The CMO Spotlight is a chance to get an inside look into the minds and journeys of high-performing marketing leaders. 

Setup Founder & CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Jonathan Adashek, the Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Marketing and Communications at IBM, to discuss the novelty of Disney and Nike’s brand loyalty and legacy, the power of running towards solutions, and more.

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(SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW)

Q1 | Is there any advice you would like to share?

Adashek explained that too often people decide to leave their current circumstances prematurely without having a great plan of what they want to do next. This eagerness can sometimes lands people in bad situations that can make them feel trapped. To Adashek, the solution is “running to something,” or having an idea of a direction for your career. He continued, “If people run to something, I think they'll be much happier, and I think the outcome will be better for the business, too.” Planning ahead and having goals can help people be more proactive and purposeful in their careers.

Q2 | What is your superpower?

Adashek shared that his superpower is transparency. Sometimes it’s hard to be fully transparent with someone, especially depending on the circumstance. A client once said, "Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind," and that helped solidify his belief in the power of transparency.

Q3 | Where do you find inspiration?

Adashek’s source of inspiration comes from two places: clients/partners and his team.

“One is clients and partners, and the great things that they're doing. Two is our team and the people we work with on a daily basis. I work with some of the most amazing people both internally and externally, and there's a lot of inspiration there. Every meeting I come out of, I learn something. Every interaction I have with somebody, I learn something.”

Q4 | Is there a campaign that inspires you?

Adashek was recently inspired by IBM’s "Let's Create" Campaign. He explained that the campaign helped him and his team zero in on what they value as a company. “[This campaign is] about making sure people understand what we're doing both internally and externally, and it's been one that's allowed us to really prioritize our work.” 

Q5 | What brand do you admire?

Disney and Nike stick out to Adashek because of their expansive brand loyalty and legacy. “They've engaged with their customers and clients in a way that is second to none and really developed a level of brand loyalty and commitment that I think you can't find in many other places.”

For more marketing leadership advice and a view into the mindset of marketing executives in various industries, be sure to watch the full interview with Jonathan Adashek, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

Watch the full interview to the right.