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#125 A Journey Through EdTech & Defense Tech with Brian Finnerty and Amit Bivas

Brian Finnerty is a senior marketing executive with extensive experience leading high-performance teams and driving global customer acquisition from mid-market to Fortune 500 companies. He specializes in brand strategy, demand generation, and sales-aligned marketing, leveraging deep customer insights to accelerate pipeline growth. A seasoned thought leader, Brian has served on the Customer Advisory Board for 6sense and as a strategic advisor to Sendoso, bringing expertise in account-based marketing, content strategy, and SaaS platform evangelism. Amit Bivas is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of strategically planning, developing, and executing marketing initiatives from the ground up. His success is driven by a unique blend of leadership skills, expertise in data analytics and statistics, business acumen, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail. In essence, Amit is a rare executive who seamlessly integrates the art and science of marketing. In this episode, we chat with Brian and Amit about their roles and insights in marketing and business development. Join us as we dive into strategies and innovations!
“Good marketing makes the company look good. Great marketing makes the customer look great.” -Brian Finnerty
“I pivoted big time. From software to hardware, from the virtual to the tangible.” -Amit Bivas

About the Episode

Welcome to an exciting exploration of the marketing world as we delve into insightful conversations with Brian, Chief Marketing Officer at D2L, and Amit, a prominent figure in the defense industry. Both leaders offer a wealth of knowledge about transforming and positioning companies across different sectors, bringing fresh perspectives on marketing strategies, AI integration, and organizational pivots.

Understanding D2L – A Mission-Driven EdTech Company

Brian starts off by introducing us to his company, D2L, an edtech company dedicated to transforming the way the world learns. With over 25 years in the business and more than 1,000 employees, D2L reaches around 20 million learners, encompassing markets from K-12 to corporate learning. This wide-ranging reach defines their go-to-market strategy, which supports the company’s bold mission: transforming the way the world learns.

“I like the fact that we’re actually not just selling widgets, but we’re doing something meaningful in the world.”

Day in the Life of Brian: CMO at D2L

Having joined D2L recently as the Chief Marketing Officer, Brian brings in fresh energy and a commitment to innovation. During the first 30 days on the job, he focused on building relationships—“people, people, people”—as he puts it. For Brian, understanding the team dynamics and organizational structure was a priority before making strategic decisions.

Strategic Marketing: Building Success from the Ground Up

Brian shares that D2L’s marketing strength lies in its customer-centric approach. By adding a human touch to their marketing narratives, D2L aims to connect more deeply with their diverse user base across different education verticals. This approach helps in creating a compelling narrative that showcases how D2L impacts lives and transforms learning.

“Good marketing makes the company look good. Great marketing makes the customer look great.”

Innovating from Within

Brian highlights the importance of innovation within the team structure. He restructured D2L’s marketing department for better efficiency, pulling out key teams like content and marketing ops into standalone divisions. This reorganization allowed for clearer focus and improved campaign execution through a tiered campaign approach. While not groundbreaking, such operational innovations can lay the groundwork for more creative freedom.

Navigating the AI Landscape: Opportunities and Challenges

On embracing AI, Brian views it as a force multiplier rather than a job stealer. AI could expand marketing capabilities, facilitating faster and more efficient campaign executions. With its potential in testing messaging and creating content, Brian sees AI as an ally in learning and marketing spaces.

“With AI, it will allow us to do a lot more, more efficiently, more effectively.”

D2L has also developed its own AI layer, D2L Lumi, designed to enhance learning content creation and provide innovative solutions to students and educators alike.

From Software to Metal: Amit’s Bold Pivot

We then meet Amit, who brings a fascinating perspective, having transitioned from B2B SaaS to the defense hardware industry. Embracing a steep learning curve, Amit shares insights into merging his tech experience with a hardware-centric approach, emphasizing the importance of strong relationships in the defense sector.

“Until I will be able to generate those relationships with those generals, it will take a decade.”

Amit’s Initial Challenges and Innovations

Upon entering the defense sector, Amit leveraged his tech expertise to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to marketing strategies, including personal branding and modern digital outreach techniques. Additionally, Amit works towards using partners and agents to quickly establish connections in the new field, highlighting how critical it is to innovate within industry-specific constraints.

Adapting and Integrating AI in Defense Marketing

Just like Brian, Amit is an advocate for AI, using it extensively in marketing operations. He acknowledges AI’s capability to double or even triple efficiency in both personal and professional tasks, urging professionals across all sectors to employ such technologies.

Conclusion: A Shared Vision for Growth and Innovation

Both Brian and Amit, though in vastly different industries, share a common thread—the pursuit of innovation and efficiency through strategic marketing practices and AI integration. Their stories are a testament to the dynamic nature of marketing, proving that with the right mindset and tools, significant progress can be achieved across any industry.

For those interested in connecting with Brian, you can find him on LinkedIn and explore more about D2L at their website. Amit can also be found on LinkedIn with details shared towards the end of his conversation in the podcast.

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