Marketing transformation has become a critical survival skill for enterprise organizations facing rapid technological change. While many companies struggle with disconnected campaigns and outdated processes, some leaders have mastered the art of turning marketing departments into genuine growth engines. Sheera Eby brings over two decades of experience transforming marketing organizations across industries, from legacy telecoms to SaaS innovators, building the frameworks that drive measurable business impact.
Most marketing transformations fail because they focus on tactics instead of business outcomes. Sheera learned this lesson early in her career while working across different industries and company stages. Her approach centers on three core principles that separate successful transformations from expensive experiments.
Anchor the Transformation in Business Growth Goals
The foundation of any meaningful change starts with connecting marketing efforts directly to business growth. “Transformation without proper alignment is just noise,” she explains. “The first step is ensuring that marketing goals directly support revenue objectives, whether that’s growth, retention, or brand equity.” This sounds obvious, but many marketing teams still operate in isolation from broader business objectives.
At Johnson Controls, this principle drove a complete reimagining of how digital marketing functioned within the organization. The team moved away from treating digital as just a brand awareness tool. “We transformed digital from a brand function into a demand generation engine,” Sheera notes. The results came from methodical execution: refined funnel stages, rebuilt digital roadmap, and cross-functional collaboration with sales and operations. The outcome was tripling MQLs by staying laser-focused on revenue targets.
Build an Integrated, Data-Driven Infrastructure
Having the right strategy means nothing without the infrastructure to execute it properly. She has guided marketing organizations through complex technology overhauls that actually deliver measurable returns. The key lies in understanding that technology upgrades aren’t just about having newer tools. Her work at ISACA demonstrates how strategic technology implementation creates exponential returns. “We delivered a 500% return on ad spend by identifying and targeting digital behaviors, refining messaging, and standardizing KPIs,” she explains. This wasn’t achieved through a single platform change but through comprehensive systems thinking that connected data, targeting, and measurement. The rise of AI has made this systems approach even more critical. Marketing teams face endless possibilities for AI implementation, making strategic focus essential. “In 2025, these implementations require that same strategic alignment,” Sheera points out. “The marketing use cases are endless, so goal clarity becomes even more crucial to prioritize the right areas for impact.”
Current market dynamics have fundamentally shifted how people find and consume information. Google recently reported a statistic that should wake up every marketing leader: “60% of Google searches in 2024 didn’t lead to a single click on another site,” Sheera reveals. This means nearly two-thirds of searchers found what they needed directly on the search results page without visiting any website.
This shift represents more than just changing user behavior. It signals a complete transformation in how marketing organizations need to think about content, SEO, and customer journey mapping. Traditional funnel models break down when potential customers never leave the search results page. Smart marketing teams are already adapting their strategies to succeed in this new environment.
Invest in People and Process, Not Just Technology
Technology enables change, but sustainable transformation happens through people and processes. Sheera currently leads over 35 marketers across a dozen brands at Collibri Group, where she’s learned that culture trumps technology every time. “People and processes sustain meaningful change,” she emphasizes. The secret lies in building teams that embrace experimentation over perfection. “Transformation only works when teams are aligned, trained, and empowered to work in an agile and collaborative manner,” she explains. At Collibri Group, this translates into shared KPIs, continuous learning programs, and clear frameworks for campaign development and review.
When it comes to AI transformation specifically, Sheera takes a hands-on approach to understanding the tools before implementing them across her teams. “I’ve personally trialed over a dozen AI tools to understand optimal use cases, outcomes, skills needed, and most importantly, problems that technology solves,” she notes. This practical experience allows her to guide teams toward tools that actually solve real problems rather than just following trends. The companies that win at marketing transformation don’t just get one piece right. They connect strategy, technology, and people into something that actually drives business results. “To lead digital and AI transformation at the enterprise level, you must connect strategy to growth, build a scalable data foundation, and invest in your people,” Sheera explains.
When everything clicks together, marketing stops being an expense and becomes a growth engine. The companies figuring this out are pulling ahead while their competitors keep throwing money at campaigns that don’t work. The gap is only going to get wider from here.
Connect with Sheera Eby on LinkedIn to explore how aligned marketing can transform your business.
