Uncensored CMO

Manu Orssaud, Chief Marketing Officer at Duolingo, reveals how the language-learning brand turns chaos into cultural relevance. They explore the “death” of Duo, a rapid Bad Bunny campaign, and the trust that enables bold creative work. The conversation also covers brand safety, measuring marketing, AI backlash, investor pressure, behavioural science, and why constraints can fuel unforgettable ideas.

Jessica Jensen, LinkedIn’s Chief Marketing Officer and a leader in B2B marketing and the future of work, delivers a practical tour of LinkedIn growth. She reviews profile strategy, Top Voice status, personal storytelling, creator partnerships, collaborative posts, video, and the fight against AI slop. They also explore how younger buyers discover brands, LinkedIn’s role in LLMs, AI’s impact on jobs, and recovering from startup failure.

Bridget Evans, Spotify’s Global Head of Advertising Business Marketing, explores why audio is an underrated force in brand building. They discuss the return of jingles, Gen Z’s listening culture, podcasts and trusted creators, and how Spotify makes B2B marketing more human through campaigns like Wrapped, Spread Beats and Tutorials. Plus, the cultural power of Cannes and the future of taste in an AI-filled world.

Evan Shapiro, the Media Cartographer, is a media analyst, consultant and creator of ecosystem maps. He explores where attention is really moving, why YouTube, TikTok, podcasts and LinkedIn may be undervalued, and how TV, Instagram and Facebook stack up. They also discuss employee-generated content, founder-led media, ad fraud, AI-driven job losses and lessons from building a podcast.

Karen Blackett, former UK President of WPP and GroupM UK CEO, explores leadership beyond job titles. She discusses building trust across competing agencies, diverse perspectives, candid client conversations, decisive choices, and hiring for difference. She also reflects on steering GroupM through COVID, preserving humanity in an AI-shaped creative industry, and rebranding Barbados for global growth.

Vineet Mehra, Chime’s CMO and a former P&G, J&J, Ancestry, and Walgreens Boots executive, explores how the challenger bank disrupted finance. He discusses making marketing legible to CFOs, balancing brand and performance, and the metrics behind sustainable growth. Plus, AI’s real marketing opportunities, avoiding creative sameness, and the skills future CMOs need.

Sophie Neary, a Google retail executive and former Boots.com leader, explores how AI is reshaping search, shopping and brand discovery. They discuss conversational search, creator-led commerce, smarter retail data, flexible marketing budgets and the rise of shopping agents. The conversation also considers which human qualities, from curiosity to creativity, will matter most as AI takes on more marketing work.

Margaret Heffernan, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and former CEO, explores why uncertainty can sharpen marketing and leadership. They discuss the limits of forecasting, the illusion of control created by data, why walking fuels creativity, and how surprise makes ideas memorable. Heffernan also examines what AI may erode, from judgment to confidence, and the human skills that remain irreplaceable.

Ali Payne, Heineken's U.S. CMO known for reviving iconic campaigns and winning Cannes, explains how a 150-year brand stays fresh. He discusses creative risk under constraints, hijacking cultural moments like the World Cup, bringing back Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man, and growing Birra Moretti and Heineken 0.0 through provenance and innovation.

Najoh Tita-Reid, former Chief Growth Officer at Mars Petcare now on a 'learning safari' into AI. She argues AI should unlock growth, not just shave costs. Short takes cover AI as an F1-style democratizer, its limits for creativity, the risk of marketers becoming tacticians, and why leaders must orchestrate change to drive household penetration and real business impact.