The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlstrom

Whose job is it to ensure the brand promise you market is the same one your customers and employees actually experience?

Real agility isn't just rapid execution — it's a whole organization responding as one to what customers, employees, and the market actually need.

Today, we're talking about "Total Experience" and what it takes to make brand, customer, and employee experience add up to one company, not three. Specifically:

- How to orchestrate brand, customer, and employee experience so they reinforce each other instead of competing.

- The operational shifts that turn siloed functions into a single, trustworthy experience.

- Why the CMO is uniquely positioned to champion this, and where that means owning parts of the business marketing hasn't traditionally touched.

To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Mack McGee, CMO at CareFirst, which was recently recognized at Forrester’s CX Forum West as the top insurer in Total Experience.

About Mack McGee

With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and storytelling, Mack excels at connecting people and communicating impact in creative and meaningful ways. He also brings extensive fundraising experience, evidenced by his success in helping the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation raise nearly $5 million as chair of their annual Passion for Food and Wine event.

Mack McGee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackmcgee/

---------- Resources ----------

: https://www.carefirst.com

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1

Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

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What if the AI tools you bought to make your team faster are quietly making that team harder to coordinate?

Agility depends less on how quickly you adopt new technology and more on how well you understand the work that technology is supposed to improve.

Today, we're going to talk about:

- The operational costs buried inside customer-facing work — and why they're so hard to see, let alone measure.

- Why layering more automation onto a coordination problem often makes the problem worse.

- What it takes to build AI into core workflows so that efficiency and customer experience improve together instead of trading off against each other.

To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Kevin Yang, Director of AI at Front.

About Kevin Yang

Kevin Yang is the Director of AI at Front, the only customer operations platform built for B2B complexity, where he leads the company’s AI strategy across automation, analytics, and customer insight. His work is grounded in the belief that the most valuable business intelligence lives inside customer conversations. At Front, Kevin is building AI systems that operate within real workflows—helping over 9,000 businesses better understand what their customers are saying and translate those insights into action with full visibility

Kevin joined Front through the acquisition of Idiomatic, the AI-powered voice-of-the-customer platform he founded and led as CEO. Earlier in his career, Kevin worked in frontline support while building his first company, EAT Club, a leading virtual cafeteria serving over 1,000 companies, including Google, Netflix, and Tesla. 

Kevin Yang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yangkevin/

---------- Resources ----------

Front: https://www.front.com

Front is a customer operations platform that helps organizations manage customer communication across email, chat, voice, SMS, and other channels in one place. The platform is designed for teams handling complex customer relationships, where resolving an issue often requires coordination across multiple people, systems, and departments.

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1

Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens to a brand when the story it tells about its AI adoption moves faster than the results it can actually show?

Agility isn't about telling that story faster. It's about being able to change what you say — repeatedly, as the technology changes — without losing the thread of what your company is actually for.

Today, we're going to talk about the widening gap between AI ambition and business reality, and what that means for enterprise marketing leaders. Specifically, we'll cover:

- The shift from selling an AI vision to proving tangible value.

- How AI is pushing marketing into closer alignment with product and revenue.

- What it takes to build trust — inside the company and out — when the outputs of AI systems are hard to explain.

To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Mark Abramowitz, Chief Marketing Officer at Dataiku.

About Mark Abramowitz

Mark Abramowitz is Chief Marketing Officer at Dataiku, The Platform for AI Success. In his role, he oversees global brand and demand strategy, and is responsible for building awareness of Dataiku as the platform that unifies people, governance, and AI systems to deliver real results at scale.

Mark brings extensive experience scaling enterprise platform businesses. Prior to Dataiku, he served as SVP of Product and Solutions Marketing at ServiceNow, leading product marketing as the company scaled from $6 billion to nearly $11 billion in revenue and spearheading the launch of Now Assist—the fastest-selling product in ServiceNow history. Before ServiceNow, Mark spent 15 years at Salesforce and 5 years as SVP of Product Marketing for Service Cloud.

Mark Abramowitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markabramowitz/

---------- Resources ----------

Dataiku: https://www.dataiku.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1

Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the real risk in your AI adoption plan isn't that the pilot fails — it's that it succeeds, and you still can't get it into production?

Agility isn't how fast you can launch a pilot. It's whether the organization can absorb what works and still behave like one company while it does.

Today, we're going to talk about moving enterprise AI from theory to practice in customer experience. Specifically, we'll cover:

- What separates an AI pilot that scales from one that quietly stalls.

- How to govern AI agents proportionately — enough accountability to be defensible, not so much that nothing ships.

- How to tell a program that's creating business value from one that's simply handling volume.

To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Kevin Lee, CTO at NiCE.

About Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee serves as Chief Technology Officer and Key Pursuits Leader at NiCE, where he leads the company’s technology vision and its most strategic customer engagements by aligning platform capabilities, AI strategy, and architectural vision to deliver differentiated outcomes.

Kevin joined NiCE in 2021 and has held multiple leadership roles across the company’s digital and go-to-market organizations. He founded and scaled the Customer Service Automation team, transforming it into a cornerstone of NiCE’s growth strategy. He has played a pivotal role in many of NiCE’s most competitive and highimpact pursuits, shaping both technical and commercial strategy across global opportunities. Prior to his current role, Kevin served as Global Head of Digital Sales & Strategy, where he led the growth of NiCE’s digital portfolio and helped customers transition into the self-service era. With more than 15 years of experience in cloud and software sales, Kevin brings a comprehensive approach to account strategy, technical storytelling, and executive engagement. 

Kevin Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thekevinlee/

---------- Resources ----------

Coca-Cola FEMSA, NiCE: https://www.nice.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1

Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/93531742a7625a20

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a brand says it "used AI," that could mean anything from a tool speeding up a human's first draft to a system generating and shipping work on its own — and almost all of the real risk lives in the difference. So as AI moves deeper into creative work, which decisions are you certain still belong to a human?

Real agility here isn't being quick with the latest tools. It's moving fast without losing the through-line that makes a brand recognizable — the ability to know exactly where human judgment stays non-negotiable.

Today we're recording live at Ai4 2026 in Las Vegas at the Venetian, and we're going to talk about:

- Drawing a clear line between where AI sharpens creative work and where it introduces unacceptable brand risk.

- A practical look at how AI was used in a national campaign to improve the creative process, not just automate it.

- The strategic shift as consumers move from traditional search engines to AI-powered platforms for discovery and research.

To help me dig into this, I'd like to welcome Taryn Crouthers, CEO at Big Spaceship.

About Taryn Crouthers

Taryn Crouthers is the CEO of Big Spaceship, MSQ Partners' award-winning creative agency. A passionate leader, Taryn has spent her decades-long career inspiring teams to create work that moves both people and business. Her work spans advertising, media, entertainment, and the distribution and commercialisation that scale them. She is the former President of social-first global media company ATTN:, where she helped lead the company from pre-revenue through its $100M acquisition.

Along the way, she earned recognition including Campaign's Inspiring Women (2026), 40 Over 40 (2025), Ad Age Leading Women (2024), Cynopsis' Corporate Visionary, and Top Women in Digital.

An entrepreneur at heart and a nationally recognised voice on the future of creativity and AI integration, Taryn brings a founder's mindset to scaling creative businesses and developing new revenue models. She has served on juries for Cannes Young Lions, The One Show, ADC, Webby Awards, and other prestigious industry competitions. She serves on the Advisory Board of Miami Ad School and is an active investor in emerging creative and technology-driven companies.

She is also a co-founder of the Women in AI Summit for the Creative Community and launched the Women in AI Creative Cohort, which selects 15 top global executives for a six-month AI mentorship program.

Taryn Crouthers on LinkedIn

---------- Resources ----------

Big Spaceship

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems.

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 - Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save!

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit!

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose.

Start building your own apps with Replit and get $20 off.

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show.

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more.

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology.

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.