The Next CMO

After 30 years in marketing, Melissa Puls, CMO and SVP, Customer Success & Renewals at Ivanti, has seen it all: the highs, the lows, and the evolution of marketing itself. In this episode, she shares how she’s built her career around people-first leadership, purpose-driven strategy, and performance that actually moves the business forward. Melissa breaks down why B2B and B2C are outdated conce...

What if marketing didn’t just support company strategy, but shaped it from the start? 8x8 CMO Bruno Bertini breaks down how today’s marketing leaders can elevate their role through goal-driven alignment, end-to-end customer experience, and real-world applications of AI. Bruno shares his approach to building marketing-led OKRs, driving measurable outcomes like LTV and retention, and using AI to str...

How do you thrive in private equity while maintaining local autonomy and driving growth? Meghann McNally, CMO of Wrench Group, shares her unique approach to leading marketing in a fast-growing, private equity-backed company. From scaling brand strategies in 27 markets across 14 states to navigating the challenges of a male-dominated industry, Meghann emphasizes the importance of hands-on leadershi...

What does it take to merge companies, scale globally, and lead with clarity in times of change? Benoit Skinazi, CMO of Equativ, shares lessons from his journey founding a company, navigating two major mergers, and growing to a 750-person global team. Benoit unpacks how transparency, trust, and storytelling helped align teams across cultures and time zones, why CMOs must balance short-term impact w...

What does it take to lead marketing across multiple industries—and stay ahead of the curve? Alice Palmer, CMO of InvoiceCloud, shares how she’s built a successful career across creative tech, cybersecurity, and digital payments by embracing change, trusting her gut, and staying laser-focused on impact. She dives into leading marketing in PE-backed environments, executing a six-month rebrand under...

What makes a campaign truly effective? In this episode of The Next CMO Podcast, host Scott Todaro speaks with Dimitri Vlachos, CMO of Spacelift, to explore what it really means to run strategic, measurable campaigns. With over 15 years of marketing experience, Dimitri shares his perspective on aligning with sales, empowering SDRs, and avoiding reactive, jargon-heavy approaches. They discuss the im...

What does it take to turn a complex product into a brand people trust—and even love? In this episode, Jasper Martens of PensionBee shares how he did it. From launching with little more than an idea to leading marketing through major growth milestones, Jasper unpacks the strategies behind emotional connection, customer advocacy, and bold brand plays. Whether you're in B2C or B2B, his perspective of...

Stepping into a CMO role? Your first 90 days can make or break your success. In this episode of The Next CMO, host Scott Todaro talks with Nate Skinner, CMO of AffiniPay, about how to navigate this critical transition, align marketing with business goals, and drive measurable impact. Drawing from leadership roles at AWS, Oracle, and Salesforce, Nate shares insights on financial responsibility, und...

What happens when a marketing leader blends creativity with data to drive customer-first strategies? In this episode, Jill Thomas, CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore, dives into the evolution of retail marketing, the power of data-driven decision-making, and the role of storytelling in brand building. Jill shares insights from her experience at notable brands like Disney and Cinnabon, revealing how market...

When budgets shrink and executive scrutiny increases, CMOs must rethink how they allocate resources to maximize impact. Scott speaks with 2X’s CMO Lisa Cole and CEO Domenic Colasante about how leaders can prioritize high-value initiatives and shift from tactical execution to strategic leadership. They discuss why budget constraints can actually be a superpower, how to align marketing with business...

Tom Klein, CMO of Matterport, believes that investing in product marketing is critical in driving innovation. Plus, he shares the importance of building emotional connections in your marketing, drawing on lessons from his time at notable companies like Chanel and Mailchimp to explain how brands can resonate on a deeper level while delivering clear functional value. Discover practical applications...

Greg Brooks, CMO of SearchTides, joins host Scott Todaro to explore how AI is transforming search strategies, why human connection remains critical in the digital age, and what the future holds for CMOs navigating these changes. From his unique background as a professional poker player to leading eight-figure marketing budgets, Greg shares insights on how he reads audiences, leverages data, and ad...

On this episode of The Next CMO podcast, host Scott Todaro is joined by 16-year marketing veteran Zosya Popick, CMO of ProPharma. Zosya shares insights into how AI can enhance efficiency within marketing teams—focusing on how it helps streamline tasks like copywriting, creative brainstorming, and data analysis. She also dives into the role of branding, emphasizing the importance of aligning missio...

On this episode of The Next CMO Podcast, Scott sits down with Jason Lyman, a three-time head of marketing with experience leading large marketing teams at companies like Customer.io, Ethos, BetterCloud, and Dropbox. Together, they dive into the complexities of scaling marketing teams, navigating the talent gap, and overcoming challenges CMOs face during high-growth phases. Jason shares his approac...

On this episode of The Next CMO podcast, host Scott Todaro sits down with Rowan Tonkin, CMO of Planful. Rowan shares his unconventional journey to marketing leadership, starting with a degree in Internet Science and Technology in Australia, and his early experience in customer-facing roles that laid the foundation for his career. Rowan dives into critical topics for today's marketing leaders, incl...

On this special episode of The Next CMO Podcast, we’re pleased to introduce our new host, Scott Todaro. Scott puts former host and Chief Commercial Officer (formerly CMO) of GoTo, Peter Mahoney, in the hot seat as Peter reflects on his extensive career, starting from his unexpected entry into sales at IBM, moving through various executive marketing roles at companies like Nuance and ATG, and event...

In this episode of The Next CMO Podcast, host Peter Mahoney, an experienced CMO and executive advisor, interviews Kevin Ford, the Head of Marketing for Myriad360. Myriad360 is a leading provider of IT services, specializing in cloud transformation, AI implementation, and security systems. The discussion touches on how Myriad360 targets customers using a hospitality and event based strategy, integr...

In this episode, we speak to Guatam Mahandru, the CMO of Illumio, a cybersecurity company based in Seattle. They discuss the evolution of marketing in the B2B tech sphere, the creation of new categories of solutions, and the importance of targeting the right customer for their business model. Guatam explains the changing landscape of the market, the role of a modern CMO, and the importance of a st...

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Don Jeter, CMO of Torq. Torq delivers the security industry’s first enterprise-grade hyperautomation platform capable of automating the most complex security infrastructures at dramatic scale.

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Stephanie McCarty, CMO of Taylor Morrison. From start to finish, we create a seamless and inspired home building experience for our home buyers because we understand that your home is the most important home we can build. At Taylor Morrison, we work to earn your trust by providing the resources, support and deep industry experience to inspire you...

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Amanda Reierson, CMO of Avant. Avant (then known as AvantCredit®) was founded in 2012 with the goal of improving the borrowing experience for middle-income consumers. A byproduct of the Y Combinator startup accelerator program, Avant quickly built a reputation as an online lending platform, a reputation that continues to this day.

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Jeff Fleischman, CMO of Altimetrik, a data and digital engineering services company focused on helping companies transform their business to achieve better outcomes.

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Glenn Bottomly, the CMO of Taylor Corporation, one of the leading providers of print services. In 1959, Glen Taylor took a job at Carlson Wedding Services, a small printing business in North Mankato, Minnesota. In 1975, after working at nearly every job in Carlson and helping to double its size, Taylor purchased the company, and Taylor Corporatio...

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Norman Guadagno, the CMO of Mimecast. ​​Since 2003, Mimecast has stopped bad things from happening to good organizations by enabling them to work protected. We empower over 40,000 customers to mitigate risk and manage complexities across a threat landscape driven by malicious cyberattacks, human error, and technology fallibility. Our advanced sol...

In this episode of The Next CMO podcast, I speak to Dave Carrel, the CMO of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters (NYSE / TSX: TRI) informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. The company serves professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Its products combine highly sp...