The Wisory Wise in Five with David Edelman

In this week’s episode of The Wisory Wise in Five, we sit down with David Edelman, a marketing transformation leader whose career spans over 35 years across premier consulting firms, advertising agencies, and Fortune 1000 C-suites. Dave was Chief Marketing Officer at Aetna, built McKinsey’s global digital marketing strategy practice, scaled Digitas into one of the largest interactive agencies, and advised some of the world’s most recognized brands. He also has over 1 million followers on LinkedIn! From the earliest days of digital to the age of AI, Dave has been at the forefront of customer personalization, data-driven growth, and organizational change. In this conversation, he shares why “a segment of one” is both the holy grail and the hardest challenge, how AI can transform not just marketing but the entire customer experience, and why behavior change — not just new tools — is the key to realizing AI’s full value. Dave also shares insights on why mid-sized businesses are uniquely positioned to use AI as a force multiplier for growth and the need to balance short-term performance with long-term strategic vision. The Wise in Five series is hosted by Jason Wadler, founder of The Wisory. In each episode, Jason connects with one of The Wisory’s world-class Advisors to ask five powerful questions—crafted to spark bold insights, practical strategy, and always a dose of wisdom. This episode is a must-listen for leaders asking: How can AI go beyond efficiency to drive customer-centric growth? What operational changes unlock the real value of personalization? How do you balance strategy and execution in digital transformation?