Last week, the Marketing + Media Alliance hosted the first MMA MENA CMO Connect/Dinner, a closed-door exchange with a small group of CMOs and senior marketing leaders.

What became immediately clear is that the challenges facing marketing leaders are no longer tactical. They are structural. Across discussions on AI, data, attribution and organisational design, the common thread was not “what tool should we use next?” but “how do we build organisations that can operate responsibly and coherently in an increasingly complex environment?”

CMOs are balancing acceleration with accountability. They are under pressure to drive measurable growth while safeguarding trust, brand equity, and long-term value. They are doing so in ecosystems that are more fragmented and regulated than ever.

These conversations matter because they move beyond surface trends. They allow leaders to speak candidly about what is genuinely difficult, from measurement credibility to talent gaps, and to collaborate on solutions.

This is precisely why the MMA Think Tanks and CMO Connect communities exist: not to observe change, but to shape it.