Sarah Kennedy Joins As CMO; Matthew Zilli Promoted To CCO

Marketo, Inc, the leading provider of engagement marketing software and solutions, announced that it has hired Sarah Kennedy as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In addition, it has promoted Matthew Zilli to the role of Chief Customer Officer (CCO). Both will sit on Marketo’s executive team, reporting into Chief Executive Officer Steve Lucas.

“I am thrilled to welcome Sarah as Marketo’s new CMO. We undertook an exhaustive search to make sure we found the right person to lead our world-class marketing team, which so many thousands of marketers look to for best practices and exceptional thought leadership. Sarah stood out as the individual that will help take the organization to new heights as we leverage the Marketo Engagement Platform to best serve our customers and inspire the Marketing Nation,” said Lucas.

Kennedy brings nearly 15 years of technology marketing expertise to Marketo, including her most recent role as vice president, Global Marketing, and managing director, Digital Experience, at Sabre Corporation. In her position, she served as the head of Sabre’s in-house interactive agency and as CMO of Hospitality Solutions, the company’s fastest-growing business unit, leading global go-to-market strategy, communications, investor relations, demand generation, creative, events, and product, field, and content marketing. Over the course of three years, Kennedy nearly quadrupled the marketing team’s return on investment and drove double-digit revenue growth. She joined Sabre in 2007, holding numerous roles across product marketing and communications, as well as overseeing innovation, research, and development for Sabre Labs. Kennedy is a globally recognized thought leader on emerging technology, loyalty, and customer experience.

“I am excited to join Marketo to champion its excellence in marketing both as an organization and on behalf of its thousands of global customers. I look forward to fueling Marketo’s explosive growth in the enterprise through close partnership between sales and marketing, unparalleled thought leadership, and a commitment to lead in the Engagement Economy,” said Kennedy.

Zilli has been with Marketo for more than four years, most recently serving as interim CMO and group vice president of Product and Solution Marketing. Under Zilli, the marketing team launched numerous updates and enhancements to the Marketo Engagement Platform, including ContentAI, the company’s artificial intelligence-driven predictive content solution. As CCO, Zilli will oversee Customer Success and Global Enablement, leveraging his in-depth knowledge of the Marketo product and customer base to create value for customers. Before joining the company in 2013, Matt helped launch LineStream Technologies as the vice president of Marketing. Previously, he spent time at Texas Instruments and Rovi corporation, where he held positions in sales, marketing, business development, and product management.

“Matt has guided Marketo’s marketing team during a time of change and growth, and his leadership has been truly indispensable. I am so pleased to have him join my executive team permanently as our CCO. As a dedicated advocate for the Marketing Nation, Matt will create a whole new focus on Marketo’s most important asset, our customers,” said Lucas.

Recently, Marketo was once again named a leader in the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management report.