NEW YORK — The Holmes Report today launches the Influence 100 2018, which identifies, profiles and surveys the 100 most influential chief communications officers and chief marketing officers of leading brands around the world.

Now in its seventh year, the Influence 100 showcases the in-house communicators and marketers who have the most clout, in terms of their personal voice, their senior counsel to powerful CEOs, the status of the companies they work for, their budgets, and the agency hiring decisions they make.

In this first tranche of research, the report profiles all 100 influencers, and looks at their backgrounds, educations, early years, careers and the sectors they work in, from FMCG, finance and technology to energy, industry and healthcare.

This year, 58% of the influencers are from North America, 33% come from EMEA, and 10% are from Asia-Pacific. The list is made up of 38% women and 62% men, a 5% rise in the proportion of women on the list, but a worrying reflection nonetheless of the gender disparity that plagues the upper ranks of in-house departments.

Two further waves of insights, to be released in the coming days, will look at budgets, organisational structures, and how agencies are hired, followed by more in-depth qualitative research into the challenges and opportunities the influencers face, including a look at diversity, measurement, and their sources of inspiration.

The study will also identify the Crossover Stars – those former CCOs and CMOs who have taken the rare step of moving into a broader role within their organisation, along with Rising Stars: our annual list of ten potential CCOs of the future.

You can find the Influence 100 Profiles here, along with research into their backgrounds and demographics here.