A CMO Confidential Interview with DJ Patil, Great Point Ventures investor and former U.S. Chief Data Scientist in the Obama Administration. DJ discusses why AI adoption is "lumpy" like unbaked cake mix, the difference between large models and focused applications, and why consultants are probably not the best way to make progress. Key topics include: Maslow's Hierarchy of AI with power, data and water as the foundation; a timeline juxtaposition of AI evolution versus culture and policy change; and his belief that marketers have a unique position to add "human connectivity" in to the mix. Tune in to hear a view on AI and health care as well as how Waymo almost ruined a date night. What does AI adoption *really* look like inside large organizations—and why does it feel so uneven? In this episode of **CMO Confidential**, host **Mike Linton** sits down with **DJ Patil**—former U.S. Chief Data Scientist, AI leader at eBay and LinkedIn, and longtime advisor and investor—for a clear-eyed update from the front lines of AI. DJ explains why AI progress feels “lumpy,” why culture—not technology—is the biggest blocker to ROI, and what boards, CEOs, and CMOs must do now to avoid falling behind. From autonomous warfare and small models to Wall Street hype cycles, job displacement, and what AI means for the future of marketing, this is a practical, executive-level conversation about what’s real, what’s noise, and what comes next. If you lead a company, manage a brand, sit on a board, or are building a career in marketing, this episode will recalibrate how you think about AI adoption, investment, and organizational change. 🎧 New episodes of **CMO Confidential** drop every Tuesday. --- Chapters / Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential 00:32 – Introducing DJ Patil and today’s AI focus 01:26 – Where are we really on the AI adoption curve? 02:54 – Why AI progress feels “lumpy” across industries 03:35 – AI fluency vs. AI-native talent 05:22 – AI in education: banning it vs. embracing it 05:57 – AI on the battlefield: Ukraine, drones, and autonomy 07:50 – Big models vs. small models and open source AI 08:12 – The AI investment landscape and industry chaos 09:12 – AI breakthroughs in math and problem-solving 10:52 – Where AI is actually delivering value today 11:50 – ROI, hype cycles, and Amara’s Law 13:46 – When AI savings really show up on the balance sheet 15:17 – Why culture is the biggest blocker to AI success 16:03 – AI speed vs. slow-moving organizations and policy 18:13 – Why executives can’t delegate AI leadership 19:56 – The limits of traditional consulting for AI 22:41 – Job cuts, automation, and what AI is really replacing 25:48 – Why AI isn’t “ready” yet—but is getting close 26:32 – AI as the biggest prize in the history of capitalism 27:18 – Where DJ Patil is investing in AI 29:00 – AI opportunities in healthcare and government 30:27 – What AI means for marketers and marketing careers 34:10 – A Waymo story: the promise and imperfections of AI 35:12 – Final thoughts and where to find more episodes --- CMO Confidential, DJ Patil, Mike Linton, AI adoption, artificial intelligence strategy, AI for executives, AI and marketing, AI ROI, AI investment, AI leadership, AI culture, future of marketing, chief marketing officer, CMO podcast, executive podcast, boardroom strategy, AI transformation, AI jobs, AI and automation, AI in healthcare, AI governance, enterprise AI, AI fluency, AI native, tech leadership, data science, digital transformation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential interview with Dick Satterfield, the founder of Satterfield Rezenbrink Search and former P&G sales leader. Dick discusses career management under the framework of "successful and happy" and outlines why you should constantly be thinking about and evaluating your career. Key topics include why career progression is defined as continuous learning and getting promoted, tips for networking, when is too early or too late to leave, and why counter offers almost always fail . Listen in to hear why you should view the "next job" as a stepping stone versus the perfect landing. Dick Satterfield, veteran executive recruiter and former P&G sales leader, breaks down when to leave, how to create real options, and what it takes to land (and succeed in) your next role. We cover the “successful and happy” framework, real vs. faux promotions, how to run a stealth search while employed, the truth about counteroffers, and why marketers must present as business leaders driving revenue and efficiency. Practical, no-nonsense advice for CMOs, aspiring CMOs, and any exec managing a high-stakes career. Chapters 00:00 Intro: CMO Confidential + today’s topic 00:00:43 Meet Dick Satterfield + why this conversation matters 00:02:11 Framework: “Are you successful and happy?” 00:03:39 What recruiters really scan first: promotions and scope 00:05:38 Real vs. “quasi-fake” promotions (one direct report ≠ management) 00:05:59 Could I leave? Too early vs. too late; the commuting rule of 3 00:08:12 Knowing when your learning curve has flattened 00:10:24 Would I leave? How to search while employed (and build leverage) 00:12:25 Target list → warm intros → the right recruiters 00:14:31 Time management for the search (30 minutes a day) 00:15:14 If you’re in transition: process, momentum, and managing home life 00:17:21 Offers: optimize for where you’re most likely to succeed 00:19:31 Interview the company: decision speed and what success looks like 00:21:00 Counteroffers: why ~85% don’t stick 00:22:38 Negotiating severance (and when it actually gets set) 00:24:00 Biggest career mistake: not managing your career like a project 00:25:00 For marketers: be a business leader, not “just” marketing 00:26:13 Practical closer: return recruiter calls—before you need them 00:26:55 Wrap Tags CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Dick Satterfield,executive search,career management,career strategy,CMO career,marketing leadership,job search,career progression,promotions,scope of responsibility,learning curve,commuting rules,hybrid work,networking,warm introductions,recruiters,retained search,counteroffers,severance negotiation,compensation,offer negotiation,interview tips,decision rights,success metrics,marketing as investment,top line growth,cost efficiency,business leader,P&G,Procter & Gamble,board ready,executive transitions,VP marketing,chief marketing officer,senior leadership,career mistakes,practical advice See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners and Global Marketing Practice Leaders for ZRG Partners. Kate and David translate their extensive search experience to classify common mistakes into "movie themes" and share tips on how to recognize if you are directing or reading for a part in a disaster film. From "Play It Again, Sam," to "No, No, It's Really A CMO Role!" to "Death by Committee!" they describe the all-too-familiar plotlines and how to tear apart the hype from the facts. Hints: Look at the dashboard, listen to the questions and beware of the "Hands on the keyboard" role. Tune in to hear why companies should focus on outcomes versus qualifications and why you should always check your Zoom background. What are the five bad “movies” CEOs and boards keep remaking when they hire CMOs—and how do you avoid starring in one? Mike Linton sits down with ZRG Partners’ Kate Bullis and David Wiser to unpack 2025’s CMO market, why early-stage hiring should rebound, and how capital and IPO activity reset expectations from “profit at all costs” back to growth. They break down the most common failure modes—chasing a playbook, hiring an “orchestra,” titling a demand-gen job as “CMO,” forcing marketing to “stay in its lane,” and letting committees kill momentum—and the exact questions candidates and CEOs should ask to surface scope, KPIs, authority, and alignment. You’ll hear red flags like “hands-on keyboard,” why the KPI dashboard effectively *is* the job description, and how cross-functional interviews reveal whether a CMO will be a strategist or an order taker. David and Kate close with urgency discipline for searches and a three-year business-back plan for defining the role. CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, ZRG Partners, Kate Bullis, David Wiser, CMO hiring, marketing leadership, executive search, CEO, board of directors, hiring mistakes, KPI dashboard, hands-on-keyboard, demand generation, brand vs performance, org design, stay in your lane, death by committee, playbook vs framework, 2025 job market, private equity, IPOs, marketing strategy, B2B marketing, growth vs profitability --- Chapters 00:00 – Welcome & show setup 01:08 – Meet Kate Bullis & David Wiser (ZRG Partners) 01:32 – 2025 CMO job market outlook 02:56 – Where hiring rebounds first (startups vs. public) 04:24 – From profitability snapback to growth focus 05:35 – Theme 1: “Play it again, Sam” (playbook thinking) 06:48 – Frameworks over playbooks: why “fetch” fails 08:16 – KPIs as the real scope: the dashboard test 10:08 – Theme 2: “I want the orchestra” (do-it-all CMO) 12:44 – Red flag: “hands-on keyboard” and checkbox hiring 14:19 – Theme 3: “No, really, it’s a CMO role” (but it’s demand gen) 15:31 – B2B trap: title inflation and scope mismatch 18:25 – Measure what matters: aligning title, work, and KPIs 19:00 – Theme 4: “Stay in your lane” (the Yes Center) 20:20 – Sales/product-driven constraints and influence 22:00 – Theme 5: “Death by committee” (misalignment & vetoes) 23:18 – Fixing alignment: who decides and how 25:26 – Why bad movies still get made: urgency and drift 27:54 – The other mistake: lack of urgency in searches 28:43 – Funniest recruiting moments (Zoom era) 30:21 – Practical advice: define the next 3 years, then the role 31:29 – Wrap and where to listen See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Tom Stein, the Chairman and founder of Stein and Jann Schwarz, Senior Director of Marketplace Innovation at LinkedIn and founder of Think tank, The B2B Institute, who join us to discuss the 2025 Brand-to- Demand Maturity and the B2B Buyability studies. Tom and Jann share results showing the need to integrate brand and performance marketing in an era when the marketing funnel has collapsed needs fundamental re-thinking and Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) are still a key measure (in spite of data showing they've lost their usefulness). Tom and Jann explain why nearly all survey respondents acknowledge a problem but only 20% are taking action. Key topics include: why a good product or service are now "table stakes”; how buyer confidence, human connection and customer experience have become key Buyability differentiators; and the belief that B2B creative is way behind B2C on average. Tune in to hear why “demand-focused marketing" was one of the greatest brand misdirects of all time and a fabulous story of an alter boy accidentally dropping the Baby Jesus. The Truth Behind the Curtain in B2B: Brand + Demand, MQLs, and “Buyability” with Tom Stein & Jan Schwartz Description: Mike Linton sits down with Tom Stein (Stein) and Jan Schwartz (LinkedIn’s B2B Institute) to unpack new ANA research on brand–demand maturity and a bold operating model they call “buyability.” They cover why 80% of marketers say integration matters but aren’t doing it, why MQLs are failing modern buying groups, how to financialize creative and brand, and what CEOs/boards should actually measure to accelerate revenue. Chapters: 00:00 Intro & guest setup 02:36 Why a brand–demand maturity study now 05:36 The 80% integration gap 07:17 Org design: why teams move slowly 09:36 MQLs under fire (and better alternatives) 10:45 Creative quality in B2B: reality check 13:34 ServiceNow, Idris Elba, and distinctive assets 15:01 The CEO/CFO/Board disconnect 19:00 “Buyability” explained: becoming easier to buy 22:12 Brand as a full-funnel commercial driver 23:40 The funnel is broken; AI ups the stakes 26:59 Playing offense: fewer, better buyer-group leads 28:20 Financializing the case for change 29:56 The budget stat that shocked everyone 31:41 What to do now: category fame, trust, real metrics 34:41 Funniest stories and practical parting advice 37:35 Wrap & where to find more episodes Tags: B2B marketing,brand and demand,buyability,MQL,pipeline velocity,CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Tom Stein,Jan Schwartz,LinkedIn B2B Institute,ANA,B2B brand,B2B demand gen,marketing measurement,go to market,Salesforce,ServiceNow,Idris Elba,B2B creative,category fame,board metrics,CFO,CEO,CRO,sales alignment,MarTech,lead gen,buyer groups,brand strategy,revenue growth See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dr. Joel Shapiro, Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences Professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, formerly Varicent Chief Analytics Officer. Joel discusses his NFL study including why some teams handle injury better then others, the idea of finding variables which can't be seen by the naked eye, and his conclusion that resilience has a lot to do with planning, resource deployment and the foresight to think about potential problems. Key topics include: the importance of back-ups; the ability to find business problems that can be solved with data; and how to use data and AI to predict "bad stuff." Tune in to hear about the "percent cash wasted measure," and how Joel's class beat Las Vegas on predicting last year's NHL playoff teams. **What NFL Injury Data Teaches Business About Resilience — with Joel Shapiro (Kellogg)** Northwestern Kellogg’s Joel Shapiro returns to CMO Confidential to unpack a surprising finding: predicting player injury isn’t a “failed use case” — and the lessons translate directly to how leaders design resilient organizations. We cover the data model behind injury prediction, Joel’s “percent cash wasted” metric, the real effect of injuries on winning (including offense vs. defense), why backups matter, and how to build purposeful resilience across sales, supply chain, and leadership. Plus: a student project that beat Vegas and a fearless (and funny) Super Bowl take. Chapters 00:00 Intro — Why this episode matters for executives 01:10 Joel’s remit: turning data & AI into business outcomes 03:19 Injury prediction isn’t a failed use case 05:45 Why the NFL: clean injury data and an 11-year dataset 07:32 What the model outputs: games likely to be missed 08:51 “Percent Cash Wasted”: paying for injured players 10:15 Do injuries really impact winning? The curve is flatter than you think 12:19 Offense vs. defense: wasted cash effects aren’t equal 13:47 Healthy one year, injured the next: who stays good? 14:36 The lever that breaks teams: losing a highly paid QB 15:25 Purposeful resilience vs. “toughing it out” 16:34 Backups matter — translating roster depth to business 18:29 If you can’t prevent every injury, recruit for availability 19:17 Business translation: resilience in sales, supply chain, and leadership 21:42 Treat resilience as strategy, not back-office insurance 24:22 Which companies are structurally resilient (and why scale helps) 24:49 Joel’s bold pick: the Bears’ weird start and a playful prediction 25:36 Data, betting, and integrity — what changes as information improves 27:25 Students vs. Vegas: NHL playoff models that won 28:20 How much data it really takes (rows, columns, and what matters) 29:54 Wrap and where to find more CMO Confidential Tags CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Joel Shapiro, Northwestern Kellogg, data science, AI, predictive analytics, NFL injuries, sports analytics, resilience, business resilience, risk management, leadership, percent cash wasted, roster construction, backups, quarterback, offense vs defense, supply chain, sales teams, machine learning, predictive modeling, DraftKings, FanDuel, NHL, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, C-suite, marketing leadership, podcast, YouTube chapters See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Michael Treff, the CEO of Code and Theory joins us for our 150th Show to share observations on the major forces impacting the B2B space. Michael details how "empowered buyers" are forcing sellers to increase focus on customer value creation and transforming marketing and sales from "leads to information" which is also shifting spending to capital expense. Key topics include: why the next AI frontier is customer experience; the need for companies to have both a long and short-term AI plans; why budgeting won't get any easier and; the gap between the CX problems and CX actions. Tune in to hear why you need to have an "AI plan for your humans" and learn if you need " a personalized relationship with your mustard." CMO Confidential #150: Michael Treff on B2B’s Year-In-Review, What’s Next, and How AI Will Actually Drive Growth** B2B is being rebuilt from the core. Michael explains why budgets are shifting from media to infrastructure, how the funnel is being rewritten by agentic search, and where AI must move from efficiency to growth. We also cover the KPIs that matter, budgeting realism for 2026, and three things every CMO should know by the end of next year. Sponsored by Typeface—the agentic AI marketing platform helping brands turn one idea into thousands of on-brand experiences. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo. **Chapters** 00:00 Intro + show setup 01:00 Sponsor: Typeface — agentic AI marketing, enterprise-grade & integrated 02:00 Guest intro: Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory 03:00 B2B landscape: investment shifts, changing journeys, disintermediation 07:00 From MQLs to value: sales enablement and end-to-end outcomes 10:00 Mid-roll: Typeface ARC agents & content lifecycle 11:00 Why suites win: implementation and value realization after the sale 15:00 AI phases: Wave 1 (efficiency) → Wave 2 (growth) pressures on agencies 17:00 CX as the bridge: measure outcomes, not vanity metrics 22:00 Roadmaps, humans, and culture—planning beyond point tools 26:00 Budget reality check: deliberation, polarization, and trade-offs 29:00 Personalization vs. business impact—what to fund and measure 33:00 By end of 2026: know your human plan, AI maturity, and new journeys 35:00 2026 prediction: the ROI vice tightens—agencies must be consultative 36:00 Closing advice: “Interrogate everything yourself.” 38:00 Wrap + where to find past episodes 39:00 Sponsor close: Typeface—see how ASICS & Microsoft scale personalization **About our sponsor, Typeface**  @typefaceai  is the first multimodal, agentic AI marketing platform that automates workflows from brief to launch, integrates with your MarTech stack, and delivers enterprise-grade security—named AI Company of the Year by Adweek and a TIME Best Invention. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo. **Tags** B2B marketing, enterprise marketing, customer experience, AI marketing, agentic AI, marketing ROI, sales enablement, Code and Theory, Michael Treff, Mike Linton, CMO strategy, marketing budget, personalization, Martech, Typeface See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Evan Wittenberg, Chief People Officer of VuMedi formerly CPO of Ancestry and Box, Google's Head of Leadership Development, and a Saturday Night Live Page. Evan discusses why HR has become a much tougher position over the last 5 years, AI's negative impact on leadership development, and the similarities between marketing and HR. Key topics include: his belief that every function should have a dedicated people partner; why "the burden of proof" is often higher for marketers; why he always interviews for "learning agility;" and why "doing the job you are hired for is better for your career than trying for "the next job." Tune in to hear questions marketers should ask in an interview and a great behind the scenes story from SNL Season 18. **What HR Really Thinks About Marketing — Evan Wittenberg (CPO) on CMO Confidential** Four-time Chief People Officer Evan Wittenberg sits down with host Mike Linton to unpack the real relationship between HR and Marketing: decision rights, how DEI evolves, AI’s impact on entry-level careers, why hybrid work threatens apprenticeship, and what great CMOs do differently at the exec table. Evan also shares hiring signals (what CPOs look for now), the right way to use engagement surveys, and a live-from-8H SNL story you won’t forget. **Guest:** Evan Wittenberg — CPO (VuMedi; ex-Box, Ancestry, Pivot Bio; Google/Wharton leadership) **Host:** Mike Linton — former CMO (Best Buy, eBay, Farmers), CRO (Ancestry) **Chapters** 00:00 – Welcome + sponsor message (Typeface) 02:00 – Evan’s background and today’s HR reality 03:30 – “Seat at the table” meets burnout and intractable problems 04:40 – Inside the COVID pivot: who owned it and why HR took point 06:10 – Should HR own cross-functional crises? Coordination vs. ownership 07:10 – HR ↔ Marketing parallels: everyone has an opinion, few have the brief 09:00 – Sponsor break (Typeface) 10:00 – DEI after the backlash: belonging, equity, and business need 11:30 – Pay parity and what still isn’t fixed 12:00 – AI’s real risk: erasing entry-level ladders and craft-building 13:30 – Hybrid work, lost apprenticeship, and how leaders must respond 15:10 – “People are our #1 asset” (or not): how to actually tell 16:10 – HR nirvana: solutions that serve both the company and the person 18:00 – How HR sees Marketing: service vs. business driver 21:10 – What great CMOs do: range (data ↔ creative) and business framing 22:40 – At the exec table: problem → data → options → choice → execution 24:20 – The higher burden of proof for HR and Marketing 24:40 – Should Marketing have a dedicated HR/People partner? 26:10 – What CPOs now screen for: learning agility 28:00 – AI fluency: no tourists, hands-on only 29:10 – Real collaboration vs. heroics and end-runs 30:40 – Due diligence for candidates: decision rights & cross-functional buy-in 33:00 – Extra interview questions worth asking (on both sides) 34:10 – SNL cold open rescue: the Rob Schneider story 38:30 – Career advice: do the job you have at 120% 40:00 – Sponsor close + sign-off CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Evan Wittenberg, Chief People Officer, CPO, HR strategy, Marketing leadership, DEI, diversity equity inclusion, belonging, employee engagement, pay parity, hybrid work, return to office, mentorship, apprenticeship, AI in HR, AI in marketing, entry-level jobs, recruiting, learning agility, collaboration, decision rights, org design, people partner, HRBP, Box, Ancestry, Pivot Bio, Vmed, Google leadership, Wharton, SNL story, Rob Schneider, executive team, business outcomes, brand vs performance, Typeface, marketing operations, C-suite leadership, career advice See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kip Knight, founder of CMO Coaches, former CMO of Taco Bell and H&R Block USPresident. Kip lays out the case for marketers to build their brands based on trust, authenticity and personal core principles along with an objective understanding of "what you are really famous for being able to accomplish." Key topics include: why executive presence matters; the combination of emotional IQ and curiosity; the need for resume "proof points;" and why role models matter. Tune in to hear networking tips, why you want to know what "they say about you when you aren't in the room" and the power of a handwritten thank you note. Kip Knight (Founder, CMO Coaches; former Taco Bell CMO & H&R Block US Retail President) joins Mike Linton to get practical about building a durable *personal brand* as a marketing leader. We cover a three-step framework (self-assessment - positioning - activation), executive presence (IQ + EQ + CQ), how to lead with truth during tough calls, and why handwritten notes still matter. Sponsored by Typeface — the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo. **Key points** • Personal brands aren’t accidental: in today’s AI-accelerated market, being findable and consistent is table stakes for senior roles. • The framework: start with a rigorous self-assessment (360s, reviews, assessments), then define positioning around your true superpowers, and finally activate with proof points. • Be objective: ambition without a strategy and measurable evidence sets you up to fail; build real proof points before you sell your story. • Executive presence = IQ + EQ + CQ (curiosity). Lean into new tech (e.g., GenAI) and stay relentlessly curious. • Truth is better than spin in crises: define reality, be transparent, and your team will follow you through hard decisions (e.g., headcount cuts). • Culture is the stories told when you’re not in the room; leaders are “always on,” so model consistency and principle-led behavior. • CMOs as business integrators: convene IT, Legal, Finance, HR, and the CEO to make the right GenAI bets with clear success criteria. • Power move: send handwritten notes on high-quality stationery; the impact far exceeds email. **Chapters** 00:00 Welcome + sponsor: Typeface — why brand still wins in the age of AI 03:00 Why your personal brand matters more than ever 06:00 Being findable & consistent in an AI world 07:00 The 3-part framework: self-assessment - positioning - activation 10:00 Doing an honest self-assessment (360s, reviews, Working Genius) 14:00 Turning strengths into positioning; knowing your kryptonite 16:00 Executive presence: IQ, EQ, and CQ (curiosity quotient) 20:00 Truth-telling vs. vulnerability during layoffs and tough calls 23:00 Role models, “always on” leadership, and culture as stories 29:00 CMOs as business integrators on GenAI — how to run the process 32:00 Networking that works: “How can I help you?”, warm intros, no ghosting 34:00 Elite habit: handwritten notes on great stationery (why it lands) 36:00 Wrap + where to find more CMO Confidential Tags CMO,marketing leadership,personal brand,executive presence,brand strategy,career development,marketing careers,AI in marketing,agentic AI,Typeface,leadership,coaching,CMO Coaches,Kip Knight,Mike Linton,GenAI,networking,culture,trust,authenticity,handwritten notes,frameworks,positioning,activation,EQ,CQ,P&L,growth,enterprise marketing,YouTube podcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Andy Sack and Adam Brotman, Co-Founders and Co-CEO's of Forum 3, authors of the book AI First, previously at Microsoft and Starbucks. Adam and Andy discuss the exponential growth of LLM's in the 3 years since the Chat GPT launch, the rapid pace of consumer adoption and "why there's never been a bigger prize in capitalism." Key topics include: why the circular tie-ups between the models and chip providers may make sense, their belief that only 5% of companies are well underway; why you should use AI at least 10 times a day; and how the "current way of doing business" is the biggest blocker to progress. Tune in to hear 2026 predictions, why you should have a "family password," and how an AI Zoom scam resulted in a $20 million loss for the company. AI: The Year That Changed Marketing | Andy Sack & Adam Brotman on CMO Confidential Former Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman and investor/operator Andy Sack return to break down AI’s wild 2025—and what’s next for marketers and the C-suite in 2026. We cover the rise of reasoning models and agents, chip-and-model tie-ups, who’s winning (and who’s falling behind), why only ~5% of companies are truly “underway,” and how consumer behavior is racing ahead of most enterprises. Adam and Andy deliver pragmatic guidance for boards, CEOs, and CMOs: where to lean in, how to organize, and what to build now. What you’ll learn: • The real story on model advances, agents, and the chip/energy bottlenecks • Why supply-lock deals aren’t “circular nonsense” and how they’ll shape winners/losers • Enterprise reality check: 5% vs. 95%, and why CEO/board sponsorship determines lift-off • Consumer adoption, zero-click search, and how discovery is shifting under your feet • Marketing beyond efficiency: ideation, synthetic testing, and creative at production speed • 2026 predictions: Apple’s big AI move, the year of consumer agents, and new AI devices • Risk & resilience: deepfake fraud, the “family password,” and change management that sticks Actionable takeaways: • Use AI 10×/day; turn on voice and select a “thinking/reasoning” model for complex work • Treat AI as a company-wide transformation, not an IT pilot; pick a few high-value use cases and own them from the top • Experiment with agentic workflows and AI video to compress cycle time from storyboard to launch Sponsored by  @typefaceai  Typeface helps the world’s biggest brands go from brief to fully personalized, on-brand campaigns in hours—not months. Their agentic AI marketing platform automates workflows across ads, email, and video, integrates with your MarTech stack, and includes enterprise-grade security. Adweek named Typeface “AI Company of the Year,” TIME listed it among the Best Inventions, and Fast Company called it the next big thing in tech. See how brands like  @ASICSGlobal  and  @Microsoft  are transforming marketing with Typeface: typeface.ai/cmo About CMO Confidential Hosted by five-time CMO Mike Linton, CMO Confidential goes inside the decisions, politics, and trade-offs of one of the most scrutinized jobs in the C-suite. New episodes every Tuesday on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. 00:00 Intro & Sponsor: Typeface 02:00 Topic & Guests — Adam Brotman and Andy Sack 03:00 Three-year AI surge: usage, video, geopolitics 06:00 Reasoning models, long-duration agents, chip/energy demand 10:00 Midroll: Typeface 12:00 Capital tie-ups: supply lock vs. “circular money” 15:00 Winners & losers: the AGI race and consolidation 16:00 Enterprise adoption: board/CEO-led change vs. IT pilots 18:50 Reality check: 5% “well underway,” 95% early 22:00 Consumer adoption: everyday use, underutilization 25:00 Can companies keep up? Why most are lagging 27:00 Search is shifting: AI overviews, assistants everywhere 29:00 Marketing beyond efficiency: ideation, automation, CX 31:00 AI video examples to study (Kalshi ad, IAm8) 33:30 Agencies & consultancies adapting (Accenture, BCG, McKinsey) 34:30 2026 predictions: Apple’s big move, year of agents, new devices 36:00 2026 tensions: labor disruption, backlash, “bumpy” progress 38:00 Practical tips: use AI 10×/day, voice mode, “thinking” models 41:00 Tools & safety:  @lovable  family/business passwords 42:00 Deepfake/Zoom heist cautionary tale 44:00 Wrap-up: subscribe & episode library 44:30 Closing Sponsor: Typeface — CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Adam Brotman,Andy Sack,Typeface,agentic AI,AI marketing,marketing strategy,chief marketing officer,CMO,CEO,board strategy,enterprise AI,reasoning models,AI agents,AGI,LLMs,generative AI,Claude,Gemini,ChatGPT,NVIDIA,semiconductors,MarTech,creative automation,personalization,zero click search,search disruption,media buying,advertising,brand vs performance,organizational design,change management,digital transformation,customer experience,synthetic personas,AI video,SOA,Sora,Replit Agent,Apple AI,Perplexity,security,deepfakes,family password,go to market,content at scale,ASICS See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Mike Walrath, Chairman and CEO of Yext, Inc., formerly CEO of Right Media, and SVP at Yahoo! Mike discusses what he believes is the collapse of the marketing funnel, the need to understand how AI consumes data while judgement stays with consumers, and how an "influence marketing" mindset is emerging. Key topics include: why CMOs will need to be both great brand strategists as well as scientists, the need to constantly distribute information and "tend it like a garden," and why Reddit is great for training AI, but not as important in building brand influence. Tune in to hear a story about why you shouldn't let ChatGPT talk in an unsupervised forum and why Land Rover should send me a polo shirt. This week, Mike Linton sits down with Mike Walrath, Chairman & CEO of  @yext  (and founder of WGI Group), to unpack why the classic awareness–consideration–conversion funnel is collapsing—and what CMOs must do next. From zero-click discovery and AI agents “front-ending” consumers to why structured first-party data now beats pretty websites, Walrath maps the new rules for brand, distribution, and measurement in an AI-led marketplace. We cover: how consideration gets outsourced to AI, why marketers will “market to agents” (without controlling the ad copy), the coming arms race in citations and data distribution, and what organizational fixes boards and CMOs should make now. If you own brand, growth, or P&L accountability, this is a playbook for the next chapter. **Sponsor —  @typefaceai  Typeface helps the world’s biggest brands move from brief to fully personalized campaigns in hours, not months. With its agentic AI marketing platform, one idea scales into thousands of on-brand variations across ads, email, and video—integrated with your MarTech stack and secured for the enterprise. See how brands like ASICS and Microsoft are transforming marketing: typeface.ai/cmo. Highlights * Why “zero-click” compresses awareness and consideration inside AI experiences—and how to win the AI bake-off. * The end of marketer-controlled ad copy; influence shifts to data quality, recency, and distribution. * Memory and context change everything: agents know the consumer—and your brand—better than you think. * Brand matters more, not less; without brand salience you won’t make the answer set. * From content to data: make every spec, price, menu, inventory, policy, and promo machine-readable and syndicated. * Citations, not vibes: first-party sites and listings dominate AI references; keep them fresh and authoritative. * Org design: hire the data athletes, upgrade infrastructure, and instrument real conversion milestones (tests, visits, units). New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. If you find this useful, please like, subscribe, and share with your team. **Guests** Mike Walrath — Chairman & CEO, Yext; Founder, WGI Group. Host: Mike Linton — former CMO of Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance; former CRO, Ancestry. CMO Confidential,marketing,CMO,chief marketing officer,AI marketing,agentic AI,marketing funnel,zero click,search,SEO,GenAI,LLM,brand strategy,performance marketing,Yext,Mike Walrath,Mike Linton,customer journey,personalization,content at scale,structured data,citations,data strategy,MarTech,go to market,GTM,board strategy,enterprise marketing,retail,automotive marketing,restaurants,media,advertising,Typeface sponsor,Typeface AI,typeface.ai/cmo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Jim Lecinski, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management, author, and former Google VP. Jim discusses why he believes marketers are often overly focused on using AI for productivity improvements versus business growth, the gaps between marketers and the C-Suite highlighted by recent Gartner research, and the difference between "big frontier models" and "shiny objects." Key topics include: why you should avoid "gray market AI", how to manage the 5 AI risks (privacy, accuracy, regulatory, personnel, and reputation), and the false precision that accompanies a focus on intermediate measures like Click Through Rate (CTR). Tune in to hear why he's not a fan of Cannes and how AI helped figure out a wedding invitation calling for "casual to semi-formal beach attire." What should CMOs actually do with AI right now—and how do you avoid chasing shiny objects? Mike Linton sits down with Jim Lecinski, Professor of Marketing at Northwestern’s Kellogg School (and author of The AI Marketing Canvas and Winning the Zero Moment of Truth) to unpack the AI application layer: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Jim explains why CEOs-CFOs obsess over growth (not merely efficiency), how to reframe marketing dashboards around business outcomes, and his simple two-by-two for AI use cases (internal productivity vs. external value creation). We cover privacy, legal/regulatory, personnel, and reputational risks—and how to mitigate them—plus a pragmatic roadmap: center on a leading frontier model and layer vetted apps instead of stitching together fragile point solutions. Jim also shares candid takes on Cannes vs. Effies and ends with a challenge: personally build something with AI before year-end. You’ll learn: * Growth over cost-cutting: aligning with CEO-CFO priorities and measuring ends, not means * The AI use-case 2×2: internal productivity vs. external, customer-facing value creation * Practical examples (e.g., apparel personalization) that lift CSAT, CLV, and revenue * The 5 risk buckets (privacy, accuracy, regulatory-IP, personnel, reputation) and guardrails * How to choose core models (GPT, Gemini, Claude) and avoid “tool soup” * Why awards that honor outcomes beat awards that celebrate activity Guest: Jim Lecinski — Professor of Marketing, Northwestern Kellogg; former VP Customer Solutions (Americas) at Google; author of The AI Marketing Canvas (2nd ed.) & Winning the Zero Moment of Truth. Host: Mike Linton — former CMO of Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance; CRO of Ancestry.com. Sponsor: Better marketing is built on Quad. See how better gets done at (https://www.quad.com/resources/research-and-tools/return-of-touch-consumer-engagement-has-an-omnichannel-revival?utm_source=cmoconfidential&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=001_brand&utm_id=podcastnl1031&utm_content=a-paidemail&utm_vp=) If you’re enjoying the show, please like, subscribe, and share with your leadership team. New episodes every Tuesday; companion newsletter on Fridays. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Abhay Parasnis, Founder & CEO of Typeface, Board Member of Dropbox and Schneider Electronic, formerly EVP of Adobe. Abhay discusses the large gap between AI expectations and execution, the human and cultural issues in the way of adoption, and the C-Suite's responsibility to "guide the change" versus demand and monitor progress. Key topics include: recognizing and managing the 3 types of resistance; why specific targeted use cases are the best way to begin; the difference between Moore's Law and Amara's Law; and how to determine if you are a resistor or a pragmatic business leader. Tune in to hear an analogy of why AI is similar to Formula One where everyone has a powerful vehicle and winning is driven by how teams master and manage that power. AI is the biggest shift of our careers—but most companies are stuck at the “cool demo” stage. In this episode, former Adobe CTO/CPO and Typeface founder/CEO Abhay Parasnis joins Mike Linton to unpack the AI cold start problem: how to move from experiments to enterprise impact. We cover where the C-suite is pushing, why practitioners are hesitating, and how to design lighthouse wins that change the org—not just the deck. Abhay shares hard numbers (a 93% lift from email personalization in 120 days), why “watermelon metrics” derail programs, and the new reality that as agents/bots consume more content, your brand narrative must be built for machines and humans. We dig into the accountability shift from agencies to in-house teams, how to evaluate vendors without boiling the ocean, and the culture moves leaders need to close the gap between ambition and adoption. What you’ll learn A practical AI playbook: pick one revenue-adjacent use case, rewire the process, measure before/after, then scale How to align the board, C-suite, and operators to avoid “innovation theater” Where AI drives top-line growth vs. simple cost takeout—and how to prove it Spotting resistance (job loss fears, “new thing” fatigue, agency incentives) and converting it into momentum The right vendor questions (and red flags) to separate sizzle from outcomes Why authenticity, governance, and legal guardrails must ship with your AI stack About Abhay Founder & CEO of Typeface (AI-powered personalized marketing). Former CTO & CPO at Adobe; leadership roles at Microsoft and Oracle; board member at Dropbox and Schneider Electric. Sponsor — Quad Marketing only works when everything works together. That’s why Quad is obsessed with reducing friction and integrating smarter—so your marketing machine runs faster with better ROI. See how better gets done: https://www.quad.com/buildbetter Chapters (38:00) 00:00 Intro & sponsor 01:10 Guest intro & topic setup 03:10 The AI cold start problem & Amara’s Law 07:00 C-suite urgency vs. practitioner reality 11:30 Beyond efficiency: driving top-line growth 15:10 Content demand, bots/agents, and “watermelon metrics” 19:20 Case study: 93% lift from email personalization 23:30 Resistance patterns: job loss, new-thing fatigue, agency economics 29:10 Vendor questions & lighthouse projects that actually ship 33:10 Legal, authenticity, and governance considerations 35:30 Closing advice: beginner’s mindset + bet on people 37:30 Wrap Subscribe New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. If you’re a CMO, CEO, CFO, COO, founder, or rising marketing leader—hit subscribe for executive-level conversations that translate directly to results. Host: Mike Linton Guest: Abhay Parasnis ( @typefaceai  ) Tags: CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Abhay Parasnis,Typeface,Adobe,AI in marketing,AI cold start,Generative AI,Amara’s Law,Marketing leadership,Change management,C suite,Board of directors,Agency model,Marketing efficiency,Top line growth,Email personalization,Content at scale,Marketing ROI,Measurement,Watermelon metrics,MarTech,CDP,Vendors,Quad,Sponsor,Marketing podcast,Digital transformation,Creative operations,Personalization See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

"Dissecting Compensation - A Primer on Understanding, Negotiating and Managing Pay" A CMO Confidential Interview with Richard Sanderson, the Marketing, Sales, and Communications Practice Leader at Spencer Stuart. Richard starts with the basics of salary, bonus and equity and branches out to compensation mix, the various types of equity, negotiating best practices, and the "other" elements of an offer. Key topics include: why the devil is in the details; when and how to discuss compensation; the difference between dumb luck and bad luck; and why everyone should do a "multi-year cash flow analysis." Tune in to hear why you should always read the proxy statement and the importance of being prepared to explain how you are using AI. In Part 2, host Mike Linton sits back down with Spencer Stuart Practice Leader Richard Sanderson to get tactical about comp negotiations, severance, equity, and managing your team through pay anxiety. If you’re a CMO (or headed there), this episode is your field guide to securing a fair offer and stewarding compensation conversations with your org. Points of interest: • Your moment of maximum leverage: why the verbal offer is the prime time to align on comp—and how to use that window without damaging trust. • How different companies negotiate: spotting “full & fair” one-shot offers vs. multi-round negotiators—and how to work the process with your recruiter as a broker to keep heat and emotion out. • Beyond base and bonus: what’s often negotiable (e.g., severance, sign-on/bridge, relocation, start date, work location, travel, even one-offs) and how to prioritize your asks. • Severance norms & timing: what policies typically look like (e.g., 6–12 months in many cases), when to ask, and why it’s safest through the recruiter. • Feeling underpaid? Building a data-backed case with market signals, peer benchmarks, recruiter insight—and how proxy statements can ground internal conversations. • Underwater equity & team morale: acknowledging pain, reframing to a long-term vision, and understanding annual equity refresh dynamics (timing matters). • Do the 5-year cash-flow analysis: compare current state vs. new offer (vesting, cliffs, bridge needs) so you don’t get surprised in Year 1–2. • Today’s relocation reality: mortgage-rate math and why moves can be financially punitive—plan your package accordingly. • Offer etiquette & reputation risk: why turning down a written offer is a red flag on process—and why reneging after signing can follow you. • Be ready for the AI question: every senior marketing interview now probes AI use cases, impact, and CFO alignment—have crisp examples. Sponsored by Quad Marketing only works when everything works together. Quad helps your marketing machine run with less friction and smarter integration—so you get speed, efficiency, and ROI. Better marketing is built on Quad. See how better gets done at www.quad.com/buildbetter. If you missed Part 1, go watch that next—then subscribe for weekly conversations with leaders who’ve sat in the CMO chair. #CMOConfidential #CMO #ExecutiveCompensation #MarketingLeadership #Negotiation #Equity #Severance #AIinMarketing #SpencerStuart #MikeLinton #RichardSanderson #Quad See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Richard Sanderson, the Marketing, Sales, and Communications Practice Leader at Spencer Stuart. Richard starts with the basics of salary, bonus and equity and branches out to compensation mix, the various types of equity, negotiating best practices, and the "other" elements of an offer. Key topics include: why the devil is in the details; when and how to discuss compensation; the difference between dumb luck and bad luck; and why everyone should do a "multi-year cash flow analysis." Tune in to hear why you should always read the proxy statement and the importance of being prepared to explain how you are using AI. What should CMOs (and aspiring CMOs) know about salary, bonus, and equity—and how do you actually negotiate it? Mike Linton sits down with Richard Sanderson, Practice Leader at Spencer Stuart, to demystify executive compensation for marketing leaders. They cover base pay vs. bonus, RSUs vs. options vs. PSUs, vesting mechanics, event-based triggers, how and when to negotiate, and what new pay-equity laws mean for candidates. Real talk on forfeitures, bonus history, and why your “one big ask” matters when the offer finally comes. What we cover • Why CMO pay data is scarce (and what that means for “market rate”) • Compensation mix: public vs. private/PE, U.S. vs. Europe, and “CMO+” roles • Equity 101: RSUs, options (strike prices/underwater risk), and PSUs (accelerators/decelerators) • Vesting models: time-, performance-, and event-based—and what you can/can’t negotiate • Bonuses: how targets are set, why they’re harder to move, and the 3-year payout history test • Negotiation timing: expectation-setting, handling the “what are your expectations?” question, and using information asymmetry to your advantage • Pay-equity & transparency laws: what recruiters can ask (expectations) vs. can’t (history), and how to discuss forfeitures • Offer strategy: why you typically get one high-leverage counter—and how to use it Sponsor  @quadgraphics  — Better marketing is built on Quad. When everything in your marketing machine works together, efficiency, speed, and ROI go up. See how better gets done: www.quad.com/buildbetter ⸻ 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday. 📰 Companion newsletter every Friday with the top insights. ⸻ CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Richard Sanderson,Spencer Stuart,CMO compensation,executive compensation,marketing leadership,base salary,bonus structures,equity compensation,RSUs,stock options,PSUs,vesting schedules,performance shares,forfeitures,compensation negotiation,pay transparency laws,pay equity,offer strategy,total rewards,chief marketing officer,chief growth officer,chief commercial officer,chief revenue officer,recruiter advice,board expectations,public vs private equity,marketing careers,Quad sponsor See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dwight Hutchins, Senior Managing Director of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and a Northwestern Adjunct Professor, previously Managing Director at Accenture focused on Consumer Products, Health Care and Public Service. Dwight shares his thinking on why marketers should be prepared to reduce expenses and shift resources into a re-imagined future versus incrementally evolving spend and structure. Key topics include: his belief that the complexity of marketing has resulted in many instances of wasted spending; the importance of "unaided first brand response;" why it's important to be "ahead of the expense reduction game;" and how to focus on working versus non-working dollars. Tune in to hear how about reducing $1B in spend to fund new initiatives and a "wild west" story about a battery on-pack promotion. The Fine Art of Reducing Marketing Expense in an AI World This week on CMO Confidential, Mike Linton sits down with Dwight Hutchins—Senior Partner & Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group and adjunct professor at Northwestern—to tackle the question every CMO hears from the CFO: “Keep the top line growing… and cut your budget.” Dwight explains how to find waste without hurting performance, where AI actually improves efficiency (and where it doesn’t), how to test into cuts with confidence, and why many brands still miss “sufficiency” by spreading spend like peanut butter. We dig into frequency capping, working vs. non-working ratios, zero-based budgeting (used sanely), org design, insource vs. outsource, and a real-world case where a company freed up billions and redeployed it to growth channels. Stay for his “Wild West” in-store marketing story—complete with batteries taped to milk. Sponsored by Typeface — the AI-native, agentic marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets across channels, safely integrated with your MarTech stack. See how leaders like ASICS and Microsoft scale personalized content with Typeface. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Intro & guest: Dwight Hutchins (BCG) 02:05 – The market reality: uncertainty, shifting buyer values 06:10 – CFO pressure: “grow and cut” in the same breath 09:20 – AI spend vs. payoff: recalibrating expectations 12:25 – Media fragmentation & the “peanut butter” budget problem 15:55 – Where AI helps most: measurement, targeting, creative ops 19:10 – Forensic cuts case study: freeing up massive dollars 23:10 – Finding waste: frequency caps, ad length, quality controls 27:05 – “First Fast Response”: demand spaces & brand power 30:20 – Sufficiency & focus: stop starving campaigns 33:05 – Working vs. non-working: ratios that actually move results 35:20 – Zero-based budgeting (in moderation, with data) 37:10 – Org & ops: redesigning execution, in/outsourcing lines 38:55 – Fun story: the “batteries-on-milk” promo & promo ROI 40:00 – Final takeaways & sponsor ⸻ CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Dwight Hutchins, Boston Consulting Group, BCG, marketing efficiency, reduce marketing spend, AI in marketing, marketing analytics, media mix optimization, frequency capping, working vs non-working, zero-based budgeting, ZBB, demand spaces, brand strategy, executive leadership, CFO CMO alignment, budget cuts, marketing operations, insource vs outsource, creative operations, measurement and attribution, marketing governance, content at scale, Typeface, Typeface AI, generative AI for marketing, agentic AI, MarTech integration, CMOs, marketing leadership, board expectations, growth and efficiency, case study, social media shift, campaign sufficiency See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners and Global Marketing Practice Leaders for ZRG Partners. Kate and David translate their extensive search experience into a pre-game, game time, and post game look at the errors candidates make during the recruiting process. Key topics include: why thorough preparation includes self awareness, a "shopping list" and pattern recognition; how "playbooking," talking too much, and disengagement can doom your interview; and best practices for turning down an offer, handling a disappointment, negotiating an offer, and accepting the opportunity. Tune in to hear why you should never turn down a written offer and other things to avoid if you want to stay off of the search firm's "Do Not Call List." What are the biggest mistakes CMOs make during the interview process? This week on CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Kate Bullis and David Wiser, Managing Partners at ZRG and two of the most experienced executive search leaders in marketing. Together, they break down the interview process into Pre-Game, Game Time, and Post-Game—sharing where CMOs most often stumble and how candidates can set themselves up for success. If you’re a C-Suite executive, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this episode delivers unfiltered insights into how top recruiters evaluate CMOs and what separates successful candidates from the rest. Sponsored by  @typefaceai  — the generative AI platform helping the world’s biggest brands scale personalized marketing in hours, not months. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and introduction 03:15 – Why interviewing for a CMO role is uniquely challenging 07:40 – Pre-Game: Preparing beyond the résumé 13:05 – What search firms and boards are really looking for 17:50 – Game Time: How to manage the actual interview 23:30 – Mistakes CMOs make when telling their career story 29:10 – Post-Game: Following up and maintaining momentum 34:20 – The role of references and backchannel checks 37:50 – Final advice for candidates and boards 40:00 – Wrap-up and sponsor message ⸻ 📌 Tags CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Kate Bullis, David Wiser, ZRG Partners, CMO interview tips, marketing executive search, chief marketing officer, CMO mistakes, CMO hiring process, how to become a CMO, executive interview prep, board expectations for CMOs, marketing leadership, CMO role design, interview strategy, executive recruiters, marketing careers, marketing C-Suite, executive search firms, leadership hiring See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Shiv Singh, CEO of Savvy Matters, former CMO of Lending Tree and author of AI For Dummies and The 5 Marketing Truths You Won't See at Cannes. Shiv shares why he believes AI is killing marketing jobs, how the CMO Role is breaking down due to overlap with other functions, and how "Big Tech is running marketing." Key topics include: how walled gardens make the job harder; why the optics of Cannes are terrible; and the reason marketers should work to fully understand technology. Tune in to hear how AI is making us less intelligent and why Cannes should move to San Francisco. Description What you won’t hear on the Croisette. Former LendingTree CMO and Marketing with AI for Dummies author Shiv Singh joins host Mike Linton to unpack his viral “5 marketing truths you won’t hear at Cannes”—from AI’s real impact on jobs and creativity to why the CMO role keeps breaking under overlapping scopes, walled gardens, and distorted budgets. We dig into the zero-click search era, big tech as the new kingmakers, how to rebuild orgs AI-first, and what practical steps CMOs should take this quarter (hint: learn the tech, ship agents, and embed marketers into tech teams). In this episode • AI is changing performance, creative, and strategy—faster than the hype cycle • The CMO job: too wide, too blurry, and overlapped with the rest of the C-suite • Walled gardens & retail media: measurement theater vs. business impact • Zero-click search & AI Overviews: when your best customers never hit your site • “AI-native” org design: agents, code-as-deliverable, and the marketer-as-technologist • Why Cannes optics can backfire—and what a substance-first festival could look like • Playbook for CMOs: weekly show-and-tells, code literacy, and cross-functional embeds About our guest Shiv Singh is CEO of Savvy Matters, co-founder of AI Trailblazers, former CMO of LendingTree, and a longtime brand leader (Pepsi, Visa). He writes and speaks widely on AI’s impact on marketing, org design, and growth. Sponsor — Typeface Legacy tools weren’t built for AI. Typeface is the first multimodal platform where agentic workflows handle everything from brainstorming to launch across every channel. Transform one idea into thousands of on-brand assets—text, images, and video—at enterprise scale, with security and seamless MarTech integrations. See how brands like ASICS and Microsoft move from brief to personalized campaigns in hours: typeface.ai/cmo. If you’re enjoying CMO Confidential, please like, subscribe, and share. New episodes every Tuesday; companion newsletter every Friday. ⸻ Chapter Markers 00:00 – Welcome & Sponsor: Typeface 01:45 – Introducing Shiv Singh & “5 Truths You Won’t Hear at Cannes” 05:10 – Truth 1: AI is changing jobs, creativity, and strategy 10:20 – The CMO role is broken: scope, overlap, and alignment 15:05 – Walled gardens & retail media: why measurement is broken 19:45 – Truth 2 & 3: Big Tech as the new kingmakers 24:20 – Zero-click search & the rise of AI-driven discovery 28:50 – Truth 4: Cannes optics and why it’s “not for everybody” 32:40 – What CMOs should do: tech fluency, coding, weekly experiments 36:00 – Superintelligence and the AI-native org of the future 39:00 – Practical advice & closing thoughts ⸻ CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Shiv Singh, Savvy Matters, AI Trailblazers, LendingTree, Pepsi, Visa, Cannes Lions, marketing truths, AI in marketing, agentic AI, AI agents, zero-click search, AI Overviews, walled gardens, retail media networks, big tech kingmakers, Google, Meta, TikTok, YouTube as TV, Performance Max, marketing org design, CMO role, C-suite alignment, measurement, marketing strategy, creative automation, knowledge workers, superintelligence, LLMs, large language models, marketer as technologist, code literacy, AI native organization, marketing experimentation, weekly show and tell, brand building, B2B marketing, B2C marketing, marketing leadership, executive insights, podcast for CMOs, Typeface, Typeface AI, typeface.ai/cmo, ASICS, Microsoft, customer acquisition, CAC, CLV, marketing ROI, retail media, AI transformation, marketing jobs and AI ⸻ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dr. Dan McCarthy, Professor of Marketing at Maryland and leading practitioner of Customer Lifetime Value. Dan shares insights from his privacy research based on Apple's "App Tracking Transparency" (ATT) initiative commonly known as "Ask App Not to Track" which include a significant impact on business results, a degradation of CAC, and a disproportionate hit to small companies. Key topics include: how the elimination of a Facebook customer ID negatively impacted revenue, why averaging marketing results can be a profit killer, and why analytical time frames matter. Tune in to hear updates on Dan's other research including Peloton, loyalty programs and "How everyone is cheating their way through college." CMO Confidential: The Disparate Impact of Privacy Policy — with Dr. Dan McCarthy (UMD) on ATT, CLV & CAC What happens to your revenue when attribution breaks? In this episode, 5x CMO Mike Linton sits down with Dr. Dan McCarthy (Professor of Marketing, University of Maryland; leading practitioner of Customer Lifetime Value) to unpack Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and its ripple effects on marketing performance. Dan shares new research showing how the loss of a Facebook customer ID degraded click-through, CAC, and revenue—with disproportionate pain for smaller, Facebook-heavy brands. We dig into why averages kill profit (stop using blended CAC/CLV!), how channel-specific, time-varying metrics drive smarter allocation, and the practical playbook for marketers in a post-IDFA world. Dan also updates us on his other research—Peloton, loyalty & subscription programs (DoorDash/Postmates), and the “everyone is cheating their way through college” debate and what it means for teaching and real-world readiness. What you’ll learn • How ATT broke cross-site attribution and raised CAC while lowering revenue yield • Why small DTC brands took the biggest hit, and how (or if) they can recover • The danger of blended CAC/CLV vs. channel-specific, time-varying metrics • Subscription insights: novelty vs. maturity effects, and behavior after cancellation • Action items to protect growth when signal quality declines About our guest Dr. Dan McCarthy is a professor at the University of Maryland (formerly Emory) and one of the foremost experts on CLV and customer-based corporate valuation. His work spans privacy’s impact on e-commerce, subscription economics, loyalty programs, and public-company customer metrics. Sponsor: Typeface Typeface helps the world’s biggest brands move from brief to fully personalized campaigns in hours, not months. With its agentic AI marketing platform, one campaign becomes thousands of on-brand experiences across ads, email, and video—with enterprise-grade security and seamless MarTech integrations. Learn more at typeface.ai/cmo. Subscribe for more C-suite-level conversations every Tuesday, and catch our Friday newsletter with the top insights. ⸻ 00:00 – Intro & sponsor: Typeface AI 01:35 – Meet Dr. Dan McCarthy & ATT explained 05:00 – How ATT broke attribution and raised CAC 09:15 – Why small brands took the biggest revenue hit 13:30 – The danger of blended CAC & CLV averages 17:20 – Practical advice: channel-specific, time-varying metrics 21:00 – Updates on Peloton & subscription research 25:00 – The “everyone is cheating in college” debate 28:00 – Final advice: beware of irrational subscriptions See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CMO Confidential — “What Your CFO Wants to Tell You (But Won’t)” with CNA CFO Scott Lindquist What does a great CFO really think about marketing? Mike Linton sits down with Scott Lindquist—CFO of CNA Financial and former long-time CFO of Farmers—to decode the finance side of brand building, performance spend, and the politics of the boardroom. They cover how CMOs should onboard a new CFO, why “marketing math” wins over skeptics, mistakes to avoid in board presentations, and how insurers used bold brand bets to become category killers. What you’ll learn • The four archetypes of CFOs—and how to work with each • Why CFOs who are “joined at the hip” with the CEO think differently about growth • How to explain cost of capital and present value like a marketer (and win budget) • The insurance playbook: brand investment, DTC distribution, and lifetime value • Why every large marketing org needs a Marketing CFO (and how to set it up) • Boardroom pitfalls: jargon, 100-slide decks for 20 minutes, and “draining the slide” • Practical tips for building trust: bring the data, surface bad news early, and speak in outcomes Guest Scott Lindquist — Chief Financial Officer, CNA Financial. Former CFO, Farmers Insurance. Started at PwC and has led finance through growth, turnarounds, and public-company scrutiny. Host Mike Linton — Former CMO of Best Buy, eBay, and Farmers; former CRO of Ancestry. Host of CMO Confidential, the #1 CMO show on YouTube. Who should watch CMOs, CEOs, CFOs, board members, founders, and marketing leaders who need tighter finance alignment and clearer ROI storytelling. Brought to you by Typeface Legacy marketing tools weren’t built for AI. Typeface is the first multimodal, agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets—across ads, email, and video—while integrating with your MarTech stack and meeting enterprise-grade security needs. See how brands like ASICS and Microsoft accelerate content at scale: typeface.ai/cmo. — If you’re enjoying the show, please like, comment, and subscribe. New episodes every Tuesday; companion newsletter with the top insights every Friday. #CMOConfidential #CFO #MarketingROI #BrandBuilding #B2BMarketing CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Scott Lindquist, CNA Financial, Farmers Insurance, CFO, CMO, marketing CFO, finance and marketing alignment, cost of capital, present value, marketing math, LTV, lifetime value, CAC, board presentations, brand valuation, insurance marketing, DTC insurance, Geico, Progressive, performance marketing, media spend, marketing ROI, budgeting, enterprise marketing, MarTech, agentic AI, Typeface AI, ASICS, Microsoft, PwC, executive leadership, C-suite, category strategy, growth strategy, B2B marketing, B2C marketing, onboarding a CFO, sponsorships, vendor management, marketing governance, data-driven marketing, brand building, boardroom communication, enterprise security, AI marketing platform See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kim Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, board member, and former GM and CMO. Kim shares insights from more than a decade of research with over 500 CMO's including how 50+% of roles are misaligned, the huge gap between CEO's and CMO's, the fact that misalignment results in weaker financials, and her belief that better position matching would "prevent" the "cure" of firing the CMO. Key discussion topics include: why the CMO position has the most variance in the C-suite; the importance of matching responsibility, experience and status; and why she thinks search firms can do a better job. Tune in to hear marketing analogies to the New England Patriots line-up and James Bond movie casting. Colonel Mustard, in the Study…with the Job Spec? Why Poor Role Design Shortens CMO Lifespans | CMO Confidential Welcome back to CMO Confidential, the podcast that takes you inside the drama, decisions, and politics that go with being the head of marketing. Hosted by 5x CMO Mike Linton (Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance, Ancestry.com). This week, Mike welcomes back Dr. Kim Whitler, Professor of Marketing at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, former CMO, board director, and one of the foremost researchers on the CMO role. Kim has spent 14+ years analyzing 500+ interviews and hundreds of job specs to uncover why nearly 54% of CMO roles are misaligned—and what that means for tenure, effectiveness, and marketing’s reputation in the C-Suite. From her groundbreaking research (published in HBR, Sloan Management Review, and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science) to real-world board and executive experience, Kim breaks down: * Why job specs often set CMOs up to fail * The massive perception gap between CEOs (who think roles are well-designed) and CMOs (who don’t) * How status, responsibility, and experience combine to drive—or derail—firm outcomes * The practical questions every CMO candidate should ask before taking a job * Why “throw away the job spec and write your own” might be the smartest advice you’ll hear 🎙️ Whether you’re a CMO, CEO, board member, or aspiring marketing leader, this is a masterclass in role design, negotiation, and how to set marketing up for real impact. --- 📌 Episode Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to CMO Confidential 01:30 – Introducing Dr. Kim Whitler 04:00 – Why CMO job specs often fail 08:15 – Defining “misalignment” in CMO roles 13:00 – The role of status, responsibility & experience 18:30 – The CEO vs. CMO perception gap 24:00 – Practical questions every CMO candidate should ask 30:00 – Negotiating role design & avoiding pitfalls 33:30 – Kim’s closing advice & final story - About Our Sponsor: Typeface AI This episode is brought to you by Typeface AI www.typeface.ai/cmo — named Company of the Year by Adweek, a TIME Best Invention, and one of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech. Typeface helps the world’s biggest brands move from business brief to fully personalized campaigns in hours, not months. Their agentic AI marketing platform scales a single campaign into thousands of on-brand experiences across ads, email, and video—all while integrating seamlessly with your MarTech stack and maintaining enterprise-grade security. See how brands like Asics and Microsoft are transforming marketing with Typeface at typeface.ai/cmo. --- 🔔 Don’t miss a single episode—subscribe on **YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify**. 👍 Like this video if you enjoyed the conversation and drop your takeaways in the comments! #CMOConfidential #MarketingLeadership #KimWhitler #CMORole #MarketingStrategy #TypefaceAI See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.