The CMO Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Marketing Across Uncertainty | Lessons from the Deloitte Global Roundtable with Nestlé, Saucony, Zurich Insurance and Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

In a world of constant disruption and global uncertainty, how can marketing leaders keep their teams focused, inspired, and moving forward?

In this week’s episode, recorded live at the Deloitte Digital Apartment during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Jim welcomes four senior marketing leaders who share how they lead with resilience, creativity, and conviction across industries and borders.

Mélanie Brinbaum, Chief Marketing Officer of Nestlé Zone Europe // With a career spanning some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands, Mélanie has led marketing at Nespresso and KitKat and held senior roles at Coty, Procter & Gamble, and L’Oréal. Today, she is steering Nestlé’s European portfolio through a period of rapid consumer change—balancing tradition with innovation.
Daniele Calderoni, Global Head of Brand Marketing at Zurich Insurance // At Zurich, Daniele is reshaping perceptions of what insurance means to customers, emphasizing trust, purpose, and relevance. Her decade at Mars equipped her with a deep understanding of how brands create enduring emotional connections—a skill she now brings to an industry not always known for its human touch.
Scott Mager, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte // As the U.S. marketing leader for one of the world’s largest professional services firms, Scott is infusing humanity into a 180-year-old brand. His approach emphasizes empathy, storytelling, and connection—demonstrating how even legacy institutions can stay fresh and relatable in a crowded marketplace.
Joy Allen-Altimare, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Saucony // Joy is driving Saucony into the future, connecting the beloved running brand with a new generation of athletes and lifestyle consumers. With past leadership roles in luxury, tech, and media, she brings a cross-industry perspective on building relevance and community in rapidly evolving markets.

This episode is a masterclass in leadership during times of uncertainty—showcasing how bold brand leaders navigate complexity, inspire their people, and turn challenges into opportunities.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Calum Laming (British Airways) | Brand-Building at 35,000 Feet Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

In this week's episode The CMO Podcast, Jim sits down with Calum Laming, the Chief Customer Officer of British Airways. He and his team are responsible for a creative replatforming of British Airways, celebrating the airline as a British Original. For their remarkable creative work, Calum and team won the highest honor last year at the Cannes Lions Festival, the coveted Grand Prix.

With a lifelong passion for aviation, Calum has built a career spanning five airlines, including Virgin and Etihad, before taking the helm at one of the world’s most iconic carriers. And like Jim, Calum’s journey began at Procter & Gamble, giving him a unique blend of brand-building expertise and airline industry know-how.

So, buckle up, switch your devices to airplane mode, and get ready for a candid conversation on leadership, creativity, and what it takes to keep an airline soaring.

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Recorded live at the Brand Innovators LVMH Villa, presented by Shutterstock, during the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

From Startup to Legacy: How Life Stages Shape Leadership, featuring Shutterstock, Audemars Piguet and Cymbiotika Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

On this week's episode of The CMO Podcast, Jim is joined by three remarkable leaders who are at very different stages of their careers and lives, but all share a bold vision for leadership and creativity.

Aimee Egan, Chief Enterprise Officer of Shutterstock, brings the perspective of driving growth and transformation in one of the world’s most influential content companies.

Sophie Bambuck, Chief Marketing Officer of Audemars Piguet, offers a fresh take on building a luxury brand with deep heritage while shaping its future.

And Durana Elmi, Founder and COO of Cymbiotika, shares her entrepreneurial journey of building a wellness brand from the ground up, fueled by grit and innovation.

Recorded live at the Brand Innovators LVMH Villa, presented by Shutterstock, listen in a Jim explores how life stages influence leadership style, and what it takes to keep pushing boundaries no matter where you are in your journey.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Jonnie Cahill (PepsiCo) | How to Onboard with Intention Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

Jim’s guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Jonnie Cahill, the newly appointed SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of International Foods at PepsiCo. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Jonnie stepped into this role in April 2025 after more than 12 years at Heineken, where he most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for the U.S.

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage powerhouse with nearly $95 billion in sales and an iconic portfolio of brands — including Pepsi, Gatorade, Quaker, Lay’s, Cheetos, Mountain Dew, and Tostitos, to name just a few.

This marks Jonnie’s third CMO role. Prior to PepsiCo and Heineken, he served as CMO of Telefónica in Dublin, and earlier spent six years at Diageo, where he had the opportunity to work on one of Ireland’s most beloved brands: Guinness.

Jonnie and Jim sat down over coffee at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity to talk about his journey, leadership lessons, and the challenges of building global brands.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Melody Lee (Mercedes-Benz USA) | Success is Never Solo Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

This week, Jim welcomes Melody Lee, the Chief Marketing Officer of Mercedes-Benz USA. Mercedes-Benz is one of the world’s most enduring luxury brands and will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

Melody’s career in marketing had an inauspicious start. She graduated from Georgia Tech with both a BS and an MS in international affairs, took a $12/hour internship at a PR firm, and never looked back. After six years in PR, Melody made the jump to the client side with a six-year stint at Cadillac. She then held senior roles at Shiseido and MillerKnoll before joining Mercedes-Benz in the summer of 2023.

Recorded during the Cannes Festival of Creativity, this episode features a conversation about modernizing legacy brands and building your creative chops.

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This week’s episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Building Brand Love with UGG, Tinder, Tubi and Transunion Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

In this special roundtable episode of The CMO Podcast, recorded live at the Brand Innovators LVMH Villa, presented by Shutterstock. Jim Stengel sits down with four powerhouse marketing leaders to explore the timeless—and timely—question: What does it take to build a brand people truly love?

Joining Jim are...

Matt Spiegel, EVP of TruAudience Growth Strategy at TransUnion

Nicole Parlapiano, Chief Marketing Officer of Tubi

Melissa Hobley, Chief Marketing Officer of Tinder

Carole Diarra, Global Vice President of Marketing for UGG

Together, they reflect on the power of going back to brand-building fundamentals, why “the fruit is in the roots,” and how kindness and care can be transformative forces in leadership. This is a conversation full of wisdom, laughter, and straight talk on how to lead brands, and teams, with heart. Whether you're a marketer, creative, or purpose-driven leader, you’ll walk away inspired to double down on what really matters.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte, StrawberryFrog and Transunion.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Brian Irving (Lyft) | The Pink Rebels Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Jim's guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Brian Irving, the Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft, the 13-year-old, San Francisco-based company whose purpose is to improve people’s lives with the world's best transportation. Lyft does business in the US and Canada, and has about $6 billion in revenue

Brian has been at Lyft for about 15 months. Before that, he has worked at three of the world’s most valuable companies: Google, Meta and Apple. He has also worked at Levi Straus, Eventbrite, and AirBnB. Brian had no idea growing up in Flint, Michigan that his life would unfold this way. Recorded in person at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, tune in for a heart-to-heart conversation with Jim and Brian!

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

Elizabeth Rutledge (American Express) | The Customer at the Center of Everything Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Jim's guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Elizabeth Rutledge, the Chief Marketing Officer of American Express. Elizabeth is a unique CMO–she has been at AmEx for her entire career of 35 years, and she has been CMO for seven of those years. AmEx’s stock was about $4 when Elizabeth joined, and it is about $300 currently. More trivia–American Express was founded in 1850–one of the oldest brands in the world.

Elizabeth graduated from Princeton, and earned her MBA from the Stern school at NYU. Recorded in person at the Deloitte Apartment at the Cannes Festival of Creativity, join the two for Jim's conversation with the CMO of a 175-year-old brand that is certainly not behaving that way.

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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

The Creator Economy Roundtable with Brandon B, Kim Larson (YouTube) and Kenny Gold (Deloitte Digital) Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

We had a whirlwind five days in Cannes last week, bringing you our first of many live, in-person episodes recorded as part of the Cannes Lions Festival. And to kick it off, Jim is diving into a topic that was a part of many conversations in the south of France…the Creator Economy. Creators and the space they’ve forged have become one of most transformative forces in marketing. It’s reshaping how brands connect with people, how content is made and consumed, and how influence is earned.

Joining Jim are three guests who know this world very well:

Brandon B, Creator and Founder of StudioB
Kim Larson, the Global Head of YouTube Creators
Kenny Gold, the Managing Director, Head of Social, Content and Influencer for Deloitte Digital

We’re going to talk strategy, authenticity, audience building, and where this entire ecosystem is headed. With a little advice sprinkled in! So, tune in as we come to you live from the Deloitte Apartment at Cannes Lions!

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte.

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

The Day the Universe Changed with Mike Moynihan (Lego) and George Carey (Human-ology) Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

You have probably noticed we are getting more provocative with our episodes and their titles. A few weeks ago we released an episode titled “Is Brand Purpose Dead.” Well this week’s episode takes it up a notch: “The Day the Universe Changed: How the last five years have changed us as humans and consumers.”

Jim's guests are Mike Moynihan, the SVP of Brand, Marketing, Insights and Partnerships at the Lego Group, and George Carey, the founder and CEO of Human-ology, a research company that tracks shifts in values and emotions that shape human attitudes and behaviors.mTheir clients include Google, Nike, McDonalds, and of course Lego. Mike has been at Lego for an amazing 30 years, and George founded his company about 15 years ago.

George will share how the human inside the consumer has fundamentally changed over the past five years, beginning with the pandemic and then intensifying with the 2024 US elections. And Mike from Lego will talk to how this has changed how they think about their brand, and the initiatives that emanated from that.

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Learn about the Human-Ology study here: https://tinyurl.com/3thz8knj

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This week's episode is brought to you by Deloitte and StrawberryFrog.

Learn more: https://strawberryfrog.com/jim

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