Uncensored CMO

Syl Saller CBE is one of the most respected marketing leaders of her generation. Former Global Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Diageo, Syl helped lead a FTSE 10 business with more than 200 brands across 180 countries. Today, she’s an executive coach and mentor, President of The Marketing Society, and works closely with C-suite leaders to develop the next generation of marketing leadership.
In this episode, Syl shares what the CMO role at Diageo is really like, how to build strong relationships with CEOs and boards, and how to navigate imposter syndrome, difficult conversations, and career-defining moments. We also discuss why she left Diageo, what she’d do differently looking back, and the leadership lessons she now passes on to others.
Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:
https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861
Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - What’s a CMO role at Diageo really like?
02:56 - How to have difficult conversations
03:59 - Whats it like being on the board of Diageo?
05:04 - Working with Sir Ivan Menezes, legendary Diageo CEO
09:10 - How to foster a great relationship with your CEO
12:38 - How Syl Saller’s childhood shaped her into the leader she is today
18:57 - What would Syl Saller do differently in her career
21:29 - How to deal with imposter syndrome as a leader
25:31 - How to figure out your life and career plan
28:08 - The toolkit for planning success
31:40 - Why the challenging moments in life can have the best outcomes
34:17 - Maintaining a good work life balance with a senior job
38:51 - Why Syl left Diageo in 2020
40:11 - Why Syl Saller became a leadership coach after leaving Diageo
43:10 - Three bits of leadership advice from Syl Saller

This is an episode of the Uncensored Renegades podcast. To hear episodes of this new show, subscribe here:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qnkqq0XSpgif9A5ZNgSpX?si=f181c3a0e9af480c
When you define any other business function, the answer is simple. What is finance? What is HR? What is IT?
When you ask, what is marketing? The answer is broad. Is it sales? Is it storytelling? Is it brand?
In this episode, Kory and Jon dig into some of the words used to define marketing and decrypt some of the findings.
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:15 - Why is marketing hard to define?
04:35 - Why brand is so important
08:36 - How your brand shows up when hiring people
10:36 - The words that describe marketing
14:47 - Do marketers neglect the role of strategy?
17:25 - The most surprising words that define marketing
18:39 - The power of storytelling

The last time I spoke to today's guest, James Watt, he fired me. It's the first thing we talk about in the episode, but I have nothing but respect for the man who built Brewdog into the Unicorn it is today. Through their impressive marketing stunts, focus on product quality and immense speed of execution, Brewdog successfully took on the beer behemoths and solidified its place in the industry. In this episode we talk about why James made a mistake hiring an executive team (including me), how they convinced a bank to give them a loan in the global financial crisis and how he almost lost £50m to a Russian bank account. Now, James has launched a new venture, Social Tip, a new way brands can connect with consumers.
Sign up to our live event, The Calling, on April 21st here:
https://event.uncensoredcmo.com/events/uncensoredcmo/2044861
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Why did James fire Jon?
01:56 - Being in the detail and close to the customer
06:07 - Brewdog founding story: how they got funding
08:54 - Why Brewdog is so passionate about making a great product
13:07 - How Brewdog won their Tesco listing
15:58 - How a Tesco listing transformed Brewdog
17:37 - The secret to an overnight success
20:22 - Why constraints led to great marketing for Brewdog
22:09 - Examples of Brewdog’s incredible marketing stunts
27:43 - Why James changed his name to Elvis
29:28 - Collaborating with copycats: launching ALD IPA
31:14 - When marketing stunts go wrong
33:28 - How James almost lost £50 million
37:48 - James Watt’s favourite business books
41:17 - How James Watt felt when he left Brewdog
43:01 - Leadership lessons from James Watt about scaling
46:05 - Dealing with public scrutiny
47:26 - Why James started his new business: Social Tip
54:03 - How to pitch your business to James Watt

This is the first episode of the Uncensored Renegades podcast. To hear episodes of this new show, subscribe here:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/uncensored-renegades/id1868870960
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7qnkqq0XSpgif9A5ZNgSpX?si=f181c3a0e9af480c
Know your e.l.f.ing numbers - it's your responsibility as a leader. Jon and Kory share stories of when this has helped them in roles, and share advice on how CMOs can be successful in getting more budget, taking bigger risks and, ultimately, grow the brand (for 25 consecutive quarters in Kory’s case).
Timestamps
00:00 - Intro
00:34 - You just do the cutting, sticking and colouring in
01:42 - Why knowing your numbers is so important for CMOs
05:25 - Making the case for long term marketing investment
08:10 - Why CMOs need to earn the right to take risks
12:05 - Managing internal politics in the c-suite
15:16 - Kory’s formula to create successful work

Jenn Chase, CMO of SAS, joins us to share how one of the world’s most established AI and analytics companies is reinventing its brand. From launching SAS’s first brand campaign in 25 years to shifting the organisation from performance-led to brand-led thinking, Jenn walks through what it takes to drive meaningful change inside a founder-led business.
We also discuss how COVID reshaped the brand, why SAS is leaning into humour, the decision to sponsor Liverpool FC, and where AI is having the biggest impact on marketing today. Plus, Jenn shares leadership lessons, the skills every modern CMO needs, and how to build a great culture.

Timestamps
00:00 - Start
01:00 - What is SAS?
02:11 - Being a founder led business after 50 years
04:38 - Being at the company for 27 years
06:03 - How Jenn became CMO of SAS
07:57 - How COVID changed the brand forever
08:33 - Launching their first brand campaign in 25 years
09:22 - Convincing the business to switch from performance to brand
10:45 - Creating an effective relationship with the finance team
14:31 - What did the business think of the first brand campaign in 25 years?
17:22 - How did they manage the effectiveness of their brand campaign?
22:04 - Why their new campaign leans into humour
24:28 - Why SAS decided to sponsor Liverpool FC
27:06 - How to sell in a big idea to an organisation?
32:16 - Where is AI having the biggest impact in marketing?
36:25 - Leadership advice from Brene Brown
39:54 - Skills to be a successful CMO
42:59 - What creates a great culture
45:12 - How big of a change will AI search be
47:08 - The 95:5 rule