire acknowledges that as AI agents become the primary search interface, marketing is no longer about driving traffic but about shaping decisions. "Technology is rewriting what’s possible in marketing, but the fundamentals haven’t changed—know who you are, know your audience, and make it relevant," McGuire says. This perspective has been pivotal as Qualcomm navigates the migration of AI from the cloud to devices, firmly establishing the company at the center of the future of intelligent computing.Marcel MarcondesGlobal Chief Marketing Officer, AB InBev (Belgium)Marcondes oversees the world’s largest brewing portfolio, with more than 500 brands in 150 countries. Under his leadership AB inBev secured eight of the top ten spots on the Kantar BrandZ list of the world's most valuable beer brands, with Corona holding the No. 1 spot. Mercondes also directs iconic brands including Budweiser, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra, driving substantial growth at a company that generated more than $59 billion in revenue in 2025. “Embrace everything you can when it comes to technology—cheaper, faster, more effective,” Marcondes says. “But never lose sight of the consumer. We are humans first, enabled by technology.” This synergy of innovation and human connection is the bedrock of AB InBev’s marketing strategy, guiding the company’s innovation pipelines and fueling its expansion into no- and low-alcohol alternatives. Under Marcondes, the company became the first three-time recipient of Cannes Lions’ Creative Marketer of the Year and topped the Effie Global Index for a fourth straight year in 2025. Marcondes continues to show that lasting growth comes from building brands that consumers choose to celebrate with. Manuel (Manolo) ArroyoEVP & and Chief Marketing & Customer Commercial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company (United States)Arroyo orchestrated a radical, multi-year transformation of the company’s marketing architecture, bridging data-driven commerce with creative expression. Under his direction, Coca-Cola’s 200-brand portfolio achieved record-breaking 2025 revenue of $48 billion.A pioneer in AI integration, Arroyo has directed 90% of the company's AI initiatives toward topline growth rather than cost-cutting. His approach leverages generative tools for real-time engagement, automated ad versioning and predictive analysis. This strategy centers on evolving consumer behaviors through agentic marketing, enabling marketers to curate end-to-end experiences across retail, digital, and live platforms.Arroyo also revolutionized the company’s global agency network by consolidating creative, media and data operations. His partnership with WPP to launch Open X created a bespoke model that dismantled internal silos, enabling the company to scale global campaigns with unprecedented speed. Under his leadership, Coca-Cola was named Most Creative Brand at the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—a historic first for the firm.Jens ThiemerChief Customer Officer, Lidl (Germany)Few marketing leaders navigate diverse industries with Thiemer’s impact. As Chief Customer Officer at Lidl, he orchestrates the retail giant’s global brand and sales agenda. A key growth driver for the Schwarz Group, the owner and operator of Lidl—which reported approximately $143 billion in revenue for fiscal 2024/25—Thiemer balances commercial discipline with creative vision. "The marketers of tomorrow must earn their presence," he says. "The competitive edge is no longer about the biggest budget, but the deepest understanding of human desire." Thiemer’s expertise derives from his time in the high-stakes automotive sector, where he led digital transformations at BMW and headed global marketing for Mercedes-Benz. His ability to anticipate market shifts and build brand communities has solidified his reputation as a disruptive industry figure.Julia WhiteChief Marketing Officer, Amazon Web Services (United States)White drives the company’s market strategy by bridging the gap between high-level technical innovation and people-first connection. She oversees the end-to-end customer journey—from product marketing and developer relations to a vast, global event portfolio—while championing AWS’s evolution through agentic AI. Under White’s leadership at AWS, revenue metrics have integrated directly into the marketing lifecycle, ensuring marketing leaders operate as strategic counterparts to sales executives in weekly business reviews. Her efforts extend to operations and talent; White is architecting an "AI-forward" marketing organization by deploying dozens of AI agents to optimize content creation and operational efficiency. Meanwhile, she is scaling the AWS marketing workforce by capitalizing on industry shifts to recruit top-tier talent from across the tech sector. “I continue to love this discipline for its intersection of art and science and the ability to connect with customers while driving the business,” White says. With AWS achieving $128.7 billion in revenue in 2025, White continues to highlight that successful digital marketing relies on combining technological agility with a customer-first philosophy.More from ForbesForbesThe 2026 Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs ListBy Slma ShelbayahForbes2026 CMOs To WatchBy Slma ShelbayahForbesMarketing Trends In Motion: How 2026’s Top CMOs Are Driving InfluenceBy Slma ShelbayahForbesIntroducing The 2026 Forbes CMO Hall Of Fame InducteesBy Slma Shelbayah
