Most marketing leaders inherit chaos and respond by adding more: more people, more tech, more campaigns. Douglas Nelson did the opposite—and grew originated revenue contribution to over 30% with an overall marketing  influence of 58% of all new ARR in three years.

As Chief Marketing Officer at ExtensisHR, Doug was handed a rare gift: leadership said "build the marketing structure we need to be  successful”. Instead of going on a hiring and spending spree, he applied surgical discipline. He built a three-part marketing organization that separates strategic work from operational execution. He kept his team lean at 12 people when he could have hired more. He ditched underperforming tech and resisted shiny objects. He focused on vintage tactics like direct mail for new verticals while implementing smart personalization tech where it actually moved the needle. 

The result? A marketing team that punches far above its weight, drives a high-performing direct pipeline engine while enhancing their broker relationships - ensuring both channels grow stronger together  as we prepare for an AI-enabled future. 

With AI disrupting traditional marketing roles and budgets under constant scrutiny, CMOs face an identity crisis: scale up or slim down? Doug's story proves you can grow revenue contribution dramatically by being more strategic, not just more active. His Marketing 3.0 framework shows what to protect, what to optimize, and what to eliminate—giving overwhelmed marketing leaders a clear path forward.

Guest:Doug Nelson - CMO, ExtensisHRLinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglascnelson/ 

Resources: The RevRoom Podcast https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/the-revroom-podcastInverta on Marketing Orgs: https://www.inverta.com/resources-category/strategic-planning 

Direct Mail: S2, Episode 13 https://www.inverta.com/resources/why-you-cant-afford-not-to-do-direct-mail