How to lead digital transformation, Marketing.FWD

Digital transformation has expanded the marketer’s journey from a road race to a space race. There are new domains, like customer experience, to explore. There are new channels, like Internet of Things (IoT), to navigate. Marketing leaders must choose the right direction and focus their teams appropriately.

The question is: How do you lead an organization that harnesses digital innovation and doesn’t get lost in it?

Find out at VentureBeat’s Marketing.FWD Summit on February 22. Our panel discussion — “What does transformational leadership mean in a digital age?” — will break this enormous question into parts and put them to panelists from diverse backgrounds and industry experiences. Speakers include:

• Madhur Aggarwal, COO, SAP Digital: Aggarwal leads strategy, products, and business operations globally for a new business unit that targets small offices and home offices.

• Kieran Hannon, CMO, Belkin International: Belkin was an early player in IoT with its WeMo brand. Hannon creates marketing strategy for this new, expanding category.

• Barbara Messing, CMO, TripAdvisor:  Messing balances tech and marketing resources to drive growth at the world’s largest travel site. She has found success by tapping into community, data, and mobile.

• Michael Burgess, president, HBC Digital, Hudson’s Bay Company. Burgess oversees digital retail, ecommerce, and digital customer experience at the $10+ billion department store retailer that operates Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord & Taylor.

Panelists will answer questions in three areas critical to successful digital leadership:

The Marketer’s Role

What role should the marketer play in digital transformation now that it has evolved to encompass marketing technology, omnichannel marketing mixes, analytics, insights, and creative oversight? What skills should today’s CMOs and marketing leaders have? Can one person even have all these talents, and if so, how do you find and retain this sought-after person?

Logic vs. Magic

In a recent survey of marketers conducted by consulting firm Spencer Stuart, 70 percent of respondents reported that creativity and analytical ability are equally important for marketing leaders. And yet, only 19 percent of respondents believe that their teams strike the right balance. How do you achieve that balance across an organization?

Culture of Change

Digital innovation shows no sign of slowing and neither do the changes to the marketer’s role. For all the talk about agility in leadership, how do you assess it? How do you know whether someone can quickly adapt to change? How can that leader help to create a culture of innovation across an organization?

Learn the answers to these questions and more at VentureBeat’s Marketing.FWD Summit. Don’t wait, register now!