The event will bring together 120 industry-leading CMOs to discuss the theme of "The Risk of Playing it Safe."

NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 15, 2026 / Business Insider will host its flagship CMO Insider Breakfast at SPORT BEACH on June 23, 2026. The highly anticipated event will convene senior marketing leaders for a timely and candid discussion centered on this year's theme, "The Risk of Playing It Safe." Reflecting Business Insider's authoritative perspective on the evolving business landscape, the conversation will explore the growing tension between caution and bold decision-making, examining how risk aversion can hinder innovation, impact brand relevance, and limit growth.

Business Insider's CMO Breakfast will convene senior marketing leaders navigating an unusually complex set of tradeoffs-where to invest, how to manage backlash, how to operate under tighter budgets, and how to keep growth at the center. In a year shaped by AI acceleration, economic pressure, cultural volatility, and fragmented attention, the conversation will focus on a central tension: the instinct to play it safe versus the risk of standing still. The discussion will surface how leading CMOs are making sharper, more deliberate bets and what those choices signal about the future of marketing leadership.

"At Business Insider, we help millions of ambitious, curious people understand the world and get ahead in it," said Christian Baesler, interim CEO of Business Insider. "The leaders and companies we cover every day know that meaningful growth rarely comes from playing it safe. We're excited to bring together some of the brightest minds in marketing to talk about the decisions that make or break brands in today's intensely competitive global economy."

"The Business Insider CMO Breakfast is a cornerstone of SPORT BEACH in Cannes and we are proud to welcome it back for a third year," said Beth Sidhu, CEO, SPORT BEACH. "Sport is defined by the willingness to take risks to win-and the same is true for today's most effective brands. We look forward to hosting Business Insider for another standout gathering of the industry's most influential marketing leaders as they challenge convention and push the boundaries of what's possible."

Speakers joining this year's breakfast include:

Bill Ready, CEO, Pinterest

Manu Orssaud, CMO, Duolingo

Elizabeth Rutledge, CMO, American Express

Fabiola Torres, CMO, Gap Brand

Sean Downey, President, Americas and Global Partners, Google

AdamW, Creator and Entrepreneur

Additional event details are provided below. The Business Insider CMO Breakfast is an invitation-only event. Those interested in attending are encouraged to complete the registration form, and a member of the Business Insider team will follow up accordingly.

Location: La Plage du Festival Cannes, France

When: Tuesday, June 23; 9:00 - 11:00 AM

Who: By invitation-only, please reach out to RSVP@businessinsider.com for details.

The 2026 CMO Insider Breakfast is supported by BCG as the Founding Sponsor and LinkedIn and PayPal as Contributing Sponsors.

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About Business Insider

Business Insider is returning for its annual invitation-only CMO Insider breakfast on Tuesday morning at SPORT BEACH. This year's breakfast will dive into the risk of playing it safe, highlighting marketing and technology leaders who have pushed the boundaries to connect with consumers. Business Insider Editor-in-Chief Jamie Heller and Anchor Lara O'Reilly will lead informative, interactive interviews with top industry guests. The breakfast will also celebrate Business Insider's "Most Innovative CMOs" list, which will be published during the Cannes Lions festival. CMO Insider has recently expanded beyond an annual live event and video series into a weekly newsletter for marketing leaders, anchored by Lara O'Reily. Business Insider is a leading global news brand renowned for its coverage of business, technology, and innovation, helping millions of readers get more out of their careers and lives through award-winning journalism.

About SPORT BEACH

Considered the authoritative voice on sports marketing, SPORT BEACH connects athletes, brands and creatives for curated experiences and conversations that drive growth at the intersection of sport, brand and culture. Launched in 2022 at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity by Stagwell (STGW), SPORT BEACH is now a year-round ecosystem spanning live events, brand activations, thought leadership programming, and a meetings and facilitation practice. Its convenings at the world's most influential cultural and sporting moments serve as incubators for new partnerships, breakthrough creative, and industry-defining conversations. Learn more at sportbeach.com and follow us on Instagram @sportbeachco

Contact:

Business Insider

Ari Isaacman D'Angelo
adangelo@businessinsider.com

SPORT BEACH

Paige Graham
paige.graham@sportbeach.com

SOURCE: Stagwell

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Business Insider's CMO Insider Breakfast Returns To Sport Beach For Cannes 2026