Patreon has promoted Mike McGarry to Chief Marketing Officer, the company’s first executive to hold the title. McGarry joined Patreon in early 2025 as the company’s first SVP of Marketing.

As CMO, McGarry will continue to oversee creator marketing, communications, experiential, events, social, video, and brand strategy. He led Patreon’s first fan-facing marketing strategy as the platform positions itself as a destination for fans and subcultures rather than solely a tool for creators, and has designed campaigns as collaborations with creators intended to fit their work and connect with their audiences.

“Since joining Patreon, Mike has completely redesigned our marketing strategy by proving no idea is too big, embodying our core values, and pushing creative boundaries,” said Paige Fitzgerald, Patreon’s Chief Operating Officer. “Under his leadership, the Marketing and Communications team has driven Patreon’s evolution into a network for fans and creators by building our first fan-facing marketing playbook, placing human creativity and creators’ businesses at the forefront of every campaign.”

McGarry described the company in similar terms in a LinkedIn post announcing the promotion. “Patreon isn’t a tech company. It is a creativity company,” he said. “I’m excited to step into the role of CMO to shine a light on the creativity of the team, amazing creators and the best fans on the internet.”

Before joining Patreon, McGarry was VP of Brand Marketing at Shake Shack, where he oversaw brand strategy, communications, social, design, media, ESG strategy and culinary strategy. He previously served as Group Director, Content and Creative at Coca-Cola, working on brands including smartwater, vitaminwater, Powerade and Simply juices.

McGarry was named a 2026 Campaign 40 Over 40 Awards honoree, and his Patreon work has been recognized by the 2026 Webby Awards, Shorty Awards and PRWeek Awards. Business Insider named him a rising star of brand marketing in 2023, and he was included in Ad Age’s 2017 40 Under 40.

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