In this episode of CMOs Anonymous, we sit down with Tony Gruebner, current VP of Brand at UpGuard and previous CMO at Pepperstone, former data and strategy lead at Sportsbet, to unpack what it really takes to be a modern marketer. From his roots in analytics to launching global brand campaigns, Tony shares how a background in data helped shape his approach to creativity, leadership, and cutting through the noise.

Tony opens up about the evolution of the CMO role—from a traditional marketing lane to someone who must now speak the language of finance, tech, and product. He reflects on his early days building player value models at Sportsbet, the challenges of bringing paid media in-house, and how knowing your way around a spreadsheet can set a marketer apart. This is actionable listening for any aspiring marketing leader.

We also dive into the thinking behind Pepperstone’s "Fine With It" campaign, where John McEnroe launched tennis balls (and punchlines) in a bold brand play that stood out in a sea of serious, finance-focused ads. Tony explains why humor was used not just to entertain, but to signal confidence, break through sameness, and connect emotionally with an audience that doesn’t always take themselves as seriously as the category suggests.

We discuss the realities of AI in marketing—where it’s helping, where it’s overhyped, and why the real value lies in reimagining how we work, not just speeding up what we already do. Tony shares how AI might reshape customer experience through natural language interfaces and ponders the idea that the best CMOs of the future will be those who can translate—between data, creativity, and business impact.

Finally, for up-and-coming marketers, Tony offers simple but powerful career advice: look beyond your job description. Don’t wait for permission. Learn the business. Talk to finance. Sit with data teams. Ask better questions. His biggest learning? Success often comes from doing the job above the one you’re in—and being the person who connects dots that others can’t see.

Packed with smart takes, sharp humour, and generous insights, this episode is a must-listen for marketers navigating the balance between art, science, and leadership in an AI-powered world.

We heckled James Hurman when he was teaching his WARC Mastering Advertising Effectiveness course to get him on the pod. Now he's agreed, we've peaked early with the most prestigious guest we'll likely ever see. 

If you don't know James Hurman, he's your favourite marketer's favourite marketer. He's been named the number one planner on god's green earth, authored seminal classic text The Case for Creativity, started a slew of companies ranging from alcohol free beverages to brand-led VC funds, and now teaches marketers the world over how to harness the power of research to validate creative effectiveness. 

In this pod we question him on why Scott Galloway is wrong about brand spend, how he'd spend a million bucks on his own ad campaign, and what marketing research he thinks resonates most with C suites.

"Nobody has got it right."

We speak to Nina Putica, former Marketing Director at Braze and current Head of Marketing at Weel (yes, we recorded this a long time ago), about marketing during motherhood, thriving in Australian MarComms as an ESL speaker, and B2B measurement hills worth dying on.

Join to hear us get into the weeds about B2B attribution, path to purchase, and tying inbound leads to the channels driving ROI.

Follow Nina Putica on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-putica/

Follow Jarrod Purchase on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrod-purchase-marketing-brand-strategy/

Follow Robert Marfell on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-marfell-567043112/

"…if you do that properly the customer will build the brand for you…" 

Steffen Daleng was named  among the 20 Top People in Ecommerce in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2022, he was also named CEO Magazine’s Marketing Executive of the year and listed as one of Australia’s Top 50 CMOs.

In 2024, he received perhaps his highest honour: appearing on CMOs Anonymous to get peppered with branding quandaries by Rob and Jarrod. 

He explains how he went from military to metrics, relays (somewhat) controversial thoughts on marketing education, and speaks frankly about organisational functions — notably his decision to simply not work with people who don't get marketing. 

CMOs Anonymous is insider intel for Australia’s future CMOs.

Our podcast interviews Aussie marketers at the top of their game, sharing vulnerable stories about what they’ve learned about marketing, branding, effectiveness, leadership, and — often more importantly — marketing branding effectiveness to company leadership.

More than generic edutainment, CMOs Anonymous takes our audience on the vulnerability journey. Each season, this show puts its marketing where its mouth is by sharing our strategies, tactics, and WIP documents so you can learn alongside us. 

Join Robert Marfell (research rookie and aspiring CMO) and Jarrod Purchase (marketing's Brené Brown and current CMO) as they prod the country's top marketers for actionable learnings.