The B2B Engagement

In complex B2B markets, growth requires more than great products. It requires understanding what customers need, aligning the organization around those needs, and helping sales translate that insight into value buyers understand.

In this episode, Stella Prefach, CMO at Omnicell, joins Gavin Finn to discuss her approach to transforming marketing from an internally focused function into a customer-driven growth engine, bringing marketing, sales, product, and engineering together to uncover customer needs, identify new opportunities, and create more relevant buyer experiences.

Drawing on her experience across both B2C and B2B marketing, Stella shares how she is challenging organizational complacency, bringing the voice of the customer deeper into decision-making, and repositioning marketing as a strategic partner to the business.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• Moving from product-led to customer-led marketing: Shifting focus from what the company sells to the problems customers need to solve.
• Breaking through organizational complacency: Challenging established thinking to uncover new markets and growth opportunities.
• Turning customer insight into action: Using customer, sales, and win/loss insights to shape strategy and create more relevant buyer experiences.
• Aligning marketing, sales, product, and engineering: Breaking down silos to create shared customer understanding and stronger go-to-market execution.
• Transforming marketing into a growth driver: Engaging complex buying committees, enabling sales, and making marketing accountable for customer engagement and business outcomes.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: kaon.com

How is AI reshaping B2B storytelling as attention spans shrink and buyers turn to AI instead of search?

Join Scott Shadley, Director of Storage Planning and Pathfinding at Solidigm, for a candid discussion on how generative AI is forcing B2B storytelling to evolve — and why static PDFs and "speeds and feeds" no longer cut it.

In this episode, we'll explore:

• How Scott's engineering background and MBA combine to shape empathetic, technically credible engagements across engineers, procurement, sales, and executives.
• Why AI outputs can be confidently wrong, and what that means for marketers who need to understand how LLMs actually work.
• The shift from static content to interactive, customer-driven experiences.
• Using storage as a commoditized category to illustrate solution- and use-case storytelling.
• New metrics that matter: power, efficiency, and trust-building education over old-school specs.

With deep experience translating complex technical stories for diverse audiences, Scott shares why teams should try new approaches, "fail fast," and abandon outdated funnels.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: kaon.com

How is AI moving beyond the buzzword to truly reshape how enterprises sell, buy, and build competitive advantage?

Join Dale Brown, Global Head of AI Solutions Sales at HPE, and Gavin Finn for a candid discussion on how AI is transforming enterprise sales, breaking down silos between marketing and sales, and redefining what “value” means in the modern buyer journey.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• How AI is redefining buyer motion and the future of enterprise sales.

• What separates hype from real impact in today’s AI investments.

• How to align marketing and sales through AI-driven value storytelling.

• The disappearance of SDRs and what that means for the next-gen sellers.

• Making AI work for you. Creating precision, context, and connection at scale.

With decades of experience spanning big tech and startups, Dale shares a front-row view into how organizations are using AI not just to drive productivity, but to build repeatable, predictable revenue outcomes—and where most are still falling short.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: ⁠kaon.com⁠

In this episode, Penelope Thompson, Area Vice President, Global Center of Excellence, Systems Engineering at Pure Storage, joins Gavin Finn to share how the role of the solutions engineer is evolving from technical support to strategic partner — and how this shift is transforming the way B2B companies engage customers and drive business outcomes.

Penelope discusses how her team is responding to leaner budgets, complex buying dynamics, evolving buyer behavior, and new technologies reshaping customer engagement.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• SEs’ evolution into consultative, trusted advisors

• New SE skillsets for tight budgets and multi-stakeholder buying

• Sales + SE “in sync”: co-creating solutions to speed deals

• Using interactive experiences to make value tangible

• How Pure is redefining SEs to drive adoption, expansion, and revenue

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: ⁠⁠⁠⁠kaon.com⁠

How can leaders overcome risk aversion to embrace AI's potential fully?

After 20 years at Siemens AG, Andreas Geiss, empowered by the enterprise-changing potential of AI, became VP of Industrial and Retail at Aleph Alpha. Andreas discusses his transition from mechanical engineering to AI and moving from a giant to a fast-paced start-up.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The challenges of scaling AI initiatives and the necessity of rethinking workflows
• The transformative potential of AI beyond mere automation
• Why education and a shift from traditional risk-averse mindsets are crucial for technological adoption
• The importance of the human factor in driving these changes

Host Gavin Finn and Andreas envision a future where AI and human collaboration redefine industrial enterprises, stressing the need for imagination and transformation over mere optimization.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: ⁠⁠kaon.com

Lab optimization isn’t about small gains -- it’s about transforming healthcare. In this episode, Michael Harrison, COO of Lily Seaport Innovation Center, joins Gavin Finn to share how unifying systems and breaking down silos can drive scalable, data-driven impact across the entire ecosystem.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Driving integrated, efficient research with digital lab twins.

• How agentic AI can automate, optimize, and unify lab processes.

• Tips for building resilient, optimized global supply chains.

• Steps to unify lab data and operations for seamless research.

• Leveraging unified systems to support rapid growth and M&A.

• Implementing sustainable practices for long-term lab success.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: ⁠⁠kaon.com

How Do You Scale and Innovate in a Multi-Site Healthcare Operation?

Doug Hamilton, Regional Vice President of Lab Operations for the Midwest at Quest Diagnostics, joins Gavin Finn to explore what it really takes to deliver fast, accurate, and scalable diagnostics across a complex healthcare ecosystem. With more than 32 years at Quest, Doug shares what he’s learned about driving innovation while managing the daily pressures of lab performance and patient outcomes.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How lab science influences 70% of healthcare decisions

• Why technology alone doesn’t solve operational complexity

• How to manage distributed lab networks without sacrificing speed or accuracy

• Why continuous learning and talent development are key to performance

• What COVID-19 taught us about rapid adaptation and resilience

Whether you’re leading operations, navigating change in healthcare, or focused on performance at scale, this episode offers a clear look at how to lead with precision, agility, and trust.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: ⁠kaon.com

From Tools to Trust: Johannes Habel on the New Rules of B2B Sales

What happens when more technology doesn’t lead to better selling?

Johannes Habel, Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Houston, joins Gavin Finn to unpack what’s really holding B2B sales back - and what it will take to move forward. From CRM fatigue to fragmented sales roles, Johannes brings academic rigor and field experience to one of the most urgent challenges in commercial strategy: aligning with how today’s buyers buy.

In this episode, Johannes shares:

• Why adding sales tools rarely improves sales performance

• The four reasons CRM systems still fail to gain adoption

• How marketing and sales must shift from silos to shared strategy

• What buyer “discovery fatigue” means for your first conversation

• Why value-based selling is harder - and more necessary - than ever

Whether you're leading GTM strategy, running enablement, or trying to modernize your sales process, this episode offers a clear, unvarnished look at how to build a sales organization that meets today’s buyers with credibility and confidence.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: kaon.com

From Perfectionism to Progress: Sandra Anderstedt on Building Bold Marketing at Sandvik
What happens when a planner learns to embrace iteration—and leads a team to do the same?

Sandra Anderstedt, VP of Marketing and Communications at Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions, joins Gavin Finn to share her journey from internal comms to building a global, agile marketing team from scratch. Her approach? Embrace difference, start before you're ready, and always keep learning.

In this episode, Sandra shares:

• How personality differences became her leadership superpower

• What it takes to unify diverse software brands under one strategic voice

• Why B2C hires helped her challenge B2B norms

• How her team swapped “perfect” for progress—and what they gained

• Practical ways they’re leveraging AI to boost efficiency and creativity

Whether you’re scaling a team, rethinking your strategy, or just trying to get started, Sandra’s story is a masterclass in clarity, courage, and momentum.

Discover how Kaon helps B2B companies spark meaningful change through compelling experiences: kaon.com

Leading with Humanity: Cassandra Farr on Culture, Courage & Care at Philips

What does it take to lead complex transformation—without losing your values in the process?

In this candid conversation, Cassandra Farr, SVP and Head of Health Systems at Philips, joins Gavin Finn to share her journey from healthcare informatics to the C-suite—and why authenticity, empathy, and empowerment are non-negotiable leadership principles.

They explore:

• Why “listening for meaning” is Cassandra’s leadership superpower

• Creating space for hard conversations

• How to lead diverse, global teams through uncertainty and change

• Why customer-centricity starts with team culture

• Lessons from a lifetime surrounded by strong, entrepreneurial women

This episode isn’t just about leadership—it’s about leading differently, with purpose, presence, and conviction.

Explore how Kaon helps B2B companies build trust through storytelling and clarity: Visit kaon.com