Chicago

Thursday, May 7, 2026

RUNNING TO THE FIRE

The Marketing Vanguard Summit convenes CMOs, CEOs, and other senior leaders from some of the world’s most innovative and influential brands—alongside cultural icons, emerging leaders, and thinkers from academia—to confront the moments of tension, ambiguity, and change in this industry, collectively shaping the future of the role and practice.

Held at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Gleacher Center on May 7, the Summit challenges marketing leaders to embrace discomfort and build the muscles required to lead at the highest level: forging deeper CEO alignment, owning the metrics that truly matter to the business, and creating brands worthy of sustained attention, trust, and investment. Through candid dialogue, debate, and practical insight, we’ll explore how CMOs are stepping into complexity—across growth, culture, technology, and transformation—to solidify marketing’s position as an indispensable driver of enterprise value.

Provocateurs

More to be announced soon

Jon Bellante
Jon Bellante
PurposeBuilt Brands
CMO
Kamal Bhandal
Kamal Bhandal
Invisalign
Vice President, Global Brand, Consumer and Americas Marketing
R. Ethan Braden
R. Ethan Braden
Texas A&M University
VP, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
Ellen Bradley
Ellen Bradley
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
Chief Brand Officer and SVP, Marketing and Communications
Andrea Brimmer
Andrea Brimmer
Ally Financial
Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer
Fiona Carter
Fiona Carter
Goldman Sachs
Partner, CMO
Jackie Cutrone
Jackie Cutrone
NewtonX
CMO
Leah Davis
Leah Davis
SailGP
CMO
Eric Edge
Eric Edge
Alaska Airlines
VP, Brand & Marketing
George Felix
George Felix
Chili’s Grill & Bar
CMO
Katherine Freeley
Katherine Freeley
Boehringer-Ingelheim
Head of Marketing & Media Omnichannel Excellence
Stephanie Fried
Stephanie Fried
McAfee
CMO