A VP of Marketing is a senior marketing leader who owns the demand generation programme, brand, and marketing team performance in a B2B company. The VP of Marketing typically reports to the CMO (in large companies) or directly to the CEO (in growth-stage companies that do not yet have a CMO). They are accountable for marketing-sourced pipeline, campaign execution, brand presence, content strategy, and the marketing team's performance against quarterly and annual targets.
What does a VP of Marketing do?
- Demand generation ownership: own the strategy and execution of all pipeline-generating marketing activities -- paid, organic, content, events, and partner
- Marketing team leadership: hire, develop, and manage a marketing team of 4-15 people across demand gen, content, product marketing, and brand
- Marketing-sales alignment: partner with the VP of Sales and CRO to align on MQL definitions, pipeline targets, and handoff processes
- Budget management: own and allocate the marketing budget across channels, programs, and headcount
- Brand and positioning: own the company's external brand voice, messaging, and visual identity
- Marketing operations: oversee the marketing tech stack (CRM, marketing automation, analytics) and data hygiene
- Board reporting: in many growth-stage companies, the VP of Marketing presents marketing performance to the board alongside the CEO and VP of Sales
VP of Marketing vs CMO
In large or public companies, the CMO is a C-suite executive with board visibility, full commercial strategy responsibility (potentially including pricing, product strategy, and international expansion), and peer relationships with the CEO, CFO, and CTO. The VP of Marketing is a function head who executes marketing strategy and reports to the CMO. In growth-stage companies (Series A-C), many companies hire a VP of Marketing rather than a CMO -- the CMO title is often reserved for when the company has multiple marketing VPs and needs a senior executive to coordinate across them.
VP of Marketing vs Director of Marketing
The Director of Marketing manages a functional sub-team (demand generation, content, product marketing) within the marketing organisation. The VP of Marketing manages multiple Directors and owns the full marketing function. The VP makes budget and headcount decisions; the Director executes within the budget set by the VP. In smaller companies (below 50 employees), there may be no Director layer -- the VP directly manages individual contributors.
VP of Marketing salary in India
VP of Marketing salaries in India range from INR 30-50 LPA at growth-stage B2B SaaS companies (Series A-B) to INR 50-80 LPA at well-funded Series C+ companies. At global SaaS companies operating in India with India-facing marketing budgets, VP of Marketing roles can reach INR 80-120 LPA. Variable compensation (bonus or RSUs) represents 20-30% of total compensation for most VP of Marketing roles.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a VP of Marketing?
- A VP of Marketing is a senior marketing leader who owns demand generation, brand, and marketing team performance in a B2B company. They are accountable for marketing-sourced pipeline, campaign execution, content strategy, and the marketing team's results. In growth-stage companies, they often report directly to the CEO; in larger companies, they report to the CMO.
- What is the difference between a VP of Marketing and a CMO?
- A CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a C-suite executive with full commercial strategy responsibility and board visibility. In large companies, the CMO manages multiple VP-level marketing leaders. The VP of Marketing is a function head who executes marketing strategy and owns specific outcomes (pipeline, brand, marketing team). In growth-stage companies, many hire a VP of Marketing rather than a CMO and only create the CMO role when there are multiple marketing VPs to coordinate.
- What does a VP of Marketing own in a B2B SaaS company?
- In a B2B SaaS company, the VP of Marketing typically owns: demand generation (all channels that create pipeline), brand and messaging, marketing team hiring and development, the marketing technology stack, the marketing budget, and the relationship with sales on pipeline targets and MQL handoffs. Their primary KPIs are marketing-sourced pipeline, MQL volume and quality, marketing-influenced ARR, and website traffic and conversion rates.
- What is a VP of Marketing salary in India?
- VP of Marketing salaries in India range from INR 30-50 LPA at Series A-B growth-stage companies, INR 50-80 LPA at Series C+ companies, and INR 80-120 LPA at global SaaS companies with large India-facing marketing budgets. Variable pay (performance bonus or stock options) typically represents 20-30% of total compensation, tied to marketing-sourced pipeline and overall company revenue performance.
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