Thought Leadership
Establish credibility and build trust
Thought leadership is a marketing and business strategy designed to increase visibility and promote knowledge by sharing valuable insights, innovative ideas, and expertise on relevant topics within an industry to build trust and authority within an industry. Instead of pitching a product or service, a thought leader provides valuable knowledge that solves problems, answers big questions, and guides future trends.
From 2021 through 2024, I led the global enterprise thought leadership marketing team at PayPal. During that time, we developed significantly innovative and engaging content to strengthen our brand, establish credibility in the industry, build trust, and attract major brands worldwide.
Our thought leadership content aligns with our customer value pillars:
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Enable Growth
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Drive Profitability
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Reduce Complexity
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Innovate
Thought Leadership Content: Reports, eBooks, Videos, and more
Here is a small sampling of thought leadership assets produced by my talented team to help large enterprises grow, profit, optimize, and innovate. Most of the assets were transcreated for local use in 5 core markets: Australia, Germany, France, the UK, and the US.
These became the centerpieces of regional Account-Based Marketing campaigns, were showcased at industry events, and served as sources for sponsored content. Our global sellers and customer success management teams also leveraged these for direct client outreach and Quarterly Business Reviews.
This comprehensive cross-border report was developed through a strategic collaboration with our Asia-Pacific small-and-mid-sized business (SMB) team. Building upon a baseline report they produced in 2021, I proposed a joint venture for the 2022 edition to maximize our market impact.
By uniting the resources of our SMB and Enterprise teams, we successfully created two distinct, tailored versions of the report. We pooled our budgets, aligned on tight deadlines, and designated streamlined feedback channels on both teams. This collaborative framework allowed us to produce a highly polished, data-rich report in record time.
We collaborated with a specialized team within the sales enablement organization that conducted live A/B testing for big brands like Macy’s, Camping World, and Wayfair. Operating over multiple years, this program generated an extensive repository of user behavior data and deep consumer insights. To maximize the value of these cumulative findings, we synthesized the data and checkout best practices into a comprehensive ebook: Reimagining the Customer Experience and Driving Conversion Online. This asset successfully translated complex data into actionable, high-level marketing strategies for our customer base. Next, we sliced the data by industries and created mutliple ebooks with more relevant consumer insights.
Global Thought Leadership Invitation-Only Executive Events
The programs also prominently feature panel discussions, during which executives hear from peers who openly share success stories and strategies for overcoming challenges.
PayPal hosts annual executive thought leadership events designed for its most strategic customers, bringing together leading minds in technology and commerce to Shape the Future. As a key member of the core program team, we ensured the event offered abundant opportunities for networking, learning, and professional growth, complemented by a dynamic agenda of sessions and activities.
In the past, executive (C-Suite) attendees were inspired by keynote speakers such as Scott Galloway and James Clear, captivated by fireside chats featuring celebrities like Trevor Noah, Susie Wolff, and Magic Johnson, and informed about cutting-edge innovations in commerce through presentations by PayPal’s executive leadership team including CEO, Alex Chriss, President, Global Markets, Suzan Kererre, and EVP, General Manager, Frank Keller.
Structured and informal networking opportunities allowed participants to connect with peers and industry leaders, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange.
A customer panel discussion at our C360 Berlin event in the Fall of 2023.
I was directly accountable for identifying, recruiting, and engaging customers to participate in our panel discussions at each regional event. This process involved close collaboration and alignment with the sales organization, including sales leaders, account executives, and customer success managers. With the addition of a partner showcases in 2024, this effort expanded to include coordination with the partner management team. It also required partnerships with PR & Comms and our executive moderators to ensure seamless integration and representation across all participants.
Topics explored by our executive customer panels at the 2024 C360 US event included:
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Driving Increased Sales & Loyalty Through Frictionless Experiences
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Leveraging AI & Data to Transform Digital Ad Spend
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Creating Value Beyond Payments
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Innovating and Emerging Trends in eCommerce Platforms
Careful consideration was given to ensuring diversity across industries, roles, and panelists, fostering the most insightful, informative, and dynamic discussions on stage. This balance was crucial for delivering a breadth of perspectives and creating engaging conversations that resonated with a wide audience.
When it all comes together, it is magical!
Thought leadership is about humanizing enterprise brand value through sharing deep expertise, unique insights, and innovative ideas to build trust and authority within an industry. At EIS, I established a comprehensive executive thought leadership program to uniquely position seven key leaders as trusted authorities in their respective fields. I identified targeted niches for each executive, designing distinct content strategies that highlighted their deep understanding of our customers' pain points and our unique competitive advantage. For each leader, I developed custom topic frameworks, master messaging structures, core narratives, shareable statistics, and a distinct tonal identity. This programmatic approach successfully transformed corporate expertise into influential, market-facing brand equity.
Building Executive Authority: The EIS Thought Leadership Program
Industry Conference Keynote Presentations
I love working with smart people. In 2018, I had the privilege of working with the former President & CEO of Swiss Re Canada and current EIS board member, Sharon M. Ludlow, CPA, CA, ICO.D, to develop her keynote address at InsurTech Toronto, the premier insurance industry conference in Canada. I successfully took her vision and created this impactful and engaging presentation including full speaker notes. She reused this presentation, with minor updates at the first EIS Customer Summit in Sonoma, CA the following year.
