1. 10
Roles
of
a
Global
Marketing
Operations
Leader
By
Mayer
G.
Becker,
Senior
Director
Head
of
Global
Marketing
Operations,
Fortune
300
Company
Marketing
Operations,
as
a
discipline
of
marketing
is
relatively
new,
having
been
called
out
first
in
2005
by
analysts
IDC.
Reflecting
back
on
my
first
three
years
as
a
marketing
operations
leader
in
a
large,
global
company,
I
thought
about
the
different
roles
I
have
had
to
play.
No
one
role
is
more
dominant,
but
I
have
to
be
ready
to
assume
any
of
these
at
a
moment’s
notice.
A
member
of
my
team
coined
the
one
I’m
most
proud
of,
which
is,
symphony
conductor.
While
also
most
closely
associated
with
drill
sergeant,
symphony
conductor
is
the
role
I
enjoy
most.
Talking
with
other
marketing
operations
leaders,
I
discovered
that
each
company
defines
our
responsibilities
differently.
Some
focus
on
shared
services,
some
on
strategy,
planning
and
budgeting,
and
some
only
work
with
demand
generation
activity.
I
put
this
list
together
to
help
those
interested
in
marketing
operations
as
a
career
better
prepare
for
what
lies
ahead.
I
hope
other
practitioners
will
add
to
this
list
through
various
discussion
groups.
I
remind
myself
every
day
that
I
am
not
the
CMO,
nor
the
head
of
brand
or
e-­‐commerce.
My
many
roles
help
these
executives
to
be
successful
and
the
department
to
achieve
its
mission.
In
doing
so,
I
myself
am
successful.
1) Symphony
Conductor
–
the
CMO
writes
the
music
and
the
marketing
operations
leader
conducts
the
marketing
orchestra
by
ensuring
the
team
is
focused
on
what
is
important
(see
also
Drill
Sergeant)
2) Traffic
Cop
–
keeps
project
traffic
moving
smoothly
through
a
team
of
project
managers
3) Mechanic
–
fixes
a
process
when
it
breaks,
and
helps
keep
the
“wheels
on
the
wagon”
4) Sage
and
Seer
–
anticipates
the
needs
of
the
CMO,
and
stays
a
step
ahead
as
chief
of
staff
5) Bean
Counter
–
watches
over
the
marketing
budget,
measures
return
on
investment
and
makes
reports
to
other
stakeholders
6) Ambassador
–
maintains
and
facilitates
relations
with
other
departments,
especially
with
other
operations
leaders
and/or
chiefs
of
staff
7) Best
Friend
Forever
(BFF)
–
listens
when
a
peer
or
team
member
has
issues,
and
helps
to
resolve
them
(“the
door
is
always
open”)
8) College
Professor
–
trains
and
mentors
members
of
the
team
in
process
excellence,
and
advises
other
team
leaders
on
how
to
develop
plans
and
strategies
9) Drill
Sergeant
–
ensures
schedules
are
kept
and
deadlines
met
10)
Switchboard
Operator
–
soaks
in
information
and
readily
transfers
it
to
those
who
need
it,
or
to
those
who
ask
for
it
©
2013
Mayer
G.
Becker
May
Be
Used
with
Permission:
opera75009@gmail.com
4/3/13