This week on CMO Confidential, we're revisiting our conversation with Peri Hansen from July of 2025 - this is one of our favorites with topics just as relevant to marketers today.

Peri discusses why the CMO position is becoming the vanguard of innovation, the importance of an "agile learner" mindset, and why there's no substitute for great leadership. Key topics include: how nothing "returned to normal" after COVID; the importance of org design; and why CMO's should own the entire customer life cycle and help drive company strategy. Tune in to hear why references matter more than ever and the importance of building a personal brand.

Topics Covered:

• Why CMOs are being tapped to drive innovation and transformation

• The post-COVID shift in org design and what it means for marketing

• The importance of leadership, agility, and continuous learning

• Why great references still matter in the hiring process

• How CMOs can (and should) influence company-wide strategy

This episode is sponsored by Typeface - the agentic AI marketing platform that turns one idea into thousands of on-brand assets. Learn more: typeface.ai/cmo

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⏱️ Chapters

01:20 – Intro: The Evolving Role of the CMO

01:46 – Meet Peri Hansen: Korn Ferry CMO Practice Leader

02:39 – Why the CMO is Now the Vanguard of Innovation

05:53 – Three New Mandates for CMOs: Tech, Strategy & Lifecycle

07:05 – The CMO as a Change Agent and Team Builder

09:51 – Tech CMOs Are Leading—Who’s Catching Up?

12:25 – Building Tech Credibility as a Marketing Leader

14:18 – “Nothing Returned to Normal” After COVID

14:51 – Post-COVID Turnover: What CEOs and Boards Want Now

16:07 – What’s Replacing the Traditional CMO Role?

19:15 – Why Org Design Is a Top Priority in CMO Searches

20:58 – How Companies Realize They Need Org Restructuring

22:44 – The AI Era: Is There a Leadership Gap Forming?

24:14 – What Agile Leadership Actually Looks Like

25:51 – What Resumes Reveal: Pivot Points and Risk-Taking

27:21 – Why References Matter More Than Ever

29:09 – Final Advice: CMOs, Build Your Own Personal Brand

30:53 – Wrap Up & Where to Find More CMO Confidential Content

#CMOConfidential #PeriHansen @kornferryintl #ChiefMarketingOfficer #Leadership #OrgDesign #CustomerExperience #MarketingStrategy #PersonalBrand #ExecutiveSearch #CMOInsights

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A CMO Confidential Interview with Dave Penski, CEO of Connected Media, formerly CEO of Publicis Media, COO of Publicis Groupe, and CEO of ZenithOptimedia. Dave shares perspective on how clients are managing through a challenging marketplace, how there's increasing "disruption" between consumers and advertisers, and why the future of media is based on "connected identity." Key topics include: why Publicis continues to invest in tech; why 2027 will bring increased challenges for marketers; how different business verticals are impacted by "the economic K curve;" and why sports is "as AI proof as it gets." Tune in to hear why you should know your customer as precisely as possible across all media types and thoughts on the potential impacts of gambling and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) on the golden goose of sports.

Dave Penski, CEO of Publicis Media (twice over) and former COO of Publicis Groupe, returns to CMO Confidential for a wide-ranging conversation with host Mike Linton on the forces reshaping marketing, media, and the agency business in 2026. Dave offers a rare economist's-eye view across verticals — from tariffs and consumer confidence to the K-economy, AI's real (and overhyped) impact on agencies, the in-housing cycle that never quite materialized as predicted, and why 2027 may be the toughest advertising year in recent memory.

Topics covered: connected identity, Publicis' $12B investment thesis, creative and engineering transformation via AI, streaming consolidation, the fragmentation of sports viewing, gambling regulation, and the one piece of career advice Dave still gives every mentee.

*This episode is brought to you by Scrunch . Learn more at scrunchai.com/cmo

🎙️ Host: Mike Linton — Former CMO of Best Buy, eBay, Farmers Insurance & Ancestry.com

👤 Guest: Dave Penske — CEO, Publicis Media

🔔 New episodes every Tuesday. Find our full catalog of 160+ episodes on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

## ⏱️ Chapter Markers

0:00 Welcome to CMO Confidential

0:23 Introducing Dave Penske & Today's Topic

1:13 State of the Business Marketplace: Volatility, Tariffs & Fragmentation

4:40 The Agency Landscape: Publicis vs. the Competition

5:23 Publicis' $12B Investment Strategy & Connected Media

7:42 What "Connected Identity" Actually Means

11:10 Forces on Agency Economics & Valuations

13:21 Why Agency Valuations Have Taken a Hit

16:48 The In-Housing Debate: 10 Years In, What's Really Happening

23:55 AI & Agencies: Creative, Production & Engineering Disruption

29:01 AI on the Buy Side: Faster Planning & Measurement

30:20 The Hollowing Out of the Middle Class & the K-Economy

34:00 2026 Marketplace Outlook: Midterms, Olympics Dollars & Risk

40:21 Streaming: Paramount/Warner Brothers & the New Big Six

42:37 Sports: AI-Proof, Must-See TV & the NIL Problem

44:45 The Fragmented Sports Viewing Experience

46:00 Gambling: Engagement Boost or Threat to the Game?

48:47 What CMOs Should Be Building Now for 2027

50:47 Closing Advice: The One Thing Dave Still Tells Every Mentee

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CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Dave Penske, Publicis Media, agency business, media industry 2026, connected identity, Epsilon, AI in advertising, AI and agencies, in-housing, media fragmentation, advertising marketplace, K-economy, middle class economy, streaming consolidation, Paramount Warner Brothers, sports advertising, sports gambling, NIL reform, agency valuations, Publicis Groupe, media planning, marketing leadership, CMO podcast, advertising trends, tariffs and advertising, media buying, retail media, influencer marketing, Sapient, AI creative production, upfront TV, Olympic advertising, World Cup advertising, midterm elections advertising, marketing strategy 2027, chief marketing officer

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A CMO Confidential Interview with Dave Penski, CEO of Connected Media, formerly CEO of Publicis Media, COO of Publicis Groupe, and CEO of ZenithOptimedia. Dave shares perspective on how clients are managing through a challenging marketplace, how there's increasing "disruption" between consumers and advertisers, and why the future of media is based on "connected identity." Key topics include: why Publicis continues to invest in tech; why 2027 will bring increased challenges for marketers; how different business verticals are impacted by "the economic K curve;" and why sports is "as AI proof as it gets." Tune in to hear why you should know your customer as precisely as possible across all media types and thoughts on the potential impacts of gambling and NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) on the golden goose of sports.

In this episode of CMO Confidential, host Mike Linton sits down with Dave Penski, two-time CEO of Publicis Media and former COO of Publicis Groupe, for a wide-ranging conversation on the forces reshaping media, agencies, and marketing strategy. Dave offers a ground-level view from one of the largest holding companies in the world — covering everything from the fragmented ad marketplace and AI's real-world impact, to the K-economy, streaming consolidation, sports gambling risk, and what CMOs should be building toward in 2027.

This episode covers:

Why the current ad marketplace is volatile — and which verticals are feeling it most

Publicis's $12B+ investment thesis around connected identity (Epsilon, Mars United, influencer)

The real story on agency insourcing: who wins, who loses, and what "outsourcing back out" looks like

Where AI is actually delivering — creative production, media planning speed, and Sapient's engineering work

The K-economy, hollowing out of the middle class, and what it means for advertising spend

Streaming consolidation: why the Paramount/Warner Bros. deal is a win for advertisers

Sports as the most AI-proof content — and why gambling regulation is a threat to the whole model

What CMOs should be investing in now to win in 2027

New episodes of CMO Confidential drop every Tuesday. Find our full catalog of 160+ episodes on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

TIMESTAMPED CHAPTER MARKERS

0:00 - Welcome to CMO Confidential

0:23 - Introducing Dave Penski, CEO of Publicis Media

1:13 - State of the Business Marketplace: Volatility, Tariffs & Fragmentation

4:40 - The Agency Landscape: Publicis vs. the Field

5:49 - Publicis's $12B Investment Strategy & Connected Media Vision

7:42 - What "Connected Identity" Actually Means (Epsilon, 255M IDs)

11:35 - Agency Valuations, Margins & Who's Growing vs. Who's Cutting

13:21 - The Insourcing Debate: In-House, Out-House & "Re-Housing"

23:55 - AI's Real Impact on Agencies: Creative, Engineering & Media Planning

30:20 - The K-Economy: Hollowing Out the Middle Class & Advertiser Confidence

35:04 - The 2026 Upfront Outlook: Olympics Dollars, Midterms & What's Next

40:01 - Streaming Consolidation: Paramount + Warner Bros. & the Six-Player Model

42:37 - Sports as AI-Proof Content & the Fragmented Viewing Problem

46:00 - Gambling: Bullish on Sports, Bearish on the Regulation Gap

48:47 - CMO Advice: What to Build Now for 2027 Success

50:47 - Final Advice: The Most Underrated Career Skill Is Still Punctuality

TAGS

CMO Confidential, Mike Linton, Dave Penski, Publicis Media, Publicis Groupe, agency business, media agency, holding company, connected identity, Epsilon, AI in marketing, AI advertising, media fragmentation, programmatic advertising, insourcing, in-house agency, agency valuations, K-economy, middle class marketing, consumer confidence, advertising marketplace, streaming consolidation, Paramount Warner Bros, sports advertising, sports media, NIL, college sports gambling, sports betting regulation, upfront market, media planning, CMO strategy, marketing leadership, CMO podcast, marketing podcast, chief marketing officer, 2027 marketing strategy, media buying, agency economics, Sapient, creative production AI, marketing AI tools

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