AI Marketing Transformation

Join us for an insightful conversation with Greg Licciardi, VP of Sponsorships and Partner Programs at the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) — the world's largest marketing association, serving over 50,000 industry professionals — and author of a leading marketing book on AI-driven personalization, as he shares how brands can reach the "holy grail" of marketing: the right person, right message, right time, right environment, and right outcome.
Drawing on his experience working with brands like Goop and observing best-in-class and worst-in-class AI campaigns across the industry, Greg brings a grounded, framework-first perspective on what it actually takes to scale personalization without losing the human and emotional core of a brand.
In this episode, Greg unpacks the five R's framework behind his book, why dynamic, data-driven personalization is reshaping how brands convert customers, and what separates AI campaigns that build trust from those that trigger backlash.
Key Takeaways:
Data Is the Foundation: The more a brand understands its most valuable customers and partners, the more effective every downstream AI and marketing effort becomes
Personalization at Scale: Dynamic, behavior-based experiences shorten the path to conversion — but only when built on a strong data foundation
Own What You Build: Brands should combine external AI tools and platforms with strong internal ownership of data, messaging consistency, and privacy — never fully outsourcing judgment to third parties
The Human Element Is Non-Negotiable: The biggest risk in AI adoption isn't the technology — it's losing the emotional connection with consumers by leaning too heavily on automation
Learn From Public Missteps: High-profile AI-generated ad campaigns that felt inauthentic drew heavy criticism — while follow-up campaigns blending agency creative with AI enhancement were far better received
Three Pillars for Transformation: Establish clear guardrails before scaling AI, protect the human/emotional element of the brand, and ensure AI adoption is communicated holistically across every team and department
Marketing Is Now a Technology and Finance Discipline: With CMO tenures shortening and every marketing dollar under scrutiny, technical fluency and measurable ROI are now core marketing skills
Synthetic Data Risks: As AI training data becomes more synthetic, brands risk losing authentic cultural and behavioral nuance — understanding real human context remains essential

Perfect for marketing leaders, CMOs, brand managers, and anyone building AI-enabled marketing strategies who wants a practical framework for scaling personalization responsibly, without sacrificing authenticity.
Greg also shares recommendations on certificate programs and training resources for marketers looking to build AI fluency, along with a look at how brands are managing the balance between AI-generated content and creative authenticity.

"The fruits are in the roots" — a philosophy at the core of using AI to deepen, not replace, genuine customer relationships.

Join us for a compelling conversation about how AI and technology are forcing a structural reset in the marketing agency industry with Ivan Fernandez, a marketing strategist, transformation consultant, and M&A advisor with more than 20 years of experience across global agencies, consultancies, and growth-focused organizations. Ivan has worked with companies including MediaCom and VML, and today advises agency founders on growth, operating models, AI transformation, and long-term value creation in an industry being rapidly reshaped by technology and investment pressures.
In this episode, Ivan breaks down why holding companies are struggling to adapt, how the industry is shifting from labor-based to intelligence-based models, and why trust and data transparency are the real bottlenecks blocking AI transformation in marketing services.
Key Takeaways:
From Labor to Systems: The agency industry is undergoing a structural reset — moving from people-based models to AI-driven, system-based models, as demonstrated by Publicis acquiring LiveRamp for $2.2 billion
The Holdco Paradox: Even the best-performing holding companies like Publicis are seeing stock price drops because investors are now comparing them to tech players like Google and Meta, which have significantly higher EBITDA margins
CMO Tenure Crisis: With CMO tenure averaging just 18 months, meaningful transformation is nearly impossible — Ivan argues CMOs need more time, budget, and cross-functional authority alongside CTOs and Chief Data Officers
The Consultancy Gap: Agencies lack the talent and structure to sell technology or have C-suite conversations with CFOs and CTOs — a space where Accenture has a natural advantage due to its consultancy roots
Data Transparency Problem: Most media agencies operate on principal media models with limited data sharing, creating a fundamental trust deficit that blocks the data integration AI transformation requires
The $6 to $1 Opportunity: For every dollar spent on technology, $6 is spent on services — and services are deeply under-transformed, representing a massive opportunity for AI-driven disruption
AI Race Not Over: Ivan estimates we are still 3 to 4 years away from seeing clear winners in the AI agency space, with everyone currently building agentic and data integration capabilities simultaneously
How to Learn Faster: Connect with practitioners, ask quality questions openly, take introductory AI business courses, and follow focused voices across financial, operational, and marketing AI perspectives
Perfect for agency founders, marketing consultants, holding company executives, CMOs, and anyone navigating the intersection of AI transformation, agency business models, and marketing services.
Ivan also references tools he uses daily including OpenAI, Perplexity, Notion, Grammarly, Canva, and Fiscal AI — a financial intelligence platform he uses to track holding company performance, EBITDA, shareholder trends, and market movements across the industry.
"We are in a period of change. Make sure that you have partners that you can trust to take you on that journey. Be ready — it's going to be a bumpy ride, but we're going to get to the end together." — Ivan Fernandez

Join us for an insightful conversation with Teresa Fusaro, Global Senior Director of GenAI Creativity and seasoned executive with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of marketing, technology, and AI transformation, as she shares the realities of leading creative AI transformation at a global scale across some of the world's most iconic consumer brands.
Having supported Nestlé, Adidas, and Reckitt through their digital transformation journeys, Teresa brings a grounded, human-first perspective on what it truly takes to embed AI into a global organization — not just as a technology shift, but as a cultural and governance evolution.
In this episode, Teresa unpacks how Reckitt built its Responsible AI Principles framework, why people and resistance to change remain the biggest obstacle in any transformation, and how a groundbreaking digital twins pilot with Google for Lysol is redefining what ethical AI-generated video looks like in advertising.
Key Takeaways:
People Over Technology: The biggest barrier to AI transformation is never the tech — it's human resistance and fear of replacement. Leaders must communicate the why before pushing the how
Responsible AI as a Living Framework: Ethical principles must evolve alongside technology. Reckitt's fairness and inclusivity guidelines were revisited and adapted when AI video generation became production-ready
Digital Twins as an Ethical Solution: Rather than going fully synthetic, Reckitt pioneered a model using real, fairly compensated actors as AI-amplified avatars — setting a new industry standard for ethical AI video
Global Governance, Local Flexibility: Enterprise AI programs must have a strong global core while remaining adaptable to local regulations, consumer perceptions, and market realities
Brain Capital is the New Competitive Edge: As AI becomes universally available, what differentiates companies will be human capabilities — creativity, adaptability, complex problem solving, and resilience
Brands Taking Back Creative Control: Just as brands built in-house media teams 20 years ago, a similar revolution is underway in creative production — brands are reclaiming transparency and control over their content
The Evolving Role of Agencies: Agencies still own the big idea and the creative vision — but brands are demanding more visibility into how content is developed and which AI tools are being used
Perfect for marketing leaders, creative directors, digital transformation executives, and consumer goods professionals looking to understand how to build responsible, scalable, and human-centered AI programs across global organizations.
Teresa also shares her personal tech stack, highlighting tools like Notebook LM and Lovable as game-changers for productivity and presentation building, along with her go-to learning resources for staying ahead in the AI space.
"AI is no longer a competitive advantage — all companies will have it in some form. The difference will lie in brain capital: how good companies are at fostering creativity, adaptability, and complex problem solving in their people." — Teresa Fusaro

Join us for a forward-thinking conversation with Victor Madueno, Senior Director at FDI Consulting and globally recognized leader in digital assets, AI, and blockchain, as he explores the powerful convergence of two transformational technologies reshaping business and society.
With over 20 years of experience advising businesses, governments, and financial institutions across the Middle East and globally, Victor shares how AI and blockchain are not competing forces — they are complementary pillars of the next digital economy.
In this episode, Victor breaks down how agentic AI demands a new layer of trust that blockchain uniquely provides, why most companies are adapting instead of truly transforming, and how individuals and organizations can unlock the full potential of AI by changing not just their tools — but their mindset.
Key Takeaways:
AI + Blockchain = Trust: As AI agents operate autonomously and transact with digital assets, blockchain's immutable ledger provides the security and traceability layer enterprises need to operate confidently
Adaptation vs. Transformation: Most companies are fitting AI into existing operating models — a critical mistake. True transformation means redesigning workflows from scratch around AI's full capabilities
Prompting with Purpose: Heavy AI users don't treat it like Google. They build long, context-rich prompts, iterate continuously, and know exactly what outcome they're driving toward
Experience is the New Edge: Senior professionals with decades of domain expertise can elevate AI output from 80% to 99% quality — making experience more valuable than ever in an AI-first world
The $1B One-Person Company: Agentic AI is making it possible to build high-value businesses with minimal headcount, fundamentally disrupting traditional enterprise cost structures
Mindset Over Toolset: Competitiveness in the AI era comes down to the hours you invest in exploration and practice — those who put in the time will outpace those who don't
Humanity in AI: The next frontier is bringing human values, emotion, and authentic decision-making into AI systems — not just efficiency
Perfect for business leaders, digital transformation executives, blockchain enthusiasts, and marketing and technology professionals looking to understand where AI is truly heading — and how to position themselves ahead of the curve.
Victor also references resources including free AI courses, hands-on experimentation with Claude, Cursor, and Lovable, and the importance of building your own agents to accelerate learning.
"If we look at AI and the capabilities that it has and a complete new architecture, and we try to redesign our operating models towards that as a benefit — we will start seeing way more benefits." — Victor Madueno

Lasse Rouhiainen— keynote speaker, AI advisor to companies and governments, and author of Dominate AI Before It Dominates You — breaks down exactly where most businesses are getting AI wrong and what to do instead.
From the four levels of AI adoption (most companies are stuck at level one) to why small companies have a real shot at outpacing giants right now, this conversation is as practical as it gets. We also get into the geopolitics of AI, the growing inequality gap, and why the next two years will be unlike anything we've seen.
If you're a leader trying to figure out where to actually start — this one's for you.