Global Brand Marketing Exec (& Client), Lauren Sallata, Joins Jakala N.A. as CGO!

We’re living in an epochal moment for technology, where AI, data, and digital transformation are reshaping how organizations grow and compete. At Jakala, we understand the importance of bringing on the brightest and most adaptable minds to help our clients thrive in a time of change and disruption.  
  
That’s why we’re especially excited to welcome Lauren Sallata as our new Chief Growth Officer. As the former CMO of Ricoh North America and Panasonic North America, and a longtime Jakala client herself from both organizations, Lauren brings a unique perspective on what it takes to deliver meaningful transformation for global brands. In this conversation, she shares insights from her journey as a marketing leader, why she chose to join Jakala, and how she sees new opportunities to help organizations succeed in today’s AI-driven landscape. 

Q: For those unfamiliar, tell us a little about your background  

Lauren: I began my career in public relations at a global agency but pretty soon transitioned to a client-side technology company. Most of my career has been in roles in technology services companies with some focus on platforms and software as well. I was recruited to Panasonic, and then recruited to Ricoh Digital Services N.A. where I held Chief Marketing Officer roles with the remit to lead across the spectrum of marketing, including brand, demand, communications, product, pricing, martech and partnerships. But the singular thread throughout my career has been change and disruption, and leading modernization of the marketing function and business.  
  
Visit Lauren's LinkedIn profile here. 

Q: Describe your experience working with Jakala as a client at Panasonic N.A. and Ricoh N.A.  

Lauren: I was so impressed with the depth of the team – very knowledgeable and confident that they could design, build, and maintain a complex ecosystem that was global in nature. We had a multitude of internal stakeholders and a tight timeline, and Jakala earned and proved they were the team to have in the foxhole with us. They were tenacious in managing expectations and requirements of the various stakeholders on the project.  
  
The team’s speed to solution was thoughtful and rigorous in the consulting phase, and the output was more than just the slide deck. This team got right to work and had an unbelievable ethos around customer communication, budget, and satisfaction. The average customer relationship at Jakala North America is somewhere around 10 years, and like me, there are about 10 Jakala N.A. team members who are former clients. What a great indicator of its customer-centric and winning culture.  

Q: Do you believe your experience as a Jakala client will help us better serve our clients in your role?  

Lauren: Yes, having been on the client side, working side-by-side with so many Jakala team members off and on for almost a decade has really helped me get to know the full capability and strength of the people. I’ve learned what we can achieve together. The saying “the sum is greater than its parts” is truly descriptive of the Jakala team. As a CMO oftentimes the runway is short to align the go-to-market components and having a strong, proven vendor team in place makes a quick impact. I have a great understanding of what our CMO clients need and how the work of the team at Jakala can be a significant driver of their success.  

Q: What’s surprising about Jakala that you didn’t know as a client before joining?  

Lauren: Just how advanced you are in the AI arena. There are 20+ people who serve up the data science and technology in the most creative ways to solve customer problems. The AI Center of Excellence has been deployed across major enterprise brands and has delivered super impressive customer results across many different types of use cases, from content to data, and automated workflows.  

Q: Describe your role as Jakala N.A.’s Chief Growth Officer  

Lauren: My role as Chief Growth Officer is centered on creating opportunities to share the perspective I’ve gained as a longtime CMO and using that lens to expand the number of organizations we’re helping create transformation-driven impact. Having sat on the client side, I know how important it is to have a partner who not only understands your challenges but can move quickly to deliver meaningful change.  
  
Jakala is uniquely positioned to help brands and enterprises navigate today’s constantly evolving business environment. For example, leading strategy and implementing solutions to evolve SEO to AEO, to evolve digital experience infrastructure without completely replatforming, or, enhancing data & analytics to better segment and track media buying performance.  

By embracing new technologies, uncovering efficiencies, and finding smarter ways to engage and convert customers, we’re able to give organizations a real advantage in the market.   

Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth and innovation at Jakala to help clients succeed?  

Lauren: Jakala is uniquely positioned to help clients evolve their marketing in the AI era. Convergence or elimination of some parts of the marketing technology stack is possible. Upgrading eCommerce and websites without fully replatforming is possible. Dramatically reducing media waste is possible. Simplifying orchestration of digital marketing is possible. So having a simple and strategic conversation with our solution consultants can really help pinpoint the best place to start and provide our clients with some initial direction to navigate the volatility and uncertainty.   

  
Q: What do you think is the biggest misconception clients have about DXP and Digital, Media, and Advisory solutions?  

Lauren: There's often the misconception that digital experience or media advisory solutions can simply be purchased “off the shelf” and immediately solve deep-seated challenges. In reality, those challenges are often organizational and cultural as much as they are technical. Success in these areas requires a deep degree of strategy and orchestration of people, processes, data, technology, and content.  
  
We also see many clients equating DXP with “just a website.” DXP is about creating contextual, personalized experiences across entire customer journeys. The real value lies in connecting strategy with execution, ensuring that media, data, and advisory aren’t siloed, but working together to deliver measurable impact. Our role is to be a trusted partner who helps clients navigate that complexity with honesty, clarity, and a focus on accomplishing more with fewer resources.  

  
Q: What are the biggest challenges you see CMOs and digital leaders facing in today's digital landscape? How do you see Jakala helping solve these problems?  

Lauren: One of the biggest challenges we see today is that CMOs and digital leaders are being asked to do more with less in an environment of economic uncertainty and constant disruption. Marketing teams face pressure across three main areas: people, media, and technology. They are restructuring teams, managing rising media costs, and evaluating whether their MarTech stacks are too fragmented or expensive. But through all these disruptions, the integration of web, media, MarTech, people, and change management becomes increasingly the main focus.  
  
We help by being a partner who optimizes value, not just cuts costs. That means helping clients get the most out of their technical investments, orchestrate smarter customer journeys, and build practical roadmaps that account for change management and cultural alignment, not just technology. And it means working side by side with clients to ensure they can execute effectively, even in leaner environments.  
  
Together, we work alongside clients to help them fulfill their digital ambitions and drive sustainable, resilient growth and success; an idea well captured by Paolo Pedersoli, Chief Global Development Officer at JAKALA: 

The story of JAKALA is a tale of collaboration, vision, and ambition. It unfolds as a narrative of talented people working together, navigating the complexities and uncertainties of an ever-evolving landscape, where the benchmark for customer expectations perpetually ascends. In this context, our motto ‘Together to Get There’ gains profound significance: we stand prepared to journey alongside our clients towards their unique destination, wherever sustainable and resilient growth awaits.

- Paolo Pedersoli, Chief Global Development Officer, Jakala

Q: What parallels do you recognize between the current landscape at Jakala and that of your time at Ricoh/PNA/Xerox?  

Lauren: In general, this is an epochal moment in tech. I have led through the first couple waves of digital and data transformations, so this for me is just the next one – albeit with a more powerful set of technologies and potential disruption. 

Leading transformations for enterprise brands has been one of the main hallmarks of my career, so it feels pretty natural to be here helping clients in various vertical industries change business, revenue, and technology models.

- Lauren Sallata 

Q: How do you see our industry evolving over the next 3–5 years, especially with the rise of AI?  

Lauren: We believe AI will fundamentally reshape the way digital experiences are built and optimized. Already, we’ve seen how it can dramatically accelerate delivery cycles and enhance productivity. What used to take teams of dozens can now be achieved with far fewer people in a fraction of the time. An example of this is vibe coding concepts and prototypes for faster client input. We are actively employing this and it is a game changer for the process.  
  
Over the next few years, we expect to see an explosion of AI-enabled tools, which will create both opportunity and noise. Clients will need trusted partners to help sift through options and focus on the applications of AI that truly serve their strategic goals. As the hype cycle matures, organizations that thoughtfully align AI with strategy, governance, and change management will gain the most value.