Hey, ho, the CMO has got to go! - Marketing Morningstar Employee Review

Ouch. Tell me how you really feel about me! I hope once your feelings toward me fade, you remember fondly the mission and collaborative people you mention. On your specific criticisms, regardless of what you believe, our attrition rates in marketing are average to below average for the industry and the firm. But on the subject that people are being 'driven away' from marketing or that there is a nasty environment, I disagree. As a whole, Morningstar is expecting considerably more from its marketing professionals, attracting diverse talent and integrating marketing more deeply into its management and strategy processes. These changes and new responsibilities create significantly more opportunities for marketers and more decision-making opportunities for marketers and non-marketers across the firm to debate strategy and operations. This has attracted even more talent to marketing and created more expectations that we challenge each other to progress. In the past two years, from outside Morningstar, We have had marketing leaders join who previously worked at Google, Accenture, USG, Yahoo, WellsFargo, Disney, Ogilvey & Mather, Leo Burnett, Expedia. We have also had 4 PHDs join marketing and our first full class of new hires straight from our college recruiting program (MDP - Morningstar Development Program). And we have also had talented professionals join us from Inside Morningstar across the firm, including from engineering, IT, Product management, Research, Support and investment management. We have also had a former Morningstar executive marketer return to Morningstar in a marketing role just this month. Marketers are earning more visibility, responsibility and opportunities at Morningstar. At our annual planning week for senior leaders in 2017, 14 marketers participated. Compared to 2 who participated in 2016 and 2015. Each business unit and functional group now has a marketing leader clearly aligned to their strategy and embedded in strategy development. A large part of the marketing transformation has been led by Morningstar veterans with over 5 years tenure and often more than 15 years of tenure who have stepped into expanded roles in product marketing, technical marketing, experience marketing, digital marketing, international marketing and operations. A common characteristic of all these leaders is that they have the executive confidence to challenge me and other executives on conventional wisdom and on new ideas—we welcome the debate. We have also created new opportunities for marketers in technology, behavioral sciences, video, user experience design, lead generation and communications. And we have developed and rolled out a broad-based talent program for marketers and non-marketers to see the opportunities in marketing to enhance their career progression. We have also provided broad-based negotiation and leadership training to help marketers develop their decision making and cross organizational collaboration skills. I am passionate and uncompromising about the strategic role marketing can play at Morningstar and the progress this team has made. I do realize that my personal conviction and direct style risks being interpreted as dogmatic. That is not my intent and I am sorry that I made such a negative impression on you personally. I value debate, I value people who question me and challenge each other thoughtfully and professionally, and I deeply value the dynamic Marketing team we have at Morningstar. They are having a tremendous impact and I expect considerably more to come. CMO