How to Grow a CMO

Hosted by tmp

Business Marketing

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

What does it take to be a successful B2B CMO in today’s ever more complex world? In this podcast, we speak to B2B marketing leaders to understand the skills, experience, and leadership needed to make a successful CMO. What’s the right blend of science and art? How do you keep the C-Suite happy? How do you balance short-term and long-term? And how do you inspire the CMO’s of the future? We’ll be answering these questions and much more, as we discover how to grow a CMO.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 202642 min

Joe Taiano, CMO at RSM US LLP: Business fluency, being understood, and change

On this episode of How to Grow a CMO, host Alastair Hussain is joined by Joe Taiano, Chief Marketing Officer at RSM US LLP.In their conversation, he reflects on the lessons he learned from his parents, how growing up gay encouraged him to become deeply introspective, and why his father's experience with illness instilled in him a lifelong appreciation for education, hard work and treating everyone with respect.They also discuss Joe’s unconventional journey from auditor to CMO, why marketers must learn to speak the language of business, and the importance of connecting marketing directly to revenue. Joe shares his perspective on building high-performing teams, breaking down organisational silos, and how AI is changing the way marketing functions operate. Along the way, he explains why genuine human connection matters more than ever in a world increasingly shaped by technology, and why embracing change has become one of his guiding principles in both business and life.How to Grow a CMO is brought to you by tmp - the global marketing agency for B2B technology brands. To find out more, visit ⁠https://www.tmpb2b.com

June 3, 202644 min

Erin Gabrielson, CMO at IBM: Curiosity, confidence, and sales alignment

On this episode of How to Grow a CMO, host Alastair Hussain is joined by Erin Gabrielson, CMO of Americas at IBM.Erin’s path to marketing leadership was shaped as much by team sports and family values as it was by her corporate career. In their conversation, she reflects on the lessons she learned growing up on sports teams, the importance of leading with kindness and how an early job in an ice cream shop taught her the value of loyalty and customer relationships.They also discuss the changing role of the modern CMO, why coherence across teams is essential for unlocking the potential of AI, and how marketing leaders must increasingly act as strategists, systems designers, and coaches. Erin also shares how being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age gave her a powerful sense of perspective, without allowing it to define who she is.How to Grow a CMO is brought to you by tmp - the global marketing agency for B2B technology brands. To find out more, visit ⁠https://www.tmpb2b.com

May 7, 202639 min

Part 2: Zscaler & JFrog

Standing out in a market that won’t sit still.Part 2 picks up the pace. Recorded live at RSAC, this half of the conversation gets into the work itself. Topics range from what makes cybersecurity marketing hard, what makes it exciting, and why so much of the job now sits in the tension between clarity and change.Listen to Part 2 for a smart, candid conversation about what cybersecurity marketers are really up against — and how to find your edge when the market keeps shifting.Host Alastair Hussain interviews:Sunil Frida, CMO at ZscalerGenefa Murphy, CMO JFrogPart of the How to Grow a CMO cyber mini-series, from tmp

May 7, 202618 min

Part 1: Zscaler & JFrog

Curiosity, grit, and the mindset to build.Recorded live at RSAC, this conversation starts in a familiar place for the podcast, not with strategy, but with the instincts that shape how people lead.Listen to Part 1 for a grounded look at the traits that shape modern marketing leaders and why they still matter in a changing industry.Host Alastair Hussain interviews:Sunil Frida, CMO at ZscalerGenefa Murphy, CMO JFrogPart of the How to Grow a CMO cyber mini-series, from tmp

May 7, 202633 min

Part 2: Live Panel: Okta, Check Point, Crowdstrike, Datadog

How cybersecurity CMOs cut through the noiseThe second half of the panel shifts gears. Less about background, more about the reality of the job right now. And it’s not straightforward.Host Alastair Hussain interviews:Jennifer Johnson (CMO at CrowdStrike) Sara Varni (CMO at Datadog)Brett Theiss (CMO at Check Point Software) Shannon Duffy (CMO at Okta) Listen to Part 2 for a candid take on how CMOs are navigating that tension and what it takes to stand out right now. Part of the How to Grow a CMO cyber mini-series, from tmp

May 7, 202618 min

Part 1: Live Panel: Okta, Check Point, CrowdStrike, Datadog

The making of a modern CMOThere’s something different about hearing four CMOs in one room, live, talking less about marketing and more about how they got there.This first session from RSAC leans into the human side of leadership. Before the frameworks and strategy, it’s about what shapes how people lead when the stakes are high and the pace doesn’t let up.Host Alastair Hussain interviews:Jennifer Johnson (CMO at CrowdStrike) Sara Varni (CMO at Datadog)Brett Theiss (CMO at Check Point Software) Shannon Duffy (CMO at Okta) Listen to Part 1 for a more personal look at what shapes today’s CMO and how that shows up in the job.Part of the How to Grow a CMO cyber mini-series, from tmp

May 7, 202617 min

The state of the cybersecurity market: opportunity in uncertainty

Tom Giles, Senior Executive Editor, Global Technology, Bloomberg News kicks off the How to Grow a CMO cyber mini-series, from tmp. Recorded live at RSAC, this opening conversation sets the tone for everything that follows.The headline? Cybersecurity is growing but not without friction. As Bloomberg’s Tom Giles points out, the market is sending mixed signals. Stocks have taken a hit, sentiment has wobbled, and there’s a lingering question over how AI will reshape the category, whether by disrupting it or simply diverting budget elsewhere.Listen to the introduction for a clear-eyed view of where the market stands and where it’s heading next.

December 9, 202555 min

How to Grow a CMO: Live in London

In this special live edition of How to Grow a CMO, host Ali Hussain (Chief Strategy Officer at tmp) sits down with four standout marketing leaders for a wide-ranging conversation on career growth, the evolving role of marketing, and the power of humanity in an era of AI. Joining the panel:Brendan McCarthy, CMO at CriteoTricia Stinton, CMO for Cloud Infrastructure Services at CapgeminiRachel Lockwood, Global Marketing Director at AWSLeah Silverlock, Head of Global Brand Communications at American Express Global Business TravelTogether, they explore their personal journeys, what’s keeping marketers excited (and up at night), and - because it’s the season - how to survive annual planning with sanity intact.This episode was recorded live at the Century Club in Soho, London on November 20th 2025.

November 12, 202548 min

Live in San Francisco

In the first ever live edition of How to Grow a CMO, we bring together four heavyweight marketing leaders to unpack career journeys, the realities of modern B2B marketing, and how to survive (and improve) annual planning season. Host Alastair Hussain interviews:Carolyn Henry - most recently Regional CMO of the Americas at Intel, leading 60+ marketers across consumer, commercial, gaming, data centre, AI, telco and enterprise, and a board member of the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.Kelly Waldher - CMO at Palo Alto Networks, responsible for global brand, demand, field and comms, formerly CMO at Zendesk with prior leadership roles at Google, Microsoft and Qualtrics, and an HBS MBA.Negin Kamangar - a career CMO with 20+ years in high-growth SaaS, including leading Parchment through an $835m acquisition by Instructure, now also a limited partner at Stage 2 Capital and a Chicago Booth MBA.Jon Miller - co-founder of Marketo and Engagio, now building a new stealth AI-era marketing platform. He writes extensively on LinkedIn about buying groups vs MQLs, brand as a revenue driver, and hosts the Marketing on the Rocks video series.

September 24, 202523 min

Jean Lawrence – CMO, Nokia Cloud & Network Services - Part 2

In part two of our conversation with Jean Lawrence, CMO at Nokia Cloud & Network Services, we focus on her career journey and marketing philosophy—from learning the ropes at startups to leading global teams at Motorola, Oracle, and now Nokia. Jean shares how an MBA at Kellogg shaped her analytical approach, why product marketing is still underrated, and what it really takes to align with a CFO. How to Grow a CMO is brought to you by TMP - the global marketing agency for B2B technology brands. To find out more, visit ⁠https://www.tmpb2b.com