This panel explores how the role of the CMO is rapidly evolving from a traditional marketing function into a central driver of enterprise growth. As AI accelerates speed, efficiency, and data access, the real differentiator is shifting toward human insight, cultural relevance, and strategic decision-making. The conversation highlights the need for marketers to move beyond campaign execution and become deeply embedded in growth strategy, working closely with CEOs and CFOs to align on outcomes that impact the business. In a performance-driven world, balancing short-term demand capture with long-term brand building is critical. The future CMO must combine commercial acumen, technological fluency, and creative courage to lead in an increasingly complex and fast-moving environment.

Moderated by Kerry Gumas, CEO of Metacomet Advisors, this session brought together three senior executives leading transformation across media, associations, and government intelligence. Paul Miller, CEO of Questex, shared how AI is reshaping engagement, revenue models, and operational efficiency across his organization. Christine Shaw, CEO of Naylor Association Solutions, discussed her experience driving AI adoption at scale, focusing on overcoming employee resistance, building trust in new tools, and embedding AI into everyday workflows to improve both revenue and efficiency. Tim Hartman, CEO of GovExec, offered a perspective from the government intelligence and media sector, highlighting how AI agents, data-driven products, and evolving monetization models are fundamentally changing how organizations structure teams, measure performance, and generate growth. Together, the panel explored how leaders are navigating uncertainty, rethinking operational models, and shifting from traditional efficiency metrics toward revenue-driven, AI-augmented performance systems.

In this high-energy Founder Panel from RevvedUP 2026, Jacob Donnelley (A Media Operator) is joined by Mo Islam (Arkaea Media), Michelle Metter (Fast Forward Events), and Mike Rothman (The Dispatch) to explore how nimble, founder-led companies are gaining an edge over legacy media. The conversation dives into why this moment—driven by rapid advancements in AI and automation—is one of the most powerful inflection points in modern media, enabling smaller teams to scale faster, operate leaner, and compete more effectively than ever before.