The CMO role is in the middle of an identity crisis — and a rebirth. AI-first founders are prioritizing distribution, growth, and taste over playbooks of the past. Experience still matters, but today, aptitude, storytelling, and the ability to resonate with first-time founders matter more.

Anthony Kennada sits down with Cameron O’Brien and Amber Weinberg, co-founders of Aperture Partners (a boutique GTM executive search firm behind placements at Elastic, Fivetran, Anthropic, Fal.ai, Synthesia, Retool, and more), to unpack how the marketing leadership search is being rewritten in real time.

They explore how the expectations of CEOs have shifted, why “marketing needs a rebrand,” and what both candidates and companies must do to win in this new era of work.

Topics we cover:

– Why aptitude is outpacing experience in CMO hiring

– How to communicate marketing’s value to first-time founders

– The rebrand marketing desperately needs

– What top candidates are really looking for right now

– How human-first leadership can be a strategic advantage

– Practical advice for CMOs navigating career transitions in the Intelligence Age

If you’re a CMO, founder, or GTM leader navigating the AI era, this conversation will help you see — and seize — the opportunity in the shift.