Interview with outgoing Chair of CIM South East – Marketing Fusion’s Diana Tucker

Co-founder and Senior Director of Marketing Fusion, Diana Tucker at the end of her 6-year tenure as Chair of the South East Regional Board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). Having recently handed over to her successor, she shares her insights, passion for the profession, and why her journey with CIM doesn’t end here.

How and why did you become involved with CIM?

I first came across CIM while studying marketing at university, and got more involved with the volunteer network many years ago, as I started to climb the career ladder. It's a great way to meet other marketing professionals, but also to keep learning and growing, to stay at the top of my game. My involvement started by joining the CIM Surrey Committee, becoming Chair of the Surrey branch back in 2012 and then as Chair of the South East, CIM’s largest region, for the past 6 years.

Why is CIM so important to you?

Being a “Chartered Marketer” is a mark of professionalism and excellence.  Marketing is a serious profession and I’m passionate about getting that message out there, and in maintaining the professional standards we’ve built. It’s important to me that we support all our members with opportunities for professional development and lifelong learning.

What’s it like being on the Board?

As a voluntary position, being a Board member is a big responsibility on top of your regular workload, but it’s one I've found rewarding. I’ve been able to meet marketers from all different backgrounds who bring their own perspectives, ideas and expertise - from sole traders and agency owners, to corporate marketers from multi-national companies. I’ve learned so much from their insights and experiences and believe so passionately in our mission to elevate the status of the profession and support the marketers of the future.

What are the benefits of becoming a member of CIM?

We’re here for marketers at every stage of their career, helping them to stay informed in an industry prone to rapid change. We have over 20,000 members in more than 100 countries, so our contribution to the profession is significant. Our members receive support, training and representation. And we do our best to educate the business community in recognising and valuing the importance of professional marketing.

I feel particularly proud of our mentoring programme. As soon as you become a member you can apply to join the mentoring programme, no matter what stage of career you’re at. I feel a huge sense of responsibility to support others through mentoring, because everyone struggles at times, and my mentors helped me overcome my own career challenges. A mentor can help you see different paths, different avenues, different ways of looking at things. I think it’s a really important part of our work to commit to supporting each other in this way

What does it mean to be a Chartered Marketer?

The Chartered Marketer award is something that’s very close to my heart because it does so much for our professional status. It’s a mark of quality. Anyone who achieves Chartered Marketer status has to achieve our professional standards, which means employers and clients can have confidence in the abilities of that person. Plus, all Chartered Marketers have made a commitment to achieving a set level of ongoing professional development each year to maintain their status. So they don’t just know the basics, they know what’s at the forefront of current thinking and practice in the industry.

How has being a member of CIM helped you personally?

As an agency owner and Director, it gives me an assurance of quality. I know that if I recruit someone who is CIM qualified - they are going to have the core skills and ethos towards their role, marketing and our clients’ projects. 

CIM has also given me a peer network I can access at any time. I was elected to the status of Fellow in 2018, (we have over 550 Fellows in the South East), which has enabled me to develop a peer network that I wouldn't otherwise have access to. To share and discuss with other marketers in a non-competitive way? That’s invaluable.

And what have been the highlights of your time as chair?

Without doubt, building a team and seeing them be successful. I'm only as good as the Board members that I recruit and work with. I’ve got to meet some incredibly talented people who are totally outside of my own B2B technology niche. The Board members are so diverse, a real melting pot, and it’s unlikely I would have met them were it not for CIM. It’s essential to have that range of experience, so we can offer the same level of support to all - from corporate marketers, agency teams and freelancers alike.

So, what’s next for you and CIM?

I will continue supporting CIM in any way I can. I’m always going to be passionate about helping the marketers of the future - and that’s not going to change any time soon. For now, I'm taking on a new role on the South East board.