SaaStr 136: What Role Should The CEO Play With The Marketing Strategy, What Do CEOs Most Often Get Wrong About CMOs & What Makes The Optimal CEO-CMO Relationship with Stacey Epstein, CEO @ Zinc

Stacey Epstein is the CEO @ Zinc, the secure communications platform for workers in front of customers, not computers. They have backing from some of the best in SaaS investing including the likes of Jason Green @ Emergence, CRV with George Zachary and GE Ventures. Prior to Zinc, Stacey was CMO at Banjo. Before Banjo, Stacey was CMO at ServiceMax where she helped fuel 5 consecutive years of triple-digit growth. Finally, before ServiceMax, Stacey was the Vice President of Global Marketing Communications at SuccessFactors. During her tenure with SuccessFactors, Stacey pioneered the marketing function in 2005, and was instrumental in the company’s successful IPO in 2007, which led to a $3.4B acquisition by SAP in 2010.

In Today’s Episode You Will Learn:

• How Stacey made her way from Executive Assistant working for another Executive Assistant before moving to CMO and today as CEO?
• What were the fundamental lessons Stacey took from her career as CMO to now being CEO/ What were some of the hardest elements of the transition?
• What role should the CEO play in the marketing strategy and execution? What do CEO’s most often get wrong about CMO’s?What is the optimal and most efficient working relationship between CEO and CMO?
• How does Stacey create alignment and strong and successful communication between the traditionally conflicting sales and marketing? How does transparency help drive better business results?
• How can one look to instill these values and communication standards on inherited organisations they they did not found? Are there any drawbacks to transparency and communication?

60 Second SaaStr

1. What hires does Stacey wish she had made earlier?
2. What can females do to master the art of negotiating?
3. Recruiting in the valley today, how tough and top tips?
4. When is the right time to hire your CMO?

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Jason Lemkin

Harry Stebbings

SaaStr

Stacey Epstein