Uncensored CMO: Syl Saller CBE on Balancing Life, Leadership & Making the Right Career Moves
Podcast Host: Jon Evans
Guest: Syl Saller CBE, former Global CMO at Diageo, coach, leadership developer
Date: February 11, 2026
Episode Overview
In this rich and candid episode, Jon Evans sits down with Syl Saller, former Global CMO of Diageo and one of the most respected leaders in marketing. Now an executive coach, Syl opens up about her remarkable career, digs into the realities of leadership at the highest levels, and offers hard-won advice on navigating pivotal career moves, balancing the demands of work and life, and recognizing the importance of self-awareness and resilience.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Reality of a Global CMO Role
[01:06]
- Syl describes the Diageo CMO role as “one of the best CMO roles in the business,” encompassing global brands, innovation, R&D, digital, and marketing services:
“You really feel like you can make a difference to growth. It’s an enormous job. And... you can only do it if you know it’s not all about you. It’s about the people you have working for you.” — Syl [01:30]
- She shares her approach: leading as a coach, aiming to make every conversation—even hard ones—constructive.
2. Navigating Difficult Conversations
[02:57]
- Syl and Jon discuss the natural fear leaders have regarding tough feedback and how she learned to handle it with honesty and skill:
“Would you rather find out later that something’s not going well? I hate when people surprise people with bad performance evaluations... My goal was that people could trust they’d get the honest answer, hopefully delivered with skill.” — Syl [01:53]
- She advises picturing the impact of tough conversations and being specific and coaching-oriented:
“It’s never just one conversation... Ultimately you are helping the person.” — Syl [03:22]
3. Life and Challenge at Board Level
[04:13]
- Syl explains that success at board level comes from thinking about the company as a whole, not just marketing:
“You have to be thinking about the total company. If you’re not seeing things from the highest level... you’re not going to be as successful.” — Syl [04:18]
- Highlights the importance of managing relationships, especially with the CEO, and ensuring your team is high-caliber to support your extended responsibilities.
4. Managing Up: The CEO Relationship
[05:04]
- Syl reflects on her relationship with Diageo’s late CEO, Ivan Menezes, revealing the delicate act of matching different working styles:
“He’s a provocateur, and I’m a deliverer... If you’re built differently, it’s up to you to bridge that gap.” — Syl [06:29]
- She stresses the importance of honest conversations with your boss:
“Have you talked to them about that? ... You have to bridge that gap by having an honest conversation.” — Syl [06:40]
Memorable anecdote:
- Ivan’s first email: “Dear Syl, please see me tomorrow with £200 million of ideas that will generate revenue in this year.” — [07:10]
- Syl’s reply:
“Let me reach into my sack of £200 million ideas that I haven’t told you about.” — Syl [07:35]
- On handling the CEO’s barrage of ideas:
“One thing a CMO has to do is to really decide. Stick or twist.” — Syl [08:19]
5. Building Positive Relationships With Senior Stakeholders
[09:51]
- Don't just project issues upwards—offer solutions and see things from the top perspective.
- Encourage your team to present issues and solutions directly to senior leaders, helping them develop influencing skills:
“If you’re protecting your senior leaders who report to you, you’re literally protecting them from their success.” — Syl [10:07]
6. Leadership and Self-Awareness: Personal Journey
[12:54]
- Syl shares her “pretty humble beginnings” and how her childhood insecurity around chaos (her father’s alcoholism) influenced her as a leader.
- She emphasizes the value of reflection and understanding how your upbringing shapes your leadership style:
“Leaders really need to understand how they grew up affects them as leaders.” — Syl [13:20]
- Her personal leadership mantra:
“Deep belief in myself and others sets me free.” — Syl [15:07]
7. Bringing Humanity to Leadership
[17:54]
- Make it safe for people to be open—defuse tension by acknowledging power dynamics and focusing on helping:
“I’m here to help and just try to know what people are feeling, burst that bubble and have them feel safe to say what they want and talk about the problems, not just what’s going great.” — Syl [17:54]
8. Career Planning, Fear & Growth
[19:06]
- On not having a master plan early in her career, Syl encourages listeners to have plans with options and to regularly assess and build necessary skills.
- Advice on growth:
“The reason sometimes we’re scared of that next job is because we don’t think we’re going to be very good at it... growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Syl [20:33]
- On “imposter syndrome”:
“It’s not a syndrome. It is what’s called being human... That negative inner voice is wired to protect us. But we have a choice whether or not to listen to it.” — Syl [21:48]
9. Self-Discovery, Purpose, and Evaluating Opportunities
[25:55]
- Syl describes her coaching tools for career reflection, including:
- Determining financial needs and purpose (“what gets you out of bed in the morning”).
- Using tools like the “Wheel of Life” to assess satisfaction and set personal goals.
- Creating a criteria spreadsheet for job opportunities: role, culture, and strategic set-up.
- On picking the right role:
“If you have half of what you want and who is backing you, that’s critical.” — Syl [31:37]
- Sometimes unexpected setbacks (like losing a job) are catalysts for best-fit opportunities:
“These are the times that make you.” — Syl [32:22]
10. Work-Life Balance vs. Making Life Work
[34:50]
- Syl reframes work-life balance as “making your life work,” stressing creativity, support networks, and conscious choices:
“My life’s work was not building a great career... My life’s work was building the family that I didn’t have growing up.” — Syl [36:08]
- On practical creativity:
“Your job [as an au pair] is to ensure we have as much time as possible with our children... Anything that I could delegate, I would.” — Syl [35:04]
- The importance of checking in with loved ones about what they actually need:
“Ask your children, what do they need? ... Get in conversation with them.” — Syl [37:47]
11. Knowing When to Move On
[39:05]
- On leaving Diageo, Syl prioritized internal succession and her desire to focus on leadership development over board governance:
“What’s important to me? I love leadership development and making a difference in people’s lives.” — Syl [39:35]
12. Coaching and Scaled Impact
[40:23]
- Now, Syl works as an accredited coach, focusing on elevating those already performing well to achieve their dreams.
- She contributes pro bono to the Marketing Academy’s CMO to CEO Fellowship and runs a widely praised online program (with co-author Thomas Barta) to democratize access to senior-level marketing wisdom.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
Facing tough conversations:
“Picture what it’s going to be like when you have to have the really difficult conversation... you are helping the person.” — Syl [03:08]
-
On impostor syndrome:
“It’s not a syndrome, it’s not a disease, it is what’s called being human. And that negative inner voice is wired to protect us.” — Syl [21:48]
-
Advice for career moves:
“Growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Syl [20:33]
-
On leadership style:
“Deep belief in myself and others sets me free.” — Syl [15:07]
-
On relationships:
“Relationships help build your resilience because you have support. Focus on results, because it is always about that delivery, and it becomes a flywheel of success.” — Syl [44:46]
Timestamps for Key Sections
- Intro & CMO Role: [00:45]–[02:57]
- Difficult Conversations: [02:57]–[04:13]
- Board Level Experience: [04:13]–[06:29]
- CEO Relationship & Managing Up: [05:04]–[09:11]
- Fostering Team Success: [09:51]–[11:48]
- Personal Backstory & Leadership Growth: [12:54]–[17:54]
- Coaching and Feedback Culture: [17:54]–[19:06]
- Career Planning, Risk & Fear: [19:06]–[21:42]
- Reframing Imposter Syndrome: [21:42]–[25:55]
- Purpose, Planning & Opportunity Evaluation: [25:55]–[33:55]
- Work-Life Integration: [34:50]–[37:22]
- Family Reflection & Succession: [37:47]–[39:35]
- Coaching and Scale Impact: [40:23]–[43:12]
- Top Three Pieces of Advice: [43:28]–[45:26]
Top Three Pieces of Advice (from Syl)
[43:28]
-
Stop talking about the imposter syndrome:
Reflect, understand, and work on specific confidence gaps rather than labeling yourself. -
Swing out big:
Don’t play it safe—be bold, stretch beyond your comfort zone, and learn as you go. -
Focus on the three R’s:
- Relationships
- Results
- Resilience
These are the foundation of career progression and success.
Tone & Final Thoughts
Syl’s tone throughout is warm, direct, and deeply human. She balances humility about her own story with straight-talking advice and an emphasis on the power of self-reflection and action. The episode is loaded with practical frameworks, relatable stories, and memorable, quotable nuggets, making it essential listening (and reading) for anyone striving for meaningful, sustainable success in marketing and leadership.