Marketing as a team sport: Breaking silos and leading with purpose with Eric Herzog

CMO of Infinidat, Eric Herzog, pulls back the curtain on the transparent realities of leading a marketing team and tackles the issue of marketing operating as a silo. Drawing from his own experiences, he contrasts the demands of B2B marketing with B2C, noting how critical it is for marketing efforts to have tangible substance rather than being all fluff.

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Radically Transparent, Eric Herzog, Chief Marketing Officer at Infinidat stops by for an in-depth conversation on the realities of leading a modern marketing function in today’s complex B2B environment. Eric delves into what keeps him up at night professionally, particularly the ongoing challenge of aligning sales and marketing teams. He shares his approach to fostering teamwork within the marketing function, especially when different channel teams often fail to communicate effectively.
Eric tackles the issue of marketing operating as a silo, emphasizing the critical need for marketing, product and sales teams to talk to each other regularly. He highlights the importance of having all marketing elements in sync and how being “joined at the hip” with product management can drive more substantial results.

Drawing from his own experiences, Eric contrasts the demands of B2B marketing with B2C, noting how critical it is for marketing efforts to have tangible substance rather than being all fluff.

He also shares insights into the importance of strong communication skills in marketing, pointing out that many marketers struggle with speaking and representation—skills that are essential for effectively conveying the value of their efforts. Eric argues that marketing is a team sport, not an individual one, and emphasizes the importance of collaboration with product management, sales teams, and solutions architects to achieve success.

Throughout the entire episode, Eric provides anecdotes from his time in the industry, including lessons from his early career and the challenges of managing a global marketing department. He also shares a personal story that you won’t find on his LinkedIn profile, rounding out a conversation filled with practical advice and unique perspectives for marketing leaders looking to lead with purpose.

Hot Topics:

• Breaking down silos between departments: Eric emphasizes the importance of regular communication between marketing, product, and sales teams to ensure alignment and drive stronger results, particularly by being closely connected with product management.
• Substance over fluff in B2B marketing: Drawing on his experience, Eric contrasts B2B and B2C marketing, stressing that B2B efforts need to offer tangible value and cannot rely solely on surface-level tactics.
• The critical role of communication skills: Eric highlights how strong communication is essential for marketers to effectively represent their work and collaborate with teams, noting that many marketers struggle with this key skill.

Meet Eric

Eric Herzog is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Infinidat, bringing over 30 years of experience in the enterprise storage industry. Prior to joining Infinidat, Eric held senior leadership roles at global storage giants EMC and IBM, where he managed product marketing, product management, and business development. His track record includes building high-performing marketing teams, executing go-to-market strategies, and elevating brands across start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. Recognized as “Marketer/CMO of the Year” in 2021, Eric is also a top influencer in hybrid cloud, AI, and big data. At Infinidat, he leads global marketing strategy, focusing on expanding the company’s brand and driving growth in enterprise storage solutions.