Chak De India! Check Out The Indian-Origin CMOs On Forbes Top 50 Entrepreneurial CMO List Of 2022

The fact that Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) play an important role in organizations is no secret to anyone. Recognizing their pivotal role in organizations, Forbes has come up with an inaugural CMO list that recognizes the success of 50 marketing heads of companies across the globe. And the good news is, 3 on the list are of Indian origin! 

Also read: Nikhil Kamath’s Advice For GenZ; How To Save Money & Invest As A Young Professional?

The work of these Indian-origin CMOs has taken brand marketing to the next level and has transformed the culture in business and commerce. Curious to find out who they are? We have listed them below. 

1. Chirag Kulkarni

Chirag Kulkarni set out in 2017 with the dream of creating a better pharmacy that could eliminate the long wait at drug stores. As it turned out, he co-founded Medley, a digital pharmacy that offers free same-day prescription delivery for all types of medications.   

"We realize how broken it was for millions of consumers, not just myself," Kulkarni told Forbes while talking about the idea behind Medly. So, what's the secret of his marketing strategy at Medly?

Unlike its competitors who tried to persuade consumers to come to the platform through sales, Kulkarni used his Marketing budget to make doctors refer patients to Medly - and that has made all the difference!   By July 2021, Medly had served 70,000 patients and the firm is set to achieve USD 200 million in revenue this year. 

2. Noora Raj Brown

Noora Raj Brown, currently the Executive Vice President (EVP)- Brand of goop, is another Indian-origin face on the Forbes list of CMOs. She joined goop as the VP of Communications in April 2016 and in her six years at the company she has steadily grown and taken up more responsibilities.   

Her entrepreneurial approach has scaled up goop as a brand, and her service-focused campaigns have helped create a distinct image of goop among women. She is helping to destigmatize sexual pleasure for women by shifting the brands' focus on sexual and reproductive freedom.   

A brand founded by actress Gwyneth Paltrow, goop is at forefront of sparking conversations on gender, sex, and emotional intimacy.   

3. Raj Sarkar

According to Forbes, Raj Sarkar has featured in their list because he thinks enterprise tech should be more "human". His approach has been to include a product-led growth strategy rather than the traditional sales-led approach.

A fundamental element in his marketing campaign is playing with humour while marketing something serious.    Previously, Sarkar has worked with brands like Google, Atlassian. and Palo Alto Networks, before joining 1Password in May 2021. Sarkar is an expert at building marketing campaigns where the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is low. 

Also read: Highly Qualified Cancer Patient Posts About Giving Job Interviews From Hospital; CEO Offers A Role In Comments 

He is enthusiastic about low-GTM models and inculcating a growth mindset in enterprise marketing. Sarkar is a pro when it comes to launching new products and bringing them to the market. 

Summing up… 

The fact that Indian-origin CMOs are making a mark in the US is a testimony to how far equal opportunity employment has come. These exceptional business minds are creating an impact by bringing creativity into strategy. Being at the top of their game is no easy task, and kudos to them for achieving it so smoothly. In the future, we wish to have more Indian-origin names on this list on Forbes.

You might also be interested in reading.  

1. Infosys Big Ban! Can The ‘Non-Compete Clause’ Be Actually Enforced?
2. “We’ll Give You All” How Employers Are Attempting To Bring Employees Back To Work?
3. Meet L. V. Vaidyanathan, The IIM-A Grad Who Started As An Intern & Is Now The New CEO Of P&G India
4. Indian-Origin CMOs In Forbes Entrepreneurial CMO List 2022