The role of a B2B marketing leader has never been more challenging – or exciting.
In the midst of a dizzyingly busy RSAC, a different kind of panel took place – one more intimate and insightful.
Hosted by Kari Wiens, we brought together four powerhouse marketing leaders from Demandbase, Commvault, Fortinet, and GitLab for a first-of-its-kind roundtable session of our Women Leading the Way in B2B series. Here’s what we learned:
Failure is part of the strategy
For many of us, critique of function feels personal. Instead of trying to separate these feelings, leaning into them with curiosity and an eye on experimentation creates opportunities for stronger outcomes, bringing functions closer together, adding new perspectives, and growing team members. If you’re hitting all your goals, it just means the goals weren’t hard enough.
“If you haven’t failed, you haven’t learned anything,” said Kristin Heisner.
Chaos is natural
Our panelists reminded us that chaos isn’t a sign that something’s gone wrong – it’s part of the landscape. And for women, chaos can be a comfortable place to lead from.
“We’re used to navigating environments that are, quite frankly, not made for us,” said Rebecca Clayman. “We have honed instincts and a second nature for navigating chaos.”
Know your superpower
The best leaders understand what specific things they do well – and lean into them. Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, hone what you do well and build a team around covering each other’s weaker areas.
Never stop pushing
Whether you’re advocating for bolder positioning or your own growth, it’s important that leaders-to-be are always making their voices heard. In chaotic and competitive environments, progress comes from always pushing for clarity, alignment, and your people.
You're not imagining it: Being a B2B leader has never been more challenging
In our Cost of Chaos Report, we discovered that 53% of marketers say their work environment feels chaotic – and more than a third say it's impacting their sleep and stress levels. That’s the world we’re leading in – and why this series matters.
We’re incredibly grateful to our panelists: Ami Tank – VP US Marketing, Fortinet | Rebecca Clayman – Senior Director, Brand, GitLab | Genelle Kunst – SVP Growth Marketing, Demandbase | Kristin Heisner – Senior Director, Partner Marketing, Commvault — for sharing their candor, experience, and leadership.
And finally, a big thank you to Demandbase for hosting us in their beautiful San Francisco office and bringing this group together.
About the Women Leading the Way in B2B series
The Women Leading the Way in B2B creates space for honest, grounded conversations about how women become leaders, build trust, and guide teams through constant chaos.
Each session shines a light on how they navigate real-world challenges, balance vision with execution, and chart new paths forward—for their teams, their organizations, and the industry.
You can listen to past sessions here.