From Employee #4 to CMO: The Path to Marketing Leadership with Sylvia Lepoidevin, CMO at Kandji
The Dave Gerhardt Show
Intro
Dave opens with a Qualified sponsor message, introduces Sylvia and episode themes: her path from employee #4 to CMO, marketing tactics, AI, and team building.
#283 Marketing Leadership | In this episode, Dave is joined by Sylvia Lepoidevin, CMO of Kandji, a leading platform for managing and securing Apple devices in the workplace. Sylvia shares her journey from employee #4 to CMO at Kandji, driving the company’s growth to a $850M valuation. She talks about her experience building efficient marketing teams, leveraging AI, and creating impactful brand experiences.
Dave and Sylvia cover:
- How AI is reshaping marketing roles and enabling smaller, more efficient teams
- Strategies for internal marketing that align and energize cross-functional teams
- Product launches and creative campaigns for brand-driven growth
Timestamps
- (00:00) - - Intro to Sylvia
- (05:55) - - From Marketing Hire to CMO
- (10:40) - - Understanding Equity and Financial Outcomes
- (13:22) - - Wealth and Career Growth
- (16:02) - - Why It’s Important to Have a Clear Career Narrative
- (20:54) - - Mastering Storytelling in Team Meetings
- (24:12) - - How to Engage Your Team
- (24:48) - - Leveraging Feedback Loops to Build a Successful Team
- (32:05) - - AI Is Enabling Smaller, More Efficient Teams
- (35:48) - - AI’s Impact on Marketing
- (38:48) - - How Kandji Is Expanding Their Team
- (41:39) - - Achieving 10x Growth Through Product-Led Strategies
- (45:19) - - Leveraging Competitor and Apple-Specific Keywords
- (48:43) - - Minimizing Hiring Risk: Test Roles First
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