25: Leading people-focused tech transformations: Insights from Marathon Petroleum Corporation Commercial IT Leader, Justin Schwartz
Justin Schwartz, commercial IT leader at Marathon Petroleum, shares how his team is bringing people and technology together to drive meaningful change across the business. He highlights that understanding the needs of different users, from field staff to traders, is key to shaping effective solutions—and emphasizes the importance of starting with the real business problem rather than simply chasing new technology. Justin explains how field experiments with AI agents are helping his team learn in real time and improve performance, all while keeping humans at the center of innovation. He encourages leaders navigating rapid transformation to build an inclusive culture, engage teams early, and manage change with transparency and curiosity. Justin also notes that the pace of technology is only increasing, and that actively absorbing information and quickly adopting new ways of working is essential for long-term success. In this episode, you'll learn: Why engaging your people first, pinpointing real business challenges and designing solutions with clear value are crucial for leading successful transformation Ways to accelerate progress by making experimentation a habit, learning alongside your teams and quickly applying new insights Strategies to build a resilient team that is equipped to handle rapid transformation together Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:00] Zone defense: Four kids under 12 [02:00] Justin's path to Marathon [02:40] The scope of Marathon [03:30] Transformation throughout Justin's career [04:50] Doing "transformation" right [06:00] Justin's favorite transformation [07:50] Fostering culture during transformation [10:10] Experimenting with AI agents [11:40] Staying human-centric [13:20] An experience that defines you: Learning from challenges [15:20] Advice to your younger self: Focus on listening [16:20] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Deeper understandings [17:10] Subcultures and trends to follow: Human elements of digital transformation [18:20] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: The rate of change Resources mentioned: Marathon Petroleum Corporation Dreamforce Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Justin Schwartz and Marathon Petroleum Corporation: Justin Schwartz on LinkedIn Marathon Petroleum Corporation in LinkedIn Marathon Petroleum Corporation on Instagram Marathon Petroleum Corporation on YouTube Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads
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24: Increase productivity with a digital workforce: Insights from TeamViewer Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Steil
Oliver Steil, chief executive officer (CEO) at TeamViewer, shares how his team is reshaping the digital workforce across industries by enabling remote access, facilitating proactive issue remediation, and increasing productivity through automation for both frontline and technical workers. He details the importance of making information easily accessible to specialists wherever they are, explains how AI-powered automation can proactively address issues before they impact users, and highlights the value of strong business collaborations to achieve seamless workflows. Oliver encourages marketing leaders to embrace new technology to drive productivity, speaks about the potential risk of falling behind in a faster-paced, competitive environment, and advocates the importance of staying network-focused and open to change. Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:00] Dreamforce [02:00] Olivers path to TeamViewer [03:25] The scope of TeamViewer [05:35] Alan's manufacturing experience [07:45] Bringing the digital experience to the floor [09:55] How AI is changing work [12:20] Proactive issue remediation [15:55] Remote work [17:20] Collaboration opportunities [19:30] Collaborations at scale [21:15] Understanding your role [22:30] An experience that defines you: Shifting from engineering to consulting [25:05] Advice to your younger self: Network even more [25:40] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Seeing opportunity in disruption [26:50] Subcultures and trends to follow: International politics [28:45] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Increased productivity Resources mentioned: TeamViewer Dreamforce Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Oliver Steil and TeamViewer: Oliver Steil on LinkedIn TeamViewer on LinkedIn TeamViewer on Instagram TeamViewer on YouTube TeamViewer on Threads Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads
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23: Transforming complexity into clarity through data: Insights from Dion Smith, senior vice president of worldwide partner ecosystem at Siemens
Dion Smith, senior vice president (SVP) of worldwide (WW) partner ecosystem at Siemens reveals how the 175-year-old and highly diverse organization, is transforming complexity into clarity by breaking away from historical silos with its "one tech mission." This strategic shift aims to unify their data, enabling Siemens to solve larger challenges and deliver better client results. He also highlights the strategic importance of collaboration and the use of marketing development funds (MDFs) and dual registration to foster alignment and measurable success for all sides. Dion offers clear advice to leaders navigating their transformations: prioritize the customer journey and let data guide every major decision. Through a candid account of how his dyslexia became a professional superpower, Dion urges others to see value in different perspectives, to fail fast, stay focused on the future, and embrace how AI is freeing people from repetitive tasks to tackle higher-value strategic work. From his perspective, using AI for smarter personalization and predictive insight must always be balanced with respect for consumer trust, ensuring outreach feels supportive rather than intrusive. In this episode, you'll learn: How finding commonalities in complex data leads to clarity and unified strategies Ways to connect marketing investments to measurable outcomes that drive more effective collaboration campaigns Strategies to balance AI-driven personalization with consumer trust for ethical, impactful engagement Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:15] A near-death experience [03:30] Dion's path to Siemens [05:10] His role and the scope of the company [06:45] The "one tech mission" [08:00] Managing a large amount of complexity [10:15] Lessons learned through transformation [12:55] The role of MDFs and dual registration [16:20] Advice for leaders driving transformation [17:55] An experience that defines you: Embracing dyslexia [22:30] Advice to your younger self: Delay reactions until you have the data [24:00] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Finding clarity in complexity [28:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: Agentic AI [31:30] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Consumer trust around AI practices Resources mentioned: Jeff Bezos "Why It's Always Day One" video INSEAD Business School Dreamforce Hewlett-Packard (HP) Garage Origin Story Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Dion Smith and Siemens Dion Smith on LinkedIn Siemens on LinkedIn Siemens on Instagram Siemens on YouTube Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads
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22: Agentic AI for hyper-personalization at scale: Insights from Steve Hammond, general manager and executive vice president of Agentforce Marketing at Salesforce
Steve Hammond, general manager and executive vice president of Agentforce Marketing at Salesforce, sits down with host Alan Hart at Dreamforce to share his perspective on how leaders can navigate the fast pace of change in technology and marketing. Steve reflects on his journey from early entrepreneurial ventures to modernizing Salesforce's marketing technology, emphasizing how consumer expectations are shifting and how AI Agents now empower companies to unlock hyper-personalization at scale. He discusses how interconnected company data is essential to delivering more efficient, personalized experiences, and why executives should be fully invested in shaping strategies to break down barriers to innovation. Steve explains that the intersection of people and technology delivers the strongest results and shares his prediction that as AI evolves, marketers will spend less time managing technical details and more time focused on high-level strategies that empower them to create personalized customer experiences across all touchpoints. In this episode, you'll learn: How AI agents shift consumer expectations Areas for organizations to address to meet evolving consumer expectations How unified company data unlocks more personalized, efficient customer experiences Key highlights: [00:00] Introduction [01:15] Finding rest on the farm [02:45] What is Agent Force Marketing? [03:50] Steve's path to Salesforce [06:50] Keeping up with the pace of change [08:55] The organizational elements needed to adapt shifting consumer expectations [10:40] The intersection between people and technology [14:35] The state of Salesforce marketing solutions [18:10] Personalization at scale [20:50] An experience that defines you: Experiences different cultures [22:25] Advice to your younger self: Deliver on your vision [23:30] A topic marketers need to learn more about: What is real and what is hype? [25:00] Subcultures and trends to follow: The future of work [26:30] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: Apathy Resources mentioned: Salesforce.com Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Steve Hammond and Salesforce: Steve Hammond on X Steve Hammond on LinkedIn Salesforce on LinkedIn Salesforce on Instagram Salesforce on YouTube Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads
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21: Elevating customer experience in sleep technology: Insights from Lisa Tan, chief marketing and strategy officer at Reverie
How can brands use innovation to stand out and improve the customer experience? Alan Hart sits down with Lisa Tan, chief marketing and strategy officer at Reverie, a sleep technology company, on a mission to improve lives through the power of sleep. Together, they explore how brands can leverage technology and creative strategies to improve customer experience and stand out in competitive markets. Lisa highlights the Reverie Innovation Summit, describing how this event not only showcases emerging sleep technologies and ideas but also helps deepen relationships with key industry collaborators. The Innovation Summit plays a key role in Reverie's approach by serving as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and goal alignment. Reverie's approach to sleep technology goes beyond product innovation and focuses on transforming the customer experience. By integrating advanced sleep technology solutions, Reverie helps ensure that every customer interaction is personalized and impactful. Lisa also explains how integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced marketing tech stacks enables Reverie to understand and engage their audiences better. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the importance of business relationships, continuous learning, and adapting to ever-evolving consumer behaviors to create lasting connections. In this episode, you'll learn: Creative approaches Reverie uses to enhance customer experience when working with distributors The importance of marketers understanding their organization's tech stack How Reverie uses an in-person summit to gather feedback and promote innovation in sleep technology Key quote: "As a CMO of a SMB [small and medium business], being able to understand, like really understand how all of the tech stack works and integrates is critical for success." - Lisa Tan, chief marketing and strategy officer at Reverie Key highlights: [00:30] Introduction [01:25] Growing up in Los Alamos [02:55] Lisa's path to Reverie [05:50] Reverie's sleep technology origins [07:55] The evolution and scope of the business [11:35] Reverie's go-to-market strategy [13:20] Reverie's direct-to-consumer strategy [14:55] The role of technology in customer experience [18:20] Why marketers must understand the tech [19:55] Reverie Innovation Summit [24:25] An experience that defines you: Time spent waiting and wandering [26:20] Advice to your younger self: Don't be afraid to be a beginner [27:10] A topic marketers need to learn more about: Human motivation and trends [28:55] Subcultures and trends to follow: Childhood cosmetic obsessions [32:00] Largest opportunity and threat to marketers today: AI Resources mentioned: Reverie MIT AI study Follow the podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Amazon Music Listen on Audible Listen on iHeart Radio Listen on Spotify Connect with Lisa Tan and Reverie: Lisa Tan on LinkedIn Lisa Tan on Instagram Reverie on LinkedIn Reverie on Instagram Reverie on YouTube Connect with Alan Hart and Deloitte Digital: Alan Hart on X Alan Hart on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on LinkedIn Deloitte Digital on Instagram Deloitte Digital on YouTube Deloitte Digital on Threads
Join Alan B. Hart as he dives into conversations with the world's leading chief marketing officers and business innovators. Tune in to get inspired by the stories and experiences of marketing visionaries—and stay ahead of the curve.
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