Michael Smith is the CMO of NPR, the independent, non-profit media organization that was founded with the purpose to create a more informed public—crucial to every democracy. Previous to this role, Michael was with several entertainment brands including CBS, Disney ABC Television, The Food Network, the Cooking Channel, and Scripps Networks Interactive.

In this episode, Michael shares his insights on how to market a national media brand and why NPR is different from any of his previous organizations. Michael discusses how NPR is not only diversifying their talent, but also how his team is bringing their legacy audience along for the ride. 

Support our sponsor Deloitte and experience their guidance on resilience for brands in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more at Deloitte.com.

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Michael Smith (NPR) | Legacy Brands Don't Build Themselves

Jim Stengel, former&nbsp;CMO&nbsp;of the largest marketer in the world (Procter &amp; Gamble), and now small company entrepreneur sits down for intimate conversations with the most dynamic CMOs from all over the industry.&nbsp;This is not your typical marketing&nbsp;podcast, this is a unique look at the thought process and motivation of the&nbsp;CMO. Jim, who put purpose on the map gets in depth with each guest to reveal more about this pivotal role every brand seeks to fill. Through personal and revealing discussions Jim and his guests paint a picture of this demanding position that very few understand, yet affects the entire consumer experience. The CMO Podcast is sponsored by Deloitte and Webflow.

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To celebrate Earth Week, Jim Stengel welcomes Brad Hiranaga to The CMO Podcast. Brad works as the Chief Brand Officer of Cotopaxi, the colorful outdoorsy brand you likely see around on streets, in airports, and of course, in the great outdoors. It’s a fast growing brand; it has just about doubled its size every year for the past three years. Cotopaxi’s products include backpacks, hip packs, jackets, and other outdoor products and experiences.

Inspired by his time living in Latin America, Davis Smith founded Cotopaxi about 10 years ago in Salt Lake City. Cotopaxi is named after a volcano in Ecuador–where Davis lived–and the brand icon is a llama, for the quirky herd animals of the high Andes.

Brad is a returning guest on this show. Jim chatted with Brad back in December 2020, when he was the Chief Marketing Officer for General Mills. Brad worked at General Mills for over 16 years (four as CMO). He briefly worked as interim CMO for Beyond Meat after leaving General Mills, and he joined Cotopaxi in September 2022 as its first Chief Brand Officer. Tune in to learn why Brad chose purpose as this stop on his career and how Cotopaxi is looking forward as a sustainable brand. 

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Brad Hiranaga (Cotopaxi) | Celebrate Earth Week Through Community, Colors and Purpose

With women's sports on the mind, Jim's guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Shelley Zalis, the Founder and CEO of The Female Quotient, or FQ, the ten-year-old company that curates experiences, media, and solutions that advance gender equality. The FQ is famous for its Equality Lounges at some of the most important global gatherings–like Davos, CES, SXSW, and the Cannes Creativity Festival.

One of Shelley’s mantras is “to conquer imposter syndrome you must believe in yourself," and she has vividly exemplified that conviction throughout her career. Shelley began her career in consumer research, and eventually founded a company in 2000 called OTX, a pioneer in the then-emerging field of online research. Then in 2010, Shelley sold OTX to research giant Ipsos and left in 2015 to found The Female Quotient.

Shelley is also the co-founder of #SeeHer, a movement led by the Association of National Advertisers to increase the accurate portrayal of women and girls in advertising and media. Shelley is a supreme connector, a tireless advocate, and a great storyteller.

Follow Shelley and her travels: https://www.instagram.com/shelleyzalis/

and learn more about the Female Quotient: https://www.thefemalequotient.com/

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Shelley Zalis (Female Quotient) | Activate Your Purpose Through Equity and Impact

Joining Jim this week on The CMO Podcast is Mauro Porcini, the SVP and Chief Design Officer of PepsiCo, the $91 billion company by revenue. Pepsi’s founding dates back to 1893 with the invention of Pepsi-Cola in a small town in North Carolina. In 1965, the Pepsi company combined with Frito-lay to become PepsiCo, and has become one of the most admired food and beverage companies in the world, with brands that range from Cheetos to Mountain Dew to Gatorade to SodaStream to Quaker. 

Mauro is the first Chief Design Officer to appear on the podcast. And speaking of firsts–Mauro was the first ever Global Chief Design Officer at 3M (where he spent 10 years) and PepsiCo, where he has thrived for the past 12 years. Mauro was born and raised outside Milan, Italy, studied at the National College of Art and Design, and earned a Masters at the Politecnico di Milano. Mauro is an evangelist for human-centric design and has an unrivaled artistic capacity and energy level. Not to mention, he’s stylish—with GQ Italy naming him one of the best dressed people in Italy. Tune in for a conversation with one of the top design thought leaders in the world.

Follow Mauro on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauroporcini/

And pick up a copy of his recent book "The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714051/the-human-side-of-innovation-by-mauro-porcini/

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Mauro Porcini (PepsiCo) | How to Lead with a Kind and Human-Centric Approach Through Design

The guest this week on The CMO Podcast is Michelle Froah, the Global Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at The Educational Testing Service, or ETS. ETS is the largest private educational assessment organization in the world, serving 50 million people a year in 200 countries.  You probably know them better for their products, which includes the GRE admission tests for graduate and professional school, and the TOEFL tests which prepare students for university study and immigration. ETS was founded in 1947 with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey.

Michelle is a veteran brand builder. She began her career in the 1990's in Manufacturing with Procter & Gamble, and then switched over to Brand Management at P&G, where she worked in beauty care. She left P&G after almost 18 years to work for Kimberly Clark in Asia, then returned to the US to work in senior marketing roles at Samsung and MetLife. About one year ago Michelle moved to the nonprofit sector, with ETS, where she has joined the executive team to help bring about a significant brand relaunch. Jim welcomes her to discuss this new ETS refresh, his own time at the company in the 1980's and how she looks to bring her good energy to each new project.

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Michelle Froah (ETS) | Bringing Good Energy to a Brand Refresh

This week on The CMO Podcast, Jim wraps up Women's History Month with Natalie Sunderland, the Global Head of Marketing and Communications at the Bank of New York Mellon, or BNY Mellon. This is definitely the oldest company Jim has featured on the show; BNY Mellon was established in 1784 by Alexander Hamilton, and became the first company listed on the NYSE. BNY Mellon holds nearly $48 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration. In 2024 it was one of Fortune’s Most Admired Companies, scoring high in innovation and people management.  

Natalie is Canadian by birth, studied at Queens University in Ontario, and joined American Express shortly after college. She stayed at AmEx for fourteen years, before moving to Citi for two years. Then she made a big jump in her career–she moved to California and joined the startup world, working at two fintech startups and one young health care company.  In 2021 she decided to join BNY Mellon. As the company celebrates its 240th anniversary, Natalie joins Jim to talk about she works to build curiosity and pride within her team and beyond. 

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Michael Smith (NPR) | Legacy Brands Don't Build Themselves

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