Q&A: Meet ServiceNow’s new CMO and CCO

Q: B2B companies don't necessarily have a pristine reputation for pushing the envelope in marketing or communications. Fair or unfair?

Michael: Part unfair, part fair. The dynamic in enterprise software has almost always been about a product-led selling motion or a relationship-led selling motion. Both motions are hard, and neither can be successful without great marketing and communications. In that sense, I tend to think these functions are a bit unsung in terms of the great work that's been done across the industry.

Having said that, we have historically been too conservative about supporting the existing business models, often at the expense of creating new capabilities, new content, new experiences that will really pull the business in an entirely different direction. That's what I believe we can do with ServiceNow. We can change the engine while the rocket is midflight.

Paige: This is a tough, ferociously competitive industry, so I actually think that some of the best communications and marketing in the world is done within B2B. It's hard to capture attention and rise above the noise, so I wouldn't want anyone to think that somehow the communicators and marketers in this field are anything less than dynamic. That also happens to be true of the team at ServiceNow, well before Michael and I arrived here.

The one thing from a communications perspective that I think is fair to critique is this idea of the echo chamber. Enterprise software is a hugely exciting space with so much potential to help businesses in different industries disrupt the status quo. Sometimes, though, we speak in a wonky, unrelatable language that the industry itself understands but leaves many audiences wanting. If we can constantly check ourselves on this level, and keep things human, I'm confident we'll love the results.

Paige is not alone. "What I love about the marketing and communications functions is that they focus every single day on connecting people to our purpose," says CEO Bill McDermott.

"With Michael Park and Paige Young, ServiceNow hit a leadership jackpot," Bill adds. "I love the passion and experience they both bring to our company. There's no room for small dreams at ServiceNow. With these two at the helm, we plan on redefining the standard for best-in-class marketing and communications."

Find out more about ServiceNow's leadership team.

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