CMO Accelerator | New York Edition

5-6 November 2026 | Part of the LIONS CMO Accelerator City Edition series

For marketing leaders shaping what’s next in marketing

The LIONS CMO Accelerator New York Edition is a two-day leadership experience for senior marketers building brands, driving growth and leading through change.

Part of the programme’s global series, this CMO Accelerator City Edition brings LIONS’ standard of creative marketing excellence to New York and convenes a select cohort of the region’s most influential marketing leaders. In an intimate, highly interactive setting, you’ll learn from world-class practitioners, challenge your thinking alongside peers and address the critical issues facing today’s CMO.

This is not a conference or a networking event. It’s a closed-room experience built for honest conversation, practical problem-solving and meaningful connection. Every session strengthens your leadership, sharpens your strategic perspective and increases your organisational impact.

Places are limited. Join the leaders defining marketing’s next era.

Pricing

Participation in this programme is US $1900 + sales tax. Application is crucial to secure your place in the CMO Accelerator New York Edition. Group pricing is limited and allocated on a first-come basis.

Get in touch

How it works

The programme begins on Thursday, 5 November, at 8:30am and runs until approximately 6pm, followed by networking and drinks. Friday's session runs from 8:30am-4:00pm. Breakfast and lunch are included on both days.

Before you arrive, we connect with each participant to understand your most pressing strategic challenges – the issues you are accountable for solving.
During the programme, you’ll work through these challenges in facilitated roundtable sessions with the Programme Director, ensuring each issue is addressed before you leave. Guest speakers from the senior marketing community across North America will share proven insights and engage directly with your questions.
By the end, you’ll have actionable strategies for driving growth, unlocking creative excellence and strengthening your leadership impact.

Built around the demands of modern marketing leadership

The CMO Accelerator is deliberately designed around three interconnected pillars. Each one gives you the perspective, tools and confidence to lead with greater creative and commercial impact.

Creative excellence

Strengthen your ability to champion ambitious ideas, build more effective partnerships and enable outstanding creative work to thrive.
Future-facing brand building

Explore the cultural, technological and commercial forces reshaping marketing – and what they mean for your entire strategy.
Personal and leadership development

Develop the influence, resilience and clarity to navigate the C-suite, lead through complexity and sustain your impact in one of business’s most demanding roles.

Your participation includes:

Two full days of immersive learning, featuring world-class speakers, interactive sessions, peer discussion and practical leadership development
A carefully curated cohort of senior marketing leaders, creating space for candid conversations, shared challenges and meaningful connections
Networking experiences designed to deepen relationships beyond the classroom
Access to the CMO Accelerator LinkedIn community, connecting you with fellow participants and the wider CMO Accelerator network
A three-month virtual reunion, bringing the cohort back together to reconnect, share progress and revisit the commitments made during the programme

Meet your Programme Director

Mark Kirkham

Mark Kirkham is Chief Marketing Officer for PepsiCo’s U.S. beverages business. In this role, he is responsible for brand/category strategies and marketing programs across PepsiCo’s $28B portfolio; including iconic brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lipton Iced Tea, and Starbucks RTD beverages. Prior to this role, he led the sparkling (CSD) portfolio across North America. Mark spent over eight years working internationally; leading beverage marketing outside of the US as Chief Marketing Officer, International Beverages, expanding our portfolio as VP of Global Sports, Juice, and Energy, and leading key regional teams as Head of Marketing & Innovation for Western Europe.

A 15-year veteran of PepsiCo, Mark has held a variety of marketing leadership roles at both the global, regional, and local levels. This included leading several global brands platforms such as Pepsi’s partnership with UEFA Champions League, the Pepsi Taste Challenge, expanding Gatorade and Mountain Dew across Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America, and developing many iconic brand campaigns around the world. He joined PepsiCo in 2010 leading new product innovation and packaging initiatives in the US and has since continued to develop award-winning brand building and innovation programs across the beverage’s portfolio.

Prior to joining PepsiCo, Mark held various roles at P&G included global brand/portfolio management, new product development and regional marketing and brand activation in both the US and Europe. Early in his career, Mark held roles in research, consulting and marketing communications at firms including Nielsen and Forrester Research.

Mark holds a BS in Communications from Boston University and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Connecticut. He has lectured and taught courses on marketing and global business strategy at Boston College, Boston University, Georgetown University, University of Wisconsin, and Trinity College in Dublin. Mark is based in Purchase, NY, loves sports, music, and travel. He has been married to his wife Jenn for over twenty years and has two beautiful daughters (Kylie 18, Brooke 16) and two furry sons Fenway and Dublin.