CMO Confidential

A CMO Confidential Interview with Tom Stein, the Chairman and founder of Stein and Jann Schwarz, Senior Director of Marketplace Innovation at LinkedIn and founder of Think tank, The B2B Institute, who join us to discuss the 2025 Brand-to- Demand Maturity and the B2B Buyability studies. Tom and Jann share results showing the need to integrate brand and performance marketing in an era when the marketing funnel has collapsed needs fundamental re-thinking and Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) are still a key measure (in spite of data showing they've lost their usefulness). Tom and Jann explain why nearly all survey respondents acknowledge a problem but only 20% are taking action. Key topics include: why a good product or service are now "table stakes”; how buyer confidence, human connection and customer experience have become key Buyability differentiators; and the belief that B2B creative is way behind B2C on average. Tune in to hear why “demand-focused marketing" was one of the greatest brand misdirects of all time and a fabulous story of an alter boy accidentally dropping the Baby Jesus. The Truth Behind the Curtain in B2B: Brand + Demand, MQLs, and “Buyability” with Tom Stein & Jan SchwartzDescription:Mike Linton sits down with Tom Stein (Stein) and Jan Schwartz (LinkedIn’s B2B Institute) to unpack new ANA research on brand–demand maturity and a bold operating model they call “buyability.” They cover why 80% of marketers say integration matters but aren’t doing it, why MQLs are failing modern buying groups, how to financialize creative and brand, and what CEOs/boards should actually measure to accelerate revenue. Chapters:00:00 Intro & guest setup02:36 Why a brand–demand maturity study now05:36 The 80% integration gap07:17 Org design: why teams move slowly09:36 MQLs under fire (and better alternatives)10:45 Creative quality in B2B: reality check13:34 ServiceNow, Idris Elba, and distinctive assets15:01 The CEO/CFO/Board disconnect19:00 “Buyability” explained: becoming easier to buy22:12 Brand as a full-funnel commercial driver23:40 The funnel is broken; AI ups the stakes26:59 Playing offense: fewer, better buyer-group leads28:20 Financializing the case for change29:56 The budget stat that shocked everyone31:41 What to do now: category fame, trust, real metrics34:41 Funniest stories and practical parting advice37:35 Wrap & where to find more episodesTags:B2B marketing,brand and demand,buyability,MQL,pipeline velocity,CMO Confidential,Mike Linton,Tom Stein,Jan Schwartz,LinkedIn B2B Institute,ANA,B2B brand,B2B demand gen,marketing measurement,go to market,Salesforce,ServiceNow,Idris Elba,B2B creative,category fame,board metrics,CFO,CEO,CRO,sales alignment,MarTech,lead gen,buyer groups,brand strategy,revenue growthSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dr. Joel Shapiro, Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences Professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, formerly Varicent Chief Analytics Officer. Joel discusses his NFL study including why some teams handle injury better then others, the idea of finding variables which can't be seen by the naked eye, and his conclusion that resilience has a lot to do with planning, resource deployment and the foresight to think about potential problems. Key topics include: the importance of back-ups; the ability to find business problems that can be solved with data; and how to use data and AI to predict "bad stuff." Tune in to hear about the "percent cash wasted measure," and how Joel's class beat Las Vegas on predicting last year's NHL playoff teams.**What NFL Injury Data Teaches Business About Resilience — with Joel Shapiro (Kellogg)**Northwestern Kellogg’s Joel Shapiro returns to CMO Confidential to unpack a surprising finding: predicting player injury isn’t a “failed use case” — and the lessons translate directly to how leaders design resilient organizations. We cover the data model behind injury prediction, Joel’s “percent cash wasted” metric, the real effect of injuries on winning (including offense vs. defense), why backups matter, and how to build purposeful resilience across sales, supply chain, and leadership. Plus: a student project that beat Vegas and a fearless (and funny) Super Bowl take. Chapters00:00 Intro — Why this episode matters for executives01:10 Joel’s remit: turning data & AI into business outcomes03:19 Injury prediction isn’t a failed use case05:45 Why the NFL: clean injury data and an 11-year dataset07:32 What the model outputs: games likely to be missed08:51 “Percent Cash Wasted”: paying for injured players10:15 Do injuries really impact winning? The curve is flatter than you think12:19 Offense vs. defense: wasted cash effects aren’t equal13:47 Healthy one year, injured the next: who stays good?14:36 The lever that breaks teams: losing a highly paid QB15:25 Purposeful resilience vs. “toughing it out”16:34 Backups matter — translating roster depth to business18:29 If you can’t prevent every injury, recruit for availability19:17 Business translation: resilience in sales, supply chain, and leadership21:42 Treat resilience as strategy, not back-office insurance24:22 Which companies are structurally resilient (and why scale helps)24:49 Joel’s bold pick: the Bears’ weird start and a playful prediction25:36 Data, betting, and integrity — what changes as information improves27:25 Students vs. Vegas: NHL playoff models that won28:20 How much data it really takes (rows, columns, and what matters)29:54 Wrap and where to find more CMO ConfidentialTagsCMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Joel Shapiro, Northwestern Kellogg, data science, AI, predictive analytics, NFL injuries, sports analytics, resilience, business resilience, risk management, leadership, percent cash wasted, roster construction, backups, quarterback, offense vs defense, supply chain, sales teams, machine learning, predictive modeling, DraftKings, FanDuel, NHL, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, C-suite, marketing leadership, podcast, YouTube chaptersSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Michael Treff, the CEO of Code and Theory joins us for our 150th Show to share observations on the major forces impacting the B2B space. Michael details how "empowered buyers" are forcing sellers to increase focus on customer value creation and transforming marketing and sales from "leads to information" which is also shifting spending to capital expense. Key topics include: why the next AI frontier is customer experience; the need for companies to have both a long and short-term AI plans; why budgeting won't get any easier and; the gap between the CX problems and CX actions. Tune in to hear why you need to have an "AI plan for your humans" and learn if you need " a personalized relationship with your mustard."CMO Confidential #150: Michael Treff on B2B’s Year-In-Review, What’s Next, and How AI Will Actually Drive Growth**B2B is being rebuilt from the core. Michael explains why budgets are shifting from media to infrastructure, how the funnel is being rewritten by agentic search, and where AI must move from efficiency to growth. We also cover the KPIs that matter, budgeting realism for 2026, and three things every CMO should know by the end of next year. Sponsored by Typeface—the agentic AI marketing platform helping brands turn one idea into thousands of on-brand experiences. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo. **Chapters**00:00 Intro + show setup01:00 Sponsor: Typeface — agentic AI marketing, enterprise-grade & integrated02:00 Guest intro: Michael Treff, CEO of Code and Theory03:00 B2B landscape: investment shifts, changing journeys, disintermediation07:00 From MQLs to value: sales enablement and end-to-end outcomes10:00 Mid-roll: Typeface ARC agents & content lifecycle11:00 Why suites win: implementation and value realization after the sale15:00 AI phases: Wave 1 (efficiency) → Wave 2 (growth) pressures on agencies17:00 CX as the bridge: measure outcomes, not vanity metrics22:00 Roadmaps, humans, and culture—planning beyond point tools26:00 Budget reality check: deliberation, polarization, and trade-offs29:00 Personalization vs. business impact—what to fund and measure33:00 By end of 2026: know your human plan, AI maturity, and new journeys35:00 2026 prediction: the ROI vice tightens—agencies must be consultative36:00 Closing advice: “Interrogate everything yourself.”38:00 Wrap + where to find past episodes39:00 Sponsor close: Typeface—see how ASICS & Microsoft scale personalization**About our sponsor, Typeface** @typefaceai is the first multimodal, agentic AI marketing platform that automates workflows from brief to launch, integrates with your MarTech stack, and delivers enterprise-grade security—named AI Company of the Year by Adweek and a TIME Best Invention. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo. **Tags**B2B marketing, enterprise marketing, customer experience, AI marketing, agentic AI, marketing ROI, sales enablement, Code and Theory, Michael Treff, Mike Linton, CMO strategy, marketing budget, personalization, Martech, TypefaceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Evan Wittenberg, Chief People Officer of VuMedi formerly CPO of Ancestry and Box, Google's Head of Leadership Development, and a Saturday Night Live Page. Evan discusses why HR has become a much tougher position over the last 5 years, AI's negative impact on leadership development, and the similarities between marketing and HR. Key topics include: his belief that every function should have a dedicated people partner; why "the burden of proof" is often higher for marketers; why he always interviews for "learning agility;" and why "doing the job you are hired for is better for your career than trying for "the next job." Tune in to hear questions marketers should ask in an interview and a great behind the scenes story from SNL Season 18. **What HR Really Thinks About Marketing — Evan Wittenberg (CPO) on CMO Confidential**Four-time Chief People Officer Evan Wittenberg sits down with host Mike Linton to unpack the real relationship between HR and Marketing: decision rights, how DEI evolves, AI’s impact on entry-level careers, why hybrid work threatens apprenticeship, and what great CMOs do differently at the exec table. Evan also shares hiring signals (what CPOs look for now), the right way to use engagement surveys, and a live-from-8H SNL story you won’t forget. **Guest:** Evan Wittenberg — CPO (VuMedi; ex-Box, Ancestry, Pivot Bio; Google/Wharton leadership)**Host:** Mike Linton — former CMO (Best Buy, eBay, Farmers), CRO (Ancestry)**Chapters**00:00 – Welcome + sponsor message (Typeface)02:00 – Evan’s background and today’s HR reality03:30 – “Seat at the table” meets burnout and intractable problems04:40 – Inside the COVID pivot: who owned it and why HR took point06:10 – Should HR own cross-functional crises? Coordination vs. ownership07:10 – HR ↔ Marketing parallels: everyone has an opinion, few have the brief09:00 – Sponsor break (Typeface)10:00 – DEI after the backlash: belonging, equity, and business need11:30 – Pay parity and what still isn’t fixed12:00 – AI’s real risk: erasing entry-level ladders and craft-building13:30 – Hybrid work, lost apprenticeship, and how leaders must respond15:10 – “People are our #1 asset” (or not): how to actually tell16:10 – HR nirvana: solutions that serve both the company and the person18:00 – How HR sees Marketing: service vs. business driver21:10 – What great CMOs do: range (data ↔ creative) and business framing22:40 – At the exec table: problem → data → options → choice → execution24:20 – The higher burden of proof for HR and Marketing24:40 – Should Marketing have a dedicated HR/People partner?26:10 – What CPOs now screen for: learning agility28:00 – AI fluency: no tourists, hands-on only29:10 – Real collaboration vs. heroics and end-runs30:40 – Due diligence for candidates: decision rights & cross-functional buy-in33:00 – Extra interview questions worth asking (on both sides)34:10 – SNL cold open rescue: the Rob Schneider story38:30 – Career advice: do the job you have at 120%40:00 – Sponsor close + sign-offCMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Evan Wittenberg, Chief People Officer, CPO, HR strategy, Marketing leadership, DEI, diversity equity inclusion, belonging, employee engagement, pay parity, hybrid work, return to office, mentorship, apprenticeship, AI in HR, AI in marketing, entry-level jobs, recruiting, learning agility, collaboration, decision rights, org design, people partner, HRBP, Box, Ancestry, Pivot Bio, Vmed, Google leadership, Wharton, SNL story, Rob Schneider, executive team, business outcomes, brand vs performance, Typeface, marketing operations, C-suite leadership, career adviceSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Kip Knight, founder of CMO Coaches, former CMO of Taco Bell and H&R Block USPresident. Kip lays out the case for marketers to build their brands based on trust, authenticity and personal core principles along with an objective understanding of "what you are really famous for being able to accomplish." Key topics include: why executive presence matters; the combination of emotional IQ and curiosity; the need for resume "proof points;" and why role models matter. Tune in to hear networking tips, why you want to know what "they say about you when you aren't in the room" and the power of a handwritten thank you note. Kip Knight (Founder, CMO Coaches; former Taco Bell CMO & H&R Block US Retail President) joins Mike Linton to get practical about building a durable *personal brand* as a marketing leader. We cover a three-step framework (self-assessment - positioning - activation), executive presence (IQ + EQ + CQ), how to lead with truth during tough calls, and why handwritten notes still matter. Sponsored by Typeface — the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo.**Key points**• Personal brands aren’t accidental: in today’s AI-accelerated market, being findable and consistent is table stakes for senior roles. • The framework: start with a rigorous self-assessment (360s, reviews, assessments), then define positioning around your true superpowers, and finally activate with proof points. • Be objective: ambition without a strategy and measurable evidence sets you up to fail; build real proof points before you sell your story. • Executive presence = IQ + EQ + CQ (curiosity). Lean into new tech (e.g., GenAI) and stay relentlessly curious. • Truth is better than spin in crises: define reality, be transparent, and your team will follow you through hard decisions (e.g., headcount cuts). • Culture is the stories told when you’re not in the room; leaders are “always on,” so model consistency and principle-led behavior. • CMOs as business integrators: convene IT, Legal, Finance, HR, and the CEO to make the right GenAI bets with clear success criteria. • Power move: send handwritten notes on high-quality stationery; the impact far exceeds email. **Chapters**00:00 Welcome + sponsor: Typeface — why brand still wins in the age of AI 03:00 Why your personal brand matters more than ever 06:00 Being findable & consistent in an AI world 07:00 The 3-part framework: self-assessment - positioning - activation 10:00 Doing an honest self-assessment (360s, reviews, Working Genius) 14:00 Turning strengths into positioning; knowing your kryptonite 16:00 Executive presence: IQ, EQ, and CQ (curiosity quotient) 20:00 Truth-telling vs. vulnerability during layoffs and tough calls 23:00 Role models, “always on” leadership, and culture as stories 29:00 CMOs as business integrators on GenAI — how to run the process 32:00 Networking that works: “How can I help you?”, warm intros, no ghosting 34:00 Elite habit: handwritten notes on great stationery (why it lands) 36:00 Wrap + where to find more CMO Confidential TagsCMO,marketing leadership,personal brand,executive presence,brand strategy,career development,marketing careers,AI in marketing,agentic AI,Typeface,leadership,coaching,CMO Coaches,Kip Knight,Mike Linton,GenAI,networking,culture,trust,authenticity,handwritten notes,frameworks,positioning,activation,EQ,CQ,P&L,growth,enterprise marketing,YouTube podcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.