How do you redesign your marketing operating model to align with modern growth strategies—without blowing up your team or budget? In this episode of Growth Driver, we dive deep into one of the most overlooked yet mission-critical challenges facing B2B marketing and revenue leaders: marketing org transformation. Host John Common and guest Jen Ross examine why even the most hard-working and well-intentioned marketing teams are falling short—not because of effort, but because their org model wasn’t built for today’s fast-changing environment. The truth? Efficient growth starts not with more tactics, but with rethinking how your team is structured, enabled, and resourced to deliver cross-functional outcomes.

Jen and John walk through the signals that it's time to reevaluate your org—like skill gaps, bottlenecks, and constant fire drills—and lay out a smarter path forward. That means moving beyond reactive hiring, legacy structures, and blunt cost-cutting, and instead designing an operating model grounded in business goals, scalable capabilities, and true alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success. From pilot programs to new models like Marketing-as-a-Service, this conversation arms leaders with the tools to drive both agility and accountability across their revenue engine.

Jennifer Ross brings unmatched insight to this conversation, having advised hundreds of CMOs and now helping organizations execute marketing transformation from both the strategic and operational side. As Executive VP of Marketing Strategy at 2X, she knows firsthand how to operationalize marketing for impact—bridging the gap between strategy and execution. Whether your company is navigating flat budgets, new markets, or just trying to unlock better performance from your team, Jen shares how to think differently about your org—and how to lead meaningful, lasting change

KEY MOMENTS IN THIS EPISODE:
0:00 – Intro
4:40 – Defining marketing org transformation
9:03 – Why is marketing org transformation so relevant right now?
18:42 – Symptoms you need to consider transforming your marketing org
22:50 – Common mistakes when transforming your marketing org, and how to do it right
31:57 – Your team is always busy, but are they driving impact?
42:48 – The largest gains in efficiency, cost, and impact from this kind of transformation

As an accomplished B2B Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Executive Advisor, Jennifer brings over three decades of expertise to the dynamic realm of business-to-business marketing. A trailblazer in innovative strategies, her journey is marked by an unwavering commitment to excellence and thought leadership, shaping transformative approaches in B2B marketing.

Jennifer is an influential author, thought leader, and sought-after keynote speaker on B2B marketing best practices. With a fervor for future-proofing marketing functions, she guides teams to navigate the ever-changing, complex B2B landscape.

As Fractional CMO and Executive Director of Marketing Strategy at 2X, Jennifer draws upon her extensive background to pinpoint the capabilities, competencies, strategies, and operating models essential for 2X and its valued customers. Her goal is to facilitate exceptional experiences that not only enhance customer value but also drive accelerated growth.

Jennifer's leadership extends to her tenure at Forrester (formerly SiriusDecisions), where she led the B2B CMO Service. In this global research and advisory firm, she and her team served as trusted personal advisors to leading global CMOs, offering actionable intelligence, transformative frameworks, and expert industry guidance. Their collaborative efforts empowered marketing, product, and sales leaders to align with precision, accelerate growth, and execute audience-centric go-to-market strategies.

Throughout her illustrious career, Jennifer held key marketing leadership roles at both established and startup companies across diverse industries, including JD Edwards, CosmoCom, IBM, Alteryx Telelogic, and Bombardier Aerospace. Her rich tapestry of experiences underscores her adaptability, strategic acumen, and the ability to drive success in various organizational settings.

Growth Driver is powered by Intelligent Demand, a 2X company. Visit intelligentdemand.com to learn more about how they can help your organization hit its growth goals.

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