How AI Is Reshaping the Role of the CMO with Kate Johnson (Ep 59)

AI is reshaping marketing as we know it, and its impact is reaching the CMO role.In this episode of The Marketing Share, our co-hosts Alec Cheung and Barb VanSomeren talk with Kate Johnson, CMO at Dscout, about her transition from VP of Marketing to CMO, and why that shift looks very different today than it did even a year ago.Kate dives into her experience as a first-time CMO in the era of AI, and how this new technology is reshaping everything at once: how teams operate, how products are built, how fast companies move, and how marketing shows up in the business.If you're stepping into a leadership role or already in one, this episode offers a grounded look at what’s actually changing behind the scenes, and what it takes to keep up.Timestamps 00:00 Introduction, Alec and Barb02:00 Kate Johnson’s journey from VP of Marketing to CMO05:40 What surprised her most about becoming a CMO10:00 How AI is changing marketing, products, and customer expectations13:00 AI inside the marketing team: faster product cycles, new bottlenecks16:00 Using AI tools in real workflows (automation, research, sales enablement)20:00 Decision-making as a CMO when you’re not the expert24:00 Hiring for new roles and evaluating talent outside your experience28:00 What she had to let go of moving into the CMO role36:00 Navigating brand messaging in an AI-driven market40:00 Final thoughts and where to connect with Kate🎧 Subscribe to The Marketing Share Podcast to get unfiltered conversations with marketing leaders about growth, strategy, and the future of digital.Connect with our guest: 👉Kate Jhonson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateathmer/👉 Sign up to be a Scout and get paid to participate in research! https://www.dscout.com/participate-in-research-studiesConnect with the hosts:👉 Barb VanSomeren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbvansomeren/👉 Alec Cheung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleccheung/Connect with the Podcast Manager 👉 Cinthya Zeledón: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cinthyazeledon/Explore the video content of each podcast episode on YouTube Want to be a guest on The Marketing Share Podcast?  Send us your bio and proposed interview topic to [email protected], and our Podcast Manager will get back to you.