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The Executive Marketer Summit

With limited seats available, we invite CMOs, VPs, SVPs, and EVPs to apply for an opportunity to attend this exclusive gathering of industry leaders dedicated to the vanguard of marketing excellence.

MAY 12-13, 2025  •  CHICAGO, IL

The Executive Marketer Summit is a selective, application-based event for executive marketing professionals. Designed to address real-world challenges, this vendor-free environment fosters meaningful connections and insights. Applications are reviewed to maintain a high-quality experience, where attendees explore how disruption fuels innovation and business growth.

Applicants are assessed based on leadership level and experience to ensure peer-to-peer interactions. The summit is for executives responsible for driving growth and overseeing marketing and communications strategies.

Factors considered for acceptance include:

• Holding title of CMO/CEO/VP or higher
• Not occupying a role that involves active selling to fellow marketers
• Leading an organization with 250+ employees
• Organization’s annual revenue exceeding $5 million
• Managing a team of at least 10 full-time employees (this may vary by company size)
• Reporting within three levels of the CEO (this may vary by company size)

Engage with high-value thinkers across diverse industries and business models to foster impactful discussions and build authentic connections.

CEO

WALK WEST

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FOUNDER AND CEO

SUZY

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AWARD-WINNING MARKETER, CULTURAL TRANSLATOR, PROFESSOR AND
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

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VICE CHAIR

STAGWELL

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CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS & BRAND OFFICER

SOLVENTUM

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EXECUTIVE FELLOW

HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

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VP, U.S. MARKETING, BRAND, CONTENT & CULTURE

MCDONALD'S

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FORMER CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

VOLTA CHARGING

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CHIEF DIGITAL AND TRANSFORMATION OFFICER

BRIGHT HORIZONS

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CHIEF BRAND OFFICER

e.l.f. BEAUTY

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FORMER CHIEF MARKETING AND TRANSFORMATION OFFICER

ANALOG DEVICES

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CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

CHICAGO FIRE FC

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FORMER CMO

PEARPOP

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VP, GLOBAL MARKETING STRATEGY & OPERATIONS, GLOBAL MARKETING

HASBRO

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CHIEF EXPERIENCE OFFICER

UNUM

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ASSOCIATE DEAN OF RESEARCH AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR AND FOUNDING GENERAL DIRECTOR OF ITS DIGITAL, ANALYTICS, TECHNOLOGY AND AUTOMATION (DATA) INITIATIVE

NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

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COMMISSIONER

NASCAR

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CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | GENERAL MANAGER

PLEZi NUTRITION

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CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER

THE DIVERSITY MOVEMENT, A WORKPLACE OPTIONS COMPANY

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CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER

CHIEF

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Identifying the insights and signals marketers need to heed to remain future-proof

Exploring the potential industry and societal disruptions ahead that will demand risk-taking and bold leadership

Equipping teams and organizations with the network, resources, strategies and tools to be disruption-ready

Dissect the internal and external factors that invoke the need to take risks from competition to innovation to social issues to organizational

change

Conduct an in-depth look at why, how, and when marketing disruptors drive innovation, turning challenges into exciting opportunities for success.

Uncover what gets in the way of risk-taking or what happens when risks don’t pay off

Effectively manage across the executive suite

Scenario planning, communication strategies, and risk assessment

Develop your skills to effectively support risk management

Technology Disruption 

Navigate the rapid pace of tech disruption by balancing risk and innovation, investing smartly in martech and building agility for future challenges.

Market Disruption

Explore the forces driving market disruption beyond technology.

Marketing Talent

Overcome the shifting talent landscape by recruiting, upskilling and retaining top performers.

Influence

Galvanize your organization. Build alignment across the C-suite, show the value of marketing initiatives and master executive skills to lead with impact.

The agenda is subject to change.

8:00 – 11:30 a.m. Optional Pre-Summit Meet-Up

8:00 a.m. Breakfast & Networking

Location: AMA Office – One Two Pru Building, 130 E. Randolph St., 22nd Floor

(7-minute walk from the Summit venue)

Stop by the AMA office to start your day with light refreshments and informal networking with fellow attendees, or use our quiet workspace to take a call or get some work done before the Summit officially begins.

Check-In Details: Upon arrival, enter the One Two Pru building and take the stairs or escalator to the Mezzanine Lobby to find the AMA booth and receive you visitor pass.

9:00 a.m. Future Proofing with Talent

As technology continues to reshape marketing, it is not only the tools and tactics that are evolving but also the workforce itself. A successful marketer today will look very different in 10 years. With the rise of automation and AI-driven tools, the roles, skills and mindsets required for marketing professionals are changing.

Speakers:

• Dan Moriarty (Chicago Fire FC)
• Jessica Murphy (Hasbro)
• Kate Dobbs (Solventum)
• Moderator: Shelley Willingham (The Diversity Movement, a Workplace Options Company) 

12:00 p.m. Lunch & Networking

1:00 p.m. Welcome Remarks

1:15 p.m. AI + Beyond: The Holy Grail to the Future of Bold Marketing?

9:45 a.m. Small Group Discussion

Consider how the preceding panel insights apply to your work. Through guided questions, uncover key lessons, identify challenges and collaborate with peers to create actionable solutions.

Technology has been disrupting the way we do business for centuries. AI is driving radical advancements in the way we work faster than the world can keep up. The question is not when but how will we adapt and stay ahead of the AI revolution.

Speakers:

• Nitin Mathur (Analog Devices)
• Koen Pauwels (Northeastern University)
• Priya Krishnan (Bright Horizons)
• Matt Britton (Suzy)
• Moderator: Marcus Collins (Award-winning marketer, cultural translator, professor, and best-selling author)

10:30 a.m. Trailblazer Talk

How does a marketer become Commissioner of one of America's most iconic sports brands? In this fireside chat, Steve Phelps (Commissioner of NASCAR) shares how his marketing background prepared him for executive leadership—and how those skills now guide the brand’s global expansion, digital innovation, and inclusive engagement strategies. From integrating the NASCAR experience into video games and streaming platforms to navigating international growth and evolving fan expectations, Steve offers an inside look at the marketing dream world that is NASCAR. You'll walk away with fresh perspective on cross-functional leadership, brand building in unexpected places, and strategic growth in unexpected places.

2:00 p.m. Small Group Discussion

Consider how the preceding panel insights apply to your work. Through guided questions, uncover key lessons, identify challenges and collaborate with peers to create actionable solutions.

11:15 a.m. Seizing the Strategic Leadership Opportunity

Explore strategies for leading through disruption, with a focus on building influence across the C-suite, navigating risk and effectively managing change. The discussion will offer insights into developing communication strategies, preparing for the unpredictable and strengthening executive capabilities to drive organizational success during times of technological transformation and market volatility.

Speakers:

• Greg Boone (Walk West)
• Anup Shah (PLEZi Nutrition)
• Polly Nicholas (Unum)
• Moderator: Nadya Kohl (Volta Charging)

2:30 p.m. Personalization: The New Competitive Battleground

David Edelman (Harvard Business School) will describe how personalization is the key to unlocking the GROWTH potential of AI. It is a broader strategy, not just a marketing tactic, that provides marketing leaders with an opportunity to guide the C-Suite forward. He'll lay out the five "promises of personalization" -- empower me, know me, reach me, show me, delight me -- providing a framework for shaping your strategy, prioritizing investments, and planning pilots. Along the way, he'll illustrate how AI is way more than ChatGPT and public LLM's -- there are different AI capabilities that can enable the five promises, and leaders have already been incorporating them into their operations for several years. This is not the future. It is becoming a basis of competition right now.

3:30 p.m. Disrupting in the Face of Disruption

Market disruption is no longer just about technology—it’s driven by shifting consumer expectations, societal changes, economic dynamics and global events. How do you turn disruption into a competitive advantage, ensuring long-term success in an evolving market?

Speakers:

• Jennifer Healan (McDonald's)
• Alex Morrison (Pearpop)
• Bridget Winston (Chief)
• Moderator: Laurie Lam (e.l.f. Beauty)

12:00 p.m. Small Group Discussion

Consider how the preceding panel insights apply to your work. Through guided questions, uncover key lessons, identify challenges and collaborate with peers to create actionable solutions.

12:30 p.m. Lunch & Networking

1:30 p.m. Turn Insights into Action

This interactive session, facilitated by David Edelman—renowned Harvard Business School executive fellow and expert in organizational transformation—builds on insights from the past two days. You’ll uncover fresh opportunities to innovate, challenge the status quo, and take bold next steps. You'll also leave with accountability partners to support and push you as you embrace risk and lead change.

4:15 p.m. Small Group Discussion

Consider how the preceding panel insights apply to your work. Through guided questions, uncover key lessons, identify challenges and collaborate with peers to create actionable solutions.

2:30 p.m. Conclusion of Event

4:45 p.m. Seeing Around Corners: What Every Leader Wants and Needs to Know

The biggest question leaders have in today’s turbulent world is simple: What’s around the corner for my business, my organization and for society? Ray Day (Vice Chair at Stagwell, Executive Chair at Allison Worldwide, 2025 Chair of PRSA) will examine compelling data about the state of the consumer and the world today – and then delve into what it takes to move from reactive marketing and communications to true predictive strategy and execution through a digital-first, data-led and future-focused mindset.

5:30 p.m. Break Before Tonight’s Networking Event

Take some time to refresh and recharge before the evening's festivities. Network with fellow attendees or simply unwind and prepare for the evening ahead. 

6:30 p.m. Dinner & Discussions

12 S Michigan Avenue 

Chicago, IL 60603

312-940-3552

The AMA room block has closed, but you can still book a room directly with the hotel.

Visit Choose Chicago for additional city and culture information.

choosechicago.com

Accessibility in Chicago
choosechicago.com/plan-your-trip/accessibility-in-chicago

ADA

The AMA is committed to providing all attendees with equal access to our meetings. If you are an attendee with a disability and require program accommodations, please contact the AMA Support Center at (800) AMA-1150. A member of our staff will ensure that appropriate access arrangements are made. If you have specific disability-related needs for your hotel sleeping room, please be sure to communicate those directly to the hotel when you make your reservation. In an effort to provide the highest quality of service to all attendees, we require that details of all access requests be communicated to our office at least 14 days in advance of the beginning of the meeting.

While we recognize the potential for business collaborations within our network, it is paramount that the Executive Marketer Summit remains a confidential and trusted environment for all participants.

We enforce a stringent non-solicitation policy, prohibiting any form of proactive sales or marketing efforts, as well as solicitation of goods or services intended to generate future business among Executive Marketer Summit attendees. This includes overt, indirect, and implied solicitations, unless expressly invited to do so. Spamming, such as posting repetitive or multiple variations of content, is strictly prohibited.  

With limited seats available, we invite CMOs, VPs, SVPs, and EVPs to apply for an opportunity to attend this exclusive gathering of industry leaders dedicated to the vanguard of marketing excellence.

May 12-13, 2025 
Chicago, IL at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel

HOW ARE INVITE REQUEST FORMS REVIEWED, AND WHAT IS THE EXPECTED RESPONSE TIME?

Our AMA Business Team carefully evaluates Invite Request Forms based on the outlined acceptance criteria.

After your application is assessed, you will receive an email outlining the next steps or providing the reasons for rejection.

If accepted, you will be provided a payment link.

Please note that your spot is not confirmed until payment is received. Given the limited availability, we recommend completing payment promptly.

WHY ARE EXECUTIVE MARKETERS IN ROLES THAT ACTIVELY SELL TO FELLOW MARKERS INELIGIBLE TO ATTEND?

To preserve the purpose and integrity of the event, we prohibit solicitation activities. This policy ensures that attendees can engage in meaningful discussions and establish authentic connections with their peers in a trusted environment.

WHAT ARE THE EVENT POLICIES?

By attending an AMA event, you acknowledge and agree to adhere to the established policies.

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