Business Growth Strategies For CEOs: Top CMOs On Marketing Strategy Implementations

Anka Twum-Baah

Anka works with CEOs at financial services, technology, SaaS, travel, and retail companies to drive topline growth, scale and product differentiation through integrated marketing programs, analytics, and holistic go-to-market strategies. With over 25 years of experience within start-up and Fortune 500 companies, Anka has proven success in leading B2B, B2C and B2B2C marketing teams while connecting the efforts of sales, product, engineering, and operations.

Outsider Insights | The Backup Plan You Don't Have Is Already Costing You

Fri, Aug 21, 2026 | Posted by Dawn Werry

Executive Takeaways

Commercial team gaps happen for many reasons: someone leaves, someone is underperforming, or the business needs a capability the current team doesn’t have.
Mid-sized companies tend to run lean, which means there’s rarely a qualified backup ready to step into a critical role.
The real cost of that gap isn’t the empty seat. Priorities slow, teams lose direction, good people get frustrated, and commercial efforts stall.
Rushing a permanent hire isn’t always the answer. Fractional resources can keep the business moving while you make the right long-term decision.
The best time to decide how you’ll handle a critical commercial is before one opens.

Outsider Insights

Across Chief Outsiders, we talk to hundreds of CEOs every month. In this series, we explore the trends and challenges we’re hearing from these discussions – and what you can do if you’re facing the same issues in your business.

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From Loyalty Programs to Leadership: What 20 Years in CRM Taught Me About Organizational Growth

Mon, May 11, 2026 — Executive Takeaways The principles that build customer loyalty work just as well on your best employees and partners. Salary and bonus are table stakes. What keeps top performers are the moments that make them feel like insiders. Internal friction is as damaging as friction in a customer journey — and just as fixable. Generic recognition retains no one. Tailored moves do. Loyalty programs taught many of us how to turn casual buyers into raving fans. My 20 years in CRM and loyalty for brands like Marriott, Amazon, and American Express—and leading a $3B customer platform—taught me something bigger: The same system that keeps customers coming back also keeps your best people from leaving. When growth stalls, most CEOs reach for the usual levers: more demand gen, more recruiting, more channels.

How to Develop Future C-Suite Leaders: A Guide for Mentoring and Succession Planning

Fri, Apr 10, 2026 — Executive Takeaways Succession gaps quietly erode growth, value, and decision speed Strong companies treat succession as a continuous leadership discipline A 1/3/5-year talent map builds a visible, scalable leadership pipeline Sponsorship, mentoring, and coaching turn high-potential talent into ready leaders Ambition is the easy part. The real question is whether your company’s future CEO’s, CFOs, COOs, CMO’s and CROs are already growing inside the business long before you need them.

AI Strategy for Financial Services CEOs: Why “Good Enough” is no Longer Enough

Mon, Feb 23, 2026 — AI in financial services has moved from lofty claims about AI's use to being at the center of the growth conversation, shaping how you compete, run, and stay trusted. Margins are under pressure as customers benchmark you against their best digital experiences, whether they are opening a checking account, redeeming loyalty points, disputing a card charge, or seeking hardship help.

Creating Compelling Assessments that Drive Value

Tue, Jul 9, 2024 — Does your business need a health checkup? Just as you would not wait for symptoms to turn into a full-blown illness before seeing a doctor, savvy leaders understand the value of regular assessments to keep their organizations healthy and thriving. Assessments are a vital diagnostic tool, revealing strengths, weaknesses, and hidden issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. Much like preventive healthcare, they provide early warnings, allowing leaders to address concerns before they escalate into crises.

The Importance of Customer Empathy in Journey Mapping

Thu, Jun 20, 2024 — In today's hyper-connected world, the customer journey has evolved into a multifaceted landscape shaped by many influences and access to extensive information. As personalization and marketing sophistication continue to advance, it becomes increasingly vital for businesses to acknowledge that understanding the customer journey extends beyond mere assumptions. To navigate effectively, businesses require a nuanced approach that recognizes the inherent complexity of consumer behavior and actively engages in empathetic journey mapping.

The Significance of Personalization in Enhancing Account-Based Marketing Strategies

Wed, May 22, 2024 — Customers love feeling known and appreciated by the companies and brands that have earned their business and loyalty. In today’s marketing environment, forging that bond is more important than ever before. When companies miss the mark on personalizing their offerings, this incredibly important value proposition becomes muted.

Analyzing Customer Data to Gain Actionable Insights

Wed, May 1, 2024 — Customer data is crucial when creating a sales and marketing strategy. But humans are not made of data, so when considering the customer, you must acknowledge that the data itself doesn’t reveal the whole story. How marketers gain actionable insights – and drive growth – through data is a more important question to ask and answer.

The Benefits of a Unified Sales and Marketing Strategy

Mon, Apr 22, 2024 — It used to be that companies could achieve growth by simply focusing on sales or having sales and advertising be complementary marketing tactics. But today, macro and micro pressures along with evolving landscapes across industries have resulted in a more competitive landscape. Tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) provide a level of sophistication, and these tools can help business leaders bridge strategies and tactics across different business units.

Growth Insights for CEOs