CMO Journeys

Christian Banach
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing

CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin featuring conversations with the marketing leaders behind today’s most recognizable brands, including Princess Cruises, White Castle, and Ruby Tuesday. Hosted by Christian Banach, Founder and Chief Growth Officer of NextBigWin, each episode explores the personal and professional journeys that brought today’s CMOs to the C-suite — from the pivotal career decisions and mentors that shaped them to the lessons learned along the way. The conversation then turns to the realities of leading modern marketing organizations, including the mandates CMOs are driving inside their companies and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners. Through candid discussions, CMO Journeys gives agency leaders, marketers, and industry professionals a behind-the-scenes look at how modern CMOs build teams, shape brands, drive growth, and partner with the organizations helping bring their strategies to life.

  1. 3d ago

    Ahmed Iqbal, CMO of Cadillac Formula 1 Team: His Journey From Finance to the Fastest Sport on Earth

    Ahmed Iqbal leads marketing for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, General Motors' new entry into the world's fastest-growing sport. He joined after an unusual path through investment banking, automotive, and the social platforms Twitter and TikTok — and he's now building a brand, a fan base, and a commercial business from the ground up. His perspective is a rare look at how a modern marketing leader thinks and operates. What the Conversation Covers The winding career journey from investment banking to Audi to Twitter, TikTok, and Formula 1 How storytelling and carrying a revenue number shaped his marketing leadership Building an American team's brand on a global stage without becoming polarizing Building a marketing organization from zero to one across sports, tech, and automotive cultures How he evaluates agencies — and what too many of them miss about Cadillac F1 Guest Bio Ahmed Iqbal is the Chief Marketing Officer of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, working within TWG in partnership with General Motors. His background spans automotive, media, technology, partnerships, and revenue growth, including leadership roles at Audi, Twitter, and TikTok. At Cadillac F1, he oversees brand, campaigns, digital, and the team's ambition to grow into a media business. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  2. Aug 28

    Jessica Doyle of Double Good: The Road to Chief Growth Officer

    Jessica Doyle is the Chief Growth Officer at Double Good, a Chicago-based fundraising technology company that helps youth sports teams, schools, and other organizations raise money through app-supported popcorn fundraisers. In this episode, she traces a career that runs from customer strategy consulting through Uber, Twitch, Cameo, and the NBA, and shares how she thinks about growth, leadership, and building teams. What the Conversation Covers Her career journey, from knowing in high school that she wanted to do marketing to leading growth across an entire companyThe lessons she took from Uber's earliest days, when testing and learning through mistakes was the whole jobThe mentor who reshaped how she leads, and the advice she gives about investing in peersHow she structures a growth organization and decides what to build in-house versus outsourceHer practical approach to agency partners, freelancers, and fractional support, and when each one makes sense Guest Bio Jessica Doyle is the Chief Growth Officer at Double Good, where she leads marketing, partnerships, sales, customer support, and the Double Good Kids Foundation. Before Double Good, she held growth and marketing roles at Uber, Twitch, Cameo, and the NBA, beginning her career in customer strategy consulting. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  3. Aug 25

    Thomas Rubino, CMO of Cooper University Health Care: From Politics to the Marketing C-Suite

    Thomas Rubino is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Cooper University Health Care, one of the major academic health systems in South Jersey. He came to marketing by an unusual route — law and politics — and that background shapes how he thinks about persuasion, messaging, and building a brand in a fiercely competitive market. His perspective is a useful one for anyone who wants to move people, not just measure them. What the Conversation Covers Tom's path from running political campaigns to leading marketing for a major health systemHow his legal and political training taught him to turn complex issues into clear, persuasive messagesWhat it takes to build a healthcare brand in a crowded, competitive marketHow he structures a "small but mighty" team and where he brings in outside agenciesWhat makes an agency stand out to him — and the vanity metrics that make him tune one out Guest Bio Thomas Rubino is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Cooper University Health Care, where he has spent a decade overseeing brand marketing, public relations, internal communications, social media, and the website. Before healthcare, he served as an elected official and ran political campaigns, working in public relations and message strategy, and later led communications on the health-insurance side before moving to the provider side at Cooper. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  4. Aug 21

    Maggie Connors, CMO of Havas Creative Network: Why Craft Still Wins Clients

    Maggie Connors is the Chief Marketing Officer of Havas Creative Network, one of the major global creative networks inside Havas. In this episode, she shares the journey that took her from art student to global marketing leader, and why she believes craft and creativity are still what win clients in an industry racing toward automation and AI. What the Conversation Covers Maggie's career journey, from a hands-on studio internship to nearly seventeen years at Arnold and roles at JWT and DeutschHow she thinks about creativity, brand, and why she still doubles down on the craftThe way she rebuilt marketing into a real growth engine, not an afterthought between pitchesHow she and her team approach client relationships through listening and empathyHer practical, all-in view of what AI changes for agencies, and what it never will Guest Bio Maggie Connors is the Chief Marketing Officer of Havas Creative Network. She has spent her career at the center of agency growth, positioning, pitches, and partnerships, with earlier leadership roles in new business and growth at Arnold, JWT, and Deutsch. She works closely with Chief Transformation Officer Tracy Barber to build the network's global marketing story. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  5. Aug 14

    Sari Winick, CMO of Learning Resources: From Big CPG to Playful Learning Leadership

    Sari Winick, Chief Marketing Officer of Learning Resources and hand2mind, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how classic CPG training can translate into education, toys, retail, ecommerce, and family decision-making. Her perspective is valuable because she brings deep experience across consumer goods, healthcare, nutrition, sales, analytics, and brand leadership. What the Conversation Covers • Sari’s path from medical sales to marketing leadership, including her early CPG training at Quaker Oats, PepsiCo, SC Johnson, and Mead Johnson Nutrition. • How working closely with sales teams shaped her understanding of customers, field insights, and what marketing needs to deliver. • The evolution of her CMO mandate as consumer behavior, digital media, influencers, content creators, and performance marketing continue to change. • How Learning Resources balances lower-funnel performance marketing with upper-funnel brand building, awareness, and experimentation. • Sari’s approach to agency partnerships, including when specialized partners, media expertise, TikTok knowledge, creative support, and category understanding are most valuable. Guest Bio Sari Winick is Chief Marketing Officer of Learning Resources and hand2mind, where she leads marketing, media, analytics, and design across a portfolio of educational toy and learning brands. Her background includes medical sales, consumer goods, consumer health, infant nutrition, pharma, retail, and B2B education marketing. At Learning Resources, she focuses on brand growth, consumer engagement, educational outcomes, and helping families and educators discover hands-on learning products. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  6. Aug 7

    Hilary Sauls, CMO of The Armstrong Company: Building the Role as the Business Grew

    Hilary Sauls, Chief Marketing Officer for The Armstrong Company, joins CMO Journeys to discuss her nearly 14-year path from marketing coordinator to CMO. Her perspective is valuable because she has helped shape the marketing function from inside a family-built relocation and logistics business as it expanded into a broader, multi-market services platform. What the Conversation Covers • Hilary’s early path from Louisiana to LSU, sports PR, the New York Giants, recruiting, and eventually marketing leadership. • How she found opportunity inside an industry she did not originally seek out, and why the company’s values made Armstrong feel like home. • What it means to build roles that did not previously exist, especially inside a lean, family-owned business. • How The Armstrong Company is evolving its brand beyond household moving to reflect a broader portfolio across logistics, commercial relocation, warehousing, supply chain, healthcare, hospitality, and final mile services. • Hilary’s approach to agency partnerships, including why subject matter expertise, follow-through, cultural fit, and clear RFP responses matter. Guest Bio Hilary Sauls is Chief Marketing Officer for The Armstrong Company, a Memphis-rooted relocation and logistics business serving residential, commercial, warehousing, supply chain, and final mile needs across 36 markets. Since joining the company in 2012 as a marketing coordinator, she has helped build and expand the marketing function as the business has grown. Her role focuses on brand strategy, market positioning, communications, and helping the company tell a broader story about the value it brings at scale. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  7. Jul 31

    Susanna Song, CMO of Aeris: From Newsroom Storytelling to Marketing Leadership

    Susanna Song, CMO of Aeris, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how her background in journalism, communications, podcasting, and executive storytelling shaped her path into marketing leadership. Her perspective is especially valuable for marketers and agency leaders working in complex categories where education, trust, and clear messaging are essential. What the Conversation Covers • Susanna’s early leadership experiences and how her ambition to become a journalist eventually evolved into a marketing career. • What the newsroom taught her about deadlines, audience understanding, and knowing why a story matters before telling it. • How she applies those storytelling instincts to Aeris’ vertical go-to-market strategy across connected IoT use cases. • Why podcasting and thought leadership can help simplify technical categories and build brand equity without directly selling. • How Aeris is educating the market around cellular IoT security, channel enablement, and value-added solutions in a highly specialized category. Guest Bio Susanna Song is Chief Marketing Officer at Aeris, a company helping power large-scale connected IoT programs across industries including automotive, utilities, energy, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing. She brings a background in journalism, corporate communications, podcasting, executive moderation, and go-to-market leadership. At Aeris, she focuses on market education, vertical messaging, partner enablement, and building thought leadership around cellular IoT. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

  8. Jul 24

    Sivan Koenig Galinsky, CMO of Barack Ferrazzano: From Legal Operations to Marketing Leadership

    Sivan Koenig Galinsky, Chief Marketing Officer at Barack Ferrazzano, joins CMO Journeys to discuss how legal marketing works inside a relationship-driven professional services firm. Her perspective is valuable because her career moved through legal recruitment, client relations, operations, business development, and marketing before she became the firm’s first CMO. What the Conversation Covers • Sivan’s early interest in law, her decision not to attend law school, and how she found a different path inside law firm management. • How her early work across recruitment, client relations, billing, collections, events, websites, pitches, and proposals gave her a 360-degree view of how law firms operate. • Why legal marketing requires understanding what motivates attorneys, how firms make money, and how client relationships are built over time. • How she earned trust as Barack Ferrazzano’s first CMO by repositioning marketing from an administrative function to a strategic business development partner. • Sivan’s perspective on AI, pitch and proposal volume, lawyer training, business development programs, and the future of law firm marketing operations. Guest Bio Sivan Koenig Galinsky is Chief Marketing Officer at Barack Ferrazzano, a Chicago-based general practice law firm advising businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and financial institutions on complex legal matters. As the firm’s first CMO, she leads marketing, business development, positioning, proposal strategy, and attorney development initiatives. Her background includes legal recruitment, client relations, law firm operations, business development, and marketing leadership across firms of different sizes. About the Podcast CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin hosted by Christian Banach. The series features conversations with marketing leaders about the path to the C-suite, the challenges they are tackling inside their organizations, and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners.

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About

CMO Journeys is a podcast from NextBigWin featuring conversations with the marketing leaders behind today’s most recognizable brands, including Princess Cruises, White Castle, and Ruby Tuesday. Hosted by Christian Banach, Founder and Chief Growth Officer of NextBigWin, each episode explores the personal and professional journeys that brought today’s CMOs to the C-suite — from the pivotal career decisions and mentors that shaped them to the lessons learned along the way. The conversation then turns to the realities of leading modern marketing organizations, including the mandates CMOs are driving inside their companies and how they evaluate agencies and strategic partners. Through candid discussions, CMO Journeys gives agency leaders, marketers, and industry professionals a behind-the-scenes look at how modern CMOs build teams, shape brands, drive growth, and partner with the organizations helping bring their strategies to life.

Information

  • Creator
    Christian Banach
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Christian Banach
  • Show Website
    CMO Journeys