In this interview with Aniko DeLaney, Global Head of Corporate Marketing at BNY Mellon, we explored several essential aspects of successful CMO leadership:
- The Joys of Marketing Leadership: Aniko DeLaney finds immense satisfaction in her role due to the opportunity it offers to drive change and navigate the ever-evolving digital landscape. She underscores the significance of maintaining passion, purpose, and perseverance as guiding principles in her leadership journey.
- Harmonizing Customer Experience and Business Performance: DeLaney emphasizes the intrinsic connection between creating exceptional client experiences and driving business growth. BNY Mellon’s approach involves celebrating its heritage while infusing innovation into its brand. This strategy aims to enhance the entire client journey across various touchpoints.
- Effectively Executing Goals: DeLaney believes in leadership through collaboration. She highlights the power of effective collaboration, recognizing that it often requires working closely with peers to achieve common objectives.
- Anticipating Future Leadership Challenges: An ongoing leadership challenge for DeLaney is navigating the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI). She stresses the importance of understanding how AI capabilities will reshape the industry and the necessity of having the right talent to harness these innovations.
- Evolution of Leadership Style: DeLaney acknowledges that the pace of change has accelerated in today’s business landscape. She reflects on her evolving leadership style, which now places a strong emphasis on empowerment and continuous talent development. Additionally, she highlights the importance of adaptability in this dynamic environment.
- Fostering High-Performing Teams: According to DeLaney, diversity is a cornerstone of successful teams. She emphasizes the need to assemble teams with diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and experiences, and underscores the importance of effective communication and optimizing team dynamics.
- Inspiration as a Leader: DeLaney draws inspiration from her mentor, who emphasized the value of creating a clear vision, setting strategic goals, empowering the team, and celebrating their achievements. She endeavors to follow a similar leadership path in her own role.
- Confidence in Leadership: DeLaney’s confidence in her leadership role is grounded in preparation, resilience, and data-driven metrics. She stresses the importance of thorough preparation and resilience in a fast-paced industry, with data-driven insights providing validation and guidance.
- Personal Vision for the Future: DeLaney’s personal dream is rooted in her desire for her daughters to thrive in an interconnected world marked by innovation. She hopes they find a fulfilling balance between their careers and personal lives.
- Key Leadership Advice: DeLaney offers valuable advice to aspiring leaders, emphasizing the importance of integrity, even when no one is watching. She encourages individuals to identify their three Ps—Passion, Purpose, and Perseverance—and set ambitious personal goals as they embark on their leadership journeys.
Aniko DeLaney’s leadership approach centers on empowerment, collaboration, diversity, and adhering to the three Ps as guiding principles to drive meaningful change and success in the field of marketing leadership.
