112: Marketing That Sells: Lessons from a Dual CMO-CRO - with Shachar Orren, Co-founder, CRO, & CMO at EX.CO

In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra chats with Shachar Oren, co-founder, CRO, and CMO at EX.CO—a rare triple-title leader with a journalist’s storytelling soul and a sharp eye on revenue.

Shachar’s unconventional journey from writing film reviews to building a video-first adtech company is full of insight for any marketer navigating career pivots, cross-functional leadership, and the ever-blurry line between brand and revenue. She shares what it’s really like owning both sales and marketing, how it’s changed her approach as a CMO, and why she believes marketers need to stop undervaluing themselves.

Jane and Shachar dig into:

• What it’s like to lead both marketing and sales as a co-founder
• How a background in journalism led Shachar into B2B tech and startup leadership
• The power of sitting in on sales calls - and how it transformed her team’s approach
• Why sales decks often fall short, and how to build enablement materials that sellers actually use
• What led EX.CO to eliminate webinars and double down on events
• How offline tactics like in-person events and direct mail became their top growth channels
• Why marketers struggle to get internal credit - and how to start changing that
• The nuances of tying marketing roles to revenue goals and compensation
• What the lack of CMOs on corporate boards says about how marketing is perceived
• How reframing our own value as marketers can shift our influence inside the org
• Navigating the balance between creativity, storytelling, and business outcomes
• Building community through thoughtful, hybrid campaigns that connect people online and off

Key Links:

Guest: Shachar Orren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shacharo/

Host: Jane Serra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Shachar's Article on Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/91265760/numbers-and-narratives-the-strategic-advantage-of-uniting-the-cmo-and-cro-roles

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