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AI is changing everything, but not in the way most leaders think. In this episode, Rishad Tobaccowala breaks down how we got here, from the early days of broadcast marketing to today’s fast-moving, AI-powered world. He explains why the current moment is different, what’s actually changing and what still matters more than ever. If you’ve been hearing about AI strategy and wondering where to start, this conversation will shift your perspective. Rishad makes the case that focusing on AI alone is a trap and instead challenges leaders to rethink their entire organization, their role and how they create value. He also shares a powerful framework for moving from control to inspiration and why imagination is becoming one of the most important leadership skills. You’ll walk away with practical ways to think about talent, structure your team and stay competitive in a world that’s evolving faster than ever. Whether you’re leading a team or just trying to keep up, this episode will give you a clearer way forward. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. About Rishad Tobaccowala: Rishad Tobaccowala was named by BusinessWeek as one of the top business leaders for his pioneering innovation, and TIME magazine dubbed him one of five “Marketing Innovators”. He is one of only 300 people elected to the Advertising Hall of Fame since 1948. Rishad is the author of Restoring the Soul of Business: Staying Human in The Age of Data which helps people think, feel, and see differently about how to grow their companies, their teams, and themselves to remain relevant in transformational time, and Rethinking Work which helps people thrive amidst the seismic changes that will occur at work due a combination of changing demographics, new mindsets, the rise of distributed work, and the spread of AI.  Rishad Tobaccowala remains a Senior Advisor to the Publicis Groupe where he has spent his entire career, most recently serving as the Chief Growth Officer and Chief Strategist of the 100,000+ person firm. Prior to those roles Rishad was the Chairman of Digitas and Razorfish. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Technology doesn’t have to be scary or steal jobs. In this episode of Leader Generation, Katya Lobynko shares a fresh perspective on digital transformation—one that puts people at the center. From her “people-priorities-process" approach to getting user feedback in hours instead of months, Katya breaks down practical frameworks for leading change that actually work.    If you’re tired of hearing about AI taking over and want to learn how technology can make work more meaningful, this episode is for you. Katya offers real strategies for building change from both the bottom up and top down, plus her lean startup approach to testing new technologies before making big investments. You’ll walk away with actionable tools for becoming the kind of change leader who creates transformation that people want to be a part of.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. About Katya Lobynko: Katya Lobynko is a digital transformation leader with 15+ years across FMCG and pharma in EMEA and Asia. Her expertise spans commercial operations, data & analytics, conversational AI, and innovation with emerging technologies. She has held roles from global strategy and operating model evolution to local program leadership at P&G, Sanofi, and Danone, where she currently serves as IT & Data Director. Katya brings structure to complexity and delivers business results through a pragmatic, people-centered approach with a strong focus on stakeholder alignment, business value, and sustainable change. She serves on the global P&G Alumni Network Board. Connect with Katya on LinkedIn. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Tessa Burg talks for a second time with Mariano Bosaz, Global VP of Consumer Data and Strategy at Coca-Cola and the author of “Digital Mindset.” This time, they dive deeper into practical applications of digital thinking, moving beyond theory to give you actionable strategies you can implement right away. Mariano shares real-world examples of how the shift from analog to digital thinking transforms problem-solving, particularly around the "last mile challenge" that affects so many industries. You'll discover what teams of the future look like and get concrete use cases from recent headlines that make these concepts accessible and immediately applicable.  Whether you're a business leader looking to stay ahead or someone curious about how AI-era marketing really works, this conversation offers valuable insights from someone operating at the highest levels of global business. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. Listen to the previous episode with Mariano here. About Mariano Bosaz: Mariano Bosaz is the author of Digital Mindset and an experienced digital leader serving as the Global VP of Data and Digital Head of China at The Coca-Cola Company. With a career spanning over two decades, his background includes founding and selling a digital business during his student exchange the University of Richmond in 1999 and holding key leadership roles such as Group Digital Director for Eurasia and Africa—overseeing 92 countries—and Vice President of Digital in Asia. In addition to his corporate experience, Mariano has served as an assistant professor at London Business School since 2015. His current work focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and strategy, underpinned by research into blockchain and cryptocurrencies since 2020 and his role on the advisory boards of several AI startups. Mariano can be reached on LinkedIn or at marianobosaz.com.  About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

AI is moving fast, and for a lot of leaders that creates both pressure and possibility. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Rohit Prabhakar, Global Head of Digital Experiences and Capabilities at Visa, about what it really takes to lead transformation when the rules keep changing. They dig into why strong foundations still matter, why connected data is more important than ever and why leaders need to balance quick wins with bigger reimagining. If you’re trying to make sense of AI beyond the hype, this conversation is worth your time. Rohit shares practical ways to think about adoption, experimentation and change management without getting stuck in overplanning or unrealistic ROI expectations. It’s a thoughtful listen for anyone leading teams, modernizing operations or figuring out how to move forward while bringing people along with them. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. About Rohit Prabhakar: Rohit Prabhakar is a Fortune 50 CMO and Chief Digital Officer who has generated $1.7B+ in business value by turning customer obsession into revenue growth. Currently leading global digital experiences at Visa, he has transformed marketing, data, AI, and CX across McKesson, Thomson Reuters, and FIS. Rohit's superpower: making customers love the most powerful growth engine. You can reach him at Rohitprabharkar.com or on LinkedIn. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].  

During National Women’s History Month, Leader Generation welcomes Nicole Purcell for a conversation about creative leadership. While so many conversations right now are focused on AI, this episode shifts the spotlight to something just as powerful: hospitality, intuition and the kind of human-centered thinking that makes teams thrive and people feel seen. Nicole shares how her career journey shaped her leadership style and how she built The Clios into a bigger, more connected brand by listening closely, trusting her vision and creating space for others to grow. She talks openly about resilience, communication and what it really means to lead with both strength and heart. You’ll also hear how creativity shows up far beyond design—in problem-solving, team building and making great decisions under pressure. If you’re leading a team, growing in your career or just looking for a fresh perspective on what strong leadership can look like, this episode is worth your time. It’s an inspiring listen for anyone who wants to build with more intention, lead with more empathy and stay connected to the human side of work. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Nicole Purcell: Nicole Purcell is CEO of the Clios, a global awards platform celebrating creative excellence in advertising. With a bold, culture-forward approach to business, creativity, and leadership, she has reinvented the Clios, transforming it from a traditional awards show into a dynamic, year-round ecosystem that inspires, celebrates, and connects creators and brands across industries and continents. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Ever feel overwhelmed by all the data and metrics coming your way? You're not alone. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Scott Sutton about one of marketing's biggest challenges: figuring out what's actually worth measuring. Scott shares real-world insights from his experience managing media for major restaurant brands like Hardee's and Carl's Jr. You'll discover why measuring everything can actually hurt your marketing efforts, how to identify the metrics that truly matter to your business and practical strategies for getting leadership buy-in on your measurement approach.  This conversation is packed with actionable advice for anyone trying to cut through the noise and focus on outcomes that drive real business growth. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Scott Sutton: Scott Sutton helps brands cut through complexity and focus on what truly moves the needle. With a deep belief in practical measurement and cross-channel accountability, he ensures media decisions are grounded in business impact—not just impressions or trends. Scott’s career spans iconic brands including Bridgestone, Nissan, Mars Petcare and AT&T. He is known for building integrated measurement frameworks that align media investments with real business outcomes—whether that’s driving app downloads, loyalty sign-ups or in-store traffic. His recent work includes orchestrating the Alix Earle “Hangover Burger” campaign, which generated over 4 billion paid and earned media impressions—without a Super Bowl buy. At Mars Petcare, he helped establish Pedigree as a founding partner of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, creating breakthrough engagement through content-led partnerships. Scott brings practical, tested insights on driving results in today’s fragmented media environment—where focus, flexibility, and accountability matter more than ever. Scott can be reached at [email protected]. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

AI isn’t just changing marketing tools—it’s changing how leaders think about strategy, value and growth. In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with Mariano Bosaz, author of Digital Mindset: Marketing Strategies for the AI Era, about what it really takes to lead through transformation without losing what already works.  You’ll hear a practical way to think about “digital mindset” as a bridge, not a replacement, for how businesses operate today. Mariano explains why companies need both analog and digital approaches, how AI is accelerating productivity (and making prioritization harder) and what leaders can do to support teams through the shift. He also breaks down the difference between engagement and involvement—and why involvement is where brands build real equity. If you’re trying to make sense of AI’s impact on work, marketing, and competitive advantage, this conversation provides a clearer framework. It’s full of real examples and down-to-earth guidance on how to move faster, make smarter choices and create value that’s difficult for competitors to copy. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Mariano Bosaz: Mariano Bosaz is the author of Digital Mindset and an experienced digital leader serving as the Global VP of Data and Digital Head of China at The Coca-Cola Company. With a career spanning over two decades, his background includes founding and selling a digital business during his student exchange the University of Richmond in 1999 and holding key leadership roles such as Group Digital Director for Eurasia and Africa—overseeing 92 countries—and Vice President of Digital in Asia. In addition to his corporate experience, Mariano has served as an assistant professor at London Business School since 2015. His current work focuses on the intersection of emerging technologies and strategy, underpinned by research into blockchain and cryptocurrencies since 2020 and his role on the advisory boards of several AI startups. Mariano can be reached on LinkedIn or at marianobosaz.com. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Marketing used to feel more predictable. You picked your channels, launched a campaign and tracked performance in a fairly linear way. Today? Consumers are bouncing between social, search, streaming, AI tools, connected devices and more—all before making a decision. In this episode, Matt Fanelli joins Tessa Burg to unpack what’s actually broken in marketing measurement and how leaders can rethink performance in a fragmented world. Matt breaks down why platform-led measurement often misses the mark, how attribution gets messy when multiple touchpoints influence a purchase and why defining “what success really looks like” is the first step most marketers skip. The conversation explores real-world examples—from healthcare to retail—and explains how better attribution, smarter use of AI and stronger human oversight can help teams build trust in their numbers again. If you’re responsible for performance, budget allocation or defending marketing results to leadership, this episode will give you a clearer framework for measuring what matters. It’s a practical conversation about cutting through the noise, focusing on quality over volume and building measurement strategies that actually reflect how people buy today. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Matt Fanelli: Matthew Fanelli is Chief Revenue Officer at Digital Remedy, where he leads commercial strategy, revenue operations, and go-to-market execution as the company scales its performance-driven media platform. With more than 20 years of experience in digital advertising, Matt brings deep expertise across programmatic media, data strategy, and performance marketing. Prior to Digital Remedy, he served as SVP of Sales at Media Now Interactive, leading data-driven revenue initiatives. Matt focuses on helping brands and agencies drive measurable outcomes through unified, cross-channel performance intelligence. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].  

AI is evolving fast—and so are the risks that come with it. In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with Mod Op’s EVP of PR, Chris Harihar, to unpack a growing issue most brands aren’t fully prepared for: AI-driven brand misrepresentation. From deepfakes to manipulated logos and inappropriate brand placements, the conversation explores how generative AI tools are creating new reputational threats in ways that feel chaotic, fast-moving and hard to control. Chris introduces Mod Op’s new AI Risk Intelligence capability, designed to help brands proactively identify and address harmful AI-generated content before it spirals. They dig into real examples—including manipulated executive deepfakes and brand misuse across platforms like Sora and Grok—and explain why this isn’t just a cybersecurity issue, but a reputational one that belongs squarely in the PR and communications world. If you're a CMO, brand leader, or marketer wondering how exposed your company might be—or how to get ahead of risks that didn’t exist a year ago—this episode offers clarity, practical thinking, and a smart path forward. It’s a timely conversation about protecting your brand while still embracing the power of AI. Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.    About Chris Harihar: Chris Harihar is the EVP of Public Relations at Mod Op. With deep expertise in business and tech media relations, Chris counsels clients at a high level while maintaining hands-on involvement in media relations and content strategy. He has developed and run highly successful programs for leading B2B and tech brands, from Verizon Media/Yahoo and DoubleVerify to Signal AI, IDG (now Foundry) and WeTransfer. Chris can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].   About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

While most enterprises are still celebrating their AI pilots, a quiet revolution is happening:  Organizations that stopped collecting tools and started building capabilities.  In this episode, Tessa Burg and Michael Ditter, Director of AI Strategy and Emerging Technology at Diageo, dismantle the playbook many thought they needed.  Discover why empathy matters more than efficiency in capability building, how your organization’s hardest problem is the most fertile training ground and why it’s ok to completely fail.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Michael Ditter: Michael Ditter is an AI strategist and innovation leader who operates at the frontier of how organizations think, build and compete. With more than 15 years at the intersection of consumer goods, commercial strategy and emerging technologies, he specializes in translating complex shifts in AI, culture and behavior into scalable systems that deliver measurable business impact.  Michael’s work blends strategy, organizational design and hands-on prototyping. He architected AI and machine-learning initiatives across sales operations, brand engagement, predictive analytics and product innovation, consistently reducing time-to-value and enabling teams to move from idea to working solution at unprecedented speed. He is known for building bridges between C-suite leaders, marketing and commercial teams and technical builders—creating alignment around bold ideas and the operating models required to bring them to life. In 2025, Michael won 1st place at the SCSP AI+ Expo Hackathon, one of the most competitive AI and national-security innovation challenges in the country. There, he built SentinelAI, a multi-agent crisis-response system that demonstrated how frontier models can augment human judgment in high-stakes environments. The experience reinforced his philosophy that the barrier between imagination and implementation is collapsing—and that responsible, human-centered deployment will define the next era of advantage. Michael has also been an early mover in spatial computing, AR/VR, computer vision and conversational AI, creating new modalities for brand storytelling and consumer interaction. He focuses on helping organizations build AI-enabled cultures where creativity, speed and thoughtful governance coexist. You can find Michael on X, LinkedIn or at [email protected].   About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

What does it really mean to be consumer-obsessed, and how is AI changing the face of the beauty industry?  In this episode, Tessa Burg and Irina Kulikova—VP, Strategic Development & Integration at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.—explore the intersection of consumer insights, brand experience and emerging technology. The two discuss how store beauty advisors must now compete with AI, the magic of “small data” and Gen Z’s AI shopping revolution.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Irina Kulikova: Irina Kulikova is the Vice President of Strategic Development and Integration and Chief of Staff to the President of the EUKEM region (Europe, UK & Ireland, and Emerging Markets) at The Estée Lauder Companies. As a member of the regional management team, she shapes the strategic direction of more than 85 markets and over 20 iconic brands. In her role, Irina leads regional strategy development and execution, market intelligence, consumer insights, strategic pricing, and large-scale transformation initiatives. She also drives key corporate development priorities, including operating model evolution, new market and channel entry, brand integration, and expansion into emerging geographies. Before joining The Estée Lauder Companies, Irina spent more than a decade at Bain & Company across the UK, Middle East, and Russia, advising leading global players in luxury, beauty, jewelry, fashion, and retail. Her experience at the intersection of strategy, brand building, and transformation has given her a deep understanding of how to unlock growth and resilience in the luxury and beauty industries both in developed and emerging markets. Irina holds an MBA from INSEAD. She can be reached on LinkedIn.  About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

The marketing landscape is changing faster than ever—and the marketers who treat their work like product and embrace AI will win.   This week, Leader Generation host Tessa Burg talks with Alan Kipust, Mod Op’s Executive in Residence and a leader in product management, to discuss how AI is fundamentally reshaping what marketing teams can accomplish and how they should think about their work.  You’ll learn which AI applications actually move the needle, the power of a good hackathon and the skills every marketer needs to master. Wherever you are in your career, this episode will change how you approach your work tomorrow.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op. About Alan Kipust: Alan Kipust is a senior product management executive with a distinguished track record building and scaling digital, logistics, and customer-centric businesses for some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Over a fifteen-year career at Amazon, Uber, Chewy and Ford Motor Company, he has led transformative initiatives across e-commerce, mobility, customer operations, and subscription ecosystems. Most recently, as Senior Director of Product Management for Ford’s Digital Experience organization, Kipust oversaw the company’s subscription commerce and advanced Ford’s global data privacy and commitments. Prior to Ford, he served as Senior Director of Customer Experience at Chewy, driving enterprise-wide customer experience strategy, deploying proprietary CRM systems, and helping maintain the brand’s industry-leading satisfaction rating. With deep expertise in scaled operations, platform design, and technology-driven transformation, Kipust has shaped the digital and operational backbone behind major global businesses. At Uber, he served as Global Head of Vehicle Product Management, directing the product and fleet strategy for a 60,000-vehicle program that supplied a significant share of global driver availability. Earlier in his career, he spent seven years at Amazon, where he launched Amazon Flex and built Amazon Logistics’ first integrated customer-and-driver support operation. A holder of multiple U.S. patents and an advisor to several high-growth companies, Kipust is known for his product vision, operational rigor, and ability to build high-performing teams in complex, rapidly evolving environments. He can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected]. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Five years ago, we started Leader Generation with a simple premise: clients learning from clients. This year proved why that matters. In 2025, CEOs and their leadership teams stopped debating whether to adopt AI and began wrestling with harder questions: How do we bring our people along? How do we measure what matters instead of what's easy to measure? How do we maintain the relationships that built our business while transforming how we operate? Excerpts from these ten conversations capture what worked. Not theory—actual results from CDOs, COOs, and VPs leading change at companies like Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, DoubleVerify, and Digital Remedy. The full episodes are linked in this post. Stuart Goldstein explains why technology is the easy part, and people are where transformations actually stall. Alan Wizemann describes how his team measures success by the time freed up for employees to do valuable work, not headcount reduction. Anna Jankowska walks through preparing teams for scenarios they don't expect, because that's where you see who's ready to lead. These aren't polished case studies. They're candid conversations about the messy reality of leading change when your board wants results, your team is exhausted, and the playbook keeps changing. If you're heading into 2026 with aggressive goals and limited patience for more consultants telling you what you already know, these episodes cut through the noise. They're built for leaders who need to make decisions Monday morning, not attend another conference about the future of work. Links to the full episodes from this top 10 list: #10: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep129-building-your-army-of-ai-agents-what-marketers-need-to-know/ - Fabio Fiss, Aaron Grando, and Javier Lopez #9: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep109-ai-data-marketing-how-to-manage-risks/ - Kevin Purvis #8: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep116-future-of-performance-marketing-data-ai-personalization/ - Jeremy Haft #7: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep126-how-scibids-ai-is-redefining-media-buying-at-doubleverify/  - Wadrille Leroy #6: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep112-leading-through-change-the-human-side-of-marketing-leadership/  - Anna Jankowska #5: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep108-ai-playground-microsoft-copilot-google-notebooklm/ - Alyssa Curci and Jonathan Murray #4: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep140-leading-change-that-sticks-people-processes-platforms-with-stuart-goldstein/ - Stuart Goldstein #3: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep143-time-to-value-innovation-that-puts-customers-first-with-alan-wizemann/ * Alan Wizemann #2: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep119-leading-change-transforming-companies-with-alan-wizemann/ - Alan Wizemann #1: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep121-say-hello-to-brand-agent-ai-that-speaks-your-brand-s-language/ - Aaron Grando   About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

The search landscape has fundamentally shifted. 60% of Google searches now result in zero clicks. People are getting answers from AI without ever visiting websites. If you've noticed declining organic traffic or wondered why your content isn't getting clicks despite good rankings, this episode reveals what's happening and what to do about it. This compilation brings together five search and PR experts on how AI is changing buyer behavior and what actually works now. Jon Gillham from Originality.ai explains why citations, statistics, and quotes are essential for LLM visibility. Patty Parobek reframes the conversation with a surprising stat: Google grew by four ChatGPTs in 2024. Maurice White details the technical foundation that makes GEO work, while Chris Harihar explains why PR is now both top and bottom of the funnel. Gareth Cunningham ties it together with the reality that GEO only works when solid SEO fundamentals are in place. The shift isn't about producing more content. It's about strategic placement, quality sourcing, and building topical authority that AI engines trust. From structured data to brand mentions, from Google Business profiles to cited content, this episode provides a roadmap for 2026 and beyond. Featured Experts: Jon Gillham - Founder of Originality.ai shares proven strategies for LLM visibility and avoiding AI content detection. Listen to the full episode Patty Parobek - VP of AI and ML at Mod Op Transformation Breaks down the zero-click phenomenon and what it means for traffic strategies. Listen to the full episode Maurice White, Senior SEO Strategist at Mod Op, details the technical foundation required before GEO optimization works. Listen to the full episode Chris Harihar - EVP of PR at Mod Op explores how PR and SEO converge in the AI search era. Listen to the full episode Gareth Cunningham - Director of Search Experience at Mod Op explains why GEO only works on top of solid SEO fundamentals. Listen to the full episode This isn't about abandoning SEO. It's about evolving your strategy for how people actually research and buy today.

Is it possible to build community within AI? Can we challenge search engines to put humanity and the truth at the forefront of their outputs? According to Troy Snyder, astrology student turned entrepreneur, the answer is ... maybe. In this episode, Tessa Burg and Troy examine the balance between technology and humanity. They discuss the challenges of having AI determine what is “true,” how brands can stay authentic and build trust in an increasingly automated world, and even how to view AI through an astrology lens.  Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.  About Troy Snyder: For more than three decades, Troy has operated at the frontier of digital innovation—helping to guide the evolution of streaming from early SD pipelines to HD, 4K, the first waves of VR, and early AI efforts—while studying the timeless frameworks that have shaped human understanding for thousands of years. Troy has led the creation of authentication systems, video CMS architectures, large-scale distribution networks and multiband rural wireless. He has also contributed to emerging AI-driven digital identity tools with Mebot.ai where “Human AI” and how we create true lifelike representations of self in the AI age is explored. Beyond his work in digital innovation, Troy is committed to long-term social impact. He serves as founder and chairman for Wonderful Foundations, a charity that owns and supports 27 schools serving more than 15,000 kids. This effort reflects Troy’s belief that technology and infrastructure should exist in service of human potential. In addition to being a technologist, Troy is also a practicing Vedic astrologer whose work spans invention, executive leadership, creative production, fundraising and systems engineering, always with an eye toward the deeper patterns that connect technology, people and purpose. About Tessa Burg: Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].