Decoding the Role of New-Age CMOs: Turning Insights into Impact

Gone are those days when marketing was simply about story-telling, brand messaging and advertising. CMOs today are not merely responsible for running marketing campaigns or running advertisements, but they help lead the entire company’s strategy. They are expected to be fluent in everything - from AI-powered analytics to omnichannel customer experiences.

CMOs try to ensure that everything the business does supports its mission, while putting the customer first, turning marketing into a key driver
of growth and innovation. They are strategic leaders who understand business goals and customer behavior, and shape experiences accordingly.

In today’s dynamic and digitally driven business environment, marketers have evolved from brand custodians to strategic enablers who play a critical role in shaping and executing organizational strategy. They are now at the forefront of driving business growth, customer engagement, and digital transformation.

It’s all about the Execution!
In a competitive market like today, it is not enough to just have a strong business plan — how customers experience your brand is often the deciding factor in success. CMOs ensure that internal ambition translates into external impact. They make sure what the company wants to achieve (e.g., growth, differentiation, expansion) is clearly communicated and felt by the customer through marketing, branding, and service. By aligning brand messaging, customer experience, and data-driven insights, CMOs help translate business vision into real, resonant customer experiences.

Today's CMOs also go beyond leading marketing teams — they work collaboratively across the entire C-suite; by aligning with CFOs on revenue targets, collaborating with CIOs to refine and integrate the tech stack, and partnering with CEOs to define and drive long-term strategic vision. This cross-functional collaboration isn't just advantageous, but it is critical to business success.

Use of AI & Automation changing the Marketing landscape
The use of AI and automation have dramatically changed the landscape for today’s modern marketers—eliminating manual tasks, enhancing customer targeting, and enabling faster, data-driven decisions across campaigns. With Marketing shifting from being largely intuition-driven to being heavily data- and technology-driven, the adoption of AI and Automation are helping marketers to analyze large volumes of data in real time, deliver highly personalized customer experiences, optimize campaigns dynamically, and scale efforts with greater efficiency.

As a result, marketers are now empowered to move faster, be more precise, and drive measurable impact across the entire customer journey.
 

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A CMO MUST WEAR MULTIPLE HATS - A STORYTELLER, TECHNOLOGIST, AND STRATEGIST

ABHIJEET MUKHERJEE
Head of Marketing at Crayon Software Experts India

“Traditional marketing was about getting visibility and creating demand. Today, the expectation is far deeper, marketing has to deliver business outcomes. My role at Crayon has shifted from being campaign-led to being insight- led. It is no longer just about brand presence; it’s about guiding where the business should invest its energy, how we position ourselves in a crowded digital ecosystem, and how we align with the evolving needs of enterprises. Marketing now sits at the core of decision-making, and that requires me to act less as a communicator and more as a strategist who connects customer signals with business priorities.

At Crayon, we use predictive models to identify what our customers might need even before they articulate it, and automation ensures that our engagement is timely and consistent. This means our teams are not just reacting to opportunities but shaping them. The real win is that AI takes away the noise and lets us focus on high-value interactions, whether that’s creating tailored thought leadership or strengthening partner collaboration.

The CMO of Tomorrow

The CMO of the future will be a growth architect. I see the role evolving beyond brand custodianship into owning customer experience end-to-end and directly influencing revenue models. I believe the most impactful CMOs will be the ones who can translate customer insight into innovation, help shape partner ecosystems, and ensure that marketing is not just about influence but about measurable business value. In many ways, the future CMO will be the voice of the customer inside the boardroom, ensuring that strategy always begins and ends with the customer."

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THE CMO OF THE FUTURE IS A STRATEGIC LEADER WHO DRIVES INNOVATION, GROWTH, AND TRANSFORMATION

ANKESH KUMAR
Director & Chief of Marketing, Ingram Micro

“Over the years, marketing has moved from being a support function to being the center of everything we do at Ingram Micro India. Customers today are always in discovery mode—actively searching, comparing, and engaging with brands before they ever reach a sales conversation. This means marketing no longer just creates awareness; it tracks and nurtures the customer journey end-to-end. My role has therefore shifted from running campaigns to shaping strategy.

Marketing & Digital Transformation

At Ingram Micro, digital transformation is not just about adopting new tools—it’s about reimagining how we engage the entire channel ecosystem. Our digital marketplace, Xvantage, is at the core of this journey. Marketing plays a pivotal role in making that transformation real for our partners and customers.

Marketing is the engine that drives digital engagement across the customer journey—from creating awareness of the platform, to onboarding partners, to continuously educating and enabling them on how Xvantage can accelerate their business. Importantly, marketing also acts as the bridge across the ecosystem. In short, marketing is both the storyteller and the architect of our digital transformation—translating the power of Xvantage into tangible outcomes that help partners grow faster, serve customers better, and strengthen the overall channel.

The CMO of Tomorrow

The role of CMOs is evolving from being campaign leaders to becoming strategic architects of growth. My vision for the future is clear— marketing will be fully AI-enabled, automation-driven, and powered by data intelligence. In the IT channel ecosystem, this shift is even more critical. The CMO of the future must therefore lead with insight, foresight, and ecosystem collaboration.”

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NEW-AGE CMOS WILL THRIVE ON A DATA DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

ASHISH P. DHAKAN
MD & CEO, Prama Hikvision India Pvt. Ltd.

“Marketing plays a crucial role in our digital transformation efforts, driving the company's growth and innovation in the security industry. It helps to develop and execute digital strategies to promote our products and services, leveraging channels like social media, content marketing, search engine optimization and various other initiatives. Our myriad marketing programs engage with customers through various touchpoints, providing support, answering queries, and gathering feedback to improve products and services. In pursuit of marketing, we promote bespoke products and solutions, showcasing their features, benefits, and applications to potential customers.

Our various marketing initiatives foster partnerships with ecosystem partners, dealers and distributors to expand the brand’s reach and offerings. We also leverage advanced technologies like AI, automation, and analytics to enhance marketing initiatives to optimize outcomes. We rely on various advanced marketing tools and resources to navigate market trends, identify potential opportunities, and optimize marketing strategies.

The evolving Role of CMOs

The future role of CMOs in business strategy is rapidly evolving. They can help in bridging the gaps in strategy and operations. The future CMOs will need to connect marketing strategy to operational execution, focusing on differentiation and optimizing the customer journey to drive growth. It will be an opportune time for Data-Driven decision-making for CMOs. Leveraging data analytics and AI will be crucial for CMOs to make informed decisions, predict trends, and personalize customer experiences. Collaboration and agility will be the key success factors. The future CMOs will need to work closely with other C-suite executives, such as CEOs and CIOs, to drive growth and innovation.

To sum up, the future CMOs will have to leverage new technologies like generative AI, quantum computing, and predictive analytics to enhance marketing strategies and customer engagement.”

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TOMORROW’S CMOS WILL GO BEYOND STORYTELLING TO BECOME TRUE BUSINESS ARCHITECTS
 
ASHU MEHROTRA
VP, Marketing, TP-Link
 
SAVIO ALMEIDA
AVP, Marketing, TP-Link
 
“Marketing earlier was largely about communication and campaigns. Today, it is about shaping growth strategy and ensuring customer experience is at the centre of business decisions. Our role has evolved from being a promoter of products to becoming a partner in defining business direction ensuring that every marketing initiative ties directly to revenue, customer retention, and long-term brand value.

We have moved beyond vanity metrics like impressions or likes. The focus is on tangible outcomes that includes creating a pipeline contribution, customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (CLV), and marketing- influenced revenue. Engagement is still important, but it’s tied back to conversion and retention, ensuring marketing as a growth engine rather than just a communication function.

AI & Automation – The Tool for Marketers

AI and automation have transformed the way we operate. From predictive analytics that anticipate customer needs, to automation that personalizes engagement at scale, technology enables us to be faster and more precise. For example, AI helps us segment audiences dynamically and deliver hyper-personalized content, while advanced analytics ensures every decision is backed by data, not assumptions. AI today is slowly and gradually becoming a tool for marketers and helping them to enhance their performance along with helping keep a track from initiation and ideation to execution of various activities.

The CMO of the Future

The Future CMO won’t just be a storyteller but they will be a business builder. With deep knowledge of customers, data, and market shifts, CMOs will play a pivotal role in shaping overall strategy, and not just marketing execution. Going forward, the marketer will be more of a business leader rather than someone just filling in the gap for providing marketing activities.”

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CMOS WILL BE AT THE CENTER OF ALIGNING DATA TECHNOLOGY, AND CREATIVITY

DEBJANI GUPTA
Country Marketing Leader, Zoom Communications

"The role of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) has evolved rapidly and today, it extends far beyond brand building to driving revenue, owning the customer experience, and opening new growth channels. At Zoom, marketing is deeply integrated with our business strategy, identifying new market opportunities, innovating ahead of customer needs, and shaping the overall growth agenda. Looking ahead, we see CMOs becoming even stronger strategic growth partners, the true architects of the customer journey and key drivers of business transformation.

Role of Marketing in Digital Transformation

In an organization’s digital transformation journey, marketing is a vital driver in engaging customers across digital channels, tailoring communications, enhancing user experiences, and applying data to inform strategic decisions. At Zoom, we see this as more than adopting new tools, it’s about reimagining how we connect with customers, tell our story, and create seamless experiences across every touchpoint with our AI-first solutions. Innovations such as Zoom AI Companion, Zoom Docs, Zoom Events, Sessions, and Webinars have significantly enhanced our digital marketing capabilities. These tools enable us to optimize processes, automate routine tasks, repurpose content at scale, and elevate virtual event production. In fact, last year alone, marketers and event organizers hosted over 6 million virtual events on Zoom, reaching 268 million attendees globally, reimagining what’s possible through the power of AI, automation, and production innovation. Through this approach, we have unlocked new growth avenues, increased agility to adapt in a dynamic market, and elevated customer interactions across every stage of the journey."

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MARKETING INCREASINGLY BECOMING A ‘PROFIT-CENTER’ ENABLING BUSINESSES TO EXPAND MINDSHARE AND MARKET SHARE

DIPTI SINGH
Director – Marketing & Communications, VERTIV India

“At Vertiv, my role has expanded from what many once saw as a “support function” to being a core driver of business growth. Today, it’s about sitting at the strategy table and helping shape the direction of the business. For me, the real shift has been moving from execution to influence. At Vertiv, this means working closely with sales, product, solutions, engineering and Tech Business Development teams, bringing in customer-led insight driven solutions offering and ensuring marketing ties directly to growth. To me, this really means marketing is no longer “about the brand alone,” but about how the brand fuels the business. Marketing at Vertiv is deeply embedded in the business strategy, using insights from our advanced infrastructure portfolio—including AI-ready solutions and sustainable technologies—to directly fuel revenue growth and market expansion.

Use of latest Tech in Marketing

AI and analytics have changed the way we approach almost everything. Earlier, you had to wait for campaign results to understand what worked. Now, our AI-powered platforms, such as the Vertiv AI Hub and proprietary analytics tools, provide real-time insights into customer behavior and infrastructure needs, enabling us to deliver highly personalized, context-driven marketing at scale. Automation streamlines routine processes, freeing our marketing team to focus on crafting strategic narratives around Vertiv’s cutting-edge solutions for AI data centers, edge computing, and sustainable power and cooling.

This transformation empowers our marketers to lead with speed and insight, resulting in tangible outcomes, including accelerated strategic engagement, deeper penetration in key accounts, faster time-to-market for new offerings, and enhanced market share growth.”

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CMOS WILL DRIVE THE NEXUS BETWEEN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, PRODUCT INNOVATION AND REVENUE GROWTH

KIMI GUGLANI
Marketing Director for India and SAARC, Trend Micro

“Marketing has moved beyond campaigns and sales support to become a driver of strategic leadership. With cybersecurity now a board-level conversation, customers now anticipate vendors to be business-outcome-aware and risk-aware partners. Marketing today is also advocating for the voice of the customer, driving innovation in spaces such as zero trust, threat intelligence, and AI-based security.

Use of AI, Automation, Analytics enhancing Marketing

Artificial intelligence, automation, and big data analytics are fundamentally transforming the operations of marketing. Our key goal is to use these technologies to drive personalization at scale, optimize resource deployment, and run intelligence-driven campaigns. Predictive analytics allows us to determine which accounts are most likely to engage, using intent data, industry threat patterns, and purchase signals, while AI-powered content engines allow us to personalize messages by industry vertical, be it BFSI, government, or manufacturing. Marketing automation platforms further automate lead nurturing, scoring, and campaign orchestration and ensure that prospects are provided with timely, context-sensitive information that walks them through their buying journey.

The CMO of Tomorrow

In the past, CMOs were demand and brand generators. CMOs in the future will be business growth architects, leaders who stand at the nexus of customer experience, product innovation, and revenue strategy. The next CMO will be three things to me. First, as customer champion, to make sure that field insights inform product design, go-to-market, and partner alignment. Second, as strategic advisor, to lead cross-functional collaboration across sales, R&D, and finance to prepare the company for long-term growth. And third, as storyteller, to tell a credible story communicating not just product value but also the company's contribution to defining the future of secure ecosystems.”

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FOR THE CMO, IT'S ALWAYS BUILDING THE BRAND IDENTITY ON CUSTOMER TRUST

KOMAL SOMANI
Whole Time director, CHRO and CMO, ESDS Software Solution

“The role of marketing has changed from executing promotional campaigns to guiding the whole organization’s planning with a focus on customer needs, integrating data-driven decision-making in collaboration with other departments to drive growth. This thought process follows moving beyond traditional mass communication to a customer centric model, combining digital technologies to build personalized experiences and foster long-term brand loyalty.

Use of latest Tech in Marketing

Innovation is in our DNA, and incorporating AI and machine learning into our marketing plans is proof of that. We utilize AI-based analytics to understand intricate customer behaviours, empowering highly focused and individualized marketing campaigns. Machine learning algorithms forecast upcoming patterns, enabling us to be proactive and provide our customers with exactly what they require, at the right time. Our digital transformation journey acts as the bridge between our technology capabilities and customer needs. We consider brand visibility to be an important element of the IT industry.

Evolving Role of a CMO

As a CMO, I believe our brand identity is built on a foundation of innovation, trust, and impact. At ESDS, we tell a story of how we are not just adapting to the future but pursuing to actively shape it. Consistency across all platforms is key, but so is our commitment to thought leadership and social responsibility. Through our sustainable practices and dedication to pushing boundaries, we demonstrate our commitment to making a positive societal impact. By staying true to our values and continuously engaging with our audience in meaningful ways, we aim to ensure that the ESDS brand remains synonymous with excellence and leadership in the IT industry.”

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A MARKETER IS A FRONT-LINE PARTNER IN DRIVING GROWTH, INFLUENCING DECISIONS, AND STRENGTHENING BRAND TRUST

KRISTINE DANIELS
Head of India – Marketing, Rubrik

“In a cybersecurity company, especially an OEM, marketers carry a responsibility that goes far beyond ‘creating buzz’. They sit at the intersection of technology, business, and customers, helping shape the direction of the company while also driving its day-to-day impact in the market. The role of a marketer today goes far beyond traditional marketing activities like brand awareness or content creation. Marketers are now working hand-in-hand with sales, building closer relationships with customers, and often becoming trusted advisors in their own right. Customers are not just listening to sales pitches—they are also valuing and vouching for the words of marketers because of the credibility and relationships we build over time. In this way, marketing is no longer a back-end function, but a front-line partner in driving growth, influencing decisions, and strengthening trust in the brand.

As marketers, our first responsibility is to stay focused on the target audience. For us, that means identifying and engaging the decision-makers who matter most—CIOs, CISOs, Presidents, VPs, and Heads of IT. It’s equally important to recognize where we stand in the product life cycle and how our company is positioned in the market. Also, execution is where strategy comes alive. It’s not enough to have a plan—we need to activate it across the right platforms and channels. That means an integrated approach: using PR to build credibility, digital marketing to scale reach, thought leadership to shape conversations, and focused roundtables and events to drive meaningful engagement.

Ultimately, marketing in a cybersecurity OEM is about creating a bridge—between strategy and execution, between technology and market needs, between where we are and where we want to be.”

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THE FUTURE CMO WILL BE BOTH A STRATEGIST AND A CONNECTOR

KUNAL AMAN
Regional Marketing Director – India, Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, SAS

“Over the years, my role at SAS has evolved from executing marketing activities to driving strategic impact by getting an ‘outside in view’, uncovering white spaces for our business to grow, engaging leaders, shaping business direction, influencing priorities, and mentoring future talent. A key shift has been building cross-functional collaboration with sales, presales, customer success and finance to contribute to as well as shape and guide organizational priorities together.

Today, marketing is not just about visibility, it’s about enabling growth. By crafting compelling narratives, accelerating opportunities and fueling the pipeline, marketing plays a central role in shaping long-term business levers. My focus at SAS has been on ensuring relevance, creating efficiency, and local market impact. Being part of SAS, a data and AI leader, has also transformed our marketing operations to be agile, data-driven and tech-enabled.

The changing Role of CMOs

The expectations from marketing leaders are only set to increase in the times to come. I see the CMO evolving into a growth orchestrator, a strategic partner who is deeply embedded in business strategy, not just marketing execution. The marketing leaders of tomorrow will need to be great collaborators, aligning cross-functional teams, marrying data and insights with creativity to create impact.

With the infusion of gen AI and agentic AI, marketing is entering a new era, supercharged with enhanced creativity, productivity and speed to market. Yet, the Modern CMO has to continue to bridge storytelling with analytics, integrating marketing with technology to make smarter decisions. In essence, the future CMO is both a strategist and a connector, bringing people, processes, and platforms together to fuel sustainable growth.”

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MARKETING HELPING BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE INTERNAL VISION AND THE EXTERNAL REALITY

NAGESH BELUR
Chief Marketing Officer – iValue Group

“At iValue, marketing has become less about creating campaigns and more about shaping how people experience us as a company. In the past, the focus was on visibility. Today, it’s about building clarity and trust around who we are, what we stand for, and the value we bring to enterprises. For us, Marketing is all about consistency. Every piece of communication, whether it’s thought leadership, partner engagement, or customer interaction, contributes to how iValue is seen. So, the shift has really been from promotion to purpose; ensuring that iValue’s image in the market reflects the value we bring to customers, partners, and the broader ecosystem.

Marketing & Digital Transformation

Technology may drive digital transformation, but it’s marketing that gives it context; helping enterprises see why it matters and how it shapes their future. We translate complex ideas, like cybersecurity frameworks, hybrid cloud infrastructure, or data privacy compliance, into conversations that decision-makers can connect with. It’s about making the technology story accessible and relevant, so that our customers and partners see not just the “what,” but the “why” behind transformation.

The CMO of the Future

In the future, CMOs will be less about “how do we promote this” and more about “how do we shape this, so it matters to our ecosystem.” That means being part of strategic conversations on growth, partnerships, and innovation right from the start. At its core, marketing is still about people, understanding what they value, how they decide, and what earns their trust. CMOs will need to bring that understanding not just to campaigns, but to board-level strategy, so businesses stay relevant in a fast-moving world.”

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BY BRIDGING STRATEGIES, CMOS BRING FOCUS AND CLARITY TO THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION

NICKI DEWHURST
Vice President Marketing, Sophos, Asia Pacific & Japan

“Traditional marketing focused on promoting products and brands through familiar channels like print, email, websites, even TV, using a structured and linear approach to engagement. Modern marketing leadership, however, requires agility to match the pace of change, the ability to translate complexity into value, help your business stand out in a crowded market place, while maintaining a commitment to cross-functional collaboration. It’s a team sport now.

AI is already changing the way people buy and how we reach them. Social media influences every layer of marketing from strategy to campaigns and execution. As leaders, we need to zoom out, stay current, and create space for our teams to test, learn, grow, and succeed. At the same time, marketers are expected to be more data-driven than ever, using insights to achieve better results and greater productivity. With time being tight, resources becoming scarce and the landscape moving fast, it is important that we still make space to experiment, fail fast, and grow to ensure we stay sharp and stay ahead.

Evolution of the Future CMO

The future CMO won’t just support business strategy, but we will help shape it. As markets shift, customer behaviours change, and AI continues to influence how we work, CMOs are uniquely placed to bring clarity and cohesion across the business. CMOs need to build cultures of learning, experimentation, and agility. We can’t just scale what works and centralize it. The strongest marketing leaders will know how to balance data and creativity using AI and analytics to drive smarter, faster decisions, while staying grounded in human insight and storytelling.”

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TODAY’S CMO IS THE CHIEF ORCHESTRATOR OF INNOVATION AND OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

NIKHIL DUDWADKAR
Head of Marketing, India, Kaspersky

“Traditional marketing focuses on activities like event management, email marketing, and webinar operations, primarily middle and lower funnel efforts. Today, my role has evolved into strategic leadership where the focus lies on brand and thought leadership, demand generation, and customer engagement at the upper funnel. This includes leading Product Marketing, running Account-Based Marketing (ABM) workshops with large enterprise clients, developing case studies, and overseeing campaign strategy. Instead of a one-size-fits-all promotional approach, the goal is now long-term value creation with strategic products tailored to B2B enterprise audiences, and talking points are now more business-outcome driven than just features and benefits.

Marketing’s role today extends well beyond just generating leads; it’s now a direct contributor to business revenue.
The top three metrics we track are -
•    Revenue and Pipeline Contribution: Measures how marketing efforts convert into actual sales and future opportunities.
•    Campaign Performance (Demand Gen): Assesses how different campaigns perform in driving interest and engagement across the funnel.
•    Operational Efficiency Metrics: Includes budget spend effectiveness, campaign ROI, and improvements in the marketing cycle time.

Future role of CMOs

The CMO’s future is rooted in being the chief orchestrator of innovation and operational excellence. Beyond representing the voice of the customer, CMOs must now act as connectors between innovation, growth, and execution. They play a critical role in aligning marketing with product, sales, and customer success teams to ensure agile responses to market needs. As digital disruption continues, CMOs will lead organizations in staying competitive, customer-centric, and forward-thinking.”

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A CMO FUSES DATA-DRIVEN STORYTELLING WITH AI-POWERED INSIGHT

PUNEET CHADHA
Global Chief Marketing Officer, Redington

“At Redington, we have transitioned from traditional marketing to a more strategic, insight-driven approach. Our narrative intertwines technology, strategy, and storytelling. Marketing today is propelled by AI adoption, driving demand generation, predictive market analytics, and Redington-led global events from The Forum for direct partner engagement to Crescent Nights in MENA and global showcases like GITEX, LEAP, and Web Summit.

Through these platforms, we collaborate with tech brands and our channel partners the true Makers of the Next unlocking growth opportunities and increasing visibility via initiatives such as RevScale (digital-first campaigns, SEO, and ABM) and Tech Ventures (partner recognition and rewards).

Importantly, this shift aligns with India’s larger digital story where over 60% of new online shoppers now come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and platforms like UPI processed more than 185 billion transactions in FY 2024–25, growing 41% year-on-year. For Redington and its partners, this means marketing is not just about messaging; it’s about enabling partners to grow with these macro digital shifts.

Role of Marketing in Digital Transformation efforts

Marketing is central to Redington’s digital transformation, bridging strategy, technology, and partner engagement. In many ways, our work mirrors India’s own digital transformation journey. The new unified narrative, Unlock Next, reflects our evolving brand story and guides initiatives across its five pillars: Access, Growth, Trust, Efficiency, and Impact.

We bring these pillars to life through partner-centric IPs like The Vertical (vertical-specific solutions), The Pitch Room.AI (connecting startups with partners), and large-scale digital platforms like ISAAS (digital lead generation and nurturing). We also see AI, automation, and analytics as force multipliers, elevating marketing from a support function to a strategic growth engine.”

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THE FUTURE CMO WILL BRIDGE TECHNOLOGY, TRENDS, MARKET DYNAMICS AND ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH

RAJESH GOENKA
CEO, Rashi Peripherals

“At Rashi Peripherals, our marketing function has evolved significantly from being a value-added distributor to becoming a strategic business enabler. Traditional marketing was often about promoting products and services, but today's marketing leadership at RP Tech involves comprehensive business strategy formulation, market expansion planning, and channel ecosystem development.

Our strategic leadership role now encompasses several critical areas - First, we drive our expansion into Tier 3 and Tier 4 markets, which requires deep market understanding and localized strategies. Second, we play a pivotal role in market development for our brands. Our marketing intelligence helps identify emerging technology trends— whether it's AI-powered computing, embedded solutions, or surveillance products—that align with market demand and our distribution capabilities. Third, our marketing function now leads digital transformation initiatives across the organization.

Role of Marketing in Digital Transformation

Marketing is in the DNA of Rashi Peripherals. It is one of the most important aspects of our business and has been instrumental in our engagement with various stakeholders like channel partners, brands, employees, investors and so on. We leverage both traditional and modern marketing tools to amplify our message and reach out to potential customers. Our marketing function serves as the catalyst for digital transformation across multiple dimensions of our business.

The Evolving Role of a CMO

The future CMO in the ICT distribution industry will be a strategic business architect who bridges technology trends, market dynamics, and organizational growth. At Rashi Peripherals, we envision the CMO role evolving into three core dimensions - as a Strategic Market Intelligence Leader; Ecosystem Partnership Orchestrator and Digital Transformation Catalyst.”

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THE FUTURE CMO WILL CHAMPION THE CUSTOMER'S VOICE TO ENSURE A CUSTOMER-CENTRIC DECISION

RIMI DAS
Head of Marketing, India Region, Pure Storage

“My role as a marketer has shifted from a promotional function to a core strategic business function integrating into all aspects of business decisions and customer engagement, driven by a deep understanding of customer needs and market trends, and not to forget innovative thinking to drive growth rather than just managing campaigns. A marketer should understand that strategic leadership in marketing now encompasses guiding the company's overall direction, aligning with business goals, and influencing executive decisions. They are responsible for ensuring that every marketing activity, whether it be a campaign or any customer outreach, directly supports the company’s big-picture goals, its mission, what it stands for and the vision of what the company aims to become.

Marketing Role in Digital Transformation efforts

Marketing plays a crucial role in digital transformation. It leverages data, technology and new channels to improve customer engagement, personalize experiences and drive business growth. It acts as a bridge between the business and the customer, using digital tools to understand customer behavior, refine strategies, and ultimately achieve business objectives.

The Changing Role of the CMO

CMOs will be integral to overall business strategy, aligning marketing initiatives with corporate vision and mission to drive growth. They will champion the customer's voice and needs throughout the organization, ensuring decisions are customer-centric. They won’t just focus on advertising or brand campaigns but will play a central role in shaping the company's direction and success. Their work will influence how the company grows, competes, and operates.

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CMOS WILL INCREASINGLY BE GROWTH OFFICERS, INNOVATION PARTNERS AND CUSTOMER ADVOCATES

SOORAJ BALAKRISHNAN
Associate Director & Head of Marketing, Acer India

“At Acer India, we take a balanced approach to measuring marketing’s contribution to growth, blending quantitative performance metrics with long-term brand health indicators. On the performance side, we track metrics such as sales growth, lead conversion rates, return on marketing investment (ROMI), and digital engagement KPIs like CTRs, cost per acquisition, and customer lifetime value. At the same time, we closely monitor brand metrics such as awareness, consideration, and preference scores in our target segments.

Marketing & Digital Transformation

Marketing is at the heart of our digital transformation, both as a driver and as a beneficiary. On one hand, we are leveraging data, automation, and AI-powered insights to make our marketing more precise, personalized, and measurable, whether it’s through programmatic advertising, predictive analytics, or advanced CRM systems. On the
other hand, marketing acts as the bridge between our technology-led innovations and the customer, ensuring that our digital-first products, services, and experiences are clearly communicated and seamlessly adopted.

Evolving Role of the CMO

The role of the CMO is rapidly evolving from being primarily a brand custodian to becoming a core architect of business strategy. My vision is for CMOs to be deeply embedded in strategic decision-making, not just influencing the go-to-market plan, but shaping the very products, services, and experiences that define the brand. CMOs will increasingly be growth officers, innovation partners, and customer advocates, all rolled into one, ensuring that business strategy is inseparable from customer strategy.”

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WITH DATA AND TECHNOLOGY READILY AVAILABLE, DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING SHOULD BE THE MAIN FOCUS

VINNY SHARMA
Marketing Director - Asia Pacific Japan & Middle East Africa, Securonix

“With the internet as the new marketplace, the role of marketers has also evolved dramatically, where they were the traditional guardians of the brand and managers of marketing budgets. Today’s marketers are growth drivers and revenue generators, leveraging data analytics and customer insights to forecast trends and drive measurable growth.

At Securonix, a leader in a domain as dynamic as cybersecurity, we believe marketing activities should establish stakeholder confidence while focusing on building customer-centric strategies. This includes creating extensive awareness about the evolving threat landscape while acting as innovation catalysts and capability builders to drive adoption. Securonix has a diverse partnership programme for MSSPs, VARs, technology partners, system integrators, and technology service distributors to deliver cutting-edge solutions to customers.

Marketers should understand that long-term strategic initiatives drive future growth while tactical execution brings in revenues and customer engagement in the short term. With data and technology at their fingertips, marketing leaders should focus on data- driven decision-making to predict market trends, adapting the right tactics and quickly responding to customers' behaviors and demands. We at Securonix leverage AI, automation, AI-powered search, and advanced analytics to personalize customer engagement, ascertain customer preferences, and optimize the performance of marketing campaigns in real-time. As a leader in the space, we share industry-valuable insights through publications, influencer events, webinars, and more. We believe marketing is a tool to cultivate trust, increase the adoption rate, and empower organizations to excel in an increasingly complex threat landscape.”

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