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Thea Hayden
Chief Marketing Officer
Cognizant
Speaker Topics
- Channel, Campaign, and Content Management
Speaker Bio
Outcome-driven and people-focused, Thea is passionate about storytelling and marketing that engages audiences, changes perception, generates demand and drives sales pipeline. With over 25 years of marketing experience, she is known for her ability to solve problems, inspire top-performing teams, deliver award-winning work and translate business requirements into impactful communications strategies.
As CMO at Cognizant, Thea leads global marketing strategy and execution across brand, creative, digital, events and sponsorships, thought leadership, communications and field marketing. Her integrated and AI-forward team is committed to connecting with clients and driving brand credibility and consideration to accelerate growth.
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As CMO at Cognizant, Thea leads global marketing strategy and execution across brand, creative, digital, events and sponsorships, thought leadership, communications and field marketing. Her integrated and AI-forward team is committed to connecting with clients and driving brand credibility and consideration to accelerate growth.
Session
Tuesday, June 09, 2026 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM MDT
Executive Story: How a Future‑Forward CMO Builds Trust and Value – A Fireside Chat
Thea Hayden,
Chief Marketing Officer, Cognizant
Christy Ferguson,
Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner
In this fireside chat, we’ll hear from Thea Hayden, Cognizant’s CMO, who stepped into the role as an interim leader and had to quickly build credibility. We’ll discuss how she’s building her strategy, balancing marketing investments, and shaping organizational design and talent, along with implementing a practical marketing AI strategy, focused on improving team productivity. We’ll also explore her journey to prove the value of marketing, a journey that will continue to evolve over time through the right metrics, storytelling, and stakeholder communication. Join us for a candid look at what a successful CMO transition looks like in practice.
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