{"id":36959,"date":"2025-09-08T17:44:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T17:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/?p=36959"},"modified":"2025-09-12T17:21:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T17:21:16","slug":"a-ceo-cmo-dialogue-on-the-future-of-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/2025\/09\/a-ceo-cmo-dialogue-on-the-future-of-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncommon Growth: A CEO-CMO Dialogue on Brand, Integration and the Future of Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n \n\n
\n
\n

BLOG<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Uncommon Growth: A CEO-CMO Dialogue on Brand, Integration and the Future of Marketing<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Uncommon Growth Leaders<\/strong> is an article series featuring bold leaders driving faster, smarter, more sustainable, more human and more actionable growth\u2014what we call uncommon growth.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/article>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n \n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Under the banner of \u201cUncommon Growth,\u201d we\u2019re exploring what happens when CEOs and CMOs truly see eye to eye\u2014not only in vision but in execution. In this conversation, we speak with with Chris Michalek, CEO and Erica Sniad Morgenstern, CMO<\/strong><\/em> of Personify Health, who share their unique experience in merging two distinct organizations, launching a new brand and leading with aligned purpose in an evolving marketplace.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personify Health<\/a> is the first and only personalized health platform, created through the merger of Virgin Pulse and HealthComp. Bringing together health navigation, holistic wellbeing and benefits administration in one place, Personify empowers employers to deliver a better health experience for their people\u2014<\/em>through customized coaching, simplified benefits, and engaging programs. By optimizing investments in people and improving health outcomes, Personify is redefining what it means to build healthy businesses.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start, when you launched Personify, what were the core goals you set out to achieve?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> Whenever you bring two companies together, especially ones from different sectors, you hope one plus one equals three. We wanted the combined capabilities to accelerate growth that neither could have reached independently. We see that today \u2013 clients are buying capabilities across both legacy companies, and that cross-pollination is creating real value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, we\u2019re now selling our well-being solution into the TPA market in a way we wouldn\u2019t have otherwise. And vice versa, well-being relationships are opening TPA opportunities. All of this should drive a growth rate one to three percent better than what others are seeing in the market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> And we knew early on we needed a net-new brand to signal to the market that this wasn\u2019t a legacy offering. This is a new category, created to solve a massive market need. The brand had to reflect that ambition from the outset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been the biggest challenge in trying to create a new category in the market? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> Teaching buyers to buy differently. They\u2019re used to segmented purchasing, often through brokers. We\u2019re telling them: \u201cYou can buy a holistic solution now, not siloed pieces.\u201d That\u2019s a mindset shift\u2014and your value proposition must be airtight to succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> Time is also a challenge, specifically, buyers\u2019 time and attention. You must break through quickly. These were two very different buyer groups and we\u2019re asking people to reframe how they think. That takes effort, so we needed a brand and a go-to-market strategy that hit hard and fast to earn that extra moment of consideration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s talk about change management. You had to launch and integrate during buying season. What did that effort look like internally and externally? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> We prioritized integration\u2014but recognized over time that both businesses needed to thrive independently too. We pushed hard to unite, and now we\u2019ve stepped back slightly to ensure both legacy businesses are strong independently. That\u2019s part of managing change\u2014knowing when to push and when to pull back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> We also had to pace the change for our clients. Internally, we moved fast. Externally, we were thoughtful\u2014still using legacy app names where needed\u2014so we didn\u2019t disrupt their experience. There were moments when Personify was public-facing, but the Virgin Pulse app was still in use. That was intentional. We needed to manage the \u201cpain of change\u201d for our clients respectfully. That dual-speed transition was key to protecting our relationships. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How would you describe the growth goals for Personify? Was it about exponential growth or steady progress? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> I call it smart growth<\/strong>. That means targeting the right customers and leveraging synergies to tell the story of how our capabilities make us better across the board.  For example, positioning ourselves as the most technology-forward TPA by leaning into well-being engineering capabilities. Or using our TPA data depth to position our well-being offerings as more informed and effective. That synergy makes each side stronger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also doubled down on customers. Growth starts with retention. So first: retain and grow existing customers. Second: innovate. Third: enable a world-class commercial function. That\u2019s how I think about growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the role of AI in that growth strategy? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> AI is central to our product innovation. It\u2019s embedded into everything. From what customers see to how our engineering teams work. We\u2019re using it to accelerate development and maintain competitive speed. If we don\u2019t, we\u2019ll fall behind\u2014quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> From a commercial standpoint, AI was a huge accelerator. One of the first things we did was train an AI tool to match our tone of voice. That helped us scale brand execution. AI also became a key part of our innovation story\u2014used as a brand differentiator in how we talk about our solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You both clearly work in sync. What makes the CEO-CMO relationship work here\u2014and why does that alignment matter? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> It\u2019s a continuum\u2014we balance each other. Sometimes she brings the big idea, and I take a more practical approach. Other times it\u2019s the reverse. We have a good mix of purpose and innovation. It\u2019s not always easy, but we have mutual respect, and we trust each other. And we\u2019re both willing to take risks or bring the team back to execution when needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> Trust was there early on. We both came in aligned on what\u2019s best for the company \u2013 not personal agendas. And I always back things up with data. That matters to Chris. He\u2019s extremely metrics-driven. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> And I\u2019ll add\u2014I’ve worked with marketing for 20 years, but today\u2019s marketing is more complex than ever. I\u2019ve had to admit that I don\u2019t know as much as I used to. Erica\u2019s helped bring me along. Things like lead generation are now multimodal, AI-driven, and operationally intense. I respect her ability to communicate complexity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Erica, what advice do you have for other CMOs who want a real seat at the table? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> Seek to understand friction, not fight it. I had to step back and realize there was an education gap\u2014not just on their end, but mine too. I needed to explain our world better and understand his more deeply. My advice is: embrace mutual curiosity over adversarial dynamics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris, what\u2019s your advice for marketers trying to earn that CEO partnership? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> Relationships matter more than reporting lines. Erica never demanded to report to me; she focused on building trust and driving impact. Second\u2014results over activity. CEOs are always asked what\u2019s driving growth. I need marketers who can give me those answers. Bring data. Bring outcomes. That\u2019s what earns trust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you define the role of brand in launching Personify\u2014and what does it mean to employees? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Erica:<\/strong> Brand is demand. It\u2019s the currency of trust and the start of every commercial conversation. So, we built a brand that could sell\u2014but also one with emotional resonance and mission clarity. From day one, our core was putting people at the center. The brand had to reflect that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris:<\/strong> Brand became our internal compass and external promise. It gave us a shared identity, and it helped our people rally around a unified mission. It helped us articulate values and culture. Even today, I keep the brand visible in my workspace because it\u2019s meaningful. It was the right move, both short- and long-term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chris Michalak<\/strong> is a purpose-driven leader with three decades of experience in the health and human capital industry. Most recently, he served as CEO of Personify Health. Previously, he held leadership roles as CEO of Alight Solutions, global chief commercial officer at Aon Hewitt, and CEO of Buck Consultants. Now Executive Chairman at Personify Health, Chris leads growth initiatives, strengthens client relationships, and guides the Board of Directors. He has also served on several boards and is graduate of Northwestern University\u2019s Kellogg School of Management and Michigan State University.  <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Erica Sniad Morgenstern<\/strong> is Chief Marketing Officer of Personify Health, where she leads marketing strategy, demand generation, product and client marketing, and corporate communications. She spearheaded the company\u2019s successful rebrand to Personify Health, bringing creativity and impact to every initiative. Previously, she held senior marketing and communications roles at Welltok (acquired by Virgin Pulse) and Epocrates, the app of choice for half of all U.S. physicians. A graduate of the University of Florida, Erica is also an active member of Chief, Csweetener, The CMO Club, and Gator to Gator. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n \n \n \n
\n

Author<\/h3>\n