Margaret Molloy, Global CMO, and Host Podcast “How CMOs Commit” On Community and Curiosity

Growing up on a farm in a rural Irish community showed Margaret Molloy she was part of something greater than herself. “Every family helped each other. We were in it together.”The underlying tenets of that tight-knit community – and her awareness that not everyone could access higher education – shaped Margaret for life. “The dignity of every person is important. In a community, everyone can contribute to each other’s success.”Margaret also gained an appreciation for hard work – something she and her five siblings learned as they helped their parents and other families on their farms. “I’m very grateful to my parents for the struggles they endured on our behalf.” One of the things her parents’ hard work funded was the purchase of the World Book encyclopedia.

What I learned from that job was the importance of having passion for the mission of wherever I choose to work.

Gaining access to that set taught Margaret the benefit of curiosity and the opportunity afforded by books, lessons that inspired her leadership approach. “It’s vitally important to understand a subject deeply in order to explain it simply. It’s also important to stay curious about yourself, others, and issues. Curiosity and judgment can’t coexist.”One of Margaret’s first jobs in the United States was as marketing manager for Telecom Ireland. “What I learned from that job was the importance of having passion for the mission of wherever I choose to work.”After earning her MBA at Harvard Business School, Margaret landed at Siebel Systems, an early B2B technology pioneer. Her biggest takeaway was the importance of values. “I saw how values translate into behavior and culture. For instance, Siebel’s bias-for-action value translated into accountability. If someone committed to doing something, there was never doubt it would get done.”Now as CMO of Siegel+Gale, the world’s leading brand strategy design and experience firm, Margaret helps CMOs and brand leaders understand the power of simplicity.“We help clients create brand experiences that are simple and reduce the customer’s cognitive load. If you’re thoughtful about the customer journey and walk empathetically in the customer’s shoes, you arrive at customer loyalty.”Margaret’s other keys to success include:

• Valuing sales and marketing alignment. Because she understands sales and marketing alignment is core to success, Margaret carries a blueprint for it into every company.
• Appreciating brand power. Margaret understands a successful brand lives at the intersection of keeping promises, working hard, and building a well-earned reputation.
• Staying humble. To be mindful of hubris, Margaret advocates that all marketers challenge their assumptions from time to time.
• A surprise recitation performance …