In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Rob Freedman, VP of Marketing at EZO. Rob shares insights from his two-decade career in marketing leadership, including lessons from preparing companies for IPO and navigating high-stakes executive rooms. He discusses how the role of marketing has shifted from brand-led to performance-driven, and why CFOs and product leaders are now calling more shots in GTM strategy.
Rob explains the pressure VC-backed companies face to deliver short-term results, and how that’s reshaping what kinds of campaigns get approved. He also breaks down how marketers can earn a seat at the strategic table by adopting accountability early—well before any IPO is on the horizon.
From failed international campaigns to executive transparency, Rob unpacks the realities of aligning across functions, staying data-driven, and owning the full customer journey. He shares why filtering messaging down to teams does more harm than good, and how applying IPO-level rigor can elevate performance—even for mid-market companies.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Kathleen Booth, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Pavilion. Kathleen shares her perspective on why so many marketers today feel cornered—expected to own revenue without the resources, time, or internal alignment to succeed. She explores the short-termism trap, where overreliance on pipeline metrics erodes brand value and creates long-term risk. Kathleen talks about the limits of “educating up” in VC- and PE-backed environments, and why mindset alignment with the CEO is non-negotiable for long-term success.
She also makes a bold case for why CMOs stepping into CRO roles isn’t a concession—it’s a power move. Kathleen challenges assumptions about marketing’s role in revenue leadership and shares how broader executive support, including structural changes like guaranteed severance, can give leaders the freedom to place high-impact bets.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Rick Egan, chief marketing officer at Beyond Inc., a public marketplace for home goods. Rick traces his path from SEO specialist to leading marketing at a listed company, explaining how that journey sharpened his focus on demand signals, technology fluency and stakeholder management. He unpacks the post-covid demand crash, why falling conversion rates reveal market size—not media problems—and how tariffs and inventory gluts pressure margins and pricing.
Rick shares the hard conversations he has with the board when shareholder expectations collide with shrinking buyer pools, and why discounting is often a last resort. He argues that modern CMOs must be part technologist, part psychologist: pushing AI workflows despite team fears, rewarding early adopters and managing out the refusers. Finally, Rick explains why letting domain experts own their lanes beats micromanagement and how public-company constraints force clearer strategic bets.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Dan Chapman, VP of sales and marketing at DocNow. Dan tells the story of walking into a startup that was generating one or two MQLs a month, then building a 90-day lead-gen engine that lit up the entire pipeline. He explains how owning both sales and marketing forces a single-funnel mindset, why every project must prove its revenue impact fast, and how he justifies brand spend by showing that one closed deal covers the cost.
Dan shares his “north star” spreadsheet of thirty ranked experiments, describes hiring creatives who can tie design to bookings, and details how constant calls with reps eliminate silos. He also digs into measuring success with CAC efficiency, balancing short-term pipeline with long-term credibility, and adapting to buyers who either want total handholding or zero contact. The conversation is a blueprint for making marketing accountable without killing creativity.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Igor Kranjcec, VP of marketing at Farseer and at the Sastanak conference. Igor traces his 15-year shift from traffic-obsessed marketer to revenue-owned operator, explaining how linking every marketer’s bonus to closed-won deals ended budget battles and vanity metrics. He breaks down the mechanics of joint sales-marketing deal reviews, share-of-wallet dinners, and full-funnel KPIs that turn marketing into a genuine profit driver. Igor also digs into the psychology of “leading without authority,” showing how project-management rigor plus emotional intelligence lets marketers influence peers and executives without formal power.
For new leaders, he shares why landing a visible win in the first 30–60 days is non-negotiable and how to manage up by handing execs decisions—not research.
Finally, Igor warns against promoting star performers who refuse to leave execution, and offers a playbook for making support and CS teams accountable for upsell revenue.
In this episode, we talk about:
revenue accountability
marketing-sales alignment
leading without authority
full-funnel KPIs
executive buy-in
Welcome to Executive Conversations, where we dig into the gritty realities of leading modern marketing teams. In this episode, Maeva Cifuentes sits down with Janet Jaiswal, chief marketing officer at Blueshift and long-time marketing advisor. Janet unpacks why her team now owns 90 percent of pipeline, how she killed the vanity of MQLs in favour of BANT-qualified “stage 1” leads, and what it really takes to align marketing, sales and CS around the same revenue target.
She explains the hidden CRM and training work that comes with that shift, the dangers of chasing efficiency before effectiveness, and why AI-powered search is rewriting the SEO rulebook. Janet also shares practical steps for surfacing in LLM results—from tweaking robots.txt to publishing Q&A-style content—and reveals how Blueshift is already closing deals that start with ChatGPT queries.
In this episode, Maeva talks with Amir Jabbari, the three-time CMO now steering growth at BimeBazaar. Amir explains how bouncing from FMCG to fintech to insurtech sharpened his creativity and pushed him to blend street-level observation with hard data. He breaks down why posture and facial cues matter more than click-through rates, how a brand-attitude study convinced a data-obsessed board to bankroll “click-and-brick” campaigns, and why scaling an ineffective channel is a fast track to failure.
Expect candid advice on separating efficiency from effectiveness, injecting human touch into digital funnels, and training your team to zoom out and question every best practice.
In this episode, we talk about:
qualitative customer insights
cross-industry marketing innovation
effectiveness versus efficiency
human touch in insurtech
critical thinking for cmos
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Rachel Weeks, former VP of Marketing. Rachel shares her experience leading B2B SaaS marketing teams and how she’s adapting to the rapid rise of AI across GTM functions. She discusses why AI should be treated like a junior hire, not a plug-and-play solution, and why marketers today are responsible for training not just their teams but also their tools and their execs.
Rachel unpacks how leadership roles are shifting under PE influence, the blurred lines between marketing and sales, and how org structure impacts your ability to lead. She also reflects on how pressure to perform is rising faster than teams can realistically adopt AI, and why marketers need to stay grounded in strategy, not hype.
In this episode of Executive Conversations Natalie Naik shares her experience launching a B2B marketing function from scratch inside a traditionally D2C-focused company. Natalie tells us how she navigated educating leadership unfamiliar with B2B marketing, especially around handling long sales cycles and fundamentally different KPIs.
Natalie also touches on selecting the right channels for niche B2B markets, advocating for organic growth, ABM, and partnerships over paid channels. Throughout the episode, Natalie provides practical insights into influencing stakeholders, simplifying executive communication, and driving effective collaboration with sales teams in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape.
In this episode, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Malte Landwehr, VP of SEO at Idealo.
Malte shares how SEO isn’t just a channel, it’s the foundation of Idealo’s business model and what it actually means to lead SEO at executive level. He walks through how he filters out 75% of ideas using prioritization frameworks, how he scopes influence across five departments without direct authority, and how he handles being the first call when traffic drops.
Malte also shares how he’s thinking ahead to generative search, what’s working for brand visibility in LLMs today, and why B2B leaders should be watching that space more closely than they are.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Lindsay Kelley, VP of Marketing at Sonar Software. Lindsay talks us through her techniques for advocating for marketing initiatives within the organization to secure necessary resources. They also discuss methods to develop and present budgets that reflect marketing goals and company targets and strategies to identify and collaborate with internal allies who can champion marketing initiatives.
In this episode, we talk about:
Executive Buy-In
Long-Term GTM Strategies
Data-Driven Narratives
Budget Alignment
Internal Marketing
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Jordan Hwang, VP of Marketing at OpenPhone.
Jordan explains why marketing leaders must learn to "market marketing" within their organization to secure buy-in for initiatives. Jordan and Maeva also discuss expanding influence across teams and aligning stakeholders around shared goals.
Jordan emphasizes that cross-functional teams should intuitively understand why marketing does what it does.
They also discuss how to cut through noise, establish credibility, and prevent “armchair marketing” from derailing real strategies.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Hannah Garner, CRO at Arctic Shores, about the real work behind getting leadership on board with a marketing strategy. Hannah explains why starting with budget is a losing game—executives need to agree on what "good" marketing looks like before numbers even enter the conversation. She shares how GTM leaders can sell their vision when they don’t have the data, using industry benchmarks and market shifts to make a compelling case.
In this episode, we talk about:
executive buy-in
GTM strategy
marketing budget approval
CFO alignment
internal marketing
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Silvia Valencia, VP of Revenue Marketing at Docebo, about her journey from agency to in-house marketing. Silvia shares how her experience at Refine Labs taught her to manage buy-in, present strategic investment cases, and reallocate budgets effectively. Maeva and Silvia also emphasize the importance of starting relationships with clear communication, setting expectations for short- and long-term outcomes, and delivering early wins to gain credibility.
In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes speaks with Charlie Riley, Head of Marketing at OneScreen.
They discuss the importance of establishing trust with internal stakeholders and the need to understand each department’s motivations so you can communicate the value of marketing in their terms.
Charlie also shares insights into the challenges of being the first marketing hire and how to navigate building a marketing function from scratch.
He also shares some practical advice on how to align with sales, customer support and HR to create a unified go-to-market approach.
In this episode, we talk about:
Internal marketing
Building trust in marketing
Go-to-market leadership
First marketing hire
Sales and marketing alignment
Mark and Maeva discuss navigating experiment overload in GTM strategies, emphasizing the need for trade-offs.
The conversation covers the importance of aligning marketing and sales efforts, with a focus on multi-threaded outreach to decision-makers.
Mark shares his approach to working closely with the VP of sales to present a united front to the co-founders.
The episode explores how to use data effectively to tell a narrative and gain executive buy-in for long-term GTM motions.
Mark highlights the challenges of getting executive support, especially from CEOs and CROs, and strategies to overcome these obstacles.
He discusses the necessity of long-term planning and how to balance immediate results with strategic growth goals.
In this episode we talk about
GTM (Go-to-Market) strategies
Executive buy-in
Data-driven decision-making
Marketing alignment
Long-term growth planning
Takeaways
Importance of detailed planning: Mark highlights the need for a clear strategy and contingency planning for marketing campaigns to ensure they meet objectives and adapt as necessary.
Securing buy-in: Discusses effective strategies for gaining support and buy-in from executives and other departments for marketing plans.
Budgeting challenges: Provides insights on creating realistic marketing budgets aligned with category benchmarks and total addressable market (TAM) considerations.
Marketing in SaaS: Explores the unique aspects of marketing in the SaaS industry, such as managing free and freemium models.
Using data effectively: Emphasizes the importance of leveraging data, including tools like Google Analytics, to understand user behavior and optimize marketing strategies.
In this episode of Executive Conversations Ana Laura and Maeva discuss the importance of building relationships and connections with leadership and key stakeholders within an organization. She emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between marketing and sales, focusing on mutual understanding and collaboration to drive business growth.
Ana Laura also highlights the role of data in storytelling, using it to align marketing efforts with business goals and demonstrate ROI. We get an insight into her approach to handling resistance and fostering buy-in for long-term strategies, particularly when short-term results are lacking.
The conversation also covers the challenges of budget allocation, using data to justify investment in marketing initiatives, and securing support from executives.
Summary
Summary
Mohamed Reza shares insights into how he navigates executive conversations and aligns marketing strategies with long-term goals.
Discusses the challenges of securing executive buy-in and how he overcomes these hurdles using data-driven storytelling.
Explains his approach to presenting budgets in a way that aligns with company targets, even when they’re challenging to quantify.
Highlights the importance of creating narratives around data to win allies and gain support for GTM initiatives.
Shares his strategies for balancing short-term results with long-term growth in a mid-market SaaS environment.
Offers practical advice on how to show marketing’s impact across the organization through effective tools and frameworks.
Takeaway
Importance of executive buy-in:
Mohamed Reza discusses the challenges of gaining executive buy-in for GTM strategies and shares strategies for overcoming resistance.
Importance of aligning marketing objectives with broader business goals to secure support from leadership.
Detailed planning and execution:
The necessity for detailed planning in GTM initiatives, including clear objectives, timelines, and contingencies.
Mohamed highlights the need to anticipate challenges and plan for them in advance to ensure successful execution.
Budgeting challenges:
Mohamed addresses the common difficulties in allocating marketing budgets, especially in the context of long-term growth expectations.
Discusses methods for justifying budgets based on measurable outcomes and aligning them with company targets.
Data-driven storytelling:
Mohamed explains how to use data effectively to tell compelling narratives that support marketing decisions.
Emphasizes the role of analytics in understanding customer behavior, tracking KPIs, and making informed decisions.
Marketing strategy in SaaS:
Mohamed talks about the unique aspects of marketing in SaaS, including the challenges of targeting different customer segments, managing churn, and maximizing value for users.
Discusses strategies for adapting GTM motions to fit the SaaS model and driving long-term growth.
Summary Communicating value effectively: Emphasizing that communication happens not just at the speaker's mouth, but at the listener's ear. It’s essential for marketing leaders to think about how they communicate value to executives and ensure it’s framed in a way that resonates with the listener's perspective. The power of framing and narrative: Marketing leaders must frame their contributions and value in a way that highlights their impact, especially when navigating executive conversations and securing buy-in for long-term initiatives. Navigating layoffs: In the context of layoffs, the importance of demonstrating your value to the organization becomes even more critical. It’s not just about doing the right things, but about making sure that your efforts are clearly understood and aligned with company goals. Strategic value in marketing: Marketing leaders need to strategically show their worth and reinforce their contributions to the company's success, not just through metrics but by aligning with the broader organizational goals. The importance of data and storytelling: Data alone is not enough; it must be used to tell a compelling story that helps executives understand how marketing contributes to business growth and aligns with long-term company goals. Takeaways Effective executive communication: Lauren discusses the importance of understanding how communication happens, emphasizing the need to communicate value in a way that resonates with executives and stakeholders. Framing value for buy-in: The conversation explores strategies for framing the value of marketing work so it is understood and appreciated at all levels, particularly in the context of securing executive buy-in. Navigating layoffs and value recognition: Lauren reflects on the role of value recognition in organizational decision-making, and how marketing leaders can work to ensure their teams are seen as essential during times of uncertainty like layoffs. Data-driven storytelling: The importance of using data to tell a compelling narrative that aligns with business goals is discussed, including how data can be leveraged to demonstrate marketing's impact. Strategic marketing leadership: The episode covers how marketing leaders can build a strong case for marketing initiatives, even in the face of challenges, by strategically aligning their motions and messaging with the business’s core objectives.