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

As one of the fastest-growing software as a service (SaaS) companies, ServiceNow’s visibility among customers, partners, and analysts is higher than ever. The spotlight creates big opportunities for the company’s new chief marketing officer (CMO) and chief communications officer (CCO).

Two highly accomplished industry leaders were recently named to these positions to help accelerate the company’s strategy to become the defining enterprise software company of the 21st century. Both bring more than 25 years of experience to their roles.

CMO Michael Park’s executive leadership experience includes profit and loss management, product, go-to-market, and marketing. Prior to joining ServiceNow, he held roles at several world-class companies, including Microsoft, HP, SAP, Siebel Systems (Oracle), and Procter & Gamble.

CCO Paige Young previously led global communications teams for industry leaders such as Unity, Zendesk, Adobe, Expedia, Inc., and Microsoft. She's known for her creativity, decisiveness, and track record of executing high-value communication campaigns.

We sat down with Michael and Paige to learn more about the roles marketing and communications are playing on ServiceNow’s drive to reach at least $15 billion in subscription revenues by 2026.

Q: Why ServiceNow?

Michael: I don’t see another company in the market right now that can lead the conversation about digital solutions. ServiceNow has such a strong track record of delivering great products to its customers. If you look at what the team has built in our technology business, it has literally put ServiceNow at the cornerstone of building new digital apps and services at the exact moment when every business in the world is trying to do these exact things. I can’t think of a more exciting place in the tech industry than ServiceNow.

Paige: I love what Michael said. I also love that ServiceNow has focused so strongly on staying true to itself. Candidly, I wasn’t looking to leave my former employer. It was only going to be a truly unique opportunity that made me rethink my next five years. When I spoke to Bill, and he explained the vision for ServiceNow, it was clear to me that this company is thinking exponentially about its future. To help bring our audiences closer to ServiceNow and refine our own message…I just can’t think of a more exciting place to be right now.

Q: When you think about the marketing and communications functions, what’s important for people to know?

Paige: I’ll start on this one. First, I’m so happy to be partnering with Michael. To me, marketing and communications teams are like chocolate and peanut butter. Each is good on its own, but the magic is when you combine the two. In just our short time working together, it’s clear Michael and I both embrace that spirit of collaboration across the two functions, which is wonderful.

As far as the communications function, this is a moment of experimentation. We all know how absolutely saturated the information environment has become. I believe that a best-in-class communications function is constantly trying new things to break through the noise.

The other thing that’s important is that our audiences have plenty of choices about how to invest their time. We have to represent those audiences—whether they’re customers, partners, shareholders, or our own colleagues—by giving them content and storytelling that’s truly engaging.

Michael: I absolutely echo Paige on the partnership between marketing and communications. When I think about marketing, I think about the leadership role the function can play in building a state-of-the-art, integrated, go-to-market approach for ServiceNow. Bill always talks about making this a brand-led company, which is why we’re rallying behind “The world works with ServiceNow.”

We will extend that brand to the solutions that we know our customers and partners care about. We’ll bring the story all the way down the funnel to ensure that our customer-facing teams have more awareness than ever about the full breadth of what ServiceNow can deliver. This is a great marketing organization with a proud history. I believe we’re building a trailblazing marketing model that’s never really been delivered before. It’s an exciting time.

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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