C-Suite Sales & Marketing Perspectives

Episode #359:

Ashish Babu, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for Global Markets at Tata Consultancy Services, explains how clear direction and customer relationships strengthen B2B marketing. He shares practical ways to uncover insights through conversations and make more deliberate marketing investments. His examples show how memorable experiences and consistent care help marketers build trust, support customers, and become stronger growth partners.

“A simple message, how you make them feel, and how you repeat that on a consistent basis. I think that's going to be the key for us to be a good marketer, where we wi...

Episode #358:

Paula Carneiro Cox, Chief Marketing Officer at WonderBotz, explains why effective B2B marketing starts with a clear business outcome. She shares how measuring her team on meetings gives content and campaigns a shared commercial direction. The conversation explores how marketing supports buyer decisions, learns from sales conversations, and applies AI with purpose. Paula also explains how aligning marketing priorities with company objectives strengthens the CMO’s contribution to growth.

“Make sure that you understand what the company's north star is, and then put the puzzle pieces in place to point in that direction. I th...

Episode #357:

Jordan Bulkoski, Chief Revenue Officer at Jeeves, explains how executives can challenge the assumptions shaping their growth strategy. He connects team performance with internal trust, customer feedback, and AI that gives people more time for meaningful work. Drawing on his leadership experience, he encourages CROs to reconsider markets, products, and incentives when familiar approaches no longer produce the outcomes their business needs.

“Changing the rules of the game or making extreme decisions may cause friction that may be unexpected, that may not be the obvious choice, but then it creates a new reality that ev...

Episode #356:

Brandon Salisbury, Chief Revenue Officer at Tilt, explains how shared revenue accountability brings sales and marketing together around the same outcomes. He connects customer research, early buyer education, and stage-based measurement to a more coordinated go-to-market strategy. Drawing on his experience across both functions, he also shares why strong fundamentals and committed investment matter more than chasing the latest tools.

“We wanted to make sure that we viewed our departments almost like a revenue factory. Marketing is going out, generating and creating these opportunities that we're then handing off and passing to sales. The go...

Episode #355

Alex Wakefield, Chief Revenue Officer at AcuityMD, shares how a deeper understanding of customers can create stronger relationships and support revenue growth. He explains why research, meaningful conversations, and consistent value help sales teams earn customer trust. Alex also discusses how bringing customer-facing teams into the sales process creates a more connected experience.

“The way to become a trusted advisor is not to lose focus on the trust piece. Be transparent with your customers and prospects, constantly providing them insights, being selfless, and helping them.” — Alex Wakefield

This conversation explores how customer intima...

Episode #354:

Yariv Drori, Chief Marketing Officer at Multiview, shares why B2B companies need to focus on the results their customers want. He explains how technology, services, and execution work together to deliver those outcomes. The conversation explores why vendors should take greater ownership of customer success. Yariv also discusses how teams and partners can align around a shared business objective.

“The result should be the objective, and then you build a business model that supports that result.” — Yariv Drori

This conversation explores how B2B companies can move beyond delivering technology to help c...

Episode #353:

Jay Manciocchi, Chief Marketing Officer, AI-Native Business and Platforms Unit at Wipro, explains the alignment challenges technology alone cannot solve. He connects shared revenue goals, customer insights, and reliable account data with stronger ABM execution. His examples show why human creativity, ongoing training, and effective change management remain essential as teams adopt AI to support personalization and revenue growth.

“You got to move to what I would call a unified go-to-market framework that's really driven by shared metrics, content governance, good practices, and ultimately integrated workflows. It’s a shared responsibility.” - Jay Manciocchi

W...

Episode #352:

Michelle Sidwell, Chief Revenue Officer at Velo3D, explains how customer collaboration helped reshape the company’s go-to-market strategy during a difficult turnaround. She describes moving beyond printer sales to help customers qualify parts, enter production, and build lasting manufacturing partnerships. Her central lesson is that sustainable growth requires aligned customer priorities, internal teams, investment, and execution as the business changes.

“Sustainable growth comes from alignment. If you have to align what the customer needs with what matters strategically to their business, then you have to align your own people's investment and execution around deli...

Episode #351:

Milja Saarimaa, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Midagon, explores how short-term pipeline priorities can overshadow the relationships that support lasting revenue. She discusses earning buyer trust, expanding existing customer relationships, and bringing customer insights into leadership decisions. She encourages executives to connect departmental efforts around shared business goals while making marketing’s contribution to growth clear.

“95% of the buyers are not buying at the moment, but we still need to build the trust, the reputation, the brand with them. When they become the 5% in the buying stage and are making the shortlist, we need to a...

Episode #350:

Irina Nicoleta Scarlat, Chief Marketing Officer at Improbable, explores why growing companies struggle when familiar playbooks no longer fit their size, customers, or market conditions. She connects sustainable growth with product delivery, authentic communication, customer listening, and retention. Her advice challenges executives to rethink established habits, align teams around customer success, and use experience to learn faster while remaining open to unfamiliar approaches.

“The people that are going to succeed are the people that are humble enough to not be tied to how they've done things before, and resilient enough to try and fail un...

Episode #349:

Alysha McCree, Head of Marketing at FPT Americas, explains why simply claiming AI leadership no longer sets a company apart. She shares how domain knowledge, governance, and meaningful outcomes can demonstrate real value. Alysha discusses adapting marketing as buyers use AI to evaluate vendors and rely on outside sources for trust. She also describes using AI and company data to improve decisions, equip teams, and assess future events.

“The whole point of it all isn’t that you just put yourself out there as an AI leader. You really have to prove it by show...

Episode #348:

David Carrel, Former Global Marketing Leader at Thomson Reuters, Adobe, and AWS, explains how category leadership goes beyond thought leadership to shape how a market thinks. He outlines the foundations, from identifying a market shift and proving value through the product to building a shared narrative and company-wide operating system. He also explains how customer insight and cross-functional accountability help turn market leadership into action.

“I view category leadership as shaping the market from the early days, beyond any one aspect or topic. It means shaping the mental model customers and the market use to...

Episode #347:

Melanie Zmetek Naconecy de Souza, Chief Marketing Officer at AERTEC, explains why customer obsession begins with clarity. She shares how purpose, shared customer understanding, and brand consistency align complex B2B organizations. Her perspective shows how marketing can build trust before a sales conversation begins.

“A stronger brand can build trust. I think that’s the role of B2B marketing because the relationship with the client is built in a very long cycle, in a very personal way. The customer relationship is not only rational, but it’s emotional as well. Brands have this a...

Episode #346:

Ashley Deibert, a three-time Chief Marketing Officer, explains why customers are one of the most valuable growth assets B2B companies often underuse. She shares how loyalty, advocacy, and ongoing customer partnership can protect revenue while creating trust with future buyers. Ashley also explains why long-term growth requires patience, quick wins, and a customer voice that shapes every part of the business.

“Sustainable growth isn't something you do to customers, it's something you build with them. The companies that listen to their customers and bring them into the journey, earn their trust, are the on...

Episode #345:

Charlie Harris, Chief Marketing Officer at Connective3, explains why past success cannot define a company’s next growth strategy. She shares how direct conversations with enterprise buyers revealed new challenges, changed positioning, and strengthened internal decisions. Charlie also explores the revenue impact of customer insight, executive events, thought leadership, and LLM search.

“We have to think about what's happening outside of our world, and then how do we better position ourselves to tackle those challenges. Those conversations are the evidence I need to be able to come back and have growth conversations quite confidently.” - Char...

Episode #344:

Vincent Placer, Chief Executive Officer at Teletech, explains why customer conversations should be treated as a source of business value, not simply a customer service cost. He shares how companies can use the voice of the customer to identify churn risk, uncover growth opportunities, and improve the customer experience. He also explores how AI can turn thousands of customer interactions into actionable insight.

“Customer experience is interesting because it is within the business of acquiring or retaining your customers. It is not just listening to fix problems. It is also to say we could gi...

Episode #343:

Tim Farrel, Chief Sales Officer at Soleo, explains why customer obsession is the operating logic behind sustainable revenue growth. He shares how companies can replace heroic wins with repeatable systems, build trust before buyers are ready, and align teams around customer needs. Tim also explores how AI can reveal intent within customer conversations. The human relationship remains essential to every outcome.

“The revenue problems are not always just a sales problem. We need to be listening to the customer to bring everything we have planned and visioned down into execution.” - Tim Farrel

Ti...

Episode #342:

Jan Willem Doornbos, Chief Marketing Officer at Nomentia, explains why sustainable B2B growth starts with strong foundations. He shares how customer outcomes can align sales and marketing around a common direction. Jan Willem also outlines why companies must build trust with future buyers and create distinctive marketing before demand becomes visible.

“Our job as marketers is to earn a place on that shortlist before a buyer even raises their hand. We are not just capturing demand; we are creating future demand. It’s tempting to focus only on the 5% who are buying today, but...

Episode #341:

Amy Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at TRG, explains why strong sales and marketing alignment cannot be created through shared dashboards alone. She shares how daily relationships, honest discussion, customer understanding, and shared accountability make collaboration real. Her approach positions marketing as an active partner in every important commercial conversation.

“The more that you can market authentically, the better you are, and the only way that kind of reality comes true is that you hear both sides and you really listen and you really understand that both sales and marketing are striving for excellence.” - Amy...

Episode #340:

James Nester, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Director of Client Advocacy at MCNC, explains why the modern CMO must become a chief growth architect. He shares how deep customer understanding can connect marketing, sales, product, and customer success around shared business outcomes. The conversation explores why customer empathy, trust, and internal alignment are becoming essential competitive advantages. James also outlines how customer intelligence can turn a fragmented organization into a unified revenue engine.

“The revenue engine isn’t a piece of technology. It’s what happens when the organization is aligned around the customer and th...

Episode #339:

Michael Gumiela, Chief Revenue Officer at Rabine, explains why customer obsession is a revenue strategy, not simply a service mindset. He shares how trust, honest conversations, and operational expertise create lasting customer relationships. Michael also outlines how AI can strengthen preparation while sales leaders balance renewals, expansion, and new business.

“Without the customer, the revenue doesn’t happen. The obsession part comes from learning your customer and what truly will help them, and then the revenue comes after that.” - Michael Gumiela

Michael explains why revenue leaders must earn trust long before a buyi...

Episode #338:

Vlad Berson, Chief Marketing Officer at SOLVE, explains why ABM is an enterprise-wide go-to-market motion, not a marketing program. He outlines the alignment, skills, and long-term investment needed to earn executive trust. He also shows why strong segmentation and buyer relevance create the foundation for sustainable enterprise growth.

“ABM does not save you money. ABM gives you opportunity for bigger returns. For these types of programs to be successful, you have to over-invest in all of the people that are involved.” - Vlad Berson

Vlad Berson shares a practical view of ABM matu...

Episode #337:

Maxime Guirauton, Vice President, Global Head of Marketing and Sales Development at Visa Direct, explains why growth extends beyond the initial sale. He shares how connected marketing, sales development, brand, and customer success teams improve customer value and revenue outcomes. The conversation explores the bow-tie journey, buyer trust, opportunity quality, and healthy commercial tension.

“Bringing together marketing and sales development into one department is when you create a healthy tension between sales and marketing. The power of marketing is bringing all of this together to serve your business and act as a business partner.” - Ma...

Episode #336:

Liz Emmott, Chief Revenue Officer at CIBT, explores how commercial leaders can rebuild revenue organizations amid changing technology and buyer expectations. She explains why customer understanding, internal trust, and expert collaboration create meaningful differentiation. Her perspective shows how aligned teams can build credibility, improve the customer experience, and drive sustainable revenue growth.

“Being able to articulate, understand, and speak the language of our customers and prospects is actually the only way we are going to win. We have to demonstrate that we know their industry better than they do, and this is why they ne...

Episode #335:

Stephanie Crockett, President and CEO at Eric Mower + Associates, explains why customer obsession should influence decisions across the entire organization. She explores how customer intelligence can align teams, reduce risk, strengthen trust, and support bolder decisions. Stephanie also shows how CMOs can turn the voice of the customer into greater strategic influence and sustainable growth.

“That's where the revenue comes. It's about creating products and services, front of the house and back of the house, where all of the things that a customer experiences demonstrate that obsession with their needs.” - Stephanie Crockett

Cu...

Episode #334:

Zach Calef, Chief Revenue Officer at Infinity, explains how customer obsession becomes a practical revenue strategy. He explores client economics, strategic alignment, innovation, trust, human capital, and disciplined execution. Zach shows why understanding what customers truly need can help revenue teams differentiate, strengthen relationships, and build repeatable growth.

“The obsession is where it starts, and without the obsession, you're going to minimize the revenue that you're capturing for your clients. You have to start with the centerpiece, which is the client.” - Zach Calef

Customer obsession becomes more valuable when it shapes how...

Episode #333:

Jennifer Knecht, Chief Revenue Officer at Western States Lodging, explains how emotional intelligence strengthens B2B revenue performance. She explores how awareness, trust, transparency, and meaningful connections influence buyer decisions. Jennifer also shares how AI can help sales teams understand different perspectives, strengthen human relationships, and reach the emotional level behind buying decisions faster.

“Revenue is driven by the exchange of value. The faster you can get to the emotional level, the faster you can get to a true, solid decision that sticks.” - Jennifer Knecht

Jennifer explores why emotional intelligence is beco...

Episode #332:

Mike Head, Chief Revenue Officer at Orderful, explains how customer understanding can strengthen every part of the go-to-market organization. He shares practical ways to prepare for executive conversations, improve discovery, coach teams with AI, strengthen retention, and align teams around customer priorities. Mike also explains why consistent execution, genuine curiosity, and continuous customer engagement can build trust, improve revenue performance, and create sustainable growth.

“Your technology, your logo slide, all that stuff doesn't matter. What really matters is the customer and what they care about, and if you focus on that across your engagements in...

Episode #331:

Matthias Holder, Chief Sales Officer at Lindner Recyclingtech, explains how customer obsession creates sustainable revenue by helping sales organizations understand customers, their markets, and their needs. He explores how salespeople can become trusted advisors by discussing business needs, market conditions, productivity, quality, costs, and competitive advantage before recommending solutions. Matthias also shows how continuous customer insight can guide sales strategy, product development, internal decisions, and stronger long-term customer relationships.

“Never fall in love with your products. Fall in love with your customers, your customers' success. Products change, technology changes, markets change, customer expectations and ch...

Episode #330:

Brooke Norton Lais, Chief Marketing Officer at Venbrook, explains why relationship-led growth requires companies to build trust long before a buying decision occurs. She shares how marketing can create opportunities for salespeople to reach the right executives and build meaningful one-to-one relationships. Brooke also explains how established C-suite relationships can create internal advocates and open access deeper within prospective accounts.

“Creating situations where we can drive awareness and credibility for our brand while also building relationships is where I’m going to get the most value. When we can get our people in front of p...

Episode #329:

Siddharth Singh, Chief Revenue Officer at Intangles, explains the skills modern salespeople need as buyers become more informed and meetings become harder to secure. He explores deeper discovery, primary research, creativity, and AI-enabled productivity. Siddharth shows why knowing a customer’s business beyond searchable information creates differentiation. He also explains why sales leaders must remain active player coaches as their responsibilities expand.

“Ask the right questions. But if you ask questions without actively listening to what the customer is saying, you dig your own grave. The skill is how fast you go from situation ques...

Episode #328:

Michael Scott, Global Chief Revenue Officer at LoopMe, explains the revenue logic behind customer obsession. He shares how deeper customer understanding helps companies identify problems they are uniquely positioned to solve, create greater value, and become more important to customers. The conversation explores why customer obsession requires C-suite alignment, continuous customer learning, and strong data. Michael also explains why it must become part of how the entire organization operates.

“The better you know your customer, the more you can be a trusted partner, advisor to them, the more you can find problems that you're un...

Episode #327:

Trine Tirsgaard, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Twoday, explains how customer understanding, data, experimentation, and continuous learning can create greater strategic value with AI. She explores how marketing leaders can combine technology with customer intelligence to improve decision-making, strengthen teams, and create more meaningful business value. Trine also shares why curiosity and practical experimentation are becoming essential leadership capabilities for navigating rapid technological change.

“What matters the most in the future is the power of humans. It's the way we put our intellect to work. It's our creativity, and the way to orchestrate concepts an...

Episode 326:

Laura Davis, Chief Marketing Officer at Rimes Technologies, explains why customer obsession must translate into commercial outcomes. She explores customer intelligence, AI, data strategy, internal alignment, and pipeline accountability as markets rapidly evolve. Laura shows why sustainable revenue ultimately depends on continually understanding what customers need and building the business around those priorities.

“The customer is everything. Even in the context of AI and our whole industry changing, and the practice of marketing changing and all the different things, at the end of the day, you need to build and sell something the customer wa...

Episode #325

Nick Malone, Chief Revenue Officer at XTM, explains what separates successful AI-native companies from organizations simply adopting new tools. He explores value-led AI, executive leadership, experimentation, data, and practical workflows that improve productivity. Nick shows why companies that connect AI to measurable outcomes while keeping humans at the core can turn incremental gains into meaningful competitive advantage.

“A company's got to be willing to go into uncharted territories, to be willing to experiment. You must go and dig deep and experiment and understand in what ways you can use the AI capabilities today to im...

Episode #324:

Katie Strout, Chief Marketing Officer at Highspring, explains why sustainable growth requires more than a stronger pipeline. She shares how customer problems can align teams around shared outcomes. Katie explores why sales and marketing should operate as one connected revenue motion. She also explains how customer validation, internal trust, and shared ownership can turn marketing into a commercial growth partner.

“Growth and revenue belong to the whole organization. It's not the responsibility of any one function. It happens when marketing, sales, technology, delivery, leadership, customer success, all of those things come together around customers' pr...

Episode #323:

Alison Richmond, Chief Marketing Officer at Medix, explains why customer obsession requires more than collecting feedback. She explores sales and marketing alignment, customer experience, and the importance of asking better questions. Alison also shows how customer insight can shape decisions, strengthen trust, and support growth across the business.

“Your best marketing campaigns and marketing moments come from that long-running relationship you have with your customer. Start by asking and learning where your customers are today and what they think of you today, and make sure that's always part of the conversation going forward.” - Alis...

Episode #322:

Cristy Garcia, Chief Marketing Officer at impact.com, explains how influencer marketing can build trust and drive measurable B2B growth. She explores buying committees, ABM, performance-based partnerships, UGC, and customer communities. Cristy shows why authentic third-party voices can become powerful assets across the entire revenue funnel.

“Customer obsession doesn't happen because you have a transaction. Customer obsession happens because you believe in a brand, you refer business to them because you trust them, and a brand has to show up in different ways to be considered customer-obsessed.” - Cristy Garcia

Cristy expl...

Episode #321:

Cynthia Gumbert, Chief Marketing Officer at Litera, explains how established companies can compete confidently in an AI-first market. She shares how customer trust, long-range innovation, and a dedicated Voice of the Customer program strengthen brand relevance and revenue growth. Cynthia also reveals why customer advocates often outperform traditional marketing and sales messages.

“Get customers to be your advocates and spokespeople, and never lose sight of the fact that they are your best marketers. They can be your best salespeople. In this age of AI, it is easy to get distracted by product innovations and fe...

Episode #320:

Robert Nicklin, Chief Growth Officer at Compass Group Canada, explains why judgment is becoming a defining competitive advantage. He explores how behavior, adaptability, observational intelligence, trust, and stronger questions shape sustainable enterprise growth. Robert also reveals why leaders should design repeatable growth systems instead of continually chasing short-term outcomes.

“Growth is something that you design. It is not something you chase. A true growth system is built and designed, and once you have created that system, you should have people who can sit within it. That is about leaders creating strong leaders who create st...