The CMO Podcast

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Norm de Greve (General Motors) | Driving into the Next Century Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

The auto industry is changing faster than ever, yet cars remain deeply personal, symbols of freedom, connection, and possibility. Few companies embody that spirit like General Motors, a brand that has shaped culture for more than a century and is now leading the charge toward an electric and connected future.

Jim’s guest this week is Norm de Greve, Chief Growth Officer of General Motors. GM is, of course, home to iconic brands like Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. It is a $77 billion revenue powerhouse driving innovation across combustion, electric, and autonomous vehicles.

Norm brings a rare combination of creativity, purpose, and business discipline to one of the world’s most iconic companies. Before joining GM in 2023, he spent nearly a decade as CMO of CVS Health, helping transform the company into a purpose-driven healthcare leader.

So buckle up and tune in for a conversation with a marketing leader who believes in leading with high expectations and kindness.

Captured live at the ANA Masters of Marketing, in partnership with TransUnion.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/alm

Promo Code for $500 of ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live from CES: Human-Led AI and Brand Creativity with Yannick Bolloré Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

At CES 2026, the conversation around AI often swings between hype and fear — but for marketers the real question is far more grounded: How do you scale intelligence, creativity, and performance without losing the human connection that brands are built on?

In this bonus episode of The CMO Podcast, recorded live on the C Space stage at CES, Jim sits down with Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO of Havas — one of the world’s largest global communications groups — to explore exactly that.

Yannick and Jim explore how Havas is navigating one of the biggest transformations our industry has ever faced: embedding AI deeply into the organization while keeping human creativity, judgment, and empathy at the center.

Plus, Yannick also shares new capabilities Havas introduced at CES, including its global large language model portal, AVA — a secure enterprise AI solution designed to reinforce human-led creativity and decision-making while connecting advanced AI models across the Havas network.

Read the full Havas press release on AVA and their human‑led AI vision at CES 2026

And for an inside look at the keynote from the C Space stage, including thoughts on the convergence of AI and human creativity, check out the video here: Watch the Havas keynote on AI and creativity from CES 2026

This is also a first for our podcast — bringing you right into the heart of CES, as we look toward an innovation-rich year ahead.

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Don McGuire (Qualcomm) | How Qualcomm Turned Snapdragon Into a $180B Innovation Brand Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

When you think about the technology that connects our world—the phones in our hands, the cars we drive, the networks powering everything around us—there’s a good chance Qualcomm is behind it.

Jim's guest this week is Don McGuire, Global Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Communications Officer of Qualcomm. Since becoming CMO in 2021, Don has helped transform Qualcomm’s narrative, elevating the company from “the tech behind the tech” into one of the most respected innovation brands in the world, while turning Snapdragon into a globally recognized consumer brand.

Before Qualcomm, Don spent 25 years shaping the wireless ecosystem at companies like AT&T Wireless, Intel, Kyocera, Leap Wireless, and Amp’d Mobile—giving him a rare, end-to-end perspective on how technology, brands, and markets evolve together.

For nearly 40 years, Qualcomm has been the engine driving wireless innovation, from the earliest days of mobile to today’s breakthroughs in 5G, AI, automotive, and beyond. It’s one of those rare companies whose technology quietly powers modern life—and the numbers tell the story: roughly $40 billion in annual revenue and a market cap of about $180 billion.

Recorded live at the ANA Masters of Marketing in Orlando and powered by TransUnion, this conversation explores what it truly means to takes to build a brand that stands for innovation.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/alm

Promo Code for $500 of ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Robertson (BBDO) | How to Power Up Your Organization Dec 31, 2025

Show notes

Some leaders talk about the power of creativity, and a select few leaders build a career proving it. Jim's guest this week is one of those. Andrew Robertson is the long-time leader of BBDO Worldwide, one of the most awarded and effective creative advertising networks in the world. He served as President and CEO from 2004 to 2024 before stepping into his current role as Chairman. During his tenure, BBDO was named Network of the Year at Cannes Lions a record seven times and was crowned Network of the Decade in 2020.

Today, as Chairman of BBDO Worldwide and Chairman Emeritus of the Ad Council, Andrew is focused on mentoring the next generation of creative leaders and helping brands harness creativity for real business growth. In 2022, Andrew was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame. In 2025, he added a new chapter to his legacy as a bestselling author with his book “The Creative Shift: How to Power Up Your Organization by Making Space for New Ideas.”

So tune in for a conversation with a leader who believes that creativity is not an occasional flash of inspiration but a way of operating inside any organization.

And from the entire team at the show, we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/alm

Promo Code for $500 of ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joon Silverstein (Coach) | From Legacy to Cultural Icon: How Coach Won Gen Z Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Very few brands have reinvented themselves as successfully, or as culturally, as Coach. On this week's episode, Jim sits down with Joon Silverstein, Chief Marketing Officer of Coach, to unpack the bold transformation behind one of fashion’s most compelling modern growth stories.

Coach is part of Tapestry, Inc., the New York–based global house of iconic accessory and lifestyle brands that also includes Kate Spade. This past fiscal year, Tapestry achieved a record $7 billion in revenue, driven largely by double-digit growth at Coach — a powerful signal of the brand’s renewed momentum and relevance.

Joon’s impact at Coach spans more than a decade. She joined the brand in 2014 as SVP of Global Customer Experience, went on to lead digital, creative, sustainability, and North America marketing, and ultimately founded Coachtopia: Coach’s groundbreaking circular sub-brand built with and for Gen Z.

As we close out the year and head into the holiday season, this conversation feels especially timely. It’s about courage, confidence, creativity, and what it really means to build brands — and careers — that stand for something meaningful.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at https://www.iab.com/

Promo Code for $500 off ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kellyn Smith Kenny (AT&T) | Reinventing and Redefining Trust in Telecom Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Few brands define connection quite like AT&T—not just through technology, but through trust. And trust is not a word historically associated with telecom companies.

Jim’s guest this week is at the center of AT&T’s transformation: Kellyn Smith Kenny, the company’s first-ever Chief Marketing & Growth Officer. Since 2020, Kellyn has helped usher in what she calls the “Accountability Era,” part of an ambitious, multi-year reinvention backed by more than $145 billion invested in reliability, transparency, and customer trust.

With revenues topping $120 billion and a customer base of more than 100 million consumers, AT&T is a brand that touches nearly every American life. Under Kellyn’s leadership, the company has become known for both its marketing excellence and its humanity—from launching the AT&T Guarantee, to pioneering a pragmatic approach to AI, to building meaningful partnerships with the likes of Formula 1 and Hello Sunshine.

Tune in as Jim explores Kellyn’s unique leadership journey—from Division I athlete to C-suite change agent—and how she’s redefining what it means to lead a modern brand.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at https://www.iab.com/events/annual-leadership-meeting-2026/?utm_source=ad&utm_medium=The+CMO+Podcast)

Promo Code for $500 off ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jenny Nelson (Audacy) | Audio’s Power to Move, Connect, and Grow Brands Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

Audio has a magic all its own. The power to connect deeply, inspire emotion, and build lasting trust.

In this week's episode, Jim Stengel sits down with Jenny Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer of Audacy, one of the nation’s leading multi-platform audio content and entertainment companies. Founded in 1968 (then known as Entercom Communications Corporation) and rebranded as Audacy, Inc. in 2021, the company grew from a traditional radio broadcaster into one of the U.S.’s leading multi-platform audio content and entertainment companies.

With over two decades in the industry, Jenny has become an authority on how sound drives emotion, performance, and brand growth. From her early days at BBDO to her pivotal role guiding Audacy’s transformation from a traditional broadcaster to a digital-first audio powerhouse, Jenny shares invaluable lessons on brand storytelling, creativity, and the future of audio marketing.

Recorded live at the ANA Masters of Marketing in Orlando and powered by TransUnion, this conversation explores what it truly means to create, and harness, the magic of sound.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/alm (utm: https://www.iab.com/events/annual-leadership-meeting-2026/?utm_source=ad&utm_medium=The+CMO+Podcast)

Promo Code for $500 off of ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Brand Builder's Playbook // Getting Brand Buy In & Activating the Playbook // With David Aaker and Marcus Collins Dec 05, 2025

Show notes

From tennis rackets to Beyoncé, Microsoft to Apple…brand legends David Aaker and Marcus Collins have seen it all, and they’re here to close out our series with a masterclass on brand-led leadership.

In the final episode of this season of The Brand Builder’s Playbook, hosts Jim Stengel and Ryan Barker reflect on the journey through our previous seven episodes before welcoming two of the biggest voices in marketing: David Aaker, often called the “Father of Modern Branding,” and Marcus Collins, award-winning marketer, author, and cultural expert. Together they dig into what it takes to get true buy-in for brand inside organizations, the traps of short-termism, and why culture, conviction, and clear differentiation are the ultimate energizers for growth

From the evolution of brand equity to the five B’s framework, from the lessons of Steve Jobs to the rise of cultural resonance, this finale ties the whole playbook together, offering both inspiration and practical tools for brand builders at every level.

Closing thought: great brands don’t just sell, they lead. And the smartest leaders put brand at the center of every decision.th David Aaker and Marcus Collins

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If you’ve enjoyed this series, please share it with your team, your friends, or anyone passionate about building brands. Join in the conversation below…tell us what you’ve learned and what you’d love to hear in Season 2!

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Download this week’s worksheet: https://bit.ly/4qDgxKG

Read about upcoming episode topics and guests here: https://bera.ai/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Brandt (Chipotle Mexican Grill) | Crafting Food with Integrity Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

When you think about brands that have truly reshaped an entire category, few have done it as quickly or as effectively as Chipotle Mexican Grill, a brand that turned fast food into fast casual, and purpose into a powerful growth engine.

Jim’s guest this week is Chris Brandt, the President and Chief Brand Officer of Chipotle and one of the most respected marketers in the industry. Since joining the company in 2018, Chris has helped transform Chipotle into a purpose-driven lifestyle brand; making it more visible, relevant, and culturally resonant than ever before. Under his leadership, Chipotle has doubled in size, launched some of the industry’s most creative campaigns, and become one of the most admired brands in the world.

Before joining Chipotle, Chris built his marketing foundation at three of the great brand academies--General Mills, Coca-Cola, and Yum! Brands--where he helped launch legendary platforms like Taco Bell’s “Live Más” and Doritos Locos Tacos. Today, he brings that same mix of creative courage, data-driven insight, and cultural intuition to Chipotle, where purpose and performance go hand in hand.

Tune in for a conversation with a Chief Brand Officer who truly loves his job!

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Recorded live at the ANA Masters of Marketing in Orlando, powered by TransUnion. Here we go.

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Learn more, request a free pass, and register at iab.com/alm (utm: https://www.iab.com/events/annual-leadership-meeting-2026/?utm_source=ad&utm_medium=The+CMO+Podcast)

Promo Code for $500 of ticket prices: ALMCMOPOD26

---

This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, TransUnion and the IAB.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Brand Builder's Playbook // Smart Spend: Mastering Media Mix for Maximum Impact // With Damon Berger (GAP) Nov 28, 2025

Show notes

Brand building or performance? TV or TikTok? Data or gut? Every marketer wrestles with how to spend smarter, not just more.

In the seventh episode of The Brand Builder’s Playbook, hosts Jim Stengel and Ryan Barker, along with guest co-host Kate Lamberton, dig into the art and science of the marketing mix. They explore how brands can cut waste, make every dollar work harder, and balance the short-term demand for results with the long-term need for brand strength

Joining the conversation is Damon Berger, Head of Consumer Digital Engagement at Gap Inc., who shares his perspective on building a culture that embraces both measurement and creativity. From MMM (marketing mix modeling) to cultural relevance, Damon breaks down how Gap is revitalizing iconic brands by staying true to their DNA while staying agile in a fast-changing market

The takeaway: when you put the consumer at the center, smart spending isn’t about choosing between brand and performance…it’s about making both work harder together.

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Download this week’s worksheet: https://bit.ly/3JI5FdV

Read about upcoming episode topics and guests here: https://bera.ai/podcast/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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