“It’s not just about getting things done, but doing it in a way that doesn’t ruffle feathers while making sure people are on your side. “ Shana Haynie, Head of Content & Organic Growth at MoEngage

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva chats with Shana Haynie, Head of Content and Organic Growth at MoEngage North America, as she shares her experience managing content strategy across global regions. She discusses building relationships, influencing without direct authority, and navigating complex content challenges. Shana also details how she drives SEO results, collaborates with web ops teams, and ensures alignment across different regions.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Content strategy

• Organic Growth

• Content operations

Takeaways

• Navigating global content strategy: The complexities of managing content across regions and collaborating with international teams.

• Influencing without authority: Tips for building relationships and gaining support from colleagues and leadership without direct management power.

• Long-term SEO strategy: Addressing technical SEO issues and content overhaul for sustained organic growth.

• Driving process change: Implementing new frameworks and processes to improve content efficiency in a large organization.

• Cross-functional collaboration: The importance of working closely with different departments, like web ops, to drive meaningful results.

Time chapters

[00:06] Introduction

[01:54] Early career challenges: transitioning from content creation to strategy

[06:40] Scaling successful inbound marketing strategies

[10:45] Managing SEO and content strategy across seven global regions

[14:36] Building relationships and collaboration across international teams

[18:40] Overhauling content production and publishing processes

[23:40] Collaborating with web ops and overcoming technical SEO challenges

[26:48] Handling leadership pressure for both short-term and long-term results

About Shana Haynie

Shana is the Head of Content and Organic Growth for MoEngage's North America region and has over a decade of marketing experience helping businesses reach and engage their customers through strategic storytelling. When she isn't writing or editing, you can find her playing pickleball, dancing to hardstyle, singing karaoke, or walking her dog, Dexter.

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“Communicate- Be transparent, set expectations and then mitigate” Lisa Vecchio, GVP of Integrated Marketing from Aircall

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva chats with Lisa Vecchio, former GVP of Integrated Marketing at Aircall. She previously worked with Hootsuite and Expedia and shares her experiences navigating leadership transitions, adjusting marketing strategies, and working closely with executive teams to ensure the success of marketing plans. She talks about adapting to new perspectives, building strong relationships, and using data to demonstrate the value of long-term marketing initiatives.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Stakeholders

• Reporting

• Long-term growth

Takeaways

• Navigating leadership changes: Lisa shares her experiences in adapting to new leadership perspectives and how it influences marketing strategy.

• Crafting effective presentations: Strategies for presenting complex marketing strategies in simple terms that resonate with executives.

• Managing budget expectations: Balancing short-term performance marketing with long-term brand building despite budget constraints.

• The importance of flexibility: How to remain adaptable in dynamic business environments, especially during executive transitions.

• The role of data in decision-making: Using supporting data and anecdotes with marketing strategies and secure necessary resources.

  
  

Time chapters

[00:06] Introduction

[01:55] Building marketing skills through stakeholder communication

[03:57] Presenting marketing experiments to leadership

[06:27] Reporting to different executives: CEOs, CMOs, and CFOs

[11:39] Addressing short-term focus in marketing

[14:10] Experimenting with new tactics and channels

[19:34] Training teams for budgeting and resource allocation

[25:46] Navigating rebranding and website launches as a new marketing leader

About Lisa Vecchio

Lisa is a CIM Chartered Marketer with nearly two decades of global experience in B2B marketing. She has successfully led marketing, PR, brand, and growth teams at various SaaS companies including Aircall, Hootsuite, Expedia Group, Wiley, and early-stage startups. Motivated by driving ROI and revenue through creative strategies, Lisa is a champion of brand and community building. She prioritizes strong collaboration with sales, customer success, and partnership teams, and is enthusiastic about the future of AI to enhance marketing practices. A cultural enthusiast and avid traveler, Lisa has successfully built international teams while living in New York, Melbourne, and London.

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"It's about finding creative ways to make an impact, even when budgets are tight. That's where true innovation happens." - Tove Hernlund, Marketing Team Lead at Jobylon

In this episode, Maeva chats with Tove Hernlund, Marketing Team Lead at Jobylon, as she shares her journey from university to leading a marketing team. She discusses the importance of creative problem-solving when faced with budget cuts, the value of mentorship, and how to secure buy-in for innovative ideas. Tove also highlights the significance of being adaptable and prepared when pitching new strategies in the B2B space.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Creative marketing

• Career progression

• Mentorship

Takeaways

• Creative marketing with limited budgets: Finding innovative ways to make an impact even with reduced budgets.

• Value of mentorship: Tove shares how having a challenging mentor early in her career shaped her approach to marketing and leadership.

• Selling internally for new ideas: Strategies for pitching creative and unconventional marketing ideas to leadership teams.

• Balancing proven tactics with innovation: The importance of not just following what competitors do but finding unique strategies that align with company goals.

• Long-term thinking in marketing: Marketing success is a marathon, not a sprint, and the importance of patience and persistence.

Time chapters

[00:06] Introduction

[01:55] The power of mentorship.

[05:23] The art of selling internally.

[08:35] The value of trying unconventional marketing strategies.

[12:44] Success stories: Using creative video marketing in B2B.

[15:10] The importance of a supportive leadership team for innovation.

[17:16] Pitching new ideas with data and preparation.

[19:59] Building a strong network and learning from peers in the industry.

[22:27] Conclusion

About Tove Hernlund

Tove Hernlund, Marketing Team Lead at Jobylon, with both a Bachelor's and Master's in marketing and a strong background within startup SaaS and B2B marketing.

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"Being confident and convicted gives other people the confidence that this guy might know what the hell he's talking about"

Devin Reed, Founder, The Reeder

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva chats with Devin Reed, founder of The Reeder, about architecting the perfect pitch. Devin shares practical tips from his experience, such as starting with a CEO slide, speaking the C-suite's language, using compelling data, and presenting a clear vision. He stresses the importance of confidence and conviction when pitching ideas, ensuring they align with the company's strategic goals. Devin also highlights the significance of audience growth and the challenge of educating leaders on its value, advocating for concise and focused presentations.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Pitching ideas

• Confidence

• C-suite communication

Takeaways

• Importance of audience building: Devin emphasizes the critical role of growing a loyal audience for long-term success.

• Securing executive buy-in: Key tactics for aligning marketing proposals with CEO priorities and company strategies.

• Presenting with confidence: Strategies for conveying confidence and conviction during pitches to executive teams.

• Clear and concise communication: The importance of avoiding jargon and speaking in terms understood by the C-suite.

• Handling skepticism: How to encourage and address skepticism constructively during presentations.

Time chapters

[00:07] Introduction

[01:04] Devin Reed's background

[03:00] Challenges in gaining buy-in for marketing

[05:29] Understanding and aligning with CEO priorities

[07:10] The concept of the CEO slide and its significance

[10:58] Building and leveraging audience trust

[12:35] Dealing with skepticism and objections

[15:24] Organizing presentations for executive audiences

[19:47] Communicating vision and excitement in pitches

[21:09] Importance of confidence and conviction

[22:15] Learning from past experiences and refining strategies

[26:54] Encouraging and handling audience input

[29:38] Wrap up

About Devin Reed

Devin was previously the Head of Content at two billion-dollar startups (Gong, Clari). He’s currently the Founder of The Reeder where he helps SaaS companies design and execute content strategies that grow audience, brand and pipeline. He also hosts the YouTube show and podcast, Reed Between The Lines, and publishes a weekly newsletter about content strategy and marketing.

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“What’s more critical to me than reporting structures is strategic alignment. What is strategically and critically important to the business? “

William Chia, VP of Marketing at Styra

In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva Cifuentes interviews William Chia, the VP of Marketing at Styra. They discuss the challenges of getting buy-in from various stakeholders in the go-to-market space. William shares his experience of building the skill of negotiation and persuasion throughout his career as a marketer. They also discuss the importance of strategic alignment and how reporting structure is not the sole determinant of success. William shares a story of disagreeing and committing to a decision that went against his beliefs, which turned out to be a successful move. He also shares a story of influencing a change in the go-to-market motion by transitioning from a traditional MQL-based model to an account-based motion.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Strategic alignment

• Product marketing

• Account-based marketing

Takeaways

• Leadership by influence: How to influence without authority, especially in product marketing.

• Strategic alignment: The crucial role of strategic alignment over traditonal reporting structures in achieving company goals.

• Transparency benefits: How transparency, even with competitors, can enhance credibility and SEO.

• Disagree and commit: The value of committing to a strategy even when you initially disagree.

• Transitioning marketing models: Shifting from traditional MQLs to account-based marketing for better quality leads.

Time chapters

[00:01] Introduction

[02:36] Learning leadership skills in marketing

[04:15] The role of product marketing and leadership by influence

[06:45] Reporting structure and its impact on marketing strategies

[10:30] Strategic alignment vs. reporting structure

[13:26] Navigating misalignment in organizations

[18:00] Embracing transparency in competitive strategy

[22:11] The power of Bezo’s disagree and commit

[25:57] Achieving buy-in for strategic changes

[28:31] Conclusion and final thoughts

About William Chia

Product-minded storyteller who's been crafting both code and copy since the late 90's. Obsessed with customers, I leverage both qualitative and quantitative research to make data-driven decisions. With the heart of a teacher, I make others around me better. Proven track record of driving go-to-market strategy, sales enablement, content, messaging, and positioning for new technologies in new markets. Connect with William here.

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“Take risks. Don't be shy. Throw every idea against the wall—you never know what's going to stick.”

- Chris C. Anderson, VP, Head of Content @GleenSlate

In this episode, Maeva chats with Chris Anderson, VP Head of Content at Greenslate. They dive into the art of building executive relationships, presenting data-backed ideas, and navigating the unique challenges of different industries. Chris shares his tips on saving data from past campaigns, tailoring pitches to various stakeholders, and embracing risk in marketing. He also highlights the importance of identifying what resonates with executives and using experimentation to support new ideas.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Content strategy

• Presenting data

• Pitching ideas

Takeaways

• The importance of integrating experience: Chris values his CMO's extensive industry knowledge and incorporates it into his innovative ideas.

• Leveraging past data: Drawing from previous successful campaigns and roles helps in building strong cases for new initiatives.

• Experimentation for proof: Starting small with experiments to gather data can justify budget increases and gain support for larger projects.

• Collaborative pitching: Working with team members and leadership ensures alignment and enhances the quality of pitches.

• Adapting to industry changes: Navigating industry-specific challenges, such as entertainment strikes, requires flexibility and short-term focus.

Time chapters

[00:00] Introduction

[00:50] Chris’s role at Greenslate

[01:20] Building relationships in the remote workspace

[02:33] How past experiences can influence current strategies

[04:50] Pitching ideas and presenting data

[06:26] Bridging industry differences with core principles

[08:20] Experimentation as a proof point

[09:58] Handling long-term initiatives with limited resources

[12:02] How to condense detailed research into effective pitches

[14:04] Collaboration for successful pitches

[17:18] Managing short-term vs. long-term initiatives

[18:37] Adapting to industry changes

[21:31] Building frameworks in startups vs. established companies

[25:10] Challenges in high-stakes environments like banking

[27:38] Final thoughts and advice

About Chris C. Anderson

Chris C. Anderson is currently VP, Head of Content at GreenSlate, a Top Voice on LinkedIn with 105k followers, and he runs a newsletter called Career Forward. With over 15 years of experience in digital content, content strategy, and digital media, Chris has built and led teams, created and executed regional and global strategies, and launched and managed multiple brands and products across various industries and platforms.

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In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva talks with Jakub Rudnik, Head of Content and SEO at Softr, about the beauty of internal marketing, proving ROI for marketing initiatives, and leveraging content to drive measurable results. Jakub shares his experiences from G2, Scribe, ActiveCampaign, and Softr, highlighting the importance of effective experimentation, clear ROI demonstration, and the evolving role of content marketing in different organizational contexts.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Content marketing ROI
• Internal buy-in strategies
• SEO and content strategy

Takeaways:

• Proving ROI: How to demonstrate clear ROI from content marketing efforts to secure internal buy-in and budget.
• Internal Marketing: The need for effective internal marketing and selling strategies to get buy-in from multiple stakeholders.
• Experimentation: The value of running structured experiments with clear metrics to validate new marketing ideas.
• Adapting Strategies: Transitioning from top-of-funnel content to more targeted, bottom-of-funnel content for better conversions.
• Learning from Experiences: Through different companies, Jakub learned the importance of learning from past mistakes and successes to fine-tune marketing strategies

Time Chapters:

[01.27] Introduction

[03.30] Jakub's experience at G2 and the importance of proving ROI

[06.06] Building attribution and balancing short-term and long-term strategies

[10.01] The role of experimentation in marketing at Scribe

[12.48] Moving to ActiveCampaign and bridging PLG with sales-led growth

[16.45] Challenges and strategies in proving new marketing ideas at ActiveCampaign

[21.44] Current role at Softr and the supportive culture for experimentation

[24.30] Best practices for pitching marketing experiments

[26.50] Wrap-up and key takeaways from the conversation

About Jakub Rudnik:

Jakub is the Head of Content and & SEO at Softr.io, a no-code platform for building internal tools, portals, and other apps. He previously was Head of Content at ActiveCampaign, Scribe, and G2, and he advises early stage companies on content and growth. He also teaches digital journalism and communications classes at DePaul University in Chicago where he lives.

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In this episode of Executive Conversations, Maeva interviews Gustav Wallberg, B2B Marketing Lead & Partner at Republiken. They explore how marketing leaders navigate conversations with CEOs, CFOs, and boards to bring their ideas to life. Gustav shares his experiences and pain points in aligning marketing and sales, balancing short-term and long-term goals, and building brand recognition. They discuss the importance of collaboration, earning trust, and finding the right initiatives to focus on. Gustav emphasizes the need for marketers to understand the strengths of their company and leverage them to achieve growth and he shares his journey from B2C to B2B marketing.

• Marketing alignment
• B2B marketing
• Sales collaboration

Takeaways:

• Aligning marketing and sales: Gustav emphasizes the importance of working closely with the sales team, ensuring both departments are moving in the same direction and achieving common goals.
• Executive buy-in: Getting buy-in from both the CEO and the Head of Sales, with a focus on collaboration and presenting a united front.
• Balancing short-term & long-term goals: Practical tips for balancing immediate performance metrics with long-term brand-building efforts.
• Transitioning from B2C to B2B: Insights into the challenges and learnings from moving from a B2C marketing approach to a B2B strategy.
• Leveraging internal experts: Utilizing internal experts as brand spokespeople to build trust and credibility within the target market.

Time chapters:

[00:06] - Introducing Gustav Wallberg

[01:12] - The pain points of marketing alignment

[03:03] - Reporting structure at Alva Labs

[04:06] - Importance of sales alignment over CEO buy-in

[05:31] - Transitioning from B2C to B2B marketing

[07:17] - Marketing’s role in go-to-market strategies

[09:55] - Collaborative goal-setting with sales

[12:42] - Adjusting marketing strategies based on company strengths

[15:04] - Balancing short-term and long-term marketing goals

[18:39] - Leveraging internal experts for brand building

[20:04] - Practical execution of marketing initiatives

[22:55] - Long-term vs. short-term demand gen strategies

[24:25] - How to build trust incrementally

[27:07] - Wrap-up

About Gustav Wallberg:

Gustav is a digital marketer at heart, first stepping into a CMO role in a high-volume B2C venture before transitioning into B2B SaaS. At Alva Labs, a Swedish tech scaleup in the HR space, he built the marketing function & GTM strategy, helping them grow ARR by 5x over the last 3 years.

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