CMO Chats with Luca Altieri, VP Marketing IBM Technology EMEA

Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your role at IBM?

I’m currently leading the EMEA marketing and communication for IBM Technology. It’s a challenging role that involves overseeing numerous markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. My core responsibility is to collaborate with our global teams to develop and execute the most appropriate marketing and communication strategies for each of these diverse markets.

What would you say are the biggest challenges you’re currently facing?

I would point to three main challenges we’re experiencing today.

The first is the constant need to deliver higher value to our clients and meet their ever-increasing expectations. Thanks to the digital transformation, clients are more informed than ever before. They demand a more personalised, multi-touch, and omnichannel experience. This is a significant challenge because we must deliver this hyper-personalised experience while navigating constraints on data management, such as GDPR regulations. These rules can limit our ability to get a 360-degree view of the client, which is essential for true personalisation.

The second challenge is the classic marketing dilemma of doing more with less. Over the past few years, like in many industries, marketing budgets and resources have decreased, yet the expectations from the company, the CEO, and sales teams have only risen. It’s a difficult balance to manage. However, this is where Artificial Intelligence can provide significant help. AI can assist in creating content in real-time and enable greater productivity in our day-to-day work, helping us bridge that resource gap.

Finally, the third challenge is achieving full sales and marketing integration. We sometimes still operate in silos, but we need to be more integrated and sharply focused on the same objective: delivering value to our clients.

That’s a very insightful overview. Taking a step back, how did you start your career, and what led you to your current role?

It’s a funny story because I’ve done everything but marketing for most of my career. I’ve been with IBM for 25 years, and a key reason for that longevity is that I was able to change jobs every two to three years. I’ve been fortunate to work for a company that encourages you to get a 360-degree view of the business and supports personal and professional growth.

I started my career in operations, analysing numbers and revenue results. From there, I moved to our ibm.com business unit, where I led our e-commerce channel with both EMEA and global responsibilities. After that, I had a fantastic experience as the executive assistant to the Italian Country General Manager.

I then moved to Turin to be the general manager of one of our small subsidiaries focused on digital business, before returning to become the COO of IBM Italy. It was only after all that experience that I became the CMO of IBM Italy for five years, which eventually led to my current EMEA leadership position. So, it was a very diversified set of experiences that ultimately blended into a career in the marketing space.

When you graduated, did you ever imagine you would end up in a senior marketing role?

Absolutely not. When I left university, my dream was to become an HR director in a multinational company. I was drawn to the idea of working with different cultures and was keen on the HR discipline. If you look at my 25-year career, I’ve done almost everything except work in a formal HR role. Of course, as a people manager, I handle HR tasks daily, but my career path took a completely different direction than I initially planned.

As a leader managing teams on a daily basis, what is your approach to people management?

My management style is very open; I have what is called an ‘open door’ policy where anyone on my team can come to me for help, to share concerns, or to suggest ideas. I generally see my role as that of a coach.

When I first moved into marketing, I was the least experienced marketeer on the team. My team was composed of skilled, knowledgeable professionals who had been in the field for years. So, my role wasn’t to be the expert, but to help them deliver the best work they possibly could. They had all the skills and experience inside them; it was just a matter of ensuring it got out.

Of course, there are moments when you need to be more direct, such as during a crisis or an urgent ‘fire drill’. But my usual approach is to enable my team to do their best by removing roadblocks, helping them build the right network within the company, and empowering them to move forward.

What is your main marketing focus at IBM right now, and how does AI play a part in your strategy?

Our primary focus is to position IBM as a leader in AI for business and AI productivity. We are investing heavily in awareness and consideration for our offerings, particularly among new potential clients and prospects who may not be as familiar with IBM’s strong value proposition in the AI space.

Our campaigns are centred around articulating the value clients can get from our solutions, like watsonx Orchestrate, by focusing on specific use cases. Crucially, this strategy isn’t just aimed at IT audiences; it’s also about reaching the line of business. After all, the people who will leverage AI in their daily activities are in departments like HR and marketing.

To achieve this, we use a mixed set of demand-generation tactics spanning all possible channels. We leverage Account-Based Marketing (ABM) for our top clients, work through our partner ecosystem, and use digital channels to reach smaller clients and prospects. Events are also a huge part of our strategy, from our own proprietary events to major third-party conferences.

Which marketing tactics have proven to be the most successful for you?

There isn’t one single tactic that works for everyone. The key to success is mixing tactics based on the audience and, most importantly, starting everything from a client-centric perspective.

Before we launch any marketing plan, we start by deeply understanding the audience we want to address. You need to know who the persona is and what their client journey looks like. What do they do to get information? How do they compare solutions? It’s not about trying to attract clients to your website or event; it’s about understanding the different phases of their journey—from awareness to consideration to purchase—and meeting them where they are.

When you understand their journey and can infuse your value proposition and content into the blogs, websites, and events they already frequent, you start to see success. For example, our Innovation Studios allow clients to get hands-on with our technology. This is a powerful tactic for clients who are past the awareness phase and are now considering and assessing different solutions. Being present and adding value at every touchpoint of that journey is what truly works.

Do small-format, C-level roundtables play a role in your B2B approach?

Yes, absolutely. Those types of events are critical to success, especially when dealing with the C-level. Having the opportunity to bring 10 CEOs, CFOs, or CMOs around the same table to share their experiences and pain points is fundamental.

The real value for these leaders is the ability to have a frank discussion with their peers, both within and across industries. They learn what others are doing to face similar challenges. We use this format a lot with our top clients, and they consistently pay off because they are built around knowledge sharing and delivering real, tangible value, not just a sales pitch. We often bring existing clients on stage to share their stories and how they solved a problem, which is far more powerful than us simply talking about our products.

How would you describe the relationship between the sales and marketing teams at IBM?

This is a relationship that deserves constant focus because when it’s managed well, it can make all the difference in the market. The key is to avoid a siloed approach. In the past, marketing had its KPIs and sales had theirs, which often led to friction.

Now, we have very strong synergies, which start with KPI alignment. For example, we don’t have a ‘marketing pipe’ and a ‘sales pipe’; we have one total pipe. Everyone contributes to it, but we are all focused on the same primary goal, whether that’s total pipeline or total revenue.

Secondly, we involve each other in all phases of the sales cycle. Traditionally, marketing owned the top of the funnel and sales owned the bottom. Today, we involve sales right from the beginning of our marketing planning. They own the client relationship, so they know the audience, their pain points, and what solutions will fit best. Likewise, sales will ask for marketing support further down the funnel during progression and conversion. This integrated approach ensures we are aligned with client needs and that sales is keen to follow up on the opportunities marketing identifies.

Could you share an example of a marketing initiative that sales has been particularly excited about?

A great recent example is our strategic collaboration with Scuderia Ferrari HP. This isn’t just a marketing activity; it’s a massive effort that brings together our marketing, technical, sales, and consulting teams. We’ve worked with Ferrari to integrate our AI capabilities into their official app to deliver personalised, real-time race insights to their fans.

This partnership is a win-win. It’s a powerful demonstration of our value in AI, it serves as an open door for sales conversations with clients, and it significantly boosts our brand visibility with our logo on the Ferrari Formula One cars. It’s a perfect example of how collaboration across different parts of the business can lead to incredible results.

Finally, what career advice would you give to other marketing leaders or someone who aspires to be a CMO one day?

I would offer three main recommendations.

First, diversify your experience. If you want to become a CMO, don’t just move up within the marketing department. Spend time in other areas, such as sales. This will help you get closer to client dynamics and market trends and will give you immense credibility when you return to a marketing role.

Second, get keen on AI. It’s not just because I work for IBM; AI is a true game-changer for our profession. No job role will be untouched by it. The people who refuse to use AI in their jobs will eventually be replaced by people who do. Start getting familiar with how you can leverage AI in your daily activities to automate low-value tasks and free up time for more strategic work.

Third, become knowledgeable about data. We are in an era where data makes all the difference, and AI itself is built on data. You must be able to read, interpret, and get the most out of it. Beyond that, always maintain a growth mindset and embrace flexibility and adaptability—those qualities are essential for navigating the future of marketing.