• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead

2

The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line

3

Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline

1

He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead

2

The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line

3

Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
TechMost Powerful Women

IBM Names First-Ever Chief Marketing Officer

Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2016, 1:29 PM ET
IBM chief marketing officer Michelle Peluso
IBM chief marketing officer Michelle PelusoIBM
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

IBM’s first chief marketing officer is Michelle Peluso, the former chief executive of flash-sale site Gilt, now part of the Hudson Bay Company.

The company formerly had senior leaders of its marketing efforts, but the CMO title is new. Peluso will report to Jon Iwata, IBM’s senior vice president for marketing and communications.

Peluso is “the ideal leader to accelerate and build on” IBM’s efforts to transform itself and its marketing, Iwata says.

She was most recently a venture partner at Technology Crossover Ventures, which she joined last May. But she has marketing experience from an earlier stint as Citigroup’s global consumer chief marketing and Internet officer.

Peluso’s Gilt pedigree indicates a consumer focus, which may come in handy as IBM (IBM) seeks to put a consumer-friendly face on business applications of all kinds.

It also comes as IBM is pushing Watson, its artificial intelligence star technology, as a way to ease virtually all modern jobs from medical research to shopping.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily technology newsletter.

Over the past few years or so, the role of chief marketing officer has evolved and grown considerably. Once seen as the people in charge of brochures and email campaigns, chief marketers are now getting considerable budget to get things done faster, without having to go through traditional IT channels.

That means they have more money to spend on tech services, in particular for things like customer relationship management or sales tracking software. The feeling has been that traditional IT departments were too slow moving to help companies that need to be fast on their feet to survive.

For more on IBM, read: IBM Vows Transparency on Financial Reporting, With One Big Exception

So why is IBM creating the chief marketing officer role now, at the ripe old age of 105? According to a company statement, the move signals the “transformation of marketing—investing in digital skills, using data to deeply understand clients … and building consumer-grade experiences.”

For more on Watson, watch:

IBM is no slouch when it comes to marketing. Its campaigns around Watson, for example, are the envy of competitors. Steve Gold is the chief marketing officer for the Watson business unit, so while there was no corporate CMO up till now, there have been people who carry the title at the business group level.

About the Author
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Tech

Jensen Huang speaks into a microphone
SuccessCareers
Jensen Huang says this is the greatest time in history to start a business—and his advice is to stop overthinking it: ‘How hard can it be?’
By Preston ForeJuly 31, 2026
5 minutes ago
An Apple flagship store
InvestingCFO Daily
Apple shows that AI winners don’t have to build the biggest models
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 31, 2026
2 hours ago
mn
Cybersecuritycyber
Iran-style hackers shut down a Minnesota town’s water plant. Only the water tower saved it
By Jamie Stengle, Eric Tucker and The Associated PressJuly 31, 2026
2 hours ago
u
AIcyber
Brussels responds to explosion of AI risks with a new team of 38 bureaucrats
By Sam McNeil and The Associated PressJuly 31, 2026
3 hours ago
zoox
InnovationRobots
A robotaxi with no steering wheel just got the green light to charge you for a ride
By Josh Funk, Ty O'Neil and The Associated PressJuly 31, 2026
3 hours ago
Tim Cook’s last quarter as Apple CEO: record iPhone sales, stock still falls
Big TechMarkets
Tim Cook’s last quarter as Apple CEO: record iPhone sales, stock still falls
By Barbara Ortutay and The Associated PressJuly 31, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead
Success
He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead
By Preston ForeJuly 29, 2026
2 days ago
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
Retail
The rise of 'conspicuous waiting': The 19th-century economic theory that explains why Gen Z posts their place in line
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 31, 2026
9 hours ago
Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
Retail
Costco's $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
By Sydney LakeJuly 29, 2026
2 days ago
Tim Cook signed off on his final Apple earnings call with a warning about a ‘hundred year flood’ in memory chip pricing
Big Tech
Tim Cook signed off on his final Apple earnings call with a warning about a ‘hundred year flood’ in memory chip pricing
By Alexei OreskovicJuly 30, 2026
15 hours ago
'Am I paying for the vibes?' Gen Z says it hates capitalism, but their spending patterns show they just don't like being ripped off
Retail
'Am I paying for the vibes?' Gen Z says it hates capitalism, but their spending patterns show they just don't like being ripped off
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 30, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 30, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 30, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 30, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.