Jessica Augusto, Field Marketing Associate Director for Kyndryl EMEA shares her insights on the evolution of marketing into a strategic driver. Drawing on her global experience, she discusses the importance of customer intimacy, why success is measured by partnership, and a future that is tech-augmented but fundamentally human.
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Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
Marketing is a Strategic Driver, Not a Support Function: Proactively claim your seat at the business table to drive revenue, relevance, and reputation.
Measure Success by Partnership, Not Just KPIs: The ultimate win is shifting perception from a vendor to a trusted partner, validated by direct feedback from sales and customers.
The Future is Human, Augmented by Tech: Leverage technology for insight, but win by creating experiential, emotion-driven micro-moments. Trust and resonance are the real conversion engines.
Can you tell us a little bit about you and your role at Kyndryl?
I’m currently a Field Marketing Associate Director for EMEA Strategic Markets at Kyndryl, and that is the role that sits at the intersection of sales acceleration, brand transformation, and ensuring our market relevance. My goal is to make our marketing both seen and felt, driving business growth across the region.
On a personal level I was born in Angola, raised in Portugal, I’m a proud mom of a 7-year old and been living in Dubai for the past 8 years. I did my master’s in international business, which gave me the opportunity to study in Shanghai and Dubai before moving back to Angola. That’s where I joined IBM and subsequently transitioned to Kyndryl.
How did you get into marketing?
It was a combination of opportunity and curiosity. As my background is in information management and international business, I started in more analytical roles. I realised
my real strength was in connecting the dots, turning the insights from a spreadsheet into strategy and a compelling story. I love blending logic with emotion and strategy with storytelling. Once I found I could do that in marketing I was hooked and I never looked back.
What’s your main field marketing focus at the moment?
Right now, it’s all about sharpening our intimacy with customers. In a world evolving with AI, our key focus is to deeply understand their pain points, market pressures, and transformation journeys. For that, we engage in 2 different ways: one aligned with ABM and the other with pursuit marketing, closely aligned with a strategic opportunity. This allows us to build marketing plays that mirror their realities, making our engagement relatable and personal. It’s not about pushing products; it’s about positioning Kyndryl as a trusted transformation partner and giving credibility to that promise. Everything we do — events, content, executive engagement — is built around this trust-building process.
How do you define success in field marketing?
While we have plenty of KPIs, I define real success by the feedback we get from our customers and stakeholders, thus it’s essential to be closely aligned with the business. It’s when the sales team comes to us and says, “Wow, you opened a door we’ve been trying to get through for months.” It’s when a customer tells us, “You truly understand us.” Success is when we shift the perception of Kyndryl from a vendor to a true partner. When our NPS score is high and we’re helping to open doors for business even before an RFP is issued, that’s when we know we’ve succeeded and we supported business growth.
What would you say is the biggest challenge field marketers face today?
Attention is fragmented, budgets are under scrutiny, and B2B sales cycles are long, yet everyone wants results immediately. The biggest challenge is cutting through the noise with clarity and conviction, all while navigating internal complexities. We are expected to be analysts, artists, and executioners all at once — wearing multiple hats without losing our own at the end of the day. At Kyndryl, we manage mission-critical IT environments that touches people’s live daily, from Bank transactions to travel bookings, and my personal challenge is to translate that in a way that resonates both to the individual and to the enterprises.
How does Kyndryl stay ahead of its competitors in terms of marketing?
We put customer-centricity at the centre of everything — not just in words, but in action. Our marketing is focused on building deep, trusted relationships that reflect a genuine understanding of our clients’ industries, challenges, and ambitions. We differentiate ourselves by being authentic, focusing on customer outcomes instead of product features, and prioritising co-creation, either through account-focused strategy or pursuit engagement. By partnering with customers and alliances, we solve what matters most to them, reinforcing our position as a trusted transformation partner.
What do you believe is the biggest opportunity for field marketers today that might not have been available in the past?
I see two massive opportunities: access and insight. The evolution of technology, from Excel to Generative AI, gives us the tools to be hyper-local, hyper-focused, and incredibly fast. More importantly, we now have a seat at the table. Field marketers should no longer be seen as just event planners or campaign pushers; we are viewed as strategic partners to the business. This gives us the power to lead the customer narrative, not just amplify it, which is a critical shift.
What career advice would you give to anyone starting in the marketing industry?
I would offer three pieces of advice. Be a problem-solver, not a task-doer. Stay curious about the business, not just the brand. And remember, the job description is only the starting point – your real value is solving what others don’t see.
Our roles are fluid, constantly evolving, so be flexible and if you can understand the business, analyse it, and present your findings effectively, you are on the right path to success.
What is a piece of traditional leadership advice that you believe doesn’t apply to modern field marketers?
The long-standing idea that “marketing is a support function” is an advice that no longer applies. Marketing cannot be seen as just a support function; it must be viewed as strategic. Today, we drive revenue, relevance, and reputation. Instead of waiting to be asked for support, modern marketers must be proactive, claim their strategic seat at the table, and actively empower the sales team.
What does the future of marketing look like?
The future belongs to marketers who can translate ambiguity into clarity, so you will always need to upskill yourself leveraging the new technologies to remain relevant. I believe it will be less about big slogans and more about creating experiential touchpoints and meaningful micro-moments. While marketing will be tech-augmented and insight-fuelled, it will ultimately be emotion-driven. No matter how automated the pipeline becomes, the future of marketing is, and always will be, human. Trust, relevance, and resonance are the true conversion engines.
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