FULL AGENDA

Uncomfortable Conversation. The Next Era of the CMO: Is it Time to Redefine the Role?

The remit of the modern marketing leader is expanding rapidly — and so are the expectations from boards, CEOs, and teams. Once seen primarily as brand stewards and storytellers, today’s CMOs are being called to do much more: drive innovation, shape customer experience, unlock new revenue streams, and lead with data-driven foresight. This panel brings together two CMO from different industries, a leading executive recruiter, and an emerging marketing leader to explore how the role of CMO must evolve. Together, they’ll examine the skills, responsibilities, and leadership approaches required to thrive in this new landscape — and how marketers at every level can prepare to meet the challenge.

• Michelle Froah, CMIO, ETS 
• Zach Peikon, Managing Director, Heller Search
• George Hammer, Global Head of Luxury Marketing, Marriott International
• Nandini Anitha Nandakumar, Global Marketing Director for Smirnoff, Diageo

Seeing Gen Z: Closing the gap between visibility and authenticity

Gen Z is the most visible generation in advertising today, appearing in 93% of U.S. ads and 78% of U.K. ads. But despite their presence on screen, their stories often lack depth and relevance. Current portrayals focus heavily on friendship, family, and sport, while critical topics like mental health, self-image, and financial pressure are rarely shown. This is not a case of underrepresentation, but of misrepresentation. This guide explores the disconnect between perception and reality and offers actionable tools to help marketers create more accurate, resonant, and results-driven Gen Z storytelling.

Speakers:

• Jo Shoesmith, VP Global Chief Creative Officer at Amazon 
• Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer, System1 Group

I am Different

An open and honest conversation that pushes past surface-level inclusion and explores how we can truly shift narratives when we question what we show, how we show it and who gets to tell the story. Working together on Amazon Prime’s series ‘On Call’, actor Rich Ting and showrunner Tim Walsh will share their story around the power of conscious relationships and how the care and attention to authenticity can also drive engagement. It’s about making representation real, nuanced, and impactful and will challenge the audience to rethink how they approach representation in campaigns, partnerships, and brand narratives.

Speakers:

• Tim Walsh, Showrunner
• Rich Ting, Actor 
• Tim Wang, Founder, TDW+Co

Creators, Culture, and the AI Challenge

The rise of the creator economy has reshaped how ideas spread, how communities form, and how culture is made. Now, with AI accelerating creativity and changing the rules of engagement, both creators and brands face a new challenge: how to stay authentic, relevant, and trusted in a world of infinite content. In this fireside chat, we’ll explore the intersection of creators, brands, and AI, unpacking what authenticity looks like when technology can mimic creativity, how cultural movements are sparked in the digital age, and why the future of brand building depends on collaborating with creators who can turn audiences into communities.

Speakers:

• Jarren Barboza, a professional BMX athlete and creative entrepreneur
• Marina Ingvarsson, a New York-based stylist renowned for her ability to blend fashion-forward elegance with practicality

Improvisational Agility for Changemakers

In a world where marketers must respond to impossible deadlines, shifting trends, and constant disruption, challenge is the new normal, and improvisers are experts at thriving in the unknown. In this interactive keynote from Second City Works, we’ll explore how the foundational skills of improvisation can empower creative professionals to meet challenge not with resistance, but with readiness.

The Price of Trust: How Challenger Brands Redefine Loyalty

When it comes to money, trust is everything. Many consumers still turn to banks and credit unions over Big Tech, but challenger brands are reshaping what loyalty looks like. In this conversation, Andrea Gilman and Raphaël Bouquillon explore how creativity, rapid experimentation, and agile thinking can help brands find new opportunities, empower customers, and stay relevant in a crowded market. You’ll hear how to spot gaps others miss, build solutions that strengthen relationships rather than replace them, and bring bold visions to life, showing that trust is not given, it’s earned.

Speakers:

Andrea Gilman, CMO, Early Warning (Zelle & Paze)
Raphael Bouquillon, SVP, Account Management, SPCSHP

Under the Spotlight

In our ‘Under the Spotlight’ series we invite top business leaders for an honest, no holds barred conversation in a relaxed and intimate setting. Provocative (where necessary) and searching, the aim is to dig deeper into their personal experiences to understand what lead them to becoming the person and leader they are today.
We aim to uncover the untold stories, the challenges they have faced and overcome, brave decisions that had to be taken, and understanding how we as leaders can make a positive impact at work and on society as a whole.

Hear from Wendy Kula, previous, VP, North America Women's Brand Marketing, Nike