Insights from Sangeeta Prasad, CMO of Slalom
Welcome to this episode of the Marketing Vanguard podcast. Today, Jenny Rooney speaks with Sangeeta Prasad, chief marketing officer at global business and technology consultancy Slalom, about her unique journey from classic consumer products marketing to B2B transformation leadership.
Sangeeta shares her experiences transitioning from well-established brands like P&G, American Express, and JPMorgan Chase to becoming the first CMO at professional services firms.
She explains why she calls herself a “marketing evangelist” rather than just a marketer, emphasizing her role in converting organizational skeptics into believers. The conversation explores the unique dynamics of B2B marketing versus B2C, particularly in professional services where trust, credibility, and relationships are paramount.
Sangeeta’s previous experience includes leading marketing at Russell Reynolds, an executive search firm. Her career began in classic consumer marketing with significant roles at P&G, American Express, and JPMorgan Chase. She holds an MBA from Chicago Booth Business School.
Episode highlights:
02:12 — The Marketing Evangelist Philosophy: Sangeeta explains her unique perspective on the CMO role: “I’m a marketing evangelist rather than just a marketer because I do believe that we have to be evangelists to convert the skeptics in our organizations into believers, and that’s something that I take a lot of pride and passion in doing.” She emphasizes that B2B organizations often have strong sales cultures that can be skeptical of marketing’s value, requiring CMOs to actively demonstrate marketing’s partnership role rather than replacement function.
08:34 — From Cost Center to Revenue Generator: Sangeeta discusses a crucial organizational shift at Slalom: “At Russell Reynolds, I was in the cost center. At Slalom, we’re now in the customer organization. So we’re the revenue organization. Everything we’re doing is with the lens of ‘how much are you generating?’” This move from being viewed as a cost center to being part of the revenue organization fundamentally changed how marketing is perceived and what it can accomplish, including much closer collaboration with sales teams.
12:09 — The “Fiercely Human” Differentiator: Sangeeta explains Slalom’s unique positioning: “We have this thing called a customer love survey that we do every year to tell us what our customers think of us. I don’t know any other company that measures customer love. And love is a very deliberate word there because we really want the journey to be joyful.” She describes how this emotional connection translates to practical business outcomes, with customers often expressing genuine sadness when projects end and strong word-of-mouth recommendations.
19:13 — AI’s Rapid Transformation of Marketing: Sangeeta addresses the unprecedented pace of change: “Marketing is already being disrupted by AI. It’s not a future thing. It’s happening today. I’ve never seen things change this fast. And my biggest challenge is getting my organization to keep pace with the change that’s happening.” She emphasizes that AI enhances rather than replaces marketing judgment and strategy, but requires a learner mindset to harness effectively.
