Episode 118

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Published on:

3rd Sep 2025

118: From Burnout to Buy In: Leading a No-BS Global Marketing Org - with Thao Ngo, SVP of Marketing at Uptempo | REPLAY EP 13

**Originally published on April 12, 2023**

This episode features the one and only Thao Ngo - SVP of Marketing at Uptempo and a total gem of a leader. We talked about building team culture across time zones, leading through three back-to-back acquisitions, and why she ditched PR and the company podcast (and what’s actually working instead).

Thao’s smart, hilarious, and brutally honest in the best way. One of my fave convos.

- Jane

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In this episode of Women in B2B Marketing, host Jane Serra interviews Thao Ngo, SVP of Marketing at Uptempo. Thao shares her unique journey from early-career marketing student to global marketing leader - and the lessons she’s learned from decades in high tech, M&A chaos, and building high-performing, human-first teams.

This episode covers:

  • Leading through three acquisitions (and merging tools, teams, and time zones)
  • The chaos and lessons of combining CRMs, MAPs, websites, and work cultures
  • How to actually build team culture on Zoom (hint: not forced virtual lunches)
  • Why they paused their podcast, PR, and newsletter, and what’s working better
  • The live, no-recording MOPs huddles that build real community
  • Her onboarding playbook, including a slide on "how to work with the CMO"
  • Burnout prevention tips like calendar audits, Slack boundaries, and no-meeting blocks
  • How Thao uses Slack photos and custom statuses to lead with personality
  • What it's like to lead as an Asian woman in tech, and how she speaks up when it counts

Thao also shares why building trust and being yourself is the most powerful tool a marketer can have.

Key Links:

Guest: Thao Ngo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaongo/

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

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About the Podcast

Women in B2B Marketing
A weekly podcast dedicated to motivating marketers at all levels in their careers through real-life stories. Our goal is to inspire listeners to achieve more, strive for success, and feel a sense of understanding and community.
Women in B2B Marketing is a weekly podcast dedicated to motivating marketers at all levels in their careers through real-life stories of victory and defeat, challenge and triumph. Our goal is to inspire listeners to achieve more, strive for success, and feel a sense of understanding and community.

This is a place where CMOs, VPs of Marketing, and all strong women B2B marketing leaders discuss their top tactics, strategies, and tips for building teams, leveraging trends, and ultimately rocking their marketing careers - however that looks to them.

Leading marketing teams everywhere from fortune 500s to startups and challenger brands, these women share their stories of rising to the top - and how they overcame any obstacles that came their way.

Made by and for women, insightful for all.

Podcast Host: Jane Serra, 17+ years in B2B marketing across all industries from SaaS to Marketing Agencies and International Outsourcing.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeserra/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womeninb2bmarketing/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/womeninb2bmktg

About your host

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Jane Serra