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

Setup CEO, Joe Koufman, virtually sat down with Matt Preschern, the Chief Marketing and Demand Generation Officer at NTT, to talk about the importance of diversifying your marketing skills, the three quotes he lives by, and more.

WATCH + READ THE RECAP BELOW (SCROLL TO THE END FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW)

Q1 | Is there any advice you’d like to share?

Preschern shared two pieces of advice: 

The first piece of advice is that marketers should always expand their skill sets because there is so much that encompasses marketing. Marketing uses both the left and right side of the brain, so Preschern thinks it’s important to become well versed in art, science, and math, and have an open, creative mind. 

His second piece of advice touched on the fact that career paths are not normally linear. Marketers should brace themselves for the journey, continue to absorb as much information along the way, and connect with a mentor.

Q2 | Where is your superpower?

Preschern is a people person. 

“I derive a lot of personal satisfaction working with people. I mentor a lot of people. I try to give back, and what I say to people who I mentor also is, ‘You need to find your passion.’” When you’re able to find your passion, and turn that into work, then work becomes easier to accomplish. Preschern loves helping people discover that.

Q3 | What values are most important to you?

Preschern aligns closely with NTT’s values. NTT makes it their mission to prioritize the planet and “technology for good.”

Preshern also values people who are honest, have a certain level of integrity, and are serious about their work and their conduct.

Q4 | Tell us about a successful campaign.

Preschern has worked on a number of successful campaigns with prominent companies. During his time at UPS, he helped with the expansion into Germany. At IBM, he helped launch the “Smarter Planet” campaign, and at NTT he assisted in turning their marketing organization into a well-oiled machine by developing a “world-class account-based marketing program” that is fully aligned with sales. 

The underlying theme from all of these successful projects is hard work, trial and error, and patience. Although it’s amazing to experience highs in your career, Preschern thinks it’s important to enjoy your career for what it is by staying present and not rushing the day by day process.

Q5 | Is there a quote that inspires you?

Preschern reflected on three quotes.

• "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle."

• "Never accept no from someone who can't say yes."

• "They whisper, ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ And The Warrior replies, ‘I am the storm.’

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 Matt Preschern, and keep an eye out for more thought leadership from our CMO Spotlights.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW TO THE RIGHT.