RBC’s Sean Kellenberger on Skills Aspiring CMOs Need to Lead

Snapshot: Sean Kellenberger, SVP and head of U.S. marketing and brand strategy at RBC Wealth Management, believes the best leadership begins with hiring great people and getting out of their way. Speaking at a Deloitte event for rising marketing leaders,

Kellenberger emphasized emotional intelligence and enterprise agility as core qualities for future CMOs. He argued that success comes less from deep marketing expertise and more from understanding your organization, listening well, and connecting with others. Aspiring leaders should embrace unconventional career paths and avoid unhealthy comparisons, focusing instead on curiosity and resilience. He also encouraged marketers to build strong stakeholder relationships by understanding what drives their colleagues rather than insisting on marketing’s relevance. Underscoring the importance of internal storytelling, he said, helps financial advisors and other partners see how marketing can elevate their client conversations.

Personally, Kellenberger stays energized through running, walking with his wife, and taking time to celebrate wins. He also prioritizes mentoring and building up the next generation of marketers. His guiding principle? Keep making “deposits in the emotional bank account”—because leadership is as much about encouragement as it is about execution.

Full interview: WSJ