The largest firms now are shelling out more to lure and keep top marketing managers. Sidley's generous pay package generated a lot of gossip, but the firm is not the only national one throwing a big bone to its marketing top dog. She declines to say whether Sidley participated.
Competition is especially fierce right now in Chicago.
The higher pay follows from a limited supply of talent during a time of increasing competition and innovation. And the thirst for business development expertise now seems greater than the demand for associates in 2000. That's because few top marketers have the skills needed to survive amid big firms' baroque politics. And few have the patience to endure the hesitation and lack of consensus that partners tend to exhibit in a rapidly changing market. Along with the high salaries have come some pretty lofty-sounding job descriptions.