Hitachi Digital Services CMO Menaka Thillaiampalam on Lean Leadership and the Role of AI in Marketing

Menaka Thillaiampalam, the Chief Marketing Officer of Hitachi Digital Services, recently shared her perspectives on lean leadership, the integration of AI in marketing, and the significance of cultural fit within teams. Her approach to marketing emphasizes the intersection of business strategy and human connection, aiming to transform complexity into actionable insights.

Thillaiampalam's concept of Lean Leadership revolves around agility, budget innovation, and human-centric strategy. She advocates for systems that allow quick movement without reactivity, turning limitations into creative opportunities, and keeping people at the core of all strategies. This philosophy is rooted in her personal belief in jugaad, a mindset of making the most with available resources to progress forward.

Reflecting on her career, Thillaiampalam highlighted a pivotal challenge that reshaped her leadership style. She learned that beyond skill and intent, success hinges on shared trust and understanding within teams. This realization has influenced how she builds teams and fosters collaboration, emphasizing the importance of cultural fit.

On the topic of AI in marketing, Thillaiampalam sees it as a transformative tool that, when integrated into workflows with intention and strategy, can enhance content generation, customer insights, and internal collaboration. However, she cautions against treating AI as an afterthought, stressing that its true value lies in its seamless integration into daily operations.

For fellow CMOs navigating the current landscape, Thillaiampalam advises focusing on clarity, building supportive structures for decision-making, and investing in the right team. She believes that effective leadership is not about doing more but about doing the right things with intention.