Chief marketing officers’ discretion and firms’ internationalization: An empirical investigation

While venturing into international markets to seek new growth opportunities has long been part of boardroom discussions, international business research has paid less attention to the role of key individuals in the organization (Foss & Pedersen, 2019) and how managerial actions may affect internationalization, i.e., “the process of increasing involvement in international operations” (Welch & Luostarinen, 1993: 156). Among the key individuals responsible for the internationalization of an MNE, the role of the CMO is frequently discussed in the popular press. Whether it is MasterCard’s transformation to a multisensory brand experience in India1 or Google’s co-marketing efforts in China2, CMOs have been credited with global brands’ successful internationalization efforts.