In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Madhukar Kumar, a longtime CMO turned CEO and Co-Founder of Robynn, to explore how AI agents, automation, and generative search are redefining modern marketing. From his journey as a journalist in India to building marketing technology in Silicon Valley, Madhukar shares his unique perspective on how “agentic AI” will revolutionize marketing teams, why context and creativity still matter, and how leaders must evolve from managing people to mastering tools. This is a must-listen for every marketing leader looking to stay ahead of the AI curve.
Key Takeaways:
From Reporter to CEO: Madhukar’s career spans journalism, software engineering, product management, and marketing leadership—culminating in his creation of Robynn, a multi-agent marketing platform.
What Are Agents? Agents are the next evolution of large language models—intelligent systems that can not only understand context but also execute actions and collaborate with other agents to achieve goals.
Reimagining the Marketing Stack: Traditional marketing stacks with dozens of disconnected tools are collapsing into AI-driven orchestration platforms, where agents handle tasks once spread across CRM, automation, and analytics tools.
The New Marketing Team: The future marketing leader will act as an agent orchestrator, blending strategic oversight with technical fluency. The human role shifts from execution to creativity, quality control, and brand authenticity.
AI and Authenticity: With the ease of AI-generated content, marketers risk losing authenticity. Kumar warns that “with great power comes great stupidity” and stresses keeping a human in the loop to maintain voice and taste.
GEO vs. SEO: Kumar breaks down Generative Experience Optimization (GEO)—the emerging layer of visibility across chat-based search platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity—and how it complements traditional SEO rather than replaces it.
The IC CMO Revolution: The most successful leaders in this new era will move from being managers to hands-on individual contributors, using AI tools to work smarter while maintaining a holistic strategic view.
The Real Opportunity: Agentic AI is not about replacing marketers—it’s about augmenting their intelligence and efficiency, enabling them to do more impactful work faster and with better insights.
As marketing enters the agentic AI era, Madhukar Kumar reminds us that the future belongs to the curious, the creators, and the leaders willing to get their hands back on the keyboard. From integrating agents into marketing workflows to mastering GEO strategies that ensure brand visibility in generative search, this episode is a roadmap for forward-thinking CMOs who want to lead transformation, not chase it. Tune in to hear how humans and AI can truly collaborate to redefine what’s possible in marketing.
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Diana Eadington, chief marketing officer at FE fundinfo, for a candid deep dive into the evolution of B2B demand generation. From moving beyond MQL vanity metrics to working backwards from bookings, Diana unpacks the KPIs that matter, how to operationalize sales–marketing alignment (including owning BDRs), and why agility is now a cultural non-negotiable. She also shares practical AI use cases, from agentic AI in the BDR motion to SEO for AI engines—and explains how to tailor channel mix and content to relationship-heavy sectors like financial services.
Key Takeaways:
Start with bookings, then build the funnel backwards. Measure marketing by bookings impact, then marketing-sourced pipeline, meetings required, ASPs, and sales cycle length.
Shared goals beat silos. Company-level objectives set from the CEO/CRO down create “one team” accountability across product, sales, marketing, and finance.
Own (or tightly align to) BDRs. Clear sales plays, clean target lists, and strong messaging are now increasingly supported by agentic AI, which expands capacity without ballooning headcount.
Agility is a cultural imperative, not a project. Leaders must double down on honest performance readouts, double-down where winning, and pull back fast where not while keeping teams engaged through change.
Channel strategy is sector-specific. In financial services, relationships and education (events, webinars, peer networking) outperform broad, digital-only plays.
Personalization is table stakes. Build persona-level journeys and offers that make switching from the status quo obviously worthwhile, with proof of value/ROI baked in.
AI is shifting discovery. Optimize for AI search/answer engines in addition to classic Google SEO, and use AI to accelerate original and derivative content development.
Right-fit marketing org for growth. Core functions: product marketing, demand gen, marketing ops, brand/comms, BDR, and channel strategy, all tightly integrated with product and sales.
Team sport mindset. The “win” is organizational; no functional heroics in isolation. And the scoreboard is pipeline quality and bookings velocity.
Leadership principle: Be transparent about what’s working, pivot quickly, and maintain psychological safety so teams can iterate without fear.
Diana’s blueprint reframes modern demand gen as a commercial engine, not a campaign calendar. With bookings as the north star, shared objectives, and a culture of agility, CMOs can align teams, activate AI where it truly adds leverage, and meet buyers in the channels that matter. Bottom line: build the systems that reliably create a pipeline that converts and prove it with bookings.
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
Marketing’s impact is often won—or lost—in conversations with the CEO and the board. In this candid episode of CMOs Unscripted, Rico Andrade, General Manager of Commercial at Celigo (and longtime marketing leader), joins host Lisa Martin to unpack how CMOs and marketing execs can align to top-line priorities, communicate value without vanity metrics, and earn the political capital to secure budget, talent, and runway. From discovery-style onboarding with leadership to crisp, repeatable reporting and “a-ha” insights that build credibility, Rico shares the frameworks and tactics that actually move the needle.
Key Takeaways:
Start with discovery, not assumptions. Treat your first weeks like a sales discovery: meet 1:1 with the CEO and key board members, review historical docs, and map their perceived pains and priorities before proposing plans.
Separate CEO vs. board communications. The CEO wants the full story (vision + leading indicators + nuance). The board needs a high-level, consistent view tied to pipeline, bookings, CAC/efficiency, and revenue.
Ditch vanity metrics at the board level. Keep MQL talk to a minimum unless directly connected to revenue. Anchor updates to outcomes and efficiency.
Own your numbers—deeply. You don’t have to present every chart, but you must understand the data, limitations, and attribution fuzziness—and be ready to defend or clarify under scrutiny.
Package complex work into 2–3 priorities. Inconsistent dashboards and shifting narratives erode trust. Decide the two or three things that matter and repeat them consistently across forums.
Use proactive “a-ha” moments to build credibility. Don’t wait for leadership to spot issues. Bring insights (and solutions) first—especially when diagnosing channel dips, segment gaps, or campaign underperformance.
Communicate often, not noisily. Over-communicate the same clear message in different formats until it becomes part of the company’s fabric.
Whether you’re a CMO, marketing leader, or aspiring exec, this episode offers a masterclass in earning trust at the highest levels and driving alignment, influence, and lasting impact. Watch or listen now and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Evanna Kearins, CMO International at UiPath, for a candid conversation on the complexities of global marketing. Evanna shares how her team is navigating the nuances of EMEA and APJ markets - from cultural and linguistic differences to regulatory hurdles - while scaling integrated campaigns and embracing AI-powered agility. With deep experience across the marketing mix and a journalistic eye for storytelling, Evanna reveals how strategic alignment, personalization, and automation are reshaping the role of international CMOs.
Key Takeaways:
Localization at Scale: Evanna breaks down how UiPath tailors global campaigns to local markets, ensuring relevance through translation, tone, and cultural nuance.
Sales-Marketing Alignment: From CRO to country manager, marketing earns its seat at the table by delivering measurable value and consistent communication.
AI-Driven Demand Gen: UiPath’s AI agent handles first-touch conversations, integrates with Salesforce, and frees up BDRs to focus on deeper engagement - cutting campaign setup time from months to weeks.
From MQLs to MQAs: Evanna explains why traditional lead metrics are outdated, and how account-based engagement is driving more meaningful pipeline impact.
Agile Campaigns in Action: With a flexible framework and budget, UiPath pivots quickly to support emerging trends and field requests - without losing strategic focus.
Whether you're leading global teams or scaling your first international campaign, this episode delivers actionable insights and bold strategies to help you thrive in today’s AI-infused marketing landscape. Watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, Lisa Martin sits down with “JJ”, Jennifer Johnson, the powerhouse CMO of CrowdStrike, to explore how AI is reshaping marketing strategy, execution, and team culture. JJ shares how her roots in product marketing shaped her leadership style, and how CrowdStrike is leveraging generative and agentic AI to accelerate content creation, personalize customer journeys, and drive pipeline velocity.
From building an iconic cybersecurity brand to pioneering AI adoption across the organization, JJ offers bold insights into what it takes to lead marketing in a high-growth, innovation-driven company. Whether you're a seasoned CMO or an aspiring marketing leader, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways on embracing AI, fostering intellectual curiosity, and scaling impact.
Key Takeaways:
AI Acceleration: CrowdStrike is using AI to dramatically speed up execution, reducing months of work to weeks across digital initiatives.
Personalization at Scale: Agentic AI is enabling real-time, tailored customer experiences that improve engagement and pipeline conversion.
Evolving Marketing Roles: Prompt engineering and AI fluency are becoming essential skills for modern marketers.
Strategic Impact: AI is helping CrowdStrike optimize spend, improve decision-making, and strengthen sales-marketing alignment.
Innovation Mindset: JJ emphasizes that marketing teams must embed innovation into how they work - not just what they promote.
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin welcomes Denise Persson, CMO of Snowflake, to discuss how AI is transforming the marketing function. Denise shares how her team has moved from experimentation to measurable impact, driving efficiencies across content creation, SDR enablement, and pipeline forecasting. With nearly 30 years in tech marketing, Denise offers bold insights into the future of hyper-personalization, trust, and the evolving role of marketers in an AI-first world.
Key Takeaways:
AI-Powered Efficiency: Snowflake has seen up to 80% time savings in content prep and 60% gains in SDR workflows, transforming productivity across the org.
Hyper-Personalization at Scale: AI enables marketers to deliver contextually relevant offers at the right time, improving both B2B and consumer experiences.
Real-Time Pipeline Optimization: Predictive models help Snowflake forecast pipeline health across territories and reallocate resources before gaps emerge.
Building a Culture of Innovation: The Marketing AI Council drives strategic experimentation and cross-functional education, ensuring Snowflake stays ahead of the curve.
Trust as a Competitive Advantage: Transparency in data usage is key to earning customer trust and driving responsible AI adoption.
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with longtime AI in marketing advocate and CMO of Dynatrace, Laura Heisman. With more than three decades of experience building brands and businesses, Laura shares how AI is reshaping B2B marketing - from productivity gains to deeper customer insights- while emphasizing the importance of human potential and community.
Laura dives into the evolution of AI Marketing Councils, the integration of AI into existing marketing platforms, and the critical balance between speed and thoughtfulness. She also offers practical advice for CMOs looking to embrace AI and drive measurable business impact.
Key Takeaways:
Why AI is essential: Embracing AI to stay competitive, without losing the human touch.
Building AI Marketing Councils: How cross-functional teams drive innovation and intentional strategy.
Measuring AI’s impact: Real-world Dynatrace ROI: 3x content output, 2x faster translations, richer targeting.
Integrating AI into workflows: Embedding AI into your CRM, automation, and data platforms.
Future-forward marketing: Bite-sized content, storytelling, and evolving customer expectations.
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping marketing - and with it, the language we use to connect, convert, and cultivate trust. In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Emily Foley, Chief Marketing Officer of Cisco Capital, to explore the subtle but powerful influence of words in AI model training.
Together, they unpack how marketers can leverage tone, empathy, and intentional language to train AI responsibly and reduce bias. Emily shares real-world examples from Amazon, IBM, and Google, as well as Cisco’s own ethical frameworks for inclusive AI development. From behavioral intent prediction to human-centered personalization, this conversation is a compelling reminder: marketers don’t just feed the models—they shape them.
Key Takeaways:
AI as a Marketing Force Multiplier: Hyper-personalization, dynamic recommendations, and behavioral intent mapping are revolutionizing customer engagement.
Human Behind the Data: AI must interpret, not just collect, data with emotional intelligence to create relevant experiences.
Tone & Language Shape AI: The words marketers use directly influence model training. Inclusive, empathetic language helps reduce bias and exclusion.
Real-World AI Bias Examples: From Amazon’s scrapped hiring tool to IBM’s inclusive datasets, Emily highlights how biases can creep on, and how auditing protects fairness.
Marketing's Ethical Responsibility: Emily advocates for cross-functional collaboration and frameworks that prioritize transparency, fairness, and privacy.
Emerging Trends: Conversational AI, sentiment analysis, and natural language processing are making digital engagement feel increasingly human.
Whether you’re refining your AI strategy, leading digital transformation, or building trust through customer-first marketing, this episode is a masterclass in responsible, inclusive leadership. Watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly episodes featuring the world’s top CMOs.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Mandy Dhaliwal, CMO of Nutanix, to explore how integrated marketing has become a strategic operating model for high-growth organizations. With over 25 years of experience in cloud and software markets, Mandy shares how modern CMOs can elevate marketing from a siloed function to a powerful, company-wide driver of value.
Mandy outlines why integrated marketing isn’t just a tactic—it’s a mindset. She shares practical insights on interlocking with sales, product, customer success, and the boardroom, all while keeping the customer at the center of every decision. From navigating a major business transformation at Nutanix to integrating AI into the marketing stack, Mandy breaks down what it really takes to lead with vision, impact, and agility.
Key Takeaways:
● Integrated Marketing as Operating Model: It’s not a fad—it’s how modern CMOs lead. ● Stakeholder Buy-In: Speak their language, not marketing jargon.
● Customer-Centric Storytelling: Why clarity and consistency matter most.
● Full-Stack Marketing: A look at how Nutanix structures product, brand, data, campaigns, and more.
● AI-Driven Future: Why Mandy’s putting agents on the org chart.
● From Brand to Revenue: How today’s CMOs measure success by business outcomes, not just MQLs.
Whether you're scaling a startup, leading a global enterprise, or trying to align your team around shared goals, this episode offers a masterclass in integrated, customer-first marketing leadership. Watch now and subscribe for biweekly episodes featuring the world’s top CMOs.
In this episode of CMOs Unscripted, host Lisa Martin sits down with Ash Parikh, CMO of Trellix, to unpack the essentials of succeeding as a private equity-backed CMO. Ash shares his perspective on the two non-negotiables for every marketing leader: Efficiency and Effectiveness, revealing how data-driven decision-making and results-focused execution set the best CMOs apart.
This conversation is packed with insights on how PE-backed CMOs sharpen their approach to ROI, demand generation, and boardroom credibility. Whether you're leading marketing for a startup, a pre-IPO company, or a post-IPO enterprise, this episode is full of game-changing lessons to elevate your leadership.Key Takeaways:
No matter where you are in your marketing journey, this episode delivers valuable insights and real-world strategies you can put into action. Don’t miss out, watch now on YouTube and subscribe for biweekly conversations with top industry leaders.
Welcome to the premiere episode of CMOs Unscripted—a refreshingly candid series where top CMOs share bold insights, unfiltered strategies, and honest conversations that cut through the noise. Hosted by Lisa Martin, this show is designed for marketing leaders looking for real talk, not fluff.
In this episode, Lisa sits down with Eric Herzog, a highly accomplished CMO and multi-award winner with an extensive background spanning Fortune 500 companies and startups. Together, they delve into the importance of integrated marketing, exploring how it enhances the customer experience and how aligning marketing with sales drives pipeline and revenue growth.
Key Takeaways:
Whether you're a seasoned CMO or an aspiring marketing leader, this episode delivers actionable insights and candid advice you won’t want to miss! Catch the full episode here or watch it on YouTube. And be sure to subscribe for biweekly episodes featuring industry-leading CMOs!
CMOs Unscripted is the podcast where top marketing leaders ditch the talking points and get real. Hosted by veteran tech broadcaster Lisa Martin, each episode dives into candid, off-the-record conversations with the world’s most innovative CMOs—from startups to Fortune 500s. Expect bold stories, hard-won lessons, and unfiltered insights on brand strategy, AI, data, customer experience, and the ever-evolving role of the CMO. If you want to hear what’s really shaping modern marketing, this is your seat at the table.
