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Operational Marketing Excellence - An Interview with Peter Mahoney

Picture of Nicholas Page   Nicholas Page  ·  1 minute read

In this episode of Tech Marketing Trends, Jakob Löwenbrand speaks with Peter Mahoney, Chief Commercial Officer at GoTo and author of The Next CMO: A Guide to Operational Marketing Excellence. Peter draws on his experience as a marketing executive and founder to share practical advice on how CMOs can elevate their impact through smarter planning, financial fluency, and operational discipline.

 

 

Financial clarity for modern marketing leaders

Peter stresses that marketers must develop a strong understanding of finance to earn credibility with CEOs and CFOs. Reporting results in business terms—not clicks and impressions—is crucial for influencing strategy and securing budgets. Financial IQ is no longer optional; it’s foundational to a successful CMO role.

“You need to speak in the language of the audience. That’s usually financial—and that’s what too many marketers miss.” - Peter Mahoney

 

 

Think like a scientist, lead like a strategist

Successful CMOs need to balance long-term strategy with tactical agility. Peter urges marketers to act like scientists—form hypotheses, run tests, and report honestly on outcomes. At the same time, they must stay focused on a bigger destination to ensure short-term tactics contribute to long-term goals.

“You need to dispassionately analyze your data and communicate real results—even if something didn’t work.”

 

 

Focus beats frenzy

Instead of spreading resources across dozens of tactics, Peter recommends narrowing focus to a few key campaigns tied to strategic business outcomes. A concentrated approach improves measurability and message clarity. When experiments arise, they should fit within the broader narrative—not derail it.

“To make an impact, invest more in fewer things—and have the patience to let them work.”

 

 

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Operational excellence in action

Running a marketing organization well means defining clear goals, building campaigns around them, and managing performance through consistent rhythms. Peter outlines an operating cadence that includes regular reviews, strategic check-ins, and KPI tracking—turning strategy into sustained action.

“Define a few strategic goals, connect them to campaigns, and then manage to those through consistent operating rhythms.”

 

 

Make marketing matter to the board

To gain leadership buy-in, marketers must present holistic, measurable value. Peter advises using simple napkin math to calculate brand ROI, committing to early tracking metrics, and being prepared to scale efforts up or down. Transparency builds trust—and makes the case for long-term investment.

“If your brand investment is $5 million and the value you expect to generate is $2 million, you’re destroying value.”

 

 

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