My guest today is David Edelman. David's the former CMO of Aetna, and he's currently a senior lecturer in marketing at Harvard Business School. I've known David well over 10 years and we had an absolutely fascinating conversation focussing initially on AI and and the customer experience.
One of David's recent HBR articles was "Customer Experience in the Age of AI" which are two topics that are very near and dear, at least they should be, for every marketer of the world. I hope you enjoy my conversation. 

 My guest today is Jeanniey Walden. Jeanniey is the senior vice president and CMO of Rite Aid and Thrifty Ice Cream. Her decades of experience span Fortune 500 companies and startups across a whole host of industries, including retail, health and wellness, consulting, ad agencies, fintech. Everything. If that weren't enough, she's also the host of her own network TV show called Liftoff. 

 My guest this week is a good friend who also happens to be one of the most influential marketers in the world, Raja Rajamannar, the CMO of Mastercard. Over his 10 years with the brand, he has transformed Mastercard into one of the top 10 most valuable brands in the world.

At the helm of the iconic priceless platform, he and his team are on the cutting edge of experiential multi sensory marketing for consumers and customers alike. He has extended the reach and impact of the brand by embracing AI and Web3 technologies, while also pioneering new standards in inclusive design. 

 My guest this week is Dr. Marcus Collins, an award winning marketer, best selling author and former chief strategy officer at Wieden+Kennedy, and currently a marketing professor at the university of Michigan. Part marketing professor, part chief strategy officer, Dr. Marcus prescribes lots of advice for brand health. 

 My guest this week has been everywhere, man—or seemingly everywhere—from Converse to Starbucks to Procter & Gamble, to Coca-Cola, to his current role as Chief Brand Officer at Topgolf. I met Jeff Cottrill many moons ago during my days at Forbes. What an amazing conversation we had! We touched on so many different topics. You're really going to enjoy it. 

My guest this week is Edithann Ramey, the Chief Marketing Officer at Six Flags Entertainment, where she oversees marketing strategy, consumer experience, CRM, group sales, and revenue management for North America's largest regional theme and water park company.

Before joining Six Flags, Edith Ann was CMO at On the Border, a Mexican casual dining chain where she developed the brand's global marketing strategy, elevating its presence through innovative menu promotions and guest-focused experiences.

She also served as Senior Director of Brand Extensions at Topgolf, where she launched and marketed new brand properties including Top Tracer and Swing Suites, achieving double-digit growth for the company. Early in her career, Edith Ann held various roles at Chili's, including VP of Marketing, where she oversaw advertising, promotions, media planning, and PR across the U.S. She has also worked with Brinker International's Maggiano's Little Italy and held marketing positions at Nokia, Yum! Brands, and Cadbury Schweppes, contributing to brand and product innovation efforts.

Edith Ann holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and an MSC in Corporate Communications from Boston University. Originally from Puerto Rico and raised in Mexico City, she now lives in Coppell, Texas with her husband Jason, their teenage twins, and two dogs, Nacho and Lulu. 

My guest today is Adam Hanft, one of the few strategic and creative brands who has achieved success with Fortune 500 companies and startups.

He sits on the boards of Scotts Miracle-Gro and 1-800 Flowers, and works with dozens of entrepreneurial founders to tell their essential stories across all channels.

From a jolly and nimbleness to stripping away layers of bureaucracy to putting action and accountability together, there are shared learnings that can make big and small stronger.

My guest this week is Amina Pasha, CMO of Thrive Market. With more than a decade of experience in CPG marketing at P&G, followed by a pivotal role at The Honest Company, Pasha serves as the guardian of Thrive Market’s mission-driven, e-commerce powerhouse. Thrive Market is now celebrating its 10th anniversary this November 10th by humanizing the online grocery mission—making healthy and sustainable living easy and affordable for everyone. She is leading the marketing team to create a cohesive story across every member touchpoint and encouraging her team to focus on impactful advertising strategies.

Under her leadership, Thrive Market reached over 1 million members in 2020, became the largest grocer ever to receive B Corp certification, and provided more than $16 million in healthy groceries to those affected by food inequality. Now, in its 10th year, Thrive Market has more than 1.5 million paying members.

Pasha was listed in Forbes' third annual CMO Next 2021 list as one of the country's top marketing chiefs, recognizing her success in leading Thrive Market’s transformative, mission-driven marketing. She has also been honored as 'One to Watch' by Brand Innovators and recognized by Adweek for her notable career achievements. In 2022, she spoke at the Forbes CMO Summit on the importance of sustainable marketing at Thrive Market.

Pasha has revitalized the brand by refocusing on its core mission of promoting healthy, accessible, and affordable living. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, she began her career at PNC and later joined The Honest Company. Outside of Thrive, she mentors female leaders and has lived in over 13 countries. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her family and embraces an active, health-conscious lifestyle.

My guest this week is Nic Chidiac, Chief Strategy Officer for Razorfish, where he oversees brand and experience strategy. He's worked with CMOs from the biggest brands in the world across a wider range of categories, including QSR, travel, tech, automotive and government. Formerly with Leo Burnett, Nic brings a global lens to his CMO perspective as well, having spent his career working across markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. We talk about everything you need to know about working with an agency, how to effectively use AI and what the changing role of the CMO means.

My guest this week is Oksana Sobol. Oksana leads the insights function at The Clorox Company, where she's implementing an agile, fast, and consumer centric insights model. Her global career spans everything from brand marketing and market research in her native Ukraine, and then the Czech Republic. She's worked for big companies like Nielsen, Kraft Foods, Unilever, J&J, and Mondelez.

Links

• Oksana's LinkedIn
• Steve's LinkedIn