Leader Generation

If you’ve been watching AI tools race into marketing and tech, but aren’t sure what’s hype and what’s actually useful, this episode is for you.  Mod Op’s Head of Technology in Calgary, Derek McBurney, unpacks how generative AI, code assistants and “vibe coding” are really changing the way digital experiences get built. He explains in plain language what AI code assistants actually do, when they ge...

Mid-market leaders are facing a once-in-a-generation opportunity with AI, and this episode shows how to capitalize on it.  John Powers, former CIO and Chief Transformation Officer at Deloitte and now Executive in Residence at Mod Op, shares practical ways to turn AI, data strategy and governance into real competitive advantage. He explains why smaller, more nimble companies can finally “punch abov...

What happens when AI and people work side by side instead of in competition? In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with John Arnold, Head of Strategic CRM Advisory at Creatio. They discuss the company’s new global study on AI agents and no-code platforms, and what it reveals about the future of work. John shares insights from more than 500 business and technology leaders who are r...

Feeling buried under too many marketing tools and platforms? You’re not alone. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with John Arnold of Creatio about how AI and no-code technology are cutting through the clutter to help marketers get things done. John shares what he’s seeing in the real world—from his days at Forrester researching B2B growth strategies to now helping teams at Cre...

In this Leader Generation episode, CEO Gabe Lullo shares the playbook Alleyoop uses to turn “more pipeline” into real revenue.  You’ll hear how to fix unqualified pipeline syndrome by aligning on a clear ICP, catching buyers at the right time and using the BDR function as the bridge between marketing and sales. Gabe breaks down simple rules of engagement for MQL-SQL handoffs and the feedback loops...

Marketing technology is evolving faster than most teams can keep up—but it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In this Leader Generation episode, host Tessa Burg talks with Laura Stevenson, Mod Op’s new EVP of Data and Marketing Automation, about how to turn data chaos into clarity. Laura draws on over 20 years of experience leading at the intersection of data and technology to share how her team h...

What happens when a marketing agency invests $10 million in AI—not to replace people, but to empower them?  In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Eric Bertrand, CEO of Mod Op, to reveal how the agency’s bold investment is reshaping the future of marketing. Together, they break down how AI is transforming the work behind the work—from automating repetitive tasks to unlocking n...

Content marketing is changing fast, and so are the rules of visibility. Tessa Burg talks with Jon Gillham, Founder of Originality.ai, about how marketers can avoid the “AI slop” trap in today’s era of AI-generated content. Jon shares what he’s learned since launching the first commercially available AI detector—just three days before ChatGPT hit the market—and offers practical advice on balancing...

AI isn’t just about writing emails faster; it’s about capturing and scaling the expert knowledge that actually wins deals.  In this conversation, Vivun’s Chief AI Officer Joseph Miller explains why most “just add a chatbot” projects stall, and how building a real-world model of your business (your terms, processes, and judgments) unlocks meaningful results. He breaks down the difference between lo...

Digital transformation isn’t just for tech companies—it’s reshaping even the most traditional industries.  In this episode of Leader Generation, Chief Digital Officer Alan Wizemann returns to share how Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits is redefining what it means to be a beverage distributor. From AI-powered recommendations to warehouse drones and robotics, Alan explains how technology is enhanci...

Doing more with less in B2B? This episode shows you how—without burning out your team or your budget.  Tessa Burg talks with B2B leaders, Hannah Woodham and Jenelle Maddox, to map out what’s actually working as teams plan for 2026. They break down the wins from 2024–2025, including first-party data, smarter AI, and high-quality content. Then, share where to invest next so you can reach complex buy...

In the fast-changing world of search, generative AI is rewriting the rules—and your old SEO playbook won’t cut it.  In this episode of Leader Generation, guest host Patty Parobek teams up with Mod Op’s Gareth Cunningham and Maurice White to decode Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and the strategies that will keep your brand visible when AI-driven search takes the lead. Using the iconic “Period...

In a world where marketing agencies are racing to keep up with rapid change, how do you grow faster without losing your people, your culture, or your edge? In this episode of Leader Generation, Mod Op’s new COO, Stuart Goldstein, joins Tessa Burg to share his playbook for scaling agencies. With years of experience leading firms through mergers, digital transformations, and process overhauls, Stuar...

In this episode of Leader Generation, host Tessa Burg welcomes back Patty Parobek, Mod Op’s VP of AI and ML Transformation, for a candid conversation about how marketers can thrive in the age of “zero click.”  With Google increasingly providing AI-powered answers directly in search results, fewer people are clicking through to websites. For companies that have long depended on organic traffic, thi...

The flood of AI-generated content has made it harder than ever to know what’s real, and easier than ever to lose trust.  In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Shouvik Paul, COO of Copyleaks, about how marketers can create and protect content while building trust. Shouvik shares experience scaling multiple SaaS companies to successful exits, and how those same principles—like...

What if you could boost marketing performance, cut costs, and launch campaigns in minutes, not days?  In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Martin Kristiseter about the real-world impact of AI on performance marketing. From automating tedious workflows to using data-driven insights for creative optimization, Martin shares how his team is using AI to deliver measurable outcome...

Alex Seidita, Chief Information Officer at Aspida, and Tessa Burg talk about how organizations can successfully navigate technological transformation—especially in the age of AI.  With more than 35 years of IT leadership experience at organizations like Motorola, Citibank, Home Depot, MetLife, and now Aspida, Alex shares how major shifts like data warehousing, virtualization and cloud adoption hav...

Wondering why your brand isn’t showing up in answer engines like Google AI Overviews, Perplexity AI, and ChatGPT—even though you’ve been investing in content and SEO? Maurice White, who leads SEO at Mod Op, is back to explain the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and why it’s changing the way we think about search. Maurice and Tessa Burg break down what GEO means, how it fits into your...

Tessa Burg and Aaron Grando break down one of the most talked-about topics in AI right now: context engineering. If you've been using AI tools and wondering why your outputs sometimes sound generic or miss the mark, this episode is for you.    Aaron explains how context engineering helps AI better understand what you want by feeding it the right information—from your brand voice to real-time data—...

In this episode of Leader Generation, Creative Director Leu Solomon shares a real-world example of how AI helped her and the Mod Op team deliver a complex creative project under tight budget constraints—without sacrificing quality.  Leu walks us through the challenge: Creating a single hero image featuring up to nine custom building illustrations for a commercial real estate client. Traditional de...

Kate Long, VP of Marketing at Crunchbase, shares how her team is leading a bold transformation—from a product-led growth model to a sales-led, AI-powered strategy.  In this conversation, Kate breaks down how Crunchbase is leveraging predictive signals to deliver meaningful value earlier in the buyer journey, before prospects even know they’re in-market. Kate also opens up about leading teams throu...

Retail media is evolving fast, but not always in the right direction. In this episode of Leader Generation, Drew Cashmore, Chief Strategy Officer at Vantage, joins Tessa Burg fresh from the Cannes Lions Festival to break down the biggest conversations shaping the future of retail and commerce media. Drew shares what he's seeing across the industry—the opportunities, the challenges and where market...

In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg chats with Matt Bretz and Gary Goodman, two seasoned veterans in the games and entertainment space.  With decades of experience, Matt and Gary share their journeys from working in Hollywood and gaming to leading creative teams at Mod Op. They discuss the evolution of the industry, the importance of data and AI, and how both play a role in crafting e...

If you’ve ever wondered how to go beyond ChatGPT and actually connect AI to real-world systems and workflows, this conversation is for you.  Tessa Burg gathers with three Mod Op experts—Fabio Fiss, Aaron Grando and Javier López—to break down key technologies like MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent). The team explains how they work, and shares examples of how they’re already being...

The way people search for information is changing fast. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg is joined by Maurice White and Chris Harihar for a discussion about Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).  They explore how search behavior is evolving with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and what that means for brands aiming to show up in these new discovery environments. Ma...