Home > Companies > C-Suite On Deck > Q&A with Paige O'Neill, CMO at Sitecore

Q&A with Paige O'Neill, CMO at Sitecore

MEDIA 7 | May 19, 2019

Paige O'Neill, CMO of Sitecore is an experienced, data-driven B2B marketer with enterprise and mid-market SaaS experience that ranges from Fortune 100 to late stage startups and stages in between. Her career graph uniquely combines extensive product marketing and PR / communications backgrounds resulting in an adeptness at creating brand stories and differentiated positioning. 

In this thought-provoking Q&A with MEDIA 7, Paige shares her journey into the field of marketing and her unrelenting zest for technology.

MEDIA 7: What inspired you to get into Marketing?
PAIGE O'NEILL: My journey started when I was a Ph.D. student at New York University, and I thought I was on the road to become a college professor, but one day I had an interview at a high-tech PR firm for a part time job. The enthusiasm for technology at that agency changed the course of my life. I felt enamored with everything I heard about “PR” – even though at the time I didn’t even know what it actually was – so I dropped out of the Ph.D. program and started a career working for IBM’s PR agency. I loved technology communications, but wanted to tackle messaging from a more technical perspective, which led to my interest in product marketing. The transition from technology public relations to a product marketing role wasn’t an easy one. It’s an uncommon trajectory and there wasn’t a precedent at the company I worked for at the time, so I had to build my own path. In the end, I hustled to prove that I could leverage the skills I learned through my communications-focused position and translate them to a more product-focused role. It took persistence to prove that point.

"Success for marketers is defined by the ability to deliver experiences that are aware and adaptive to individual customers’ specific needs, in a way that is seamless to the end-user."



M7: What is your favourite part of working at Sitecore?
PN: I love working with organizations during times of change, and there’s a lot of that going on at Sitecore. We are in the midst of a complete marketing transformation at Sitecore that starts with our top-level messaging, augmenting those messages more towards the marketing department. We are doing this through a new visual identity and branding, an expansion of our demand generation function (which is scaling to map to new personas and go-to-market areas), and, finally, a complete digital transformation leveraging Sitecore’s technology to build a new version of our website and align our digital channels to the customer journey. It’s truly a thrill to be a part of.


"Consumers’ expectations outpace companies’ abilities; most organizations are still early in their efforts to transform the business for a digital world."



M7: What do you consider the biggest challenges for a CMO these days?
PN: Marketers have had to accept a heavy truth: it is up to consumers, not them, to decide when, where, and how to engage with their company. Success for marketers is defined by the ability to deliver experiences that are aware and adaptive to individual customers’ specific needs, in a way that is seamless to the end-user. In many cases, though, consumers’ expectations outpace companies’ abilities; most organizations are still early in their efforts to transform the business for a digital world. Getting there will take an investment in technology, and we’ll see marketers rely more on things like channel-agnostic services, machine learning capabilities, and data management systems. But marketers are also going to have to rethink their people and processes, so they have the right training and organizational design to make sure they can leverage the power of those technology investments.


"Marketers have to rethink their people and processes, so they have the right training and organizational design to make sure they can leverage the power of technology investments."



M7: The past year has seen Sitecore hiring four women in executive leadership roles. Is the gap between the number of men and women at Sitecore shrinking? How do you see it?
PN: Our CEO, Mark Frost, has always had a passion for diversity and bringing women into senior roles, and it’s been great to see him implement his proactive approach to inclusive hiring at Sitecore. As a result, diversity representation is definitely on the upswing - although we prefer to think of it as more than just a numbers game. Rather than having a quota for female hires, we focus on setting benchmarks that will ensure an equal representation of potential candidates for any position. We’re also taking a top down/bottom up approach to ensure that leadership is setting the right example, while every department is just as engaged in diversity practices.

M7: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
PN: Speak up! Articulate your professional goals and don’t wait for someone to notice you and hope they will give you an opportunity. There’s no way for those around you to know what you want, if you don’t vocalize it. I think a lot of time women in particular think if they work hard, someone will notice them, they will earn that promotion or be selected for that exciting opportunity, but I know from personal experience that making your career ambitions known, can pay dividends.

ABOUT SITECORE

Sitecore is the global leader in digital experience management software that combines content management, commerce, and customer insights. The Sitecore Experience Cloud™ empowers marketers to deliver personalized content in real time and at scale across every channel—before, during, and after a sale. More than 5,200 brands––including American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, Dow Chemical, and L’Oréal––have trusted Sitecore to deliver the personalized interactions that delight audiences, build loyalty, and drive revenue. Visit Sitecore to know more.

More C-Suite on deck

Small businesses are now competing in a marketplace dominated by low-cost large enterprises, says Herby Duverne, CEO at Windwalker Group.

Media 7 | June 6, 2022

Herby Duverne, CEO of Windwalker Group, discusses the best practices for developing strategic partnerships, brand awareness strategies, the best way businesses can tackle challenges, and more. Continue reading to find out more about Human Capital Development via Corporate and Government Training.

Read More

Q&A with Andy Brown, CEO at Engage

Media 7 | May 28, 2020

Andy Brown, Chief Executive Officer at ENGAGE has worked in the research and consulting industry for 25 years. He was previously a Partner at Mercer Consulting, a Global Practice Leader at The Empower Group (the strategic consulting division of Manpower), Managing Director of YouGov Consulting and Head of Research at The Gallup Organization. Andy co-founded ENGAGE and has worked for the company since 2008 and, in 2013, co-led an MBO of the firm. He works with CEOs, boards and executive teams in FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 firms, as well as with a range of fast-growing entrepreneurial start-ups. MEDIA 7: What are you most passionate about? ANDY BROWN: I’m passionate about four key things: helping organisations improve their performance; helping leaders to be as effective as possible; helping employees to feel a sense of purpose in their work; and, of course, my family!

Read More

Q&A with Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder, SharpEnd

Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

Read More

Small businesses are now competing in a marketplace dominated by low-cost large enterprises, says Herby Duverne, CEO at Windwalker Group.

Media 7 | June 6, 2022

Herby Duverne, CEO of Windwalker Group, discusses the best practices for developing strategic partnerships, brand awareness strategies, the best way businesses can tackle challenges, and more. Continue reading to find out more about Human Capital Development via Corporate and Government Training.

Read More

Q&A with Andy Brown, CEO at Engage

Media 7 | May 28, 2020

Andy Brown, Chief Executive Officer at ENGAGE has worked in the research and consulting industry for 25 years. He was previously a Partner at Mercer Consulting, a Global Practice Leader at The Empower Group (the strategic consulting division of Manpower), Managing Director of YouGov Consulting and Head of Research at The Gallup Organization. Andy co-founded ENGAGE and has worked for the company since 2008 and, in 2013, co-led an MBO of the firm. He works with CEOs, boards and executive teams in FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 firms, as well as with a range of fast-growing entrepreneurial start-ups. MEDIA 7: What are you most passionate about? ANDY BROWN: I’m passionate about four key things: helping organisations improve their performance; helping leaders to be as effective as possible; helping employees to feel a sense of purpose in their work; and, of course, my family!

Read More

Q&A with Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder, SharpEnd

Media 7 | April 22, 2020

Cameron Worth, CEO & Founder of SharpEnd leads the company’s mission to help brands move closer than ever to consumers by connecting packaging, retail and experiential activity. He is a regular speaker and writer on how to build brands in a connected world. He has spoken at Cannes, the Festival of Marketing, LuxePack Monaco and New York, Ad:Week Europe and New York, DMA, the Connected Consumer Conference, Mobile World Congress and the IoT World Forum. MEDIA 7: How did the idea of “the agency of things” come to your mind? CAMERON WORTH: SharpEnd was created in 2015 as the world’s first Internet of Things focused agency, so there is a slight play on words when we say we’re the Agency of Things. I think the idea of giving things their own agency is an interesting concept, and the strapline fits our capabilities on multiple levels. M7: In what way does technology drive the association of SharpEnd with global brands? What approaches are followed to enable sustainability? CW: Our simple proposition is to help build brands in a connected world, and to do that you must always start with identified consumer needs or pain points and look at technology as just an enabler to deliver an appropriate solution (when appropriate).  Take the issue of sustainability, which is often a pain point for brands that grapple with issues such as how we can reward sustainable behaviour change. One of our approaches to this could be to look at communicating the recycling credentials of the different products. Whilst the consumer can engage with a product as part of a wider consumer experience, the same technology could also house content that could tell you whether the product is recyclable, which type of bin it goes in etc. SharpEnd’s work with Unilever is a case in point. We built a digital product that incentivised recycling through gamification but also served to educate through informing people how and where to recycle in a clear fashion. All users had to do was simply scan their packaging to have all this information at their disposal.

Read More

Related News

MANAGEMENT

AutoStore Launches Pio to Provide SMBs with Best-In-Class Warehouse Automation

AutoStore | January 11, 2023

On January 10, 2023, AutoStore, one of the leading warehouse automation companies in the world, announced the debut of Pio in North America. Pio is a plug-and-play version of AutoStore's popular cube storage technology, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Based on a pay-per-pick service model, Pio enables SMBs, such as retailers of sporting goods, apparel, crafts, and cosmetics, to adopt robotic automation for a relatively cheap investment, thereby helping more businesses obtain access to the world's most advanced automation technology. Mats Hovland Vikse, CEO of AutoStore, said, "We established Pio to make our technology available to smaller businesses," He also added, "Only 15 percent of the world's warehouses are automated, and fulfillment operations at smaller retailers are still largely manual. Pio levels the playing field so that enterprises of all sizes can take advantage of the space and cost efficiencies of automated storage and distribution systems." (Source – Globe Newswire) Retailers pay a fee for each item picked. Software, robots, and ports used in the automation are owned and maintained by Pio. Users simply need to acquire product bins and the robots' running frames. A Pio facility is modular and expandable and works on standard plug-and-play software that integrates with the most prevalent online retail and shipping platforms. In effect, Pio enables small and medium-sized businesses to compete with much larger businesses with minimal capital expenditures, increased staff, and floor space requirements. About AutoStore Founded in 1996, AutoStore is a robot technology company that developed and continues to innovate Cube Storage Automation - the most compact product/inventory storage solution. The company intends to combine software, hardware, and human capabilities to build the future of warehouse management. AutoStore is a multinational corporation with over a thousand systems installed in 46 countries and a variety of sectors. All sales are developed, installed, and supported by a network of authorized system integrators. The company is headquartered in Nedre Vats, Norway, with offices in offices in the United States, Oslo (Norway), the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Japan, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Singapore

Read More

TECHNOLOGY

Patriot Acknowledged as Top Small Business Payroll Software by Software Advice

Patriot Software, LLC | January 12, 2023

Patriot Software, a renowned accounting and payroll software vendor, has been recognized as a front-runner for Top Small Business Payroll Software by Software Advice. Software Advice assists organizations in navigating the software buying journey. Its current FrontRunners report analyses user evaluations and ranks the top-scoring products for small businesses based on usability and customer satisfaction ratings. Patriot, along with being recognized as Top Small Business Payroll Software, also featured in several other Software Advice front-runners reports throughout 2022, such as Top Payroll for Accountants Software, Top Online Payroll Software, and Top Payroll Software. "I'm excited to see that Software Advice has recognized our payroll software as a FrontRunner, as so many of our customers have," said Jackie Greenfield, Head of Product Management. He added, "Our product managers work closely with our accountants and small business owners to ensure we keep improving our software with new useful features while keeping it easy to use." (Source – PR Web) Patriot's payroll software proclaims an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Software Advice, signifying that Patriot's user-friendly, affordable, and speedy payroll software is a must-have for both business owners and accountants alike. About Patriot Software Founded in 1986, Patriot Software, located in Canton, Ohio, offers simple yet powerful online accounting and payroll software to US business owners and their accountants. The company provides on-premises or cloud-based solutions that assist business owners in managing, maintaining, and automating payments. Starting from the basement of a factory as a startup, it eventually grew and spawned four additional companies, now employing over 300 people in the United States of America.

Read More

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Sunflower Bank Partnerships with SmartBiz to Launch a New Lending Online Platform

SmartBiz | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Sunflower Bank, N.A., announced the start of a new small business lending platform in collaboration with SmartBiz, the renowned artificial intelligence-powered small business financing platform. Through this new end-to-end online portal, small businesses within Sunflower Bank, N.A.'s branch network, will now have access to a smoother process to apply for conventional small business loans ranging from $25,000 to $350,000. Express Line loan products and small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) will be accessible beginning in the second quarter of 2023. Sunflower Bank provides financial solutions to the individual communities it serves. It offers a comprehensive array of banking services, including personal, small business, commercial, wealth management, credit cards, and mortgages. By utilizing SmartBiz's cutting-edge technology and seasoned small company loan specialists, Sunflower Bank, N.A. has increased efficiency and personalized assistance throughout the loan application and approval process. Managing Director of Business Banking and SBA at Sunflower Bank, N.A., Matt Fitch stated, “SmartBiz aligns with our relationship banking approach, as well as our ambitious growth plans through its combination of technology and live support,” He further added “We are very excited to be able to meet the needs of more small business customers together and look forward to a long and productive partnership.” (Source – Business Wire) “Our mission at SmartBiz is to equip every entrepreneur with reliable access to the capital they need. We are thrilled to partner with Sunflower Bank, N.A. to ensure their clients can grow and strengthen their businesses with the right capital at the right time,” commented SmartBiz CEO Evan Singer. (Source – Business Wire) About SmartBiz Headquartered in San Francisco and Austin, SmartBiz is a leading AI-powered small business financing platform, providing entrepreneurs access to the appropriate capital at the right time. It has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in SBA 7(a), PPP, and bank term loans to date, all while enhancing efficiency for its network of banks and reliable lending partners. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have used its platform to get the financing they need to develop, with 60% of the loans given to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. It is backed by Investor including Growth Capital, Venrock, Baseline Ventures, First Round Capital and Uncork Capital. In addition, it has been crowned American Banker's Best Fintech to work for on multiple occasions.

Read More

MANAGEMENT

AutoStore Launches Pio to Provide SMBs with Best-In-Class Warehouse Automation

AutoStore | January 11, 2023

On January 10, 2023, AutoStore, one of the leading warehouse automation companies in the world, announced the debut of Pio in North America. Pio is a plug-and-play version of AutoStore's popular cube storage technology, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Based on a pay-per-pick service model, Pio enables SMBs, such as retailers of sporting goods, apparel, crafts, and cosmetics, to adopt robotic automation for a relatively cheap investment, thereby helping more businesses obtain access to the world's most advanced automation technology. Mats Hovland Vikse, CEO of AutoStore, said, "We established Pio to make our technology available to smaller businesses," He also added, "Only 15 percent of the world's warehouses are automated, and fulfillment operations at smaller retailers are still largely manual. Pio levels the playing field so that enterprises of all sizes can take advantage of the space and cost efficiencies of automated storage and distribution systems." (Source – Globe Newswire) Retailers pay a fee for each item picked. Software, robots, and ports used in the automation are owned and maintained by Pio. Users simply need to acquire product bins and the robots' running frames. A Pio facility is modular and expandable and works on standard plug-and-play software that integrates with the most prevalent online retail and shipping platforms. In effect, Pio enables small and medium-sized businesses to compete with much larger businesses with minimal capital expenditures, increased staff, and floor space requirements. About AutoStore Founded in 1996, AutoStore is a robot technology company that developed and continues to innovate Cube Storage Automation - the most compact product/inventory storage solution. The company intends to combine software, hardware, and human capabilities to build the future of warehouse management. AutoStore is a multinational corporation with over a thousand systems installed in 46 countries and a variety of sectors. All sales are developed, installed, and supported by a network of authorized system integrators. The company is headquartered in Nedre Vats, Norway, with offices in offices in the United States, Oslo (Norway), the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Japan, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Singapore

Read More

TECHNOLOGY

Patriot Acknowledged as Top Small Business Payroll Software by Software Advice

Patriot Software, LLC | January 12, 2023

Patriot Software, a renowned accounting and payroll software vendor, has been recognized as a front-runner for Top Small Business Payroll Software by Software Advice. Software Advice assists organizations in navigating the software buying journey. Its current FrontRunners report analyses user evaluations and ranks the top-scoring products for small businesses based on usability and customer satisfaction ratings. Patriot, along with being recognized as Top Small Business Payroll Software, also featured in several other Software Advice front-runners reports throughout 2022, such as Top Payroll for Accountants Software, Top Online Payroll Software, and Top Payroll Software. "I'm excited to see that Software Advice has recognized our payroll software as a FrontRunner, as so many of our customers have," said Jackie Greenfield, Head of Product Management. He added, "Our product managers work closely with our accountants and small business owners to ensure we keep improving our software with new useful features while keeping it easy to use." (Source – PR Web) Patriot's payroll software proclaims an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Software Advice, signifying that Patriot's user-friendly, affordable, and speedy payroll software is a must-have for both business owners and accountants alike. About Patriot Software Founded in 1986, Patriot Software, located in Canton, Ohio, offers simple yet powerful online accounting and payroll software to US business owners and their accountants. The company provides on-premises or cloud-based solutions that assist business owners in managing, maintaining, and automating payments. Starting from the basement of a factory as a startup, it eventually grew and spawned four additional companies, now employing over 300 people in the United States of America.

Read More

BUSINESS STRATEGY

Sunflower Bank Partnerships with SmartBiz to Launch a New Lending Online Platform

SmartBiz | January 20, 2023

On January 19, 2023, Sunflower Bank, N.A., announced the start of a new small business lending platform in collaboration with SmartBiz, the renowned artificial intelligence-powered small business financing platform. Through this new end-to-end online portal, small businesses within Sunflower Bank, N.A.'s branch network, will now have access to a smoother process to apply for conventional small business loans ranging from $25,000 to $350,000. Express Line loan products and small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a) will be accessible beginning in the second quarter of 2023. Sunflower Bank provides financial solutions to the individual communities it serves. It offers a comprehensive array of banking services, including personal, small business, commercial, wealth management, credit cards, and mortgages. By utilizing SmartBiz's cutting-edge technology and seasoned small company loan specialists, Sunflower Bank, N.A. has increased efficiency and personalized assistance throughout the loan application and approval process. Managing Director of Business Banking and SBA at Sunflower Bank, N.A., Matt Fitch stated, “SmartBiz aligns with our relationship banking approach, as well as our ambitious growth plans through its combination of technology and live support,” He further added “We are very excited to be able to meet the needs of more small business customers together and look forward to a long and productive partnership.” (Source – Business Wire) “Our mission at SmartBiz is to equip every entrepreneur with reliable access to the capital they need. We are thrilled to partner with Sunflower Bank, N.A. to ensure their clients can grow and strengthen their businesses with the right capital at the right time,” commented SmartBiz CEO Evan Singer. (Source – Business Wire) About SmartBiz Headquartered in San Francisco and Austin, SmartBiz is a leading AI-powered small business financing platform, providing entrepreneurs access to the appropriate capital at the right time. It has connected borrowers with more than $9 billion in SBA 7(a), PPP, and bank term loans to date, all while enhancing efficiency for its network of banks and reliable lending partners. More than 230,000 entrepreneurs have used its platform to get the financing they need to develop, with 60% of the loans given to minority, women, or veteran-owned businesses. It is backed by Investor including Growth Capital, Venrock, Baseline Ventures, First Round Capital and Uncork Capital. In addition, it has been crowned American Banker's Best Fintech to work for on multiple occasions.

Read More

Spotlight

Events

Riverside County Small Business Conference

Conference

Cybersecurity for Small Business: What to do if you‘ve been hacked

Webinar

Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business

Webinar

Resources

resource image

MANAGEMENT

SBA Loans for Small Business & Startups | Eqvista

Video

resource image

MANAGEMENT

SBA Loans for Small Business & Startups | Eqvista

Video

resource image

MARKETING AND NETWORKING

QuickBooks Time Review: Quickbooks is a great option for small business owners

Video

resource image

MARKETING AND NETWORKING

Empowering small businesses with modern, data-driven banking tech

Whitepaper

Events