The CMO Podcast

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Carrie Palin (Cisco) | Powering An Inclusive Future For All Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

This week Jim's guest on The CMO Podcast is Carrie Palin, the SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Cisco, the $55 billion by revenue tech leader, whose purpose is to leverage technology, people, and broader networks to solve society’s greatest challenges. Cisco is on quite a roll–its stock is up about 40% in the last year.

Carrie never took a marketing class in school, and never even imagined she would be a top tech B2B marketer, let alone the CMO of one of the world’s great companies. But serendipity happened, and Carrie said yes to IBM coming out of TCU, and began a tech marketing career that took her to Dell, Box, Splunk, and now Cisco. Carrie has had a remarkable run in her four years as Cisco’s CMO, which we will talk about.

Tune in for a conversation with a CMO, who believes some things in life are simply non-negotiable.

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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.

Kelley Puckett (goodr) | Sunglasses with the Permission to Be Unabashedly Yourself Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

It’s officially summertime here in the U.S., and Jim welcomes a guest whose company truly embodies the spirit of the season. Kelley Puckett is the Chief Marketing Officer of goodr, a high-growth sunglasses brand founded nine years ago in Southern California.

Like many great startups, goodr began by identifying a problem and solving it. The founders—runners themselves—noticed that running sunglasses were expensive and overly engineered. So they created fun, stylish, and functional sunglasses specifically for runners, all priced at just $25. Today, goodr offers sunglasses for a wide range of sports and outdoor activities.

Kelley seems tailor-made for goodr. A UCLA graduate, she went on to work at both Sony Pictures and Paramount Pictures. She’s also a runner—though not just any runner. Kelley is an ultramarathoner who has completed the Badwater 135, often called the toughest ultramarathon in the world.

Tune in to this episode to hear from a CMO who brings unmatched energy to her brand and community!

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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.

Rah Mahtani (Alibaba.com) | Making It Easy to Do Business Anywhere May 28, 2025

Show notes

This week Jim welcomes Rah Mahtani, the Head of Commercial Strategy US for Alibaba.com, the Chinese multinational technology company founded in 1999 by Jack Ma and 18 colleagues. Alibaba Group operates as a holding company for a wide array of businesses, including online retail, wholesale through Alibaba.com, logistics (Cainiao), cloud computing (Alibaba Cloud), and financial services (Ant Group). Alibaba.com is the world’s largest B2B (business-to-business) platform.

Rah has been at Alibaba for about 2.5 years, and was promoted to head of commercial strategy about two months ago. Before Alibaba, Rah had a career deeply grounded in social media and digital communications, with time at Volvo, Jack in the Box, and BMW’s Mini brand. A graduate of Syracuse University, where he studied Industrial Design, Rah is a self-described lover of dogs, kids and candy. Tune in for a conversation with a marketer in the middle of the changing global trade landscape!

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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.

Is Brand Purpose Dead—or More Alive Than Ever? | Conversation with Kory Marchisotto (e.l.f.Beauty), Mark Ritson (Mini MBA), Lisa Materazzo (The Ford Motor Company) and Sara Carter (adam&eveDDB) May 21, 2025

Show notes

Do you think brand purpose is a tired idea that never truly had relevance in the world of branding and business? Or do you believe that having a brand purpose—and activating it in everything you do—is the most effective way to run a successful company?

On this show, we've heard compelling arguments on both sides of the debate. So today, we're bringing together four thought leaders to discuss and explore one big question: Is brand purpose dead, or more alive than ever?

Jim is joined by:

Kory Marchisotto, Chief Marketing Officer of e.l.f. Beauty and President of Keys Soulcare. Kory previously held roles at LVMH, Puig, and Shiseido before joining e.l.f. in 2019.
Mark Ritson, former marketing professor, Marketing Week columnist, creator of the Mini MBA in Marketing, and advisor to a range of global brands.
Lisa Materazzo, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Ford Motor Company since 2023, following a 20-year marketing career at Toyota.
Sara Carter, Global Planning Partner at adam&eveDDB and co-author (with Les Binet) of How Not to Plan: 66 Ways to Screw It Up.

Let us know where you stand in the Purpose debate—right here or on social media!

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

Sofia Colucci (Molson Coors) | Uniting People Through Delicious Beverages May 14, 2025

Show notes

We’re on the verge of summer, so you’re probably dreaming of that ice-cold beer—whether at the beach, the ballpark, or on your back porch. This week, Jim welcomes Sofia Colucci to the podcast. She’s the Chief Marketing Officer for North America at Molson Coors, the fourth-largest brewer in the world, with about $12 billion in revenue.

Molson Coors traces its roots back to 1786, when John Molson founded Canada’s oldest brewery on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Montreal. Today, the company’s portfolio includes Molson, of course, along with the Miller and Coors families of brands, and a wide range of other beverages, including Peroni, Madri, Pilsner Urquell, ZOA Energy, and Arnold Palmer Spiked.

Sofia has been with Molson Coors for eight years and has served as CMO for about two and a half years. Prior to that, she spent six years at Maple Leaf Foods in Canada—where she met her husband—and nearly eight years at PepsiCo, working in both Canada and the U.S.

Tune in for a conversation with a CMO who brings serious muscle to her marketing strategy!

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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.

Reflections on the Journey to Chief Marketing Officer with Jim Stengel May 07, 2025

Show notes

This week's episode is something a little different. Jim returns to the beautiful Miraval Berkshires — a place known for reflection, intention, and growth. And that spirit is exactly what this conversation is all about: Jim's own Reflections on the Journey to Chief Marketing Officer.

We each have our own journey, but today, Jim will take you through his — including an internal viral campaign within P&G that ultimately led to him being offered the role. Then, he walks us through my version of the CMO To-Do List: ten key characteristics to help you ascend the ladder. So whether you're aspiring to the CMO seat, just starting your marketing journey, or simply curious about how leaders grow — this one’s for you. Let’s jump in!

Head over to our LinkedIn to complete your own Marketer’s Self-Evaluation.

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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.

Linda Boff, David Lubars and Rishad Tobaccowala | The Advertising Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Inductees Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

This week, we are celebrating the Class of 2025 inductees into the Advertising Hall of Fame, as Jim welcomes three of this year's honorees for a roundtable discussion. Recorded live the morning after "The Biggest Night in Advertising"—the American Advertising Federation’s annual Hall of Fame induction and celebration—the conversation highlights a few individuals each year who have made an indelible impact on the advertising and marketing industry, as well as exceptional philanthropic contributions. Since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 1948, only 296 people have been inducted.

Joining Jim are:

David Lubars, the recently retired Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of BBDO. David has won an astonishing 600 Cannes Lions and is the only creative head ever to win Network of the Year at Cannes for seven consecutive years.
Linda Boff, the former long-standing Chief Marketing Officer of GE, who, among many other achievements, helped guide the company through its split into three separate public entities.
Rishad Tobaccowala, who served in a variety of roles at Publicis Groupe over a 40-year career. Rishad is impossible to put in a box—he is an innovator, a pioneer, a mentor, a teacher, and an advisor. His weekly thought letter, The Future Does Not Fit into the Containers of the Past, is read by 30,000 people.

Tune in for a funny, warm, reflective, and poignant conversation with three people who have just experienced one of the most special evenings of their lives.

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Learn more about the entire class of inductees:

https://www.aaf.org/Public/Public/Events/Advertising-Hall-of-Fame/AHOF_Home.aspx

Plus catch up of videos from the past celebrations: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7609857

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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 Future CMO Summit featuring General Motors, JPMorgan Chase, Coach and Mondelez Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

This week, Jim is coming to you from the serene and stunning Miraval Berkshires, nestled in Western Massachusetts, where Vayner hosted the Future CMO Summit. We welcomed twenty next-gen marketing leaders for a perfect setting that inspired a candid, energizing roundtable with some of the brightest minds in the industry today.

Joining Jim are four standout leaders who participated in the Summit:

Melissa Madaio Colleluori, Global Head of Social & Influencer Marketing at General Motors
Danielle Wallis, Chief Marketing Officer of Connected Commerce and Head of Card Customer Marketing at JPMorgan Chase
Katie Berry, Director of Global Brand Marketing at Coach
Steven Saenen, Vice President of Marketing at Mondelēz International

From financial services to fashion, from autos to snacks, these leaders bring bold perspectives, creative strategies, and a shared passion for connecting with customers in meaningful ways.

So grab a coffee—or a glass of wine—and settle in. You’re about to hear an honest, inspiring conversation straight from the heart of the Berkshires.

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

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.

Rachel Thornton (Adobe) | Exploring Curiosity Through Digital Experiences Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

This week, The CMO Podcast is on a field trip, as Jim recently attended the Adobe Summit Digital Experience Conference in Las Vegas. The three-day event featured over 200 sessions, hands-on labs, sneak previews of new products, and plenty of opportunities for fun networking. So, it’s fitting that his guest is someone at the heart of the Adobe Summit: Rachel Thornton, Chief Marketing Officer of Adobe Enterprise.

Adobe is, of course, a company renowned for its creativity, innovation, and strong employee- and customer-centric culture. Its purpose is to change the world through personalized digital experiences, with offerings that include Creative Cloud, Document Cloud, Experience Cloud, and Adobe Express. Founded in 1982, Adobe now generates about $22 billion in annual revenue, thanks to groundbreaking innovations such as Photoshop, Acrobat, PDF, Flash, and Firefly.

Rachel was a speaker at this year’s Summit and is a newcomer to Adobe, having joined in December 2024. However, she’s no stranger to B2B tech marketing. She began her tech career at Microsoft and went on to hold key roles at Cisco, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and startups before landing at Adobe.

Tune in this week for a lively chat with a curious, history-loving Chief Marketing Officer!

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

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.

Natalia Ball (Mars) | A Better World for Pets Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

As we celebrate National Pet Day, Jim's guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Natalia Ball, the Global Chief Growth Officer of Pet Nutrition at Mars. This is a big business for Mars, Petcare is about 60% of its estimated $50 billion in sales. Mars was founded as a candy company by Frank C. Mars in 1911 in Tacoma Washington; it remains to this day a family-owned business. Mars Petcare brands include Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Iams.

Natalia has been at Mars Petcare about seven years, and was promoted to Global Chief Growth Officer in April 2024. Before Mars, Natalia spent about 15 years at P&G, starting as a brand manager in Venezuela; her last role at P&G was senior portfolio director in global Laundry. Tune in for a conversation with a dog-loving, London-living mom of a seven year old, and a chief growth officer!

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

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.

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