Afleveringen
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AI is moving fast, but most teams are still figuring out how to use it responsibly. In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with advertising attorney Candice Kersh about the legal and practical questions marketing leaders are facing right now. They cover what companies should worry about, where risk tends to show up and why policies, training and better decisions matter more than ever.
This is the conversation that will help you cut through the AI noise. Youâll get a clearer understanding of AI contracts, copyright, ownership, data protection, synthetic performers and what brands need to think about before launching AI-powered work. Itâs a helpful listen for anyone trying to move faster with AI without creating bigger problems later.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Candice Kersh:Candice is a leading advertising and marketing attorney and a longtime member of Frankfurt Kurnitâs advertising, marketing, and public relations practice. Widely recognized for her expertise and practical approach, she is consistently ranked by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Super Lawyers, and was named a 2025 Financier Worldwide Distinguished Advisor in Advertising and Marketing. The first woman named âAdvertising Lawyer of the Yearâ by Best Lawyers in America and the only lawyer recognized by Folio as a Top Woman in Media, Candice is a go-to advisor for brands navigating complex advertising, marketing, and emerging technology issues. Her client testimonials speak volumes about the trust her clients place in her and the high standard of counsel she provides. Candiceâs experience, insight, and creative problem-solving make her a trusted advisor on the full range of advertising and marketing law issues, including IP, right of publicity, advertising clearance, false advertising and substantiation, AI-related matters, talent and sponsorship agreements, union issues, agency and media agreements, and branded entertainment dealsâhelping leading brands clear legal hurdles and bring innovative campaigns to market. Candice can be reached on LinkedIn or on her firmâs website, fkks.com.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Today on Leader Generation, Tessa Burg welcomes back Linda Owens, Global Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at Sherwin-Williams. Six years after becoming the podcast's very first guest, Linda returns to discuss how B2B leaders can navigate rapid changes in technology, AI and buyer behavior while staying focused on what matters most: the customer.
Linda shares practical advice for separating meaningful trends from hype, creating trust earlier in the buying journey and designing customer experiences that reduce friction across every touchpoint. She also explains why customer obsession should drive every decision, how to use experimentation without losing sight of scale and what leaders need to do to successfully manage change across their organizations.
Whether you're leading digital transformation, evaluating AI initiatives or looking for ways to create more value for customers, this conversation offers actionable insights you can apply immediately. Tune in to learn how today's most effective B2B leaders are building customer experiences that drive both business growth and long-term loyalty.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Linda Owens:Linda Owens is the Global Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at Sherwin-Williams, where she leads initiatives that advance digital customer experiences, scale eBusiness capabilities and drive enterprise transformation. With more than 20 years of experience spanning marketing, sales, ecommerce and digital customer experience, she has helped organizations modernize customer engagement and accelerate growth across B2B and B2C markets.
Throughout her career, Linda has led cross-functional teams and developed digital strategies that improve customer experiences across channels and global regions. Her expertise includes ecommerce strategy, digital marketing, customer journey optimization, CRM lifecycle programs, Martech and digital innovation. She is passionate about simplifying complexity, empowering high-performing teams and creating customer-centric solutions that deliver measurable business impact. Linda can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Coming up with AI ideas isnât the struggle for most teams. The real challenge is to make those ideas stick. In this episode, Shashank Kadetotad, Global Senior Director of Enterprise Data Science and AI at Mars, breaks down what helps companies move from interesting pilots to real business impact. He explains why adoption matters just as much as the technology itself, how culture and leadership shape success and why the best AI solution is not always the most complex one.
Youâll get practical advice on involving the right users early, setting clear success and failure criteria for pilots and deciding when to build versus buy. Shashank shares lessons from leading AI work inside major organizations and offers a grounded view of what it takes to scale responsibly. If your team is trying to get more value from AI, this conversation will give you a clearer and more useful way to think about the work.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Shashank Kadetotad:Shashank Kadetotad is the Global Senior Director of Enterprise Data Science and AI at Mars, where he leads the deployment of AI and advanced analytics across global consumer goods operations. With a background that spans Amazon operations, retail and CPG forecasting, and AI leadership across multiple Fortune 500 companies, he has built and scaled enterprise AI platforms that power decisions in supply chain, marketing, and finance. Shashank is recognized for his work on generative AI and multi-agent architectures, with multiple provisional patents focused on applying AI to product innovation, analytics, and consumer engagement. A frequent industry speaker, he is known for making complex AI topics accessible to business leaders while keeping the focus on responsible, high-impact AI in retail and CPG. He can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Why do so many promising pilots fail to scale? In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with digital transformation leader Kenneth Phua to explore what separates successful pilots from initiatives that never move beyond the testing phase.
Drawing on his experience leading digital strategy and transformation programs for global brands, Kenneth shares the common mistakes organizations make when measuring pilot success, why repeatability matters more than one-time wins and how businesses can build the capabilities needed to scale digital and AI initiatives across teams, markets and functions.
The conversation also explores the role of leadership in successful transformation. Kenneth explains why empathy, curiosity, trust and a willingness to challenge assumptions are essential for leaders navigating rapid technological change.
Whether you're launching a new digital platform, testing an AI-powered solution or leading enterprise transformation, this episode offers practical insights for turning experimentation into sustainable growth.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Kenneth Phua:Kenneth Phua is a global digital transformation, ecommerce, and AI leader with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations turn digital investments into measurable business growth. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation at The Coca-Cola Company, where he led enterprise-scale transformation initiatives across 115 markets and delivered approximately USD $900 million in system value. His work has spanned digital strategy, ecommerce, consumer platforms, first-party data, AI and operating model design.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with Stephen Trammell, Vice President of New Business Models at Nestlé Purina North America, about what it really takes to build stronger customer relationships in a digital world.
Instead of focusing on the point of sale, Stephen explains how brands can create value across the full pet ownership journey by understanding real needs, solving real pain points and showing up in ways that feel natural and helpful.
The conversation dives into how teams can decide when to build, buy or partner, what makes a pilot worth scaling and why loyalty is a better goal than short-term conversions. This is the conversation for marketers and business leaders who want to think bigger about growth, innovation and the customer experience.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Stephen Trammell:Stephen Trammell is an experienced marketing leader who bridges traditional marketing with digital innovation. His career in consumer products spans over two decades. He currently serves as Vice President of New Business Models at NestlĂ© Purina North America, leading Purinaâs portfolio of digital-first brands. He has worked in marketing research, led billion-dollar brands like Fancy Feast and is currently pioneering digital platforms and apps including myPurina, Petfinder and Petivityâs portfolio of IoT-connected pet care devices and health kits. Stephen can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Tariq Hassan about what it really takes to modernize a business for the AI era. Drawing from leadership roles at agencies, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Petco and McDonaldâs, Tariq shares lessons from leading transformation at some of the worldâs biggest brands.
They explore why success with AI is not chasing the newest tools. Instead, it starts with understanding the problem youâre trying to solve, organizing your business around customer needs and using data in ways that build trustânot just transactions.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Guest:Tariq is a transformational, global business leader whose career sits at the intersection of culture, sports, commerce, and technology. With more than 25 years of experience spanning Fortune 50 companies to fast growth startups across a wide range of categories. Heâs recognized for modernizing organizations through digital transformation and harnessing culture to drive relevance required to grow in a digital economy.
Tariq has served as U.S. Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Office at McDonaldâs and Petco and has held global leadership roles at Bank of America and HP. Today, Tariq is Founder and CEO of Light21, an advisory firm helping startups and Fortune-scale companies modernize marketing through AI and data platforms to create digitally enabled customer ecosystems. He also serves as a Google CMO-in-Residence while advising emerging technology and sports ventures. He can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with Fabio Ranieri, Head of AI Content Transformation at HP, about what it really takes to create content at scale without losing relevance. Fabio explains why better content doesnât come from simply making more of it. But rather it comes from better inputs, better audience understanding, and better systems that help marketers create content that fits the product, the customer, and the moment.
Fabio makes a strong case for why AI should free marketers up to focus on bigger ideas, sharper insights, and stronger customer experiences. Itâs a smart, grounded conversation for anyone trying to move past the hype and use AI in a more meaningful way.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Fabio Ranieri:Fabio is a growth and innovation leader with 18 years of global experience in product marketing, partner marketing, category management, and go-to-market strategy across B2B, B2C, e-commerce, SaaS, Telco, and consumer product sectors. Known for turning ambiguity into opportunity, he specializes in launching and scaling new experiences and products, driving digital transformation, and orchestrating high-impact GTM strategies across highly complex organizations. Heâs led end-to-end initiatives that delivered real business outcomesâfrom redesigning HPâs global e-commerce channel experience, launching and leading new product lines and categories, to introducing Intuit QuickBooksâ new mid-market offering. Always action-oriented, analytical, and creative, Fabio bridges the gap between product, marketing, and sales to maximize impact. He can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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What if the biggest problem in digital advertising isnât creativity or budgetâbut waste? In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Zach Rosen of Multilocal to unpack the growing shift happening in programmatic media and why brands are rethinking how they buy and optimize advertising.
Zach explains how AI-powered curation and sell-side decisioning are helping marketers reduce waste, improve performance and reach audiences in more meaningful moments. The conversation goes into why âcheap CPMsâ are no longer the goal, how brands can focus more on outcomes instead of impressions and why better targeting doesnât have to come at the expense of inclusivity or sustainability.
If youâre trying to make sense of AIâs impact on media, personalization and advertising performance, this episode offers practical insights without the hype. Youâll walk away with a better understanding of how smarter media buying can improve ROI, uncover overlooked audiences and help brands adapt to the rapid pace of change happening across marketing today.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Guest:Zach Rosen is SVP, Business Development and Partnerships at Multilocal, where he leads global partnerships and drives the companyâs expansion in the US market. Over the past 15 years, he has built his career across ad tech and media, with leadership roles in revenue, strategy, and commercial partnerships. His experience includes launching Index Exchangeâs US headquarters and expanding its presence across North America, EMEA, and APAC offices; serving as SVP of Global Supply and Partnerships at Yieldmo; and leading addressability strategy as VP, Head of North American Publishers at LiveRamp.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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AI is changing everything, but not in the way most leaders think. In this episode, Rishad Tobaccowala breaks down how we got here, from the early days of broadcast marketing to todayâs fast-moving, AI-powered world. He explains why the current moment is different, whatâs actually changing and what still matters more than ever.
If youâve been hearing about AI strategy and wondering where to start, this conversation will shift your perspective. Rishad makes the case that focusing on AI alone is a trap and instead challenges leaders to rethink their entire organization, their role and how they create value. He also shares a powerful framework for moving from control to inspiration and why imagination is becoming one of the most important leadership skills.
Youâll walk away with practical ways to think about talent, structure your team and stay competitive in a world thatâs evolving faster than ever. Whether youâre leading a team or just trying to keep up, this episode will give you a clearer way forward.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Rishad Tobaccowala:Rishad Tobaccowala was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation, and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five âMarketing Innovatorsâ. He is one of only 300 people elected to the Advertising Hall of Fame since 1948.
Rishad is the author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in The Age of Data which helps people think, feel, and see differently about how to grow their companies, their teams, and themselves to remain relevant in transformational time, and Rethinking Work which helps people thrive amidst the seismic changes that will occur at work due a combination of changing demographics, new mindsets, the rise of distributed work, and the spread of AI.
Rishad Tobaccowala remains a Senior Advisor to the Publicis Groupe where he has spent his entire career, most recently serving as the Chief Growth Officer and Chief Strategist of the 100,000+ person firm. Prior to those roles Rishad was the Chairman of Digitas and Razorfish.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Technology doesnât have to be scary or steal jobs. In this episode of Leader Generation, Katya Lobynko shares a fresh perspective on digital transformationâone that puts people at the center. From her âpeople-priorities-process" approach to getting user feedback in hours instead of months, Katya breaks down practical frameworks for leading change that actually work.
If youâre tired of hearing about AI taking over and want to learn how technology can make work more meaningful, this episode is for you. Katya offers real strategies for building change from both the bottom up and top down, plus her lean startup approach to testing new technologies before making big investments. Youâll walk away with actionable tools for becoming the kind of change leader who creates transformation that people want to be a part of.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Katya Lobynko:Katya Lobynko is a digital transformation leader with 15+ years across FMCG and pharma in EMEA and Asia. Her expertise spans commercial operations, data & analytics, conversational AI, and innovation with emerging technologies. She has held roles from global strategy and operating model evolution to local program leadership at P&G, Sanofi, and Danone, where she currently serves as IT & Data Director. Katya brings structure to complexity and delivers business results through a pragmatic, people-centered approach with a strong focus on stakeholder alignment, business value, and sustainable change. She serves on the global P&G Alumni Network Board. Connect with Katya on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Tessa Burg talks for a second time with Mariano Bosaz, Global VP of Consumer Data and Strategy at Coca-Cola and the author of âDigital Mindset.â This time, they dive deeper into practical applications of digital thinking, moving beyond theory to give you actionable strategies you can implement right away.
Mariano shares real-world examples of how the shift from analog to digital thinking transforms problem-solving, particularly around the "last mile challenge" that affects so many industries. You'll discover what teams of the future look like and get concrete use cases from recent headlines that make these concepts accessible and immediately applicable.
Whether you're a business leader looking to stay ahead or someone curious about how AI-era marketing really works, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone operating at the highest levels of global business.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
Listen to the previous episode with Mariano here.
About Mariano Bosaz:Mariano Bosaz is the author of Digital Mindset and an experienced digital leader serving as the Global VP of Data and Digital Head of China at The Coca-Cola Company. With a career spanning over two decades, his background includes founding and selling a digital business during his student exchange the University of Richmond in 1999 and holding key leadership roles such as Group Digital Director for Eurasia and Africaâoverseeing 92 countriesâand Vice President of Digital in Asia. In addition to his corporate experience, Mariano has served as an assistant professor at London Business School since 2015. His current work focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and strategy, underpinned by research into blockchain and cryptocurrencies since 2020 and his role on the advisory boards of several AI startups. Mariano can be reached on LinkedIn or at marianobosaz.com.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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AI is moving fast, and for a lot of leaders that creates both pressure and possibility. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Rohit Prabhakar, Global Head of Digital Experiences and Capabilities at Visa, about what it really takes to lead transformation when the rules keep changing. They dig into why strong foundations still matter, why connected data is more important than ever and why leaders need to balance quick wins with bigger reimagining.
If youâre trying to make sense of AI beyond the hype, this conversation is worth your time. Rohit shares practical ways to think about adoption, experimentation and change management without getting stuck in overplanning or unrealistic ROI expectations. Itâs a thoughtful listen for anyone leading teams, modernizing operations or figuring out how to move forward while bringing people along with them.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Rohit Prabhakar:Rohit Prabhakar is a Fortune 50 CMO and Chief Digital Officer who has generated $1.7B+ in business value by turning customer obsession into revenue growth. Currently leading global digital experiences at Visa, he has transformed marketing, data, AI, and CX across McKesson, Thomson Reuters, and FIS. Rohit's superpower: making customers love the most powerful growth engine. You can reach him at Rohitprabharkar.com or on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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During National Womenâs History Month, Leader Generation welcomes Nicole Purcell for a conversation about creative leadership. While so many conversations right now are focused on AI, this episode shifts the spotlight to something just as powerful: hospitality, intuition and the kind of human-centered thinking that makes teams thrive and people feel seen.
Nicole shares how her career journey shaped her leadership style and how she built The Clios into a bigger, more connected brand by listening closely, trusting her vision and creating space for others to grow. She talks openly about resilience, communication and what it really means to lead with both strength and heart. Youâll also hear how creativity shows up far beyond designâin problem-solving, team building and making great decisions under pressure.
If youâre leading a team, growing in your career or just looking for a fresh perspective on what strong leadership can look like, this episode is worth your time. Itâs an inspiring listen for anyone who wants to build with more intention, lead with more empathy and stay connected to the human side of work.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Nicole Purcell:
Nicole Purcell is CEO of the Clios, a global awards platform celebrating creative excellence in advertising. With a bold, culture-forward approach to business, creativity, and leadership, she has reinvented the Clios, transforming it from a traditional awards show into a dynamic, year-round ecosystem that inspires, celebrates, and connects creators and brands across industries and continents.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Ever feel overwhelmed by all the data and metrics coming your way? You're not alone. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Scott Sutton about one of marketing's biggest challenges: figuring out what's actually worth measuring.
Scott shares real-world insights from his experience managing media for major restaurant brands like Hardee's and Carl's Jr. You'll discover why measuring everything can actually hurt your marketing efforts, how to identify the metrics that truly matter to your business and practical strategies for getting leadership buy-in on your measurement approach.
This conversation is packed with actionable advice for anyone trying to cut through the noise and focus on outcomes that drive real business growth.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Scott Sutton:
Scott Sutton helps brands cut through complexity and focus on what truly moves the needle. With a deep belief in practical measurement and cross-channel accountability, he ensures media decisions are grounded in business impactânot just impressions or trends. Scottâs career spans iconic brands including Bridgestone, Nissan, Mars Petcare and AT&T. He is known for building integrated measurement frameworks that align media investments with real business outcomesâwhether thatâs driving app downloads, loyalty sign-ups or in-store traffic. His recent work includes orchestrating the Alix Earle âHangover Burgerâ campaign, which generated over 4 billion paid and earned media impressionsâwithout a Super Bowl buy. At Mars Petcare, he helped establish Pedigree as a founding partner of Animal Planetâs Puppy Bowl, creating breakthrough engagement through content-led partnerships. Scott brings practical, tested insights on driving results in todayâs fragmented media environmentâwhere focus, flexibility, and accountability matter more than ever. Scott can be reached at [email protected].
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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AI isnât just changing marketing toolsâitâs changing how leaders think about strategy, value and growth. In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with Mariano Bosaz, author of Digital Mindset: Marketing Strategies for the AI Era, about what it really takes to lead through transformation without losing what already works.
Youâll hear a practical way to think about âdigital mindsetâ as a bridge, not a replacement, for how businesses operate today. Mariano explains why companies need both analog and digital approaches, how AI is accelerating productivity (and making prioritization harder) and what leaders can do to support teams through the shift. He also breaks down the difference between engagement and involvementâand why involvement is where brands build real equity.
If youâre trying to make sense of AIâs impact on work, marketing, and competitive advantage, this conversation provides a clearer framework. Itâs full of real examples and down-to-earth guidance on how to move faster, make smarter choices and create value thatâs difficult for competitors to copy.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Mariano Bosaz:
Mariano Bosaz is the author of Digital Mindset and an experienced digital leader serving as the Global VP of Data and Digital Head of China at The Coca-Cola Company. With a career spanning over two decades, his background includes founding and selling a digital business during his student exchange the University of Richmond in 1999 and holding key leadership roles such as Group Digital Director for Eurasia and Africaâoverseeing 92 countriesâand Vice President of Digital in Asia. In addition to his corporate experience, Mariano has served as an assistant professor at London Business School since 2015. His current work focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and strategy, underpinned by research into blockchain and cryptocurrencies since 2020 and his role on the advisory boards of several AI startups. Mariano can be reached on LinkedIn or at marianobosaz.com.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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Marketing used to feel more predictable. You picked your channels, launched a campaign and tracked performance in a fairly linear way. Today? Consumers are bouncing between social, search, streaming, AI tools, connected devices and moreâall before making a decision. In this episode, Matt Fanelli joins Tessa Burg to unpack whatâs actually broken in marketing measurement and how leaders can rethink performance in a fragmented world.
Matt breaks down why platform-led measurement often misses the mark, how attribution gets messy when multiple touchpoints influence a purchase and why defining âwhat success really looks likeâ is the first step most marketers skip. The conversation explores real-world examplesâfrom healthcare to retailâand explains how better attribution, smarter use of AI and stronger human oversight can help teams build trust in their numbers again.
If youâre responsible for performance, budget allocation or defending marketing results to leadership, this episode will give you a clearer framework for measuring what matters. Itâs a practical conversation about cutting through the noise, focusing on quality over volume and building measurement strategies that actually reflect how people buy today.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Matt Fanelli:
Matthew Fanelli is Chief Revenue Officer at Digital Remedy, where he leads commercial strategy, revenue operations, and go-to-market execution as the company scales its performance-driven media platform. With more than 20 years of experience in digital advertising, Matt brings deep expertise across programmatic media, data strategy, and performance marketing. Prior to Digital Remedy, he served as SVP of Sales at Media Now Interactive, leading data-driven revenue initiatives. Matt focuses on helping brands and agencies drive measurable outcomes through unified, cross-channel performance intelligence.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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AI is evolving fastâand so are the risks that come with it. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Mod Opâs EVP of PR, Chris Harihar, to unpack a growing issue most brands arenât fully prepared for: AI-driven brand misrepresentation. From deepfakes to manipulated logos and inappropriate brand placements, the conversation explores how generative AI tools are creating new reputational threats in ways that feel chaotic, fast-moving and hard to control.
Chris introduces Mod Opâs new AI Risk Intelligence capability, designed to help brands proactively identify and address harmful AI-generated content before it spirals. They dig into real examplesâincluding manipulated executive deepfakes and brand misuse across platforms like Sora and Grokâand explain why this isnât just a cybersecurity issue, but a reputational one that belongs squarely in the PR and communications world.
If you're a CMO, brand leader, or marketer wondering how exposed your company might beâor how to get ahead of risks that didnât exist a year agoâthis episode offers clarity, practical thinking, and a smart path forward. Itâs a timely conversation about protecting your brand while still embracing the power of AI.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Chris Harihar:
Chris Harihar is the EVP of Public Relations at Mod Op. With deep expertise in business and tech media relations, Chris counsels clients at a high level while maintaining hands-on involvement in media relations and content strategy. He has developed and run highly successful programs for leading B2B and tech brands, from Verizon Media/Yahoo and DoubleVerify to Signal AI, IDG (now Foundry) and WeTransfer. Chris can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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While most enterprises are still celebrating their AI pilots, a quiet revolution is happening: Organizations that stopped collecting tools and started building capabilities.
In this episode, Tessa Burg and Michael Ditter, Director of AI Strategy and Emerging Technology at Diageo, dismantle the playbook many thought they needed.
Discover why empathy matters more than efficiency in capability building, how your organizationâs hardest problem is the most fertile training ground and why itâs ok to completely fail.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Michael Ditter:
Michael Ditter is an AI strategist and innovation leader who operates at the frontier of how organizations think, build and compete. With more than 15 years at the intersection of consumer goods, commercial strategy and emerging technologies, he specializes in translating complex shifts in AI, culture and behavior into scalable systems that deliver measurable business impact.
Michaelâs work blends strategy, organizational design and hands-on prototyping. He architected AI and machine-learning initiatives across sales operations, brand engagement, predictive analytics and product innovation, consistently reducing time-to-value and enabling teams to move from idea to working solution at unprecedented speed. He is known for building bridges between C-suite leaders, marketing and commercial teams and technical buildersâcreating alignment around bold ideas and the operating models required to bring them to life.
In 2025, Michael wonâŻ1st place at the SCSP AI+ Expo Hackathon, one of the most competitive AI and national-security innovation challenges in the country. There, he builtâŻSentinelAI, a multi-agent crisis-response system that demonstrated how frontier models can augment human judgment in high-stakes environments. The experience reinforced his philosophy that the barrier between imagination and implementation is collapsingâand that responsible, human-centered deployment will define the next era of advantage.
Michael has also been an early mover in spatial computing, AR/VR, computer vision and conversational AI, creating new modalities for brand storytelling and consumer interaction. He focuses on helping organizations build AI-enabled cultures where creativity, speed and thoughtful governance coexist. You can find Michael on X, LinkedIn or at [email protected].
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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What does it really mean to be consumer-obsessed, and how is AI changing the face of the beauty industry?
In this episode, Tessa Burg and Irina KulikovaâVP, Strategic Development & Integration at The EstĂ©e Lauder Companies Inc.âexplore the intersection of consumer insights, brand experience and emerging technology. The two discuss how store beauty advisors must now compete with AI, the magic of âsmall dataâ and Gen Zâs AI shopping revolution.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Irina Kulikova:
Irina Kulikova is the Vice President of Strategic Development and Integration and Chief of Staff to the President of the EUKEM region (Europe, UK & Ireland, and Emerging Markets) at The Estée Lauder Companies. As a member of the regional management team, she shapes the strategic direction of more than 85 markets and over 20 iconic brands.
In her role, Irina leads regional strategy development and execution, market intelligence, consumer insights, strategic pricing, and large-scale transformation initiatives. She also drives key corporate development priorities, including operating model evolution, new market and channel entry, brand integration, and expansion into emerging geographies.
Before joining The Estée Lauder Companies, Irina spent more than a decade at Bain & Company across the UK, Middle East, and Russia, advising leading global players in luxury, beauty, jewelry, fashion, and retail. Her experience at the intersection of strategy, brand building, and transformation has given her a deep understanding of how to unlock growth and resilience in the luxury and beauty industries both in developed and emerging markets.
Irina holds an MBA from INSEAD. She can be reached on LinkedIn.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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The marketing landscape is changing faster than everâand the marketers who treat their work like product and embrace AI will win.
This week, Leader Generation host Tessa Burg talks with Alan Kipust, Mod Opâs Executive in Residence and a leader in product management, to discuss how AI is fundamentally reshaping what marketing teams can accomplish and how they should think about their work.
Youâll learn which AI applications actually move the needle, the power of a good hackathon and the skills every marketer needs to master. Wherever you are in your career, this episode will change how you approach your work tomorrow.
Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.
About Alan Kipust:
Alan Kipust is a senior product management executive with a distinguished track record building and scaling digital, logistics, and customer-centric businesses for some of the worldâs most recognizable brands. Over a fifteen-year career at Amazon, Uber, Chewy and Ford Motor Company, he has led transformative initiatives across e-commerce, mobility, customer operations, and subscription ecosystems. Most recently, as Senior Director of Product Management for Fordâs Digital Experience organization, Kipust oversaw the companyâs subscription commerce and advanced Fordâs global data privacy and commitments. Prior to Ford, he served as Senior Director of Customer Experience at Chewy, driving enterprise-wide customer experience strategy, deploying proprietary CRM systems, and helping maintain the brandâs industry-leading satisfaction rating.
With deep expertise in scaled operations, platform design, and technology-driven transformation, Kipust has shaped the digital and operational backbone behind major global businesses. At Uber, he served as Global Head of Vehicle Product Management, directing the product and fleet strategy for a 60,000-vehicle program that supplied a significant share of global driver availability. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Amazon, where he launched Amazon Flex and built Amazon Logisticsâ first integrated customer-and-driver support operation. A holder of multiple U.S. patents and an advisor to several high-growth companies, Kipust is known for his product vision, operational rigor, and ability to build high-performing teams in complex, rapidly evolving environments. He can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].
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