Why CMO-to-CRO isn’t capitulation with Kathleen Booth.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Kathleen Booth, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Pavilion.
SVP of Marketing, Pavilion
Maeva CifuentesHost, Founder and CEO of Flying Cat
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Kathleen Booth, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Pavilion. Kathleen shares her perspective on why so many marketers today feel cornered—expected to own revenue without the resources, time, or internal alignment to succeed. She explores the short-termism trap, where overreliance on pipeline metrics erodes brand value and creates long-term risk. Kathleen talks about the limits of “educating up” in VC- and PE-backed environments, and why mindset alignment with the CEO is non-negotiable for long-term success.
She also makes a bold case for why CMOs stepping into CRO roles isn’t a concession—it’s a power move. Kathleen challenges assumptions about marketing’s role in revenue leadership and shares how broader executive support, including structural changes like guaranteed severance, can give leaders the freedom to place high-impact bets.
“Why would I place a long-term bet if there’s zero tolerance for failure? That’s how you end up with suboptimal decisions.”Kathleen Booth, SVP at Pavilion
What leaders can take from Kathleen
- 1Pressure vs. support gapKathleen explains how marketing leaders are expected to deliver pipeline without being given the resources to succeed.
- 2The cost of short-term thinkingShe highlights how overreliance on short-term demand gen creates a dependency cycle that weakens long-term brand value.
- 3Educating up has limitsMost marketers can’t teach CEOs to value brand—buy-in has to already exist or it’s time to leave.
- 4Rethinking CRO rolesKathleen makes the case that marketers becoming CROs is not giving in, but stepping into real influence over company revenue.
- 5Structural risk and incentiveShe advocates for guaranteed severance to enable bolder marketing bets and reduce executive fear-based decision-making.
