The CMO Whisperer

My guest this week is Brian Kotlyar, Head of Marketing & Growth at Hightouch, the leading composable CDP that helps companies activate their data warehouses to drive personalized marketing and business operations. With 20-plus years of experience at Intercom, Sprinklr, and New Relic, Brian knows how to cut through the martech noise and build teams that turn data into real growth. 

My guest this week is Shelley Zalis, CEO and co-founder of The Female Quotient, a true trailblazer known as the “Chief Troublemaker.” She has always made her mark as an entrepreneur, a global advocate for women in the workplace, and a three-time movement maker. She pioneered online research, co-founded the #SeeHer initiative, and built The Female Quotient, home to the world's largest community of women in business. With accolades like the Matrix Award and recognition as one of LinkedIn's Top 20 Most Influential Voices, her impact is undeniable. 

My guest today is Vicky Lozano, the CMO of Crayola — yes, the company that basically defined many of our childhoods. In her role, Vicky leads Crayola’s consumer communications, partnership marketing, digital and omnichannel marketing, interactive app portfolio, education, and location-based entertainment. Before joining Crayola, she managed a $1.2 billion gum and mints portfolio at Cadbury, working on well-known brands like Trident and Dentyne.

She has also held major roles at Miller Brewing, Warner-Lambert, and Pfizer.What I love most about Vicky is that she’s not just a brand leader — she’s a creativity evangelist with a business brain. In our conversation, we’re diving into how to keep a legacy brand fresh, why creativity isn’t just for kids, and what it really takes to build something that truly matters.

My guest this week is Eric Williamson, Chief Marketing Officer at CallMiner.

Eric brings more than 20 years of experience across tech and consumer marketing, spanning both the agency and brand sides. At CallMiner, he leads all global marketing functions, working hand-in-hand with sales and channel teams to fuel growth and pipeline.

Before stepping into his role at CallMiner, Eric served as VP of Brand and Digital Marketing at Acquia, where he led everything from creative to demand generation for the open DXP platform.

His agency background includes senior leadership roles at MullenLowe and The Martin Agency, where he shaped digital strategy for powerhouse brands like Google, GEICO, Walmart, P&G, and Microsoft.

From Pizza Hut to Intel, Acura to Royal Caribbean, he's been in the trenches of marketing innovation his entire career.

My guest this week is Eliot Hamlisch, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Amtrak, a role he took on in September 2023. He's been leading initiatives across pricing, revenue management, marketing, product development, and the entire customer experience for Amtrak’s national network. Whether you're riding the Northeast Corridor or traveling cross-country, Eliot is focused on reinventing the journey—from schedule planning to digital touchpoints.

He's helping drive Amtrak’s goal to double ridership by 2040 and make rail a preferred choice for American travelers. Before joining Amtrak, Eliot served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at AMC Theatres, where he led marketing, loyalty, and data strategy for the world’s largest movie exhibition company. Earlier, he held senior leadership roles at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, including EVP of Loyalty and Revenue Optimization, where he oversaw global sales and the Wyndham Rewards program.

And yes—he has the credentials to back it up: a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. 

My guest this week is back for another episode adventure. He was one of my very first guests on The CMO Whisperer—Dave Edelman. 

A longtime thought leader in marketing and customer experience, Dave has amassed over 1 million followers on LinkedIn. Over the past 30 years, he’s led strategy and digital marketing practices at BCG, Digitas, and McKinsey, and also served as the Chief Marketing Officer at Aetna. 

Today, he’s an executive advisor and senior fellow at Harvard Business School, where he works closely with enterprise-scale companies and AI startups. 

His new book, Personalized Customer Strategy in the Age of AI, debuted at number four on USA Today’s Bestsellers list. 

And just for kicks—he was recently named an AI Trailblazer by Adweek. 

 My guest this week is Jennifer Renaud, CEO and board director at Coolhouse Botanics, where she leads corporate and portfolio strategy, operational expansion, and investor alignment for the Kradle pet wellness brand. With over 30 years of experience—including global marketing leadership at Oracle Marketing Cloud and Masonite—she excels in building enterprise value through growth strategy, brand revitalization, and cross-sector innovation. 

Throughout her career spanning enterprise technology, medical devices, building products, and CPG, Jen has reshaped organizations to outperform expectations, especially during periods of complexity, disruption, or scale-up. Beyond her executive acumen, Jen is a dynamic thought leader—most recently authoring a Medium series, From Brand Builder to Business Leader, on the CMO-to-CEO journey. 

And one last thing—Jen and I go way back to our days at Oracle, specifically Oracle Marketing Cloud. I’m proud to call her my friend, my mentor, and my confidant. 

My guest this week is DeLu Jackson, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at ADT. 

A seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience, DeLu has led marketing transformation at some of the world’s most iconic brands, including McDonald’s, Audi, Kellogg’s, Nissan, Subaru, ConAgra, and now ADT.

He’s known for his data-driven, customer-first approach and for helping redefine what protection and connection mean in the smart home and small business security space. 

With an undergraduate degree in Politics from Princeton University and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, he brings both intellectual rigor and real-world results to the table.

He’s also an independent board director and a recognized thought leader in marketing, growth, and digital innovation. 

My guest this week is Evan Day. Evan is the VP of Digital Marketing at BriteCap Financial, where he’s been mastering the art and science of making complex things simple for over 15 years. He’s worked with giants like Comcast and global heavyweights in publishing, bringing data-driven strategy to the forefront at every stop. But that’s not all. 

Evan is also pursuing a Ph.D. in psychology with a focus on neuroscience—because apparently having a master’s in data science wasn’t enough. Overachiever. He’s diving deep into the fascinating intersection of brain science and marketing, figuring out what really makes people tick. 

When he’s not being a marketing wizard, Evan is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and a former college soccer player—who, I think, sometimes forgets that his knees have aged a bit faster than his ambition. 

My guest this week is Jenny Wall, Chief Marketing Officer at VideoAmp, a company that's transforming the world of media measurement and advertising performance. 

With over 30 years of experience leading marketing for some of the most iconic entertainment and tech brands—including HBO, Netflix, Hulu, and Nickelodeon—Jenny is known for creating bold, innovative campaigns that not only drive results but shape culture. 

She's also been recognized as one of Adweek's most influential women in advertising.