CMO Journeys

Jack Markham is Chief Marketing Officer of Inside Real Estate, the technology company behind the platform that agents, teams, brokerages, and major real estate brands use to manage leads, marketing, transactions, recruiting, and growth. He arrived at the CMO role from sales and general management rather than brand, and it shapes almost everything about how he runs the function. For anyone thinking about what a marketing organization should actually be accountable for, his perspective is a useful one.What the Conversation CoversThe path from leading sales teams to running marketing, and the event where he bombed a speech in front of 500 people and decided to learn the industry from the insideWhat it means to run marketing as a revenue function rather than a reactive, process-driven one, and how the mandate changed when he took the roleHow he builds accountability without micromanaging, including why he tells his team that three of every five things they try will be wrongWhere AI and automation fit in his organization, and why he uses them to expand what a team can do instead of cutting headcountWhat he screens for in an agency partner, and why an industry sitting between B2C and B2B breaks demand generation playbooks that work everywhere else|Guest BioJack Markham is Chief Marketing Officer of Inside Real Estate. His background spans sales, customer success, product strategy, acquisitions, general management, and revenue growth, and he previously served as the company's Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth. He has spent most of his career in the real estate industry, including an earlier chapter building a recurring revenue business from the ground up.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Ahmed Iqbal leads marketing for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, General Motors' new entry into the world's fastest-growing sport. He joined after an unusual path through investment banking, automotive, and the social platforms Twitter and TikTok — and he's now building a brand, a fan base, and a commercial business from the ground up. His perspective is a rare look at how a modern marketing leader thinks and operates.What the Conversation CoversThe winding career journey from investment banking to Audi to Twitter, TikTok, and Formula 1How storytelling and carrying a revenue number shaped his marketing leadershipBuilding an American team's brand on a global stage without becoming polarizingBuilding a marketing organization from zero to one across sports, tech, and automotive culturesHow he evaluates agencies — and what too many of them miss about Cadillac F1Guest Bio Ahmed Iqbal is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, working within TWG in partnership with General Motors. His background spans automotive, media, technology, partnerships, and revenue growth, including leadership roles at Audi, Twitter, and TikTok. At Cadillac F1, he oversees brand, campaigns, digital, and the team's ambition to grow into a media business.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Jessica Doyle is the Chief Growth Officer at Double Good, a Chicago-based fundraising technology company that helps youth sports teams, schools, and other organizations raise money through app-supported popcorn fundraisers. In this episode, she traces a career that runs from customer strategy consulting through Uber, Twitch, Cameo, and the NBA, and shares how she thinks about growth, leadership, and building teams.What the Conversation CoversHer career journey, from knowing in high school that she wanted to do marketing to leading growth across an entire companyThe lessons she took from Uber's earliest days, when testing and learning through mistakes was the whole jobThe mentor who reshaped how she leads, and the advice she gives about investing in peersHow she structures a growth organization and decides what to build in-house versus outsourceHer practical approach to agency partners, freelancers, and fractional support, and when each one makes senseGuest Bio Jessica Doyle is the Chief Growth Officer at Double Good, where she leads marketing, partnerships, sales, customer support, and the Double Good Kids Foundation. Before Double Good, she held growth and marketing roles at Uber, Twitch, Cameo, and the NBA, beginning her career in customer strategy consulting.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Thomas Rubino is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Cooper University Health Care, one of the major academic health systems in South Jersey. He came to marketing by an unusual route — law and politics — and that background shapes how he thinks about persuasion, messaging, and building a brand in a fiercely competitive market. His perspective is a useful one for anyone who wants to move people, not just measure them.What the Conversation CoversTom's path from running political campaigns to leading marketing for a major health systemHow his legal and political training taught him to turn complex issues into clear, persuasive messagesWhat it takes to build a healthcare brand in a crowded, competitive marketHow he structures a "small but mighty" team and where he brings in outside agenciesWhat makes an agency stand out to him — and the vanity metrics that make him tune one outGuest BioThomas Rubino is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Cooper University Health Care, where he has spent a decade overseeing brand marketing, public relations, internal communications, social media, and the website. Before healthcare, he served as an elected official and ran political campaigns, working in public relations and message strategy, and later led communications on the health-insurance side before moving to the provider side at Cooper.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Maggie Connors is the Chief Marketing Officer of Havas Creative Network, one of the major global creative networks inside Havas. In this episode, she shares the journey that took her from art student to global marketing leader, and why she believes craft and creativity are still what win clients in an industry racing toward automation and AI.What the Conversation CoversMaggie's career journey, from a hands-on studio internship to nearly seventeen years at Arnold and roles at JWT and DeutschHow she thinks about creativity, brand, and why she still doubles down on the craftThe way she rebuilt marketing into a real growth engine, not an afterthought between pitchesHow she and her team approach client relationships through listening and empathyHer practical, all-in view of what AI changes for agencies, and what it never willGuest BioMaggie Connors is the Chief Marketing Officer of Havas Creative Network. She has spent her career at the center of agency growth, positioning, pitches, and partnerships, with earlier leadership roles in new business and growth at Arnold, JWT, and Deutsch. She works closely with Chief Transformation Officer Tracy Barber to build the network's global marketing story.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Sari Winick, Chief Marketing Officer of Learning Resources and hand2mind, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how classic CPG training can translate into education, toys, retail, ecommerce, and family decision-making. Her perspective is valuable because she brings deep experience across consumer goods, healthcare, nutrition, sales, analytics, and brand leadership.What the Conversation Covers• Sari’s path from medical sales to marketing leadership, including her early CPG training at Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, SC Johnson, and Mead Johnson Nutrition.• How working closely with sales teams shaped her understanding of customers, field insights, and what marketing needs to deliver.• The evolution of her CMO mandate as consumer behavior, digital media, influencers, content creators, and performance marketing continue to change.• How Learning Resources balances lower-funnel performance marketing with upper-funnel brand building, awareness, and experimentation.• Sari’s approach to agency partnerships, including when specialized partners, media expertise, TikTok knowledge, creative support, and category understanding are most valuable.Guest BioSari Winick is Chief Marketing Officer of Learning Resources and hand2mind, where she leads marketing, media, analytics, and design across a portfolio of educational toy and learning brands. Her background includes medical sales, consumer goods, consumer health, infant nutrition, pharma, retail, and B2B education marketing. At Learning Resources, she focuses on brand growth, consumer engagement, educational outcomes, and helping families and educators discover hands-on learning products.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Hilary Sauls, Chief Marketing Officer for The Armstrong Company, joins CMO Journeys to discuss her nearly 14-year path from marketing coordinator to CMO. Her perspective is valuable because she has helped shape the marketing function from inside a family-built relocation and logistics business as it expanded into a broader, multi-market services platform.What the Conversation Covers• Hilary’s early path from Louisiana to LSU, sports PR, the New York Giants, recruiting, and eventually marketing leadership.• How she found opportunity inside an industry she did not originally seek out, and why the company’s values made Armstrong feel like home.• What it means to build roles that did not previously exist, especially inside a lean, family-owned business.• How The Armstrong Company is evolving its brand beyond household moving to reflect a broader portfolio across logistics, commercial relocation, warehousing, supply chain, healthcare, hospitality, and final mile services.• Hilary’s approach to agency partnerships, including why subject matter expertise, follow-through, cultural fit, and clear RFP responses matter.Guest BioHilary Sauls is Chief Marketing Officer for The Armstrong Company, a Memphis-rooted relocation and logistics business serving residential, commercial, warehousing, supply chain, and final mile needs across 36 markets. Since joining the company in 2012 as a marketing coordinator, she has helped build and expand the marketing function as the business has grown. Her role focuses on brand strategy, market positioning, communications, and helping the company tell a broader story about the value it brings at scale.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Susanna Song, CMO of Aeris, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how her background in journalism, communications, podcasting, and executive storytelling shaped her path into marketing leadership. Her perspective is especially valuable for marketers and agency leaders working in complex categories where education, trust, and clear messaging are essential.What the Conversation Covers• Susanna’s early leadership experiences and how her ambition to become a journalist eventually evolved into a marketing career.• What the newsroom taught her about deadlines, audience understanding, and knowing why a story matters before telling it.• How she applies those storytelling instincts to Aeris’ vertical go-to-market strategy across connected IoT use cases.• Why podcasting and thought leadership can help simplify technical categories and build brand equity without directly selling.• How Aeris is educating the market around cellular IoT security, channel enablement, and value-added solutions in a highly specialized category.Guest BioSusanna Song is Chief Marketing Officer at Aeris, a company helping power large-scale connected IoT programs across industries including automotive, utilities, energy, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. She brings a background in journalism, corporate communications, podcasting, executive moderation, and go-to-market leadership. At Aeris, she focuses on market education, vertical messaging, partner enablement, and building thought leadership around cellular IoT.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Sivan Koenig Galinsky, Chief Marketing Officer at Barack Ferrazzano, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how legal marketing works inside a relationship-driven professional services firm. Her perspective is valuable because her career moved through legal recruitment, client relations, operations, business development, and marketing before she became the firm’s first CMO.What the Conversation Covers• Sivan’s early interest in law, her decision not to attend law school, and how she found a different path inside law firm management.• How her early work across recruitment, client relations, billing, collections, events, websites, pitches, and proposals gave her a 360-degree view of how law firms operate.• Why legal marketing requires understanding what motivates attorneys, how firms make money, and how client relationships are built over time.• How she earned trust as Barack Ferrazzano’s first CMO by repositioning marketing from an administrative function to a strategic business development partner.• Sivan’s perspective on AI, pitch and proposal volume, lawyer training, business development programs, and the future of law firm marketing operations.Guest BioSivan Koenig Galinsky is Chief Marketing Officer at Barack Ferrazzano, a Chicago-based general practice law firm advising businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and financial institutions on complex legal matters. As the firm’s first CMO, she leads marketing, business development, positioning, proposal strategy, and attorney development initiatives. Her background includes legal recruitment, client relations, law firm operations, business development, and marketing leadership across firms of different sizes.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Sandy Kaup, Chief Marketing Officer at Southern Technical College, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how marketing, admissions, and revenue alignment work together in career-focused education. His perspective is valuable because he built his career from admissions into marketing leadership, giving him a practical view of the full student journey from lead generation to enrollment outcomes.What the Conversation Covers• Sandy’s early path from admissions into marketing, and how the need for better lead flow shaped his approach to growth.• Why he believes marketing and sales must work together around shared revenue goals, not separate departmental priorities.• How Southern Technical College measures performance through cost per lead, appointment, interview, enrollment, and start.• The impact of AI, search behavior, and changing media habits on education marketing and student recruitment.• How Sandy evaluates outside partners, including why specialization, transparency, proof of results, and industry understanding matter.Guest BioSandy Kaup is Chief Marketing Officer at Southern Technical College, a career-focused education institution serving students in fields such as healthcare, skilled trades, and other in-demand areas. His role has expanded across several sister colleges, giving him responsibility for marketing, admissions alignment, revenue growth, and process standardization across a broader portfolio. His background includes decades of experience in admissions, lead generation, performance tracking, and career college growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Andrea Schwenk, Chief Marketing Officer at Egglife Foods, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how she helped shape the brand from an early-stage challenger into a growing CPG platform. Her perspective is valuable for marketers and agency leaders because she brings experience across agencies, restaurants, spirits, retail, hospitality, and better-for-you food innovation.What the Conversation Covers• Andrea’s early interest in architecture, journalism, and advertising, and how those experiences shaped her balance of creativity and business discipline.• Her path from agency roles to brand-side leadership, including what agency experience taught her about building stronger client-agency partnerships.• How Egglife built its brand around one core product line before expanding into pasta, grab-and-go breakfast products, and new retail channels.• Why focus, discipline, and prioritization are essential as a challenger brand balances awareness, innovation, retail velocity, and budget constraints.• Andrea’s approach to agency partnerships, including how specialized partners, clear roles, transparency, and curiosity help support a fast-evolving business.Guest BioAndrea Schwenk is Chief Marketing Officer at Egglife Foods, a protein-forward food company reimagining flour-based staples with eggs as the foundation. She first joined the company as VP of Marketing and has helped guide its evolution from a focused wrap brand into a broader food platform. Her background includes agency work, restaurant marketing, spirits, hospitality, CPG, and challenger brand growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Dan Eisenberg, CMO and Partner at Blue Chip, joins CMO Journeys to discuss agency growth, client relationships, and the connection between brand building and business development. His perspective is especially valuable for agency leaders because he has spent his career helping agencies grow through trust, thought leadership, and stronger client partnerships.What the Conversation Covers• Dan’s early path from Los Angeles to Michigan and how studying history shaped his interest in human behavior, consumers, and brands.• How his account service background gave him a foundation in client leadership, integrated campaigns, retail operations, and business problem-solving.• Why agency marketing and business development need to work together instead of relying on referrals, reputation, or the CEO’s network alone.• How Blue Chip approaches growth through positioning, thought leadership, relationship mapping, events, PR, and a focused ideal client profile.• Why trust is the foundation of strong agency-client relationships, especially as agencies help clients connect marketing investment to business impact.Guest BioDan Eisenberg is CMO and Partner at Blue Chip, an independent brand commerce agency that helps brands connect long-term brand building with near-term sales performance. His career spans account service, experiential marketing, client leadership, agency growth, and business development. At Blue Chip, he leads marketing and growth strategy with a focus on positioning, thought leadership, new business, and building trusted relationships with clients and prospects.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Karen Craven, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how public-sector marketing can build awareness, credibility, and trust. Her perspective is shaped by a career spanning journalism, government, public affairs, associations, education, and consumer-facing financial programs.What the Conversation Covers• Karen’s early career in journalism and how reporting shaped her approach to education, transparency, and public accountability.• The career pivots that moved her from journalism into government affairs, marketing, communications, and public-sector leadership.• How the Treasurer’s Office uses marketing to help residents understand programs tied to unclaimed property, college savings, retirement, disability savings, and community investment.• Why public programs require clear communication, ethical marketing, multilingual outreach, and trusted community channels.• How agencies can better understand government procurement, RFPs, partner selection, and the need to communicate complex programs clearly and responsibly.Guest BioKaren Craven is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer. In her role, she helps lead marketing and communications for public-facing financial programs that serve Illinois residents, families, local governments, nonprofits, and communities. Her background includes journalism, public affairs, government, association leadership, marketing, and communications strategy.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Michael Klozotsky, Chief Marketing Officer of IMO Health, about how unconventional career paths can create stronger marketing leaders and better teams. Michael shares how his background across academia, bartending, and enterprise healthcare marketing shaped a leadership style grounded in curiosity, simplification, and a deep belief that different ways of thinking lead to better business outcomes.What the Conversation Covers• Michael’s unconventional path from teaching and academia into marketing leadership, and how that journey shaped the way he thinks about talent and leadership• Why simplifying complex healthcare and enterprise technology stories is one of the most important jobs marketing can do• How IMO Health is evolving beyond its legacy position and explaining its value across a broader healthcare and technology ecosystem• Why Michael believes the best marketing teams include “weird thinkers” who challenge assumptions and approach problems from unexpected angles• How he thinks about building teams, using agencies, and balancing human judgment with AI in a fast-changing marketing environmentGuest BioMichael Klozotsky is Chief Marketing Officer at IMO Health, where he leads marketing for a company focused on improving the quality and integrity of clinical data across the healthcare ecosystem. His career path has been anything but traditional, spanning academia, teaching, bartending, and leadership roles in complex healthcare and enterprise technology organizations, giving him a distinctive perspective on team building, storytelling, and strategic marketing.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Dil Fernando, CMO of Freeosk, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how in-store product discovery is evolving into a more measurable retail media experience. Her perspective is valuable because she brings together experience in radio, music, entrepreneurship, CPG innovation, brand strategy, shopper engagement, and experiential retail media.What the Conversation Covers• Dil’s early career in radio and music, and how being on air taught her that attention is earned through timing, relevance, and storytelling.• What entrepreneurship taught her about resilience, scrappiness, and understanding business from multiple angles.• How her work in CPG innovation at MillerCoors shaped her view of experimentation, emerging technology, and scaling new ideas inside large companies.• How Freeosk is evolving from a sampling business into a broader experiential retail media platform connecting sampling, media, shopper engagement, and data.• Dil’s approach to agency partnerships, including why market understanding, strategic thinking, functional expertise, and useful insights matter.Guest BioDilini “Dil” Fernando is Chief Marketing Officer at Freeosk, a company helping brands and retailers create measurable in-store product discovery experiences. In her role, she leads brand, communications, positioning, partnership marketing, insights, and media analytics. Her background includes radio, music, entrepreneurship, business school, CPG brand management, innovation, and shopper marketing.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Monica Lopez Gonzalez, Chief Marketing Officer of Feeding America, about leading marketing and communications at a time when trust, dignity, and public narrative are central to the organization’s mission. Monica shares how her background in consumer insight and storytelling now helps her connect authentic human experiences to a broader movement around hunger relief in America.What the Conversation Covers• Monica’s path from market research in Mexico to senior marketing leadership, and how early field work shaped her belief in human connection and authentic storytelling• Why marketing in a nonprofit requires a different mindset, with success measured not by selling more products but by increasing impact, awareness, and support• How Feeding America is working to tell more authentic, respectful, and dignified stories about neighbors facing hunger• Why cultural moments, donor understanding, and smarter segmentation matter in building stronger long-term relationships with supporters• How Monica is thinking about scale, innovation, AI, and agency partnerships while keeping human truth at the center of the workGuest BioMonica Lopez Gonzalez is Chief Marketing Officer at Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. She brings a background in market research, consumer insight, and marketing leadership, and now focuses on helping Feeding America strengthen its public narrative, deepen donor engagement, and connect authentic community stories to broader action and support.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Natasha Phillips, who leads marketing for Pharmaceutical Diagnostics in the U.S. and Canada at GE Healthcare, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how science, strategy, and customer insight come together in healthcare marketing. Her perspective is shaped by experience across consulting, research, healthcare, consumer marketing, and global commercial leadership.What the Conversation Covers• Natasha’s early interest in math, science, and healthcare, and how that foundation shaped her path into marketing leadership.• Her transition from consulting and research into commercial healthcare roles, including the mentor who encouraged her to pursue an MBA.• What she learned from moving into consumer marketing at McDonald’s and how those lessons apply back to healthcare.• How GE Healthcare markets to a complex mix of stakeholders, including clinicians, procurement teams, health systems, and institutions.• Natasha’s approach to agency partnerships, including the balance between strategic brand support, specialized execution, and healthcare regulatory expertise.Guest BioNatasha Phillips leads marketing for Pharmaceutical Diagnostics in the U.S. and Canada at GE Healthcare, a global healthcare company focused on medical technology, diagnostics, and AI-driven solutions. Her work sits at the intersection of science, innovation, commercialization, and customer experience in a highly regulated healthcare category. Her background includes healthcare consulting, research, commercial leadership at Abbott, consumer marketing at McDonald’s, and global brand experience.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Kristin Agnelli, Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Communications at ESO, joins CMO Journeys to discuss her path from sales development and demand generation into broader marketing leadership. Her perspective is especially valuable for marketers and agency leaders because she has built her career at the intersection of revenue, brand, product marketing, and customer storytelling.What the Conversation Covers• Kristin’s early path from pre-law ambitions to marketing leadership, including the internship experience that changed her direction.• How her background in sales development, demand generation, field marketing, and revenue alignment shaped the way she leads marketing today.• Why product marketing, brand, and customer storytelling need to work together to create a strong foundation for growth.• How ESO is building a clearer company-level story around emergency response, healthcare technology, data, and better outcomes.• Kristin’s approach to agency partnerships, including where outside expertise helps most and how agencies can show they truly understand a complex business.Guest BioKristin Agnelli is Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Communications at ESO, a healthcare and emergency response technology company serving EMS, fire departments, hospitals, and government agencies. She leads marketing and communications for the company, with a focus on brand clarity, category education, customer storytelling, and go-to-market alignment. Her career includes leadership across sales development, demand generation, field marketing, product marketing, and broader revenue-focused marketing roles.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

Colette Dill-Lerner, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Growth Channel, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how marketing leaders are navigating pressure, complexity, and financial accountability. Her perspective is shaped by a career across direct response marketing, consulting, private equity-backed companies, and ad tech.What the Conversation Covers• Colette’s unconventional path into marketing, from political science and early startup exposure to senior marketing leadership.• How her direct response background shaped her focus on customer acquisition, revenue, LTV, CAC, and business fundamentals.• Why today’s marketing environment is increasingly shaped by CFO scrutiny, tighter budgets, and the need to prove financial impact.• How Growth Channel is approaching go-to-market through relationships, in-person events, useful content, and strategic client support.• Colette’s perspective on agencies, including why they may become more valuable as companies face smaller teams, more pressure, and growing complexity.Guest BioColette Dill-Lerner is Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Growth Channel, a platform helping agencies and in-house teams simplify programmatic advertising across channels including CTV, audio, display, and retail media. In her role, she leads marketing, strategy, client success, and client advisory work, helping brands and agencies connect campaign execution to broader business goals. Her background includes direct response marketing, consulting, healthcare, private equity-backed companies, and ad tech.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Linda Bethea, former Chief Marketing Officer of Danone North America, about what it takes to balance long-term brand building with the short-term business pressures facing modern CMOs. Drawing on leadership roles at PepsiCo, Diageo, and Danone, Linda shares a practical perspective on portfolio strategy, creative risk, consumer insight, and why marketing needs a real seat at the business table.What the Conversation Covers• Linda’s path from studying psychology into a marketing career shaped by curiosity about consumer behavior and brand growth• The leadership lessons she learned across PepsiCo, Diageo, and Danone, including how to move from being a doer to leading through teams• How to manage a large and complex portfolio by clarifying the role of each brand and aligning resources to long-term strategy• Why strong brand building can come under pressure in short-term, financially driven environments and how CMOs can defend marketing investment• How Linda thinks about agency partnerships, bold creative ideas, media fragmentation, AI, and measuring marketing’s impact more effectivelyGuest BioLinda Bethea is a former Chief Marketing Officer of Danone North America and has held senior marketing leadership roles at companies including PepsiCo and Diageo. Her career has focused on brand building, portfolio strategy, media and marketing effectiveness, and leading teams across some of the world’s most complex consumer organizations.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Mike Bell, Chief Marketing Officer of Everspring, about building marketing around strategy, systems, and measurable outcomes rather than disconnected tactics. Drawing on a career that spans the Air Force, consulting, consumer brands, SaaS, and higher education, Mike shares how that broad experience shapes the way he leads full-funnel marketing in a rapidly changing environment.What the Conversation Covers• Mike’s unconventional path from the Air Force and consulting into marketing leadership, and how each chapter built a different part of his leadership style• Why he believes strong marketing starts with strategy, clear priorities, and the discipline to stay focused on outcomes• How AI is changing the way prospective students discover, compare, and choose educational programs before they ever visit a website• What Everspring is doing to improve visibility, strengthen full-funnel performance, and adapt to a world where influence happens earlier in the journey• How Mike thinks about team structure, agency partnerships, and using AI as a force multiplier rather than a substitute for strategic thinkingGuest BioMike Bell is Chief Marketing Officer at Everspring, where he leads full-funnel marketing across more than 45 higher education partners. His career spans the Air Force, consulting, consumer brands, SaaS, and education, giving him a systems-driven perspective on leadership, strategy, demand generation, and marketing transformation.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Jamie Richardson, Chief Marketing Officer of White Castle, about how a century-old brand stays relevant in a fast-changing culture. With nearly three decades at the company across marketing, corporate relations, and government affairs, Jamie brings a uniquely broad perspective on brand stewardship, innovation, and what it takes to grow without losing what makes a brand iconic.What the Conversation Covers• Jamie’s path from agency life into White Castle and how his experience across multiple functions shaped his approach to brand leadership• What he learned from working beyond traditional marketing, including how corporate relations and government affairs deepened his understanding of brand reputation• How White Castle is balancing heritage with innovation through menu development, loyalty, automation, and new guest experiences like the Castle of Tomorrow• Why staying culturally relevant means focusing on the right audiences, especially Gen Z, while continuing to serve loyal longtime fans• How Jamie thinks about agency partnerships, prioritization, AI, and building a marketing organization that can move quickly without losing brand clarityGuest BioJamie Richardson is Chief Marketing Officer at White Castle, where he helps lead marketing for one of the most iconic brands in quick service. Over nearly three decades with the company, he has held roles across marketing, corporate relations, and government affairs, giving him a broad view of how brand, reputation, culture, and business strategy connect.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Sunil Frida, Chief Marketing Officer at Zscaler, about helping shape the next phase of growth for one of enterprise security’s most important brands. Drawing on leadership experience across cloud, AI, and cybersecurity, Sunil shares how he is aligning marketing, product, and sales to support Zscaler’s evolution in a rapidly changing market.What the Conversation Covers • Sunil’s path from Singapore and engineering into business leadership, product marketing, cloud, and cybersecurity• How his experience at AWS and CrowdStrike shaped the way he thinks about messaging, customer obsession, and leadership under pressure• Why Zscaler’s next phase of growth depends on tighter alignment between product, sales, and marketing as one go-to-market system• How he is thinking about prioritization, pipeline, team structure, and speed in a global marketing organization• Where AI is changing marketing workflows, agency relationships, and the way enterprise brands build and scale their storiesGuest BioSunil Frida is Chief Marketing Officer at Zscaler, where he leads marketing for a company helping redefine enterprise security through a cloud-delivered zero trust model. Before joining Zscaler, he held leadership roles across cloud, AI, and cybersecurity, including at AWS and CrowdStrike, building a strong foundation in product, go-to-market strategy, and enterprise technology growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Adam Shpiro, Chief Marketing Officer at SBS, about helping reposition a legacy fintech company for a more modern cloud and AI-driven future. With a background spanning engineering, consulting, operations, venture investing, banking, and go-to-market leadership, Adam brings a broad operator’s view to how marketing can drive growth inside a complex global business.What the Conversation Covers• Adam’s unconventional path from engineering and consulting into business leadership, fintech, and eventually marketing• What changed when he moved from leading global go-to-market into the CMO role, and how that shaped his view of marketing as a growth engine• How SBS is working to reposition itself from a legacy core banking provider into a more modern cloud and AI-focused platform company• Why Adam believes marketing, product, and sales must operate as one connected go-to-market system• How he thinks about prioritization, AI adoption, agency partnerships, and building a marketing team that can move with both quality and speedGuest BioAdam Shpiro is Chief Marketing Officer at SBS, a global financial technology company providing software platforms for banks, lenders, and payment systems worldwide. Before stepping into the CMO role, he led global go-to-market efforts at SBS and built a career across engineering, consulting, operations, venture capital, banking, and fintech, giving him a distinctive commercial and operator-focused perspective on marketing leadership.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Marie Lee, Chief Marketing Officer of Princess Cruises, about leading marketing during a period of brand evolution, leadership change, and shifting traveler expectations. Drawing on a long career across Disney and travel marketing, Marie shares how she balances short-term demand with long-term brand building in one of the world’s most recognized cruise brands.What the Conversation Covers • Marie’s career path across sales, strategy, guest experience, direct marketing, and media leadership, and how those roles shaped her approach as a CMO • What it took to leave Disney after a long tenure and step into a growth opportunity at Princess Cruises during a major transformation • How Princess is balancing the heritage of The Love Boat with a more modern, premium, experience-led brand story • Why video, strong creative, and a balanced brand-and-performance media strategy are central to driving both demand and long-term loyalty • How Marie thinks about agency partnerships, team leadership, AI, and building marketing around the guest experience from first impression to onboard deliveryGuest BioMarie Lee is Chief Marketing Officer at Princess Cruises, where she leads the brand’s marketing strategy during a period of new leadership, new ships, and brand evolution. Before joining Princess, she spent most of her career at Disney Experiences in a range of roles spanning sales, international marketing, merchandise strategy, guest experience, direct marketing, media, and customer engagement.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Esi Eggleston Bracey, former Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at Unilever, about the mindset, leadership principles, and brand-building lessons behind a global marketing career. Drawing on leadership roles across Procter & Gamble, Coty, and Unilever, Esi shares how curiosity, courage, and a deep understanding of people shaped her approach to growth at every stage.What the Conversation Covers• Esi’s path from an early interest in math and science into a career in brand building, growth, and general management• The career moments that shaped her perspective, from launching new products at Procter & Gamble to leading global businesses across markets and cultures• Why she sees marketing as the work of understanding people, creating desire, and turning that demand into sustainable business growth• The leadership principles that have guided her career, including embracing discomfort, protecting energy, and saying yes to growth opportunities even when they feel scary• How she thinks about the future role of agencies, creativity, AI, and what brands need most to drive sustained growthGuest BioEsi Eggleston Bracey is a longtime growth and marketing executive with leadership experience across Procter & Gamble, Coty, and Unilever, where she most recently served as Chief Growth and Marketing Officer. Over the course of her career, she has helped shape global brands, drive business transformation, and lead growth strategies grounded in consumer insight, creativity, and commercial impact.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Eric Gillin, Chief Brand Officer of Trusted Media Brands, about leading through one of the most complex moments in media. With a background spanning editorial, product, and sales, Eric shares how he is helping iconic brands reconnect with audiences by focusing less on scale for its own sake and more on brand clarity, community, and meaningful engagement.What the Conversation Covers• Eric’s career path across writing, editing, product leadership, and ad sales, and how those chapters shaped his approach to brand leadership• Why he believes media companies can no longer rely on old traffic and distribution models in a world shaped by platform shifts and AI• How Trusted Media Brands is refocusing around brand identity, audience connection, and community-led growth across titles like Reader’s Digest and Taste of Home• What changes when the goal shifts from chasing broad reach to building deeper audience relationships and fandom• How Eric thinks about leadership, AI, agency relationships, and making strategic decisions in a market with no fixed playbookGuest BioEric Gillin is Chief Brand Officer at Trusted Media Brands, where he helps lead brand strategy across a portfolio that includes Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home, Family Handyman, and other well-known media properties. His career has spanned editorial, product, and revenue leadership, giving him a broad perspective on content creation, audience development, business strategy, and what it takes to build durable brands in a changing media environment.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Sarah Cascone, Chief Marketing Officer of Appriss Retail, about building a marketing engine that turns trust, executive engagement, and events into enterprise pipeline. As the company’s first CMO, Sarah shares how she is helping reframe the category, sharpen the story, and align marketing tightly with revenue in a complex retail technology environment.What the Conversation Covers• Sarah’s path from conference production into SaaS marketing leadership and how those early event experiences still shape her strategy today• What changed when she moved from managing individual functions to leading marketing as one integrated go-to-market engine• Why she believes events are a core enterprise growth lever when they create memorable, human connections with executive buyers• How Appriss Retail is using account-based marketing, executive communities, and thought leadership to drive qualified pipeline• How Sarah thinks about prioritization, team design, agency partnerships, and measuring marketing through real business impactGuest BioSarah Cascone is Chief Marketing Officer at Appriss Retail, where she leads product marketing and growth marketing for a company serving enterprise retailers focused on fraud, returns, and profit protection. Before joining Appriss Retail, she spent a decade at Bluecore, where she helped scale the business through multiple stages of growth and built a broad foundation across events, PR, content, design, demand generation, product marketing, and pipeline strategy.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Josh Churnick, Chief Marketing Officer of Vertex Service Partners, about building marketing systems that are accountable, measurable, and built to scale. Drawing on a career that spans entertainment, consumer brands, insurance, and home services, Josh shares why he was drawn to categories where marketing performance can be clearly proven through results.What the Conversation Covers• Josh’s path from early digital audience building in music and media into performance-driven leadership roles in home services• Why he believes great marketing should be judged by what works for the customer, not by internal opinions or creative preferences• What changes when marketing moves from supporting a single brand to helping scale a growing platform of regional brands• Why data quality, reporting infrastructure, and alignment with contact center operations are essential to marketing performance• How Josh evaluates agency partners, including the importance of transparency, attribution, and real operating knowledge of the home services category.Guest BioJosh Churnick is Chief Marketing Officer at Vertex Service Partners, where he leads marketing for a growing platform of residential exterior service brands. His background spans digital media, consumer products, insurance, and home services, giving him a practical perspective on brand building, performance marketing, and the operational systems required to drive measurable growth.|About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Chris Pilsner, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Oakland University, about his path from agency life into higher education leadership. Chris shares how agency training shaped his approach to brand strategy, market research, digital experience, and enrollment-focused marketing at a pivotal moment for a growing public university.What the Conversation Covers• Chris’s career journey from agency roles at firms like J. Walter Thompson and Deutsch into senior higher education marketing leadership• What it means to bring agency-style strategic thinking, brand discipline, and consumer insight into a university setting• How Oakland University is working to unify brand, communications, and marketing under a more coordinated strategy• Why enrollment marketing, audience segmentation, and digital experience are becoming more critical in higher education• How Chris evaluates agency partners, including the value of strong points of view, peer recommendations, case studies, and specialized expertiseGuest BioChris Pilsner is Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Oakland University, where he leads the institution’s brand, marketing, and communications efforts. He previously held senior marketing leadership roles in higher education, including at UMass Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management, and brings a background in agency strategy, brand development, and digital transformation.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Nav Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Eightfold AI, about his path from product leadership into modern marketing. Nav brings a rare combination of technical depth and storytelling discipline, and he shares how that perspective is shaping Eightfold’s approach to AI, talent intelligence, and the future of marketing teams.|What the Conversation Covers• Nav’s career journey from consulting and product management into senior marketing leadership at enterprise technology companies• What he learned from listening first in a new CMO role and why direct customer and employee insight still matters in an AI-driven world• How Eightfold AI helps organizations hire, retain, and develop talent through AI-powered talent intelligence and skills-based decision-making• Why Nav believes the future of work will be built around humans and agents working together, and how that changes marketing and HR• How he is thinking about building an AI-native marketing team, including the kinds of talent, tools, and agency partners needed for the futureGuest BioNav Singh is Chief Marketing Officer at Eightfold AI, where he leads the company’s global marketing strategy and brand narrative around AI, talent intelligence, and the future of work. Before moving into marketing, he spent more than a decade in product leadership roles at companies including Oracle, Cisco, and Palo Alto Networks, building a strong foundation in technology, customer insight, and product storytelling.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Ethan Chernofsky, CMO of Placer.ai, about his path from agency work into senior in-house marketing leadership. Ethan shares a practical view of how storytelling, market narrative, and data can work together to shape brand strategy, support growth, and help marketing teams make better decisions.What the Conversation Covers • Ethan’s career path from PR and agency work into in-house marketing leadership at tech companies like Similarweb and Placer.ai • Why storytelling and brand building can create an operating advantage when they are tied to business outcomes • How Placer.ai uses data to help brands, retailers, and partners interpret consumer behavior and market shifts • How Ethan thinks about AI, automation, and building a more product-minded marketing organization • How he evaluates agencies and external partners, including what stands out in outreach, personalization, and long-term relationship buildingGuest BioEthan Chernofsky is Chief Marketing Officer at Placer.ai, a location analytics company that helps brands, retailers, real estate players, and investors understand real-world consumer behavior. His background spans agency work, public relations, and in-house marketing leadership, giving him a broad perspective on storytelling, brand strategy, and how marketing connects to business growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Adriana Gil Miner, Chief Marketing Officer of Pindrop, about leading marketing in a category shaped by AI, fraud, and digital trust. Drawing on a career that spans digital marketing, brand storytelling, and high-growth B2B leadership, Adriana shares how she is helping define a new market while scaling awareness around one of today’s most urgent security challenges.What the Conversation Covers• Adriana’s career journey across agency work, financial services, brand leadership, and high-growth B2B technology companies• How digital marketing, storytelling, and data have converged to shape her leadership approach as a modern CMO• Why deepfakes and AI-driven fraud are no longer abstract risks, but immediate threats affecting enterprises and consumers• How Pindrop is building awareness in a new category where the first job is helping the market understand the problem• How Adriana thinks about team design, agency partnerships, and the role of AI in reshaping marketing execution and strategyGuest BioAdriana Gil Miner is Chief Marketing Officer at Pindrop, where she leads marketing for a company focused on securing digital communications and helping enterprises detect deepfakes, prevent fraud, and restore trust. She brings more than two decades of experience building and scaling B2B technology brands, with leadership roles spanning companies including Tableau and Iterable, and a background that blends digital marketing, brand strategy, and high-growth leadership.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Kimberly Corbett, Chief Marketing Officer at Underdog Fantasy. Kimberly shares how her path from accounting and auditing into digital marketing, gaming, and now sports gaming has shaped her approach to building brands, leading high-performing teams, and turning a fast-growing challenger into a first-choice brand.What the Conversation Covers • Kimberly’s career journey from accounting and auditing into search marketing, mobile gaming, and eventually the CMO role at Underdog Fantasy • How she is thinking about Underdog’s next phase of growth, including the shift from a challenger brand to a household-name • Why she sees brand building in sports gaming as deeper than promotions, with more focus on long-term customer relationships and fandom • How she approaches team building and investment decisions, starting with measurement, funnel performance, and where marketing can drive the biggest business impact • What she looks for in agency and vendor partners, including proven expertise, clear business relevance, strong case studies, and solutions that improve speed, quality, or cost structureGuest BioKimberly Corbett is Chief Marketing Officer at Underdog Fantasy, where she leads marketing for the fast-growing sports gaming company across brand, growth, and customer engagement. Before joining Underdog, she held leadership roles across gaming and digital marketing, including at companies such as Kabam, Zynga, and Warner Bros. Games, building experience across performance marketing, brand development, and audience growth.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Matthew Lieberman, Chief Marketing Officer and Business Development Officer at Cooley. Matthew shares how a nontraditional path through entertainment, consulting, and professional services shaped his approach to marketing transformation, and why this moment represents a major opportunity for firms rethinking how marketing drives growth, client experience, and competitive advantage.What the Conversation Covers • Matthew’s career journey from film and entertainment into consulting, then into senior marketing leadership roles in professional services • What he learned leading a large-scale marketing transformation at PwC and how that experience informs his work at Cooley • How he is approaching his first phase at Cooley, including setting a clear vision, defining marketing’s role, and building stronger measurement and accountability • Why thought leadership should sit at the center of a professional services marketing strategy, from brand building to pipeline support • How he evaluates agency partners, including the importance of specialization, personalization, and showing a real understanding of the client’s businessGuest BioMatthew Lieberman is Chief Marketing Officer and Business Development Officer at Cooley, where he leads the firm’s marketing and business development strategy. Before joining Cooley, he spent more than two decades at PwC, including seven years as CMO for the US and Mexico, where he helped lead a broad transformation of the marketing function across team structure, process, technology, and client experience.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Justin Steinman, Chief Marketing Officer at ModMed. Justin shares how a career built across healthcare, healthcare IT, and enterprise software has shaped a marketing approach grounded in storytelling, operational clarity, and a strong understanding of customer needs.What the Conversation Covers • Justin’s path from studying English and history to leading marketing teams in healthcare and healthcare technology • Why storytelling still matters in a data-driven, AI-heavy marketing environment, and how human connection shapes stronger messaging • How ModMed is preparing for its next phase of growth following private equity investment and a mandate to scale • How Justin structures marketing teams to support product lines, customer segments, and integrated go-to-market strategy under one clear story • What he looks for in agency and partner relationships, including deep expertise, cultural fit, strong work samples, and support for specialized or high-stakes initiatives|Guest BioJustin Steinman is Chief Marketing Officer at ModMed, a specialty-focused healthcare SaaS company serving more than 40,000 providers with solutions across EHR, practice management, revenue cycle, patient engagement, and AI-driven tools. He has spent much of his career in healthcare and healthcare IT, with senior marketing leadership experience across companies including ModMed, Definitive Healthcare, Insora Health, GE Healthcare, and Aetna.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Jeff Cato, Chief Marketing Officer at Jasco, a consumer electronics and connected home company with products sold across major retail and digital channels. Jeff shares how a career spanning sales, operations, e-commerce, and digital transformation has shaped his approach to marketing leadership, growth, and agency partnership.What the Conversation Covers • Jeff’s path to the C-suite, including how early roles in sales and operations shaped his view of marketing as a growth function • What it means to lead as the CMO of the full business, not just a few priority brands or initiatives • How Jasco is navigating a changing retail landscape where private label growth and digital-first brands are reshaping competition • Where Jeff is increasing investment across influencers, paid social, AI discoverability, and new channels like CTV and TikTok Shop • How he evaluates agency partners, including the importance of specialization, proactive thinking, transparency, and asking the right questions before pitchingGuest BioJeff Cato is Chief Marketing Officer at Jasco, where he leads marketing across a portfolio that spans retail, e-commerce, digital, and brand growth. His background includes leadership roles in sales, operations, and digital commerce, giving him a broad view of how companies grow and how marketing can drive measurable business outcomes.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Tristan Pineiro, Chief Marketing Officer of Grindr, about leading brand, content, communications, and partnerships at one of the world’s most culturally significant platforms. His perspective is especially valuable because it blends storytelling, community understanding, and global brand building at a time when Grindr is expanding how it shows up for users beyond its original identity.What the Conversation Covers • Tristan’s unconventional path into marketing, from queer nightlife and communications to agency work and leadership across major brands • How early experiences in culture, language, and entertainment shaped his approach to storytelling, positioning, and emotional resonance • How Grindr is evolving its brand from a hookup app into a broader “global gayborhood” built around connection, safety, information, and community • What it takes to run a lean, content-forward marketing function that acts more like a studio, with strong internal creative direction and selective agency support • How Tristan evaluates agency partners, especially their ability to understand queer culture with depth, authenticity, and real listening rather than surface-level signalsGuest BioTristan Pineiro is Chief Marketing Officer of Grindr, where he leads brand, content, communications, and partnerships for the global LGBTQ+ social platform. He came to marketing through communications and has built a career across agencies, entertainment, and culturally driven brands, with a leadership style shaped by storytelling, audience insight, and community fluency.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Edithann Ramey, Chief Marketing Officer of Ruby Tuesday, about leading a legacy restaurant brand through a new chapter of relevance and growth. Drawing on experience across restaurants, entertainment, and consumer marketing, she shares how she approaches traffic, value, loyalty, and brand positioning in a category under real pressure.What the Conversation Covers• How Edithann’s career evolved from public relations into senior marketing leadership across brands, including Pizza Hut, Chili’s, Topgolf, Six Flags, and Ruby Tuesday• What she had to unlearn as she moved from messaging and communications into roles accountable for traffic, sales, and business outcomes• How she is helping Ruby Tuesday reconnect with consumers by leaning into brand familiarity, core menu strengths, and a more focused value proposition• Why loyalty and CRM need to do more than drive discounts, and how she is thinking about using customer data in a more effective and profitable way• What makes agency relationships work, including responsiveness, specialization, collaboration, and the ability to manage transitions smoothlyGuest BioEdithann Ramey is Chief Marketing Officer of Ruby Tuesday. She leads the brand’s marketing efforts across positioning, value strategy, loyalty, and consumer engagement, bringing experience from restaurant, entertainment, and consumer-facing businesses. Earlier in her career, she worked agency side and in public relations, experiences that continue to shape how she leads teams and works with external partners.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Tim Asimos, Chief Marketing Officer of Timmons Group, about his path from agency leadership to building an in-house growth function inside a professional services firm. He has worked across agency, SaaS, and client-side roles, giving him a grounded view of marketing leadership, business development, and what firms should expect from agency partners.What the Conversation Covers • How Tim’s career moved from advertising media into marketing leadership roles across Timmons Group, agency life, and a SaaS platform focused on customer experience for AEC firms • What he learned from SaaS about sales structure, measurement, demand generation, and marketing’s role in buyer enablement • Why professional services firms often lag in marketing maturity, and how Tim thinks modern marketing principles still apply across industries • What his first 90 days as Timmons Group’s first CMO have focused on, including team building, internal discovery, leadership alignment, and a 2026 strategic marketing roadmap • How he evaluates agency partners, including the importance of relevance, thoughtful outreach, value-led prospecting, and expertise that complements internal capabilitiesGuest BioTim Asimos is Chief Marketing Officer of Timmons Group, where he leads marketing, business development, and pursuits for the engineering and technology firm. He previously spent more than a decade helping build an agency digital practice and AEC specialization, and later served in a growth leadership role at a SaaS platform focused on customer experience management for AEC firms.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

In this episode of CMO Journeys, Christian Banach speaks with Jess Alpert, Chief Marketing Officer of EPM, about a career path that spans fashion, entrepreneurship, agency leadership, consumer tech, and fintech. Her perspective stands out because she brings both creative instinct and analytical rigor to the role, with a strong point of view on execution, personalization, and how modern marketing teams should work.What the Conversation Covers • Jess’s nontraditional path to the C-suite, from launching her own fashion accessories brand to running an agency and later moving into corporate marketing leadership • What she learned from shifting out of pure creative roles and into data-driven marketing, with a stronger focus on CRM, KPIs, testing, and conversion • How she is approaching her new role at EPM, including remessaging the brand, sharpening differentiation, and building more personalized lifecycle marketing • Where AI fits into her thinking today, from media and workflow efficiency to the need for human oversight and authentic execution • How she evaluates agency partners, including the importance of preparation, strategic thinking, industry understanding, and a bias toward action over polishGuest BioJess Alpert is Chief Marketing Officer of EPM, a national mortgage lender. She leads the company’s marketing strategy and brand evolution, with a focus on personalization, lifecycle marketing, and sharper market positioning. Earlier in her career, she founded a fashion accessories label, built her own agency, worked in creative leadership at Samsung, and later moved into fintech and financial services marketing.About the PodcastCMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.