A Conversation With Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder On The Drivers Of Her Enduring Success + Leveraging AI To Raise The Floor + Ceiling To Continually Reimagine The Marketing Function

Forbes

15 hours ago

Marketing has never been in a more complex place of transformation and that says a lot for a historically dynamic function that has often left many once successful marketers in its wake. Key to those who succeed is often an appetite for creative destruction as Joseph Schumpeter coined it. And what that simply means is a tolerance for incessant change, that while uncomfortable at times, is often a necessary unlock for continued growth.
Dara Treseder On The Drivers Of Her Enduring Success + Leveraging AI To Raise The Floor + Ceiling To ... More Continually Reimagine The Marketing Function
Today's environment is calling for CMOs to lead not just the marketing of their organizations, but the growth of their respective businesses, often doing so in lockstep directly with the CEO. In order to achieve this goal, AI must now be seen as critical to the mix. One of the key topics coming out of Cannes was how AI will change the game. Some predictions were apocalyptic, while others seemed steeped in denial. The reality is the pendulum is swinging, but not necessarily in one direction or the other—yet rather in a manner where we must all accept the fact that AI is here to stay. What however will likely separate the winners from the losers will be those who figure out how to best use it to help marketers be more proficient at their craft, versus thinking they can simply leverage the technology to replace them.
As a result of all these shifts, I wanted to speak to someone with an amazing track record of stewarding some of the leading marketing organizations in the world through successful transformation, poising them for long-term success. Dara Treseder is currently the CMO of Autodesk. She is an industry veteran who has previously held senior roles at companies such as Peloton and GE. Following is a recap of our conversation:
Billee Howard: You have a storied history as a successful CMO which is rare. What are the most critical things CMOs need to be focused on today to succeed?
Dara Treseder: There are three things that I believe CMOs need to do well today to succeed. First, you have to be agile.
Marketers today are walking a tightrope. We're navigating a fine line to cut through without getting cut out. The pace of change is relentless. Technology is evolving, and the rules of engagement are constantly shifting. Agility is what keeps us relevant. That means moving fast, scenario planning in real time, and giving our teams the space and freedom to do the same. The marketers who thrive are the ones who are brave enough to change course.
Second, you have to be a business leader first, and a marketer second. When people ask me what my objectives and KPIs are, I say: my objectives are the same as my CEO's. As CMOs, we have to ensure our marketing initiatives are in service of the corporate objectives and goals.
Third, creativity is our currency. Creativity is what transforms good marketing into standout, unforgettable marketing. But creativity doesn't just happen; it has to be cultivated. It needs space, support, and protection. As leaders, we have to fund it, back it, and foster a culture where testing, learning, and even failing are embraced. People don't believe what you say—they believe what you do. That's why we must lead by example and make creative thinking welcomed and expected.
Howard: How are you working to pivot a 40-year-old software brand to be at the forefront of both culture and commerce?
Treseder: We like to say our walk track is the talk track at Autodesk. In other words, we do the work first, and then we tell the story. We're also not the hero of our stories because our customers are. They're the architects, engineers, designers, and makers shaping the world around us. Our role is to empower them to bring their visions to life.
For nearly three years, a key part of our strategy has been to celebrate these stories of human ingenuity and peel back the curtain on the role our technology plays in those outcomes.
For example, sports are a fundamental component of our culture, and the LA28 Games are at the heart of the conversation. I'm proud of how we're telling the powerful stories of the people behind the LA28 Games.
Autodesk is the Official Design and Make Platform of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Team USA. We're helping retrofit over 40 venues across Los Angeles to support the Games' no-new-permanent-venues plan, making LA28 one of the most sustainable Olympics in history. And we've earned the right to tell this story. Our technology has quietly powered past Olympic Games, including Paris 2024. So, this isn't just storytelling. It's a reflection of the real, foundational work we're doing to help bring LA28 to life.
Howard: The power of partnerships is evolving, and you are at the precipice of that evolution with your new collaboration with the LA Olympics. Can you share more about your strategy and vision here and explain how the partnership will power your storytelling strategy for the next four years?
Treseder: Autodesk is evolving from being known as the AutoCAD company to becoming recognized as the Design and Make company. This shift from a house of brands to a branded house allows us to tell a unified story, go to market more efficiently, and drive growth more effectively.
The LA28 Games are one of the most powerful cultural stages in the world, and as the Official Design and Make Platform of LA28, Autodesk isn't just sponsoring the Games, we're helping build them. Our technology is supporting everything from venue and infrastructure design to delivering more sustainable, accessible fan experiences.
This partnership isn't about putting our logo on a banner and calling it a day. It's about showing up in culture and proving the impact of our tools on an Olympic scale. What's especially exciting is that we have four full years of storytelling, a luxury in today's short attention-span world and a CMO's dream. This gives us a platform for long-term, authentic engagement. We'll highlight the architects, engineers, and builders shaping LA28, and we're working with athletes and Olympians who are aspiring designers and engineers, like French judoka Shirine Boukli, who's not only a world-class Olympian but also an aspiring engineer. Athletes are so much more than their sport, and we have an opportunity to help them develop the skills they'll need for careers in the industries we serve.
What made this partnership a win across the C-suite is that it's both a long-term storytelling engine and a significant commercial growth opportunity. I hope it proves that B2B brands not only belong in culture -- they can shape it.
Howard: Coming off of Cannes, so much was discussed about AI and how it ties to the end of marketing as we know it. We know CMOs are investing millions in AI but few seem to have a gameplan on what it all means and how it should be operationalized across the entire marketing organization. You mentioned AI is here to stay and that it should be used to both raise the floor and ceiling. Can you share more?
Treseder: AI is absolutely here to stay, but its power is only fully realized when paired with human ingenuity. One thing rang especially true for me at Cannes Lions this year: AI is raising the floor, but it's also raising the ceiling. If marketers rely solely on AI without continuing to hone their craft, they'll get stuck at the floor. And that's not where competitive advantage lives. What will differentiate great marketers is their ability to use AI as creative horsepower to elevate their vision.
We're not just using AI within Autodesk's worldwide marketing team to work do more, better, faster. We're also building AI-powered tools for our customers to do the same. Take Autodesk Flow Studio, our AI-powered visual effects platform that's used by marketers, advertisers, creators, and filmmakers to streamline 3D animation, scene integration, and more. What makes it special is that it was created by artists for artists. So instead of forcing creators into predetermined outcomes, it keeps them in control.
Ultimately, we're seeing the need for AI fluency continue to accelerate. We recently analyzed nearly 3 million job listings, and the signal couldn't be clearer: since 2022, the demand for AI skills have surged more than 640% across job listings. Not just for engineers and roles you may expect AI to appear in, but for everyone. And in marketing and advertising, that shift is happening nearly twice as fast.