On this episode of The Marketer’s Journey, I interview Chandar Pattabhiram, CMO at Coupa, a global technology platform for business spend management. In the past, Chandar also held CMO roles at Marketo and Badgeville. During the episode, we discuss his career path so far, how to turn an educational brand into a global phenomenon and the key characteristics of a great CMO. 

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Key takeaways from this episode:

• When in doubt, remember: E=mc2. When searching for a new company to join, Chandar took notes from Einstein and came up with a simple pneumonic formula: the “M” in the equation refers to monetary, the first “C” stands for competitive advantage, and the second “C” stands for culture as he was looking for a company that was dedicated to supporting rather than managing its employees.
• Seek harmony. Chandar mentioned that the role of a CMO is to create harmony across the organization by supporting team members and understanding the nuances of the company’s strategic goals. He recommends taking advantage of the skills and experience you’ve gained from prior roles while keeping a flexible approach.
• Embody the characteristics of a great CMO. Chandar believes there are three components of a great CMO: excellent storytelling skills, an understanding of the science of marketing, and the ability to harness all the moving parts of a marketing engine to form connections. Once you’ve mastered all these elements, Chandar says, you’ll be well on your way as an effective marketing leader.