Everything You Need to Know If You Want to Become a CMO in the Luxury and Fashion Industry

What does it mean to be a CMO? The acronym CMO—widely used in the business world—stands for Chief Marketing Officer. This executive role is highly sought after: companies compete to hire top talent, while marketing professionals aspire to reach it. Being a CMO means leading a company’s marketing strategy, managing its brand, and ensuring that communication with customers is both effective and consistent. It also requires creativity and a strong ability to adapt to change. But what does it take to get there? How does one prepare to become a CMO? 

When we talk about the luxury sector, the level of complexity and expectations increases significantly. Gerardo Peña, a professor at Vogue College of Fashion and a CMO in the Fashion & Beauty industry, explains it firsthand: 

“There are three skills I consider essential for a CMO: flexibility, the ability to adapt quickly to change, and strong analytical thinking. The market is constantly evolving, and what you plan today should have already been done yesterday—you have to stay alert. You need to know how to analyze and understand the market and stay one step ahead of it. Although the luxury market tends to sustain trends for a longer period, consumer behavior is still shaped by the habits of a fluid, ever-changing society. Shifts in the sociopolitical and demographic landscape, as well as trends, digital platforms, and their key players—everything is in flux.” 

It may seem that in marketing and communications, a CMO’s innate creativity plays a decisive role. However, Peña challenges that assumption: creativity must be applied strategically and adapted to each message and campaign. 

“When we aim for brand awareness, we can afford to be more creative. But when the goal is direct sales, we need to be practical and speak directly to the consumer’s pain points—making sure they understand we are the solution to their problems.” In the first scenario, he emphasizes, brands should go all in—especially in a highly saturated market like cosmetics. 

Peña has been a professor and mentor in the Vogue Master’s Program in International Luxury Business. The program is currently open for applications and begins in October. In his classes, he prioritizes practical learning so that theory—often complex—becomes more accessible and easier for students to retain. 

He brings real-world experience into the classroom, helping students not only understand the fundamentals of the industry but also how to operate within it. “I always share many examples from different brands, including my own. I want students to see how I’ve approached specific challenges in real cases.”  He also applies this hands-on approach in the Vogue Master’s Program in Fashion and Beauty Communication, where he has also taught and which is currently accepting applications. 

What he values most in his students is proactivity and curiosity. “That’s the quality that will help them grow the most professionally. I love hearing a wide range of questions, especially practical ones about their future careers—how to approach situations, how to tackle specific briefs, and more.” Peña enthusiastically notes that his students are eager to enter the workforce, which he finds incredibly rewarding. “I always tell them not to lose their passion. Drive is what moves the world, and that enthusiasm makes work environments more productive.”