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Five years ago, we started Leader Generation with a simple premise: clients learning from clients. This year proved why that matters.
In 2025, CEOs and their leadership teams stopped debating whether to adopt AI and began wrestling with harder questions: How do we bring our people along? How do we measure what matters instead of what's easy to measure? How do we maintain the relationships that built our business while transforming how we operate?
Excerpts from these ten conversations capture what worked. Not theory—actual results from CDOs, COOs, and VPs leading change at companies like Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, DoubleVerify, and Digital Remedy. The full episodes are linked in this post.
Stuart Goldstein explains why technology is the easy part, and people are where transformations actually stall. Alan Wizemann describes how his team measures success by the time freed up for employees to do valuable work, not headcount reduction. Anna Jankowska walks through preparing teams for scenarios they don't expect, because that's where you see who's ready to lead.
These aren't polished case studies. They're candid conversations about the messy reality of leading change when your board wants results, your team is exhausted, and the playbook keeps changing.
If you're heading into 2026 with aggressive goals and limited patience for more consultants telling you what you already know, these episodes cut through the noise. They're built for leaders who need to make decisions Monday morning, not attend another conference about the future of work.
Links to the full episodes from this top 10 list:
#10: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep129-building-your-army-of-ai-agents-what-marketers-need-to-know/ - Fabio Fiss, Aaron Grando, and Javier Lopez
#9: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep109-ai-data-marketing-how-to-manage-risks/ - Kevin Purvis
#8: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep116-future-of-performance-marketing-data-ai-personalization/ - Jeremy Haft
#7: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep126-how-scibids-ai-is-redefining-media-buying-at-doubleverify/  - Wadrille Leroy
#6: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep112-leading-through-change-the-human-side-of-marketing-leadership/  - Anna Jankowska
#5: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep108-ai-playground-microsoft-copilot-google-notebooklm/ - Alyssa Curci and Jonathan Murray
#4: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep140-leading-change-that-sticks-people-processes-platforms-with-stuart-goldstein/ - Stuart Goldstein
#3: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep143-time-to-value-innovation-that-puts-customers-first-with-alan-wizemann/ * Alan Wizemann
#2: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep119-leading-change-transforming-companies-with-alan-wizemann/ - Alan Wizemann
#1: https://tenloradio.com/e/ep121-say-hello-to-brand-agent-ai-that-speaks-your-brand-s-language/ - Aaron Grando
 
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].

Integrating generative AI into marketing workflows is a move only a select few forward-thinking leaders are making. We’re excited to collaborate with the Test. Learn. Grow. podcast to feature discussions with two such trailblazers—Tessa Burg, host of Leader Generation and CTO at Mod Op, and Patrick Patterson, CEO at Level.
These leaders are at the forefront, not just employing generative AI but also setting the standard for its application. They join the podcast to share their excitement, expert tips, bold opinions, and the valuable lessons they've learned along the way. 
Listen to a conversation filled with actionable advice for anyone looking to elevate their organization's AI journey. This episode was originally published by the Test. Learn. Grow. podcast, hosted by Dale Riether and sponsored by Level. 
About Patrick Patterson:
From the outset of his career, Patterson applied his background in computer science and math to the challenge of reaching and engaging audiences (and carefully measuring every result). In his tenure as president & CEO of Level Agency, Patrick Patterson oversaw its transformation from a pioneering, fast-growing higher education shop into the performance-marketing powerhouse it is today. Under his leadership, the agency's revenue grew 30% or more annually; its profit margin increased 4X; its marketing spend now tops $50M annually, and its capabilities have broadened to offer more complementary services for more industries.
About Tessa Burg:
Tessa is the Chief Technology Officer at Mod Op and Host of the Leader Generation podcast. She has led both technology and marketing teams for 15+ years. Tessa initiated and now leads Mod Op's AI/ML Pilot Team, AI Council and Innovation Pipeline. She started her career in IT and development before following her love for data and strategy into digital marketing. Tessa has held roles on both the consulting and client sides of the business for domestic and international brands, including American Greetings, Amazon, Nestlé, Anlene, Moen and many more. Tessa can be reached on LinkedIn or at [email protected].