Inside the Executive Mind: Shannon Brayton on Trust, Strategy, and Board-Level Comms

Jun 5, 2025

In this conversation, Shannon Brayton, CMO at Bessemer Venture Partners and former CMO at LinkedIn, dives into the intricacies of aligning marketing with executive expectations. She shares her strategies for building trust with leaders who may overlook the value of marketing. The discussion highlights LinkedIn's evolution into a content powerhouse and the significant role of AI in marketing dynamics. Shannon's insights on communication styles and navigating C-suite relationships are particularly compelling, offering actionable advice for professionals in the field.

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ADVICE

Educate CEOs on Comms Value

Continually educate CEOs by explaining the strategic impact of marketing and communications.
Connect the cause and effect to help them understand why specific efforts matter.

ADVICE

Identify and Navigate CEO Archetypes

Categorize leaders by their willingness to learn versus imposing fixed tactics.
Guide less informed leaders by asking questions and offering strategic insight rather than accepting preset demands.

ANECDOTE

LinkedIn CEO-CMO Phone Bond

Shannon Brayton and Jeff Weiner built a close, trust-based relationship through frequent phone calls and radical transparency.
They once had a three-word phone call where trust replaced the need for conversation.

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What do you do when your CEO doesn’t “get” marketing—or worse, thinks they already do? In this episode, we talked to Shannon Brayton, former CMO at LinkedIn and senior comms leader at Bessemer Venture Partners, about the high-wire act of educating power players on the value of marketing and communications. Shannon shared how she’s earned the trust of executives like Jeff Weiner by learning their communication styles, staying radically transparent, and explaining in detail the strategic impact of comms. For those of us who’ve had to decode a leader’s style while pushing forward a vision, her insights hit home.

We also explored how LinkedIn evolved from an internal tool to a global content powerhouse, and why its embrace of video and influencers was a game-changer. Shannon offered a candid take on the role of AI in modern marketing—what it can replace, what it can’t, and how we should be preparing for the shift. From navigating outdated assumptions in the C-suite to positioning yourself for board service, Shannon’s advice is sharp, grounded, and refreshingly actionable for anyone operating at the nexus of comms, leadership, and strategy.

About Shannon Brayton

Shannon Brayton is the Chief Marketing Officer and leads marketing and communications for Bessemer Venture Partners. She has more than 25 years of experience leading teams and shaping corporate narratives for some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive brands, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer of LinkedIn. She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Vidyard and Quizlet. She is also an advisory board member at several companies and an active angel investor.

Shannon was named one of the world’s most influential CMOs for three consecutive years by Forbes Magazine, and she was described by PRWeek in 2017 as “a force of nature any company would want on their side.”

Shannon lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children. Her hobbies include reading the news, traveling with her family, and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle every day.

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Contact Shannon Brayton | Bessemer Venture Partners: