Leading through chaos

Honest lessons and practical advice from women steering some of the world’s biggest brands through today’s B2B challenges.

In the second session of our Women Leading the Way in B2B series, marketing leaders from Criteo, Workday, IBM, and Cognizant came together for a candid conversation. No slides. No buzzwords. Just real talk about what it takes to lead and make an impact in modern B2B marketing, where complexity is the new normal and chaos is the backdrop.

Economic uncertainty, geopolitical volatility, societal fragmentation, and the dizzying pace of AI are reshaping how B2B works. Buying cycles are slower, budgets are tighter, and expectations are higher. In this discussion, these women shared how they’re creating coherence in the midst of that chaos: aligning teams, building resilience, and earning trust while still delivering impact.

You’ll hear about their journeys—the inflection points, lessons learned, career pivots, and what they’re doing to lift others as they rise. The conversation is candid, practical, and energizing: a space for current and aspiring marketing leaders to connect, learn, and leave with a new perspective.

Thank you to our panel:

• Charlotte Aspeheim Schmidt, Head of Global Partner Field Marketing at Cognizant

• Jill Cross, Vice President, Global Demand Strategy at IBM

• Michelle Frantino, Vice President, Global Brand Marketing at Criteo

• Vicky McNamara, VP Marketing UK&I at Workday

About the Women Leading the Way in B2B series

This series celebrates the voices and experiences of women who are redefining leadership in B2B marketing. 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.