
Hosted by Alan B. Hart · EN

What strategies is Vanguard using to help marketing and sales stay aligned while keeping the client at the center? In this episode, Vanguard's John Howie, head of sales channel marketing for the financial advisor services division, reflects on his move from sales into marketing. He discusses how marketing leaders can drive stronger results by grounding solutions in each client's selling realities and building a shared understanding with sales, not just for sales. John describes how his team uses direct input from sales leaders to shape marketing efforts around real selling conditions, and emphasizes that effective internal change efforts need both rational support and human buy-in. When it comes to AI, John advocates using it to guide strategy, rather than to fully design or replace the strategy itself. He warns that leaders should not let the push for speed and productivity crowd out creativity, judgment, and the distinctly human work of storytelling and problem solving. This episode offers a practical point of view to help today's marketers keep the client at the center, use data and frontline insights together, and treat this moment of transformation as a chance to improve not only the way teams work, but the overall quality of work. In this episode, you'll hear: How building marketing and sales around the same customer reality can improve results Tips for connecting a strong business case with talent buy-in for lasting change Practical ways leaders can deploy AI to give teams more time for creativity and problem solving Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:00] Skydiving experiences [02:30] John's path to Vanguard [05:20] How marketing can find common ground with sales [07:55] Adjusting for changing selling realities [09:45] Centering customer and client perspectives [11:45] Transforming an organization from the inside out [13:50] AI's impact on the change management process [16:20] Internal marketing use cases with AI [18:45] An experience that defines you: Major life changes coinciding with career launch [20:35] Advice to your younger self: Your performance rating is not your identity [22:30] A topic you're trying to learn more about: AI's evolving role in daily life [23:30] Largest potential threat: Rapidly implementing AI without a clear strategy [25:30] What you would have an LLM do for you: Give me more time with family Resources mentioned: Vanguard Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with John and Vanguard: John on LinkedIn Vanguard on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

At General Motors, modernizing marketing means more than just adopting new tools—it requires thoughtful experimentation and sound human judgment to apply AI and other innovations while protecting the customer experience. In this episode, Laura Thornton shares how General Motors (GM) approaches this balance through two parallel efforts: marketing technology modernization and Project Leapfrog, a pilot program where teams can test low-risk ideas outside the core operating model. She explains how this approach helps her team experiment with new AI tools to quickly solve problems and expedite workflows. Laura encourages marketing leaders to create room for testing, give teams permission to fail, build confidence through hands-on use of new tools while avoiding changing too much too fast. Laura also discusses a real leadership challenge for marketing and consumer engagement leaders: not only adopting AI, but helping employees throughout the enterprise adapt while keeping human judgment and customer connection at the center. "Taking risks is something that can feel very daunting, and as marketers, we have to be open to trying and testing new things. So that has to be fundamental." - Laura Thornton In this episode, you'll hear about: AI adoption approaches that can bring change without putting core work at risk Experimentation insights that can help teams unlock better ideas, accelerate learning and improve adoption Leadership tips for fostering AI-driven change with humans-in-the-loop Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:20] An auto industry family legacy [01:55] Laura's GM path: From account coordinator to executive director [03:25] Perspectives from the agency side vs. client side [04:15] Taking customer journeys from insights to action [05:10] Embracing MarTech transformation [06:25] Introducing Project Leapfrog [07:25] AI pilot experimentation [10:25] Integrating AI with the human workforce [11:45] Lessons for future transformations [13:00] An experience that defines you: Trusting the process through career pivots [14:15] Advice to your younger self: Find your voice early to grow confidence [15:10] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Change management [17:00] Latest curiosities: Analog, in-person experiences [18:45] Largest potential threat: Pressure to change too rapidly without a strategy Resources mentioned: General Motors Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Laura and GM: Laura on LinkedIn General Motors on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

What could marketing teams accomplish if they spent less time chasing inputs and more time shaping ideas? In this episode, Stacy Martinet, chief content and creative officer at Adobe, shares her perspective on one of the near-term opportunities for marketing leaders: using AI to reduce workflow grind. She highlights how processes that once took weeks—such as brief creation—can now take minutes, giving teams more time to focus on concepts, production and cultural relevance. Drawing on her experience across media, communications and brand leadership, Stacy suggests that even as AI tools and processes evolve, craft and specialist roles remain essential. Stacy also discusses creator collaborations, which she believes work well when brands give creators room to do what they do best, rather than over-engineering the outcome. Authentic creator-driven content can help unlock a meaningful audience connection that brands cannot easily create on their own. The key is creative leaders nurturing a culture of experimentation by reducing fear of trying something new and building AI fluency that enables brand growth. In this episode, you'll hear about: How creative teams can harness AI technology to drive results and increase focus on the big picture Why brands should approach the creator economy as a valuable collaboration opportunity to reach more customers Practical ways creative leaders can encourage technology experimentation and help teams adapt to change Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:05] Inspiration from everyday interactions [02:20] Stacy's path to Adobe [06:00] The role of creators in brand marketing [07:15] How Adobe Firefly spotlights creators [09:05] The origins of the creator economy [10:20] Embracing the agentic AI era [11:20] Streamlining the creative brief [14:20] Early career inspiration: Role models [15:30] Advice to your younger self: No lesson too small [15:55] A topic you're trying to learn more about: Ancestry and Italian cooking [16:30] Latest curiosities: Communicating change to prepare for the future [17:00] Largest potential threat: Brands not keeping up with AI's rapid growth Resources mentioned: Adobe Adobe Firefly Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Stacy and Adobe: Stacy on LinkedIn Adobe on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

How can marketing help turn brand recognition into meaningful connections? In today's episode, Alan Hart speaks with Herbalife CMO Hanan Wajih about how she views marketing's role in helping lead enterprise transformation by strengthening the brand, sharpening the company's storytelling, and equipping distributors with better tools and content to better support customers. Hanan explains that Herbalife's current opportunity is not awareness, but familiarity, because many people know the name without fully understanding the company's purpose, product quality, innovation, scale or distributor model. She points to the company's broad reach—from nutrition clubs and distributors to sports partnerships and product innovation—and explains why that scale makes clear, consistent storytelling and increasingly personalized engagement more important than ever. For marketing leaders, her comments suggest three practical priorities: continue investing in brand building as a long-term driver of trust and loyalty, use technology to make content and engagement more relevant at scale, and help teams build the skills needed to lead through ongoing change. Hanan also shares her perspective that, as AI reshapes marketing, authenticity, strong values and the willingness to challenge old ways of working are likely to matter just as much as new tools. In this episode, you'll learn: Why awareness may not be enough to build deeper trust, loyalty and long-term growth How marketing can help support transformation through better tools, clearer stories and stronger alignment The importance of balancing innovation with trust and credibility Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:20] A moment in Maui [03:00] Hanan's path to Herbalife [06:55] The scope of her role [07:30] The mission of Herbalife [10:00] Herbalife's enterprise transformation [12:10] Marketing's role in the transformation journey [15:00] An experience that defines you: A multicultural upbringing [16:20] Advice to your younger self: Trust yourself sooner [16:45] What are you curious about: Leadership in the AI era [17:25] What are you trying to learn more about: Generation Alpha and Beta [18:05] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Authenticity [18:30] What would you want an AI agent or an LLM to do for you: Quantify the impact of brand marketing Resources mentioned: Herbalife Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Hanan Wajih and Herbalife Hanan Wajih on LinkedIn Herbalife on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

What does "AI-ready data" look like in a modern marketing organization, and where can it create practical value for marketers? In today's episode Alan Hart talks with Neha Kovach about the practical work marketers may need to consider before AI can deliver real value. Neha is jeweler David Yurman's global head of customer resource management, data, customer experience and loyalty. Neha believes that getting data ready is less about volume, more about structure and context: cleaning it up, defining customers more clearly, and turning general customer data into signals that can guide action—like how recently someone purchased or how close they are to a milestone. She suggests the bigger opportunity for AI may not be routine service, but rather helping marketers improve conversion, retention, and personalization with more relevant timing and messaging. She also points to a separate operational benefit: increasing workforce capacity by helping teams work more efficiently. Looking ahead, she also explores what it might take for brands to compete in a world where AI agents may increasingly shape what customers see, consider and buy. In this episode, you'll hear about: Ways to think about creating a stronger data foundation to prepare for AI more effectively Where AI may offer practical support across customer engagement, team capacity and decision-making Why understanding customer intent may become increasingly important as marketing continues to evolve Key Highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:15] Moving to the United States [02:05] Neha's path to David Yurman [04:25] What is David Yurman? [05:20] Preparing data for AI [07:55] Bringing agents into the mix [11:20] Specific agentic use cases [13:20] Customer experience in an agentic-enabled world [14:30] An experience that defines you: Losing her mother and becoming one herself [17:35] Advice to your younger self: Be gentle to yourself [18:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Neuroplasticity and quantum physics [20:45] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Customer attention span Resources mentioned: David Yurman Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Neha Kovach and David Yurman Neha Kovach on LinkedIn David Yurman on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

What can stronger sales and marketing alignment look like in practice? In today's episode, Alan Hart talks with Braze Chief Revenue Officer Ed McDonnell about building a career by chasing experiences and skills instead of titles; why strong sales and marketing partnerships start with shared ownership of the customer journey, and how marketers can stay close enough to customers to understand where performance is really breaking down. Drawing on leadership experience across high-growth software, Ed explains why alignment can improve when teams focus less on funnel labels and more on the full customer journey, from awareness to renewal and advocacy. He also talks about the role of data, regular review cadences and honest conversations about where pipeline performance is falling short. Ed shares how Braze is using AI to support decision-making, campaign execution and marketer workflows, and why he believes AI will make shopping more curated, conversational and immediate. For marketers, his message is clear: Better tools matter but staying close to customers and evolving as quickly as they do matters more. In this episode, you'll learn: Why growth can happen faster when sales and marketing stay focused on the customer What leaders can do to spot weak points early and keep teams moving together Where AI can help make customer experiences more relevant and responsive Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:00] Inside fantasy baseball [03:30] Ed's path to Braze [09:15] Where Braze is today [11:10] Bringing sales and marketing together [15:30] Tips for creating a better customer experience [16:45] Building internal trust [19:30] The impact of AI [23:20] An experience that defines you: Family ties and a health scare [26:30] Advice to your younger self: Chase experiences and skills, not titles [28:50] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI applications for go to market [30:50] What are you interested in right now: Fantasy books and golf [32:30] Largest opportunity or potential threat to marketers today: Themselves Resources mentioned: Braze Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Ed McDonnell and Braze Ed McDonnell on LinkedIn Braze on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

From the archives - orginally released March 2025 Episode Description Jenn Garbach is the chief marketing officer at PNC Bank, where she leads a team of approximately 200 marketing professionals. Her team focuses on brand and line-of-business marketing, paid and social media, direct marketing, and digital marketing strategies. She also helps oversee the bank's relationship with Arnold Worldwide, PNC's integrated marketing and advertising agency of record. With over 20 years of experience in financial and professional services, Jenn has worked across marketing, product management, strategy, technology, and customer experience. She began her career at Deloitte Consulting, and before joining PNC in June 2023, she held leadership roles at PayPal, Capital One, and Thomson Reuters. On today's show, Alan and Jenn discuss her career journey, her initial goals upon joining PNC and the complexities of launching a new brand for a 160-year-old organization. They explore how marketing, often seen as "just pretty pictures," is actually a key growth driver, a concept they refer to as "The Big M." Jenn also breaks down the fundamental premise and strength of the "Yes, And" model and how it fuels innovation and collaboration. Looking ahead, they discuss AI preparedness and its impact on marketing. Key quotes: "You can't just go out with a really funny, creative ad campaign and hope that it's going to do the job. You have to live your brand every single day—and the products, services, experiences we are bringing to market." - Jenn Garbach, CMO at PNC Bank In this episode, you'll learn: Strategies to gain a competitive edge Tips to enhance your marketing efforts using data-driven techniques How to transform your team into powerful change agents Key highlights: [01:53] Jenn's first job as a cart pusher [03:25] Jenn's career path [06:45] Initial goal when joining PNC [07:32] What is involved in launching a new brand [09:10] "Brilliantly Boring" tagline [13:20] Where does marketing go at PNC now? [16:05] How people become a great change agent [21:35] An experience from your past that defines you: studying abroad. [24:20] Advice to your younger self [25:30] A topic that you and other marketers need to learn more about: AI preparedness [28:35] Trends or subcultures others should follow: Super Bowl [30:50] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: pace of change Resources mentioned: Jenn Garbach PNC Financial Brilliantly Boring at PNC Boring is Essential (Launch Video) Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Jenn Garbach and PNC Bank: Jenn Garbach on LinkedIn PNC Bank on X PNC Bank on Instagram Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan on X Alan on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads

As AI reshapes discovery, how do you make complex tech clear to buyers and demonstrate how marketing is driving growth? Synopsys CMO Ann Minooka shares what it takes to market a highly technical business with clarity, precision, and accountability for business outcomes. She views marketing as the bridge between engineering and the market. Technical product marketing translates capabilities into value propositions, while brand and communications tailor the message for different audiences based on what they care about and where they go for information. Ann explains that her team is moving away from broad product campaigns and vanity metrics like impressions. Instead, she advocates an outcome-led, data-driven approach that uses marketing technology, intent signals and analysis to improve targeting and connect programs to lead quality, pipeline creation and new customer growth. She also outlines how AI is changing planning and implementation, including using behavior signals to meet buyers where they are, building more personalized web experiences, and rethinking content for answer-based discovery across platforms. While AI can speed up first drafts and analysis, Ann believes the bigger unlock is integrating AI across the full workflow and evolving talent and habits. In this episode, you'll learn: Ways to make complex offerings clear and relevant to different audiences. How outcome-focused measurement can help connect marketing to growth. How AI is reshaping buyer discovery, and ways leaders can adapt. Key highlights: [00:30] Introduction [01:30] A love for nature [06:00] Ann's path to Synopsys [09:35] What does Synopsys do? [15:25] Marketing complex solutions [20:05] Optimizing for outcomes [23:40] AI's impact on marketing [31:00] An experience that defines you: Gaining a global perspective [34:40] Advice to your younger self: Learn an instrument, own your own career, and be curious [37:20] A topic you're trying to learn more about: AI's impact on productivity and talent [41:35] Trends or subcultures: The future of intelligence and space travel [44:00] Largest potential threat: Resisting AI Resources mentioned: Synopsys Ansys Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Ann Minooka and Synopsys: Ann Minooka on LinkedIn Synopsys on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

How can you create marketing that feels like entertainment and drives measurable growth? Chime Chief Growth and Marketing Officer Vineet Mehra breaks down the product and marketing choices he sees fueling Chime's momentum, including being named Time magazine's No. 1 banking brand. He frames Chime as "not a bank" but a "financial technology company" built for "everyday Americans." And he attributes its traction to showing up in the channels and subcultures where many people spend time, while building products and features designed to meet real needs. Vineet also shares what other marketing leaders can take from Chime's approach: Start with a differentiated product. Treat attention as the ultimate currency. And use social-first, episodic entertainment to make financial topics more relatable. At Chime, brand building looks more like running a streaming platform or magazine, where the job is to consistently earn attention with programming people choose to watch. To ensure that entertainment-driven attention translates into growth, he leans on "performance storytelling" that connects brand-building, direct response and customer lifetime value. He also explains how Chime is applying AI by mapping tools to "jobs to be done" across customer service, creative workflows and talent development. Vineet closes with his view that the biggest potential threat to marketers is resisting change—that leaders should encourage hands-on experimentation while staying anchored to commercial outcomes. In this episode, you'll learn: Ways attention can be earned through entertainment-style brand storytelling Practical lessons for applying AI to specific high-impact work inside marketing and customer operations How marketing leaders can earn more influence in executive and boardroom conversations Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:30] CMO by day, pizza maker by night [03:15] Vineet's path to Chime [08:00] Success in the banking industry [11:15] Marketing that punches above its weight [14:15] Showing up where people willingly spend time [16:50] A brief history of marketing leading to performance storytelling [23:10] Chime's AI journey [29:30] How AI is impacting talent conversations [32:40] Marketing and the boardroom [36:25] An experience that defines you: Growing up as an immigrant in a blue-collar town [38:25] Advice to your younger self: Bloom where you're planted [40:15] A topic you're trying to learn more about: The platform shift [41:30] Trends or subcultures: Hyper-personalized algorithms [43:10] Largest potential threat: The innovator's dilemma Resources mentioned: Chime "Mama, I Made It" interview series Ball On A Budget Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Vineet Mehra and Chime: Vineet on LinkedIn Chime on LinkedIn Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Connect with Alan Hart on X Connect with Alan Hart on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Connect with Deloitte Digital on Instagram Connect with Deloitte Digital on YouTube Connect with Deloitte Digital on Threads

How do you raise awareness for complex, highly regulated medical therapies when most eligible patients do not even know it exists? At CES 2026, Alan Hart spoke with Naomi Rodiles, senior director of Global Integrated Communications, Neuromodulation, at Medtronic, about the patient communication required to grow adoption of therapies like deep brain stimulation that can support management of movement disorders like Parkinson's. Naomi explains that the challenge is not clinical efficacy or provider trust, but rather awareness. Even proven therapies can sometimes remain invisible to patients until late in their journey. She outlines how her team is evolving from primarily health care provider-centered messaging to a multichannel, digital-first communications model designed to directly reach patients and caregivers to help them discover, understand and evaluate options earlier. Naomi emphasizes that effective patient marketing in medtech is less about promotion and more about credible education that empowers better conversations in the clinician's office, while strengthening provider partnerships. She also shares practical leadership lessons from the transformation: design for modern consumer expectations, build integrated channel presence so information is findable when people search, and adopt AI carefully to scale content and storytelling within a regulated environment. In this episode, you'll learn: Why awareness, not efficacy, is often the real growth constraint for complex offerings and strategies to navigate it Ways to win trust by prioritizing education over promotion Practical lessons for scaling content in regulated, high-stakes categories using AI Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:00] Starting out at BET's Rap City [02:15] Naomi's path to Medtronic [02:50] The scope of Medtronic [03:50] Medtronic's neuromodulation therapies [05:55] Marketing life-changing solutions [07:50] Evolving the messaging [10:15] Lessons learned [11:45] Symbiotic relationships with health care providers [13:10] An experience that defines you: Falling in love with journalism [14:40] Advice to your younger self: Be mindful of burnout [15:05] A topic marketers need to learn more about: AI [16:00] What are you curious about: AI for equity [16:50] Largest potential threat to marketers today: Resisting change [18:10] CES trends: AI becoming helpful in everyday life Resources mentioned: Medtronic CES Medtronic Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy Medtronic Percept DBS system Actualize Impact BET's "Rap City: Tha Basement" Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Naomi Rodiles and Medtronic: Naomi Rodiles on LinkedIn Medtronic on LinkedIn Medtronic on YouTube Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads