Highlights from Rethink ABM – New York

With speakers from Verizon Business, Microsoft, IBM, Autodesk, Pure Storage, and more, Rethink ABM – New York showcased innovative approaches to drive client-led growth.

Here are the top highlights from the day...

Leading through change – the art of human-centric leadership

Jez Rose, renowned behavior expert, best-selling author, and TED Talk speaker, captivated the audience with his insights on human-centered leadership. He argued that true success lies in inspiring and guiding people, not sticking to rigid systems. 

Through humor and real-world examples, Jez showed how small behavioral shifts can transform team dynamics and culture. He encouraged us to question the status quo, embrace possibility, and lead with impact.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Jez Rose, behavior expert

Transforming into a client-centric marketing engine

Mike Cingari, SVP of Marketing Strategy and CX at Verizon Business, shared how Verizon shifted from a product-focused to a customer-centric model, transforming its organizational structure and building stronger relationships in the process. 

With 90% of its growth coming from existing customers, Verizon now focuses on retention and maximizing client lifetime value. Data integration, analytics, and customer feedback drive continuous improvement, while generative AI offers opportunities to enhance the customer experience.

“We must drive loyalty so that customers aren’t telling us, ‘You treat new customers better than you treat us.’”

Mike Cingari, SVP of Marketing Strategy and CX, Verizon Business

From reputation to revenue – building client-centric brands 

Serge Perignon, Global Head of Thought Leadership & Services Marketing at Tata Consultancy Services, shared how thought leadership is a powerful strategic tool for driving growth, building client relationships, and enhancing brand reputation. 

He emphasized a "follow the money" approach where marketers prioritize projects with strong executive support and clear paths to generating leads. Serge also advocated for a “hub-and-spoke” model, where a small team supports a broader network, to strengthen the overall impact of a thought leadership program.

“With thought leadership, you get to uncover ideas, challenge thinking, and help customers resolve a problem. But it can also generate revenue.”

Serge Perignon, Global Head, Thought Leadership & Service Marketing, 
Tata Consultancy Services