Leader Generation

Every marketer and business leader is talking about AI right now, but many companies are stuck. They’ve run the pilots, tried the tools and still can’t turn any of it into real results. 

In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with Dhiraj Rajaram, Founder and CEO of Mu Sigma, about why that gap between AI hype and AI impact exists. And what it actually takes to close it. Dhiraj breaks down some big ideas in an easy-to-follow—and very entertaining—way, like why every new technology creates a bubble and why AI is no different. He explains why most companies are trying to bolt AI onto old ways of working rather than rethink how decisions are made. 

If you’ve ever wondered why your company’s AI investment has not paid off the way you had hoped, this conversation will give you a new way to think about the problem. You’ll walk away with practical language and a framework you can bring back to your own team along with a clearer picture of what needs to change before any new technology can really move the needle. 

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.

About Dhiraj Rajaram:
As Founder, Chairman and CEO of Mu Sigma, Dhiraj Rajaram built one of India’s first profitable unicorns. He pioneered decision sciences, digitizing management consulting by mapping decision and perception traces—visionary concepts now critical in an agentic, AI-driven corporate world. Today, Mu Sigma helps over 140 Fortune 500 organizations, including Microsoft, Walmart, Pfizer and Dell, convert technology investments into scalable decision systems. An elite business leader and University of Chicago Booth School of Business Distinguished Alumnus, Dhiraj’s background spans consulting at PwC and Booz Allen Hamilton. He has been recognized by Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He can be reached on www.mu-sigma.com.

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 Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

AI is moving fast, but most teams are still figuring out how to use it responsibly. In this episode, Tessa Burg talks with advertising attorney Candice Kersh about the legal and practical questions marketing leaders are facing right now. They cover what companies should worry about, where risk tends to show up and why policies, training and better decisions matter more than ever. 

This is the conversation that will help you cut through the AI noise. You’ll get a clearer understanding of AI contracts, copyright, ownership, data protection, synthetic performers and what brands need to think about before launching AI-powered work. It’s a helpful listen for anyone trying to move faster with AI without creating bigger problems later. 

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.

About Candice Kersh:
Candice is a leading advertising and marketing attorney and a longtime member of Frankfurt Kurnit’s advertising, marketing, and public relations practice. Widely recognized for her expertise and practical approach, she is consistently ranked by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Super Lawyers, and was named a 2025 Financier Worldwide Distinguished Advisor in Advertising and Marketing. The first woman named “Advertising Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America and the only lawyer recognized by Folio as a Top Woman in Media, Candice is a go-to advisor for brands navigating complex advertising, marketing, and emerging technology issues.  Her client testimonials speak volumes about the trust her clients place in her and the high standard of counsel she provides.  Candice’s experience, insight, and creative problem-solving make her a trusted advisor on the full range of advertising and marketing law issues, including IP, right of publicity, advertising clearance, false advertising and substantiation, AI-related matters, talent and sponsorship agreements, union issues, agency and media agreements, and branded entertainment deals—helping leading brands clear legal hurdles and bring innovative campaigns to market. Candice can be reached on LinkedIn or on her firm’s website, fkks.com.

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 Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

Today on Leader Generation, Tessa Burg welcomes back Linda Owens, Global Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at Sherwin-Williams. Six years after becoming the podcast's very first guest, Linda returns to discuss how B2B leaders can navigate rapid changes in technology, AI and buyer behavior while staying focused on what matters most: the customer.

Linda shares practical advice for separating meaningful trends from hype, creating trust earlier in the buying journey and designing customer experiences that reduce friction across every touchpoint. She also explains why customer obsession should drive every decision, how to use experimentation without losing sight of scale and what leaders need to do to successfully manage change across their organizations.

Whether you're leading digital transformation, evaluating AI initiatives or looking for ways to create more value for customers, this conversation offers actionable insights you can apply immediately. Tune in to learn how today's most effective B2B leaders are building customer experiences that drive both business growth and long-term loyalty.

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.

About Linda Owens:
Linda Owens is the Global Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at Sherwin-Williams, where she leads initiatives that advance digital customer experiences, scale eBusiness capabilities and drive enterprise transformation. With more than 20 years of experience spanning marketing, sales, ecommerce and digital customer experience, she has helped organizations modernize customer engagement and accelerate growth across B2B and B2C markets.

Throughout her career, Linda has led cross-functional teams and developed digital strategies that improve customer experiences across channels and global regions. Her expertise includes ecommerce strategy, digital marketing, customer journey optimization, CRM lifecycle programs, Martech and digital innovation. She is passionate about simplifying complexity, empowering high-performing teams and creating customer-centric solutions that deliver measurable business impact. Linda can be reached on LinkedIn.

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 Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

Coming up with AI ideas isn’t the struggle for most teams. The real challenge is to make those ideas stick. In this episode, Shashank Kadetotad, Global Senior Director of Enterprise Data Science and AI at Mars, breaks down what helps companies move from interesting pilots to real business impact. He explains why adoption matters just as much as the technology itself, how culture and leadership shape success and why the best AI solution is not always the most complex one. 

You’ll get practical advice on involving the right users early, setting clear success and failure criteria for pilots and deciding when to build versus buy. Shashank shares lessons from leading AI work inside major organizations and offers a grounded view of what it takes to scale responsibly. If your team is trying to get more value from AI, this conversation will give you a clearer and more useful way to think about the work. 

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.

About Shashank Kadetotad:
Shashank Kadetotad is the Global Senior Director of Enterprise Data Science and AI at Mars, where he leads the deployment of AI and advanced analytics across global consumer goods operations. With a background that spans Amazon operations, retail and CPG forecasting, and AI leadership across multiple Fortune 500 companies, he has built and scaled enterprise AI platforms that power decisions in supply chain, marketing, and finance. Shashank is recognized for his work on generative AI and multi-agent architectures, with multiple provisional patents focused on applying AI to product innovation, analytics, and consumer engagement. A frequent industry speaker, he is known for making complex AI topics accessible to business leaders while keeping the focus on responsible, high-impact AI in retail and CPG. He can be reached on LinkedIn.

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 Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.

Why do so many promising pilots fail to scale? In this episode of Leader Generation, Tessa Burg talks with digital transformation leader Kenneth Phua to explore what separates successful pilots from initiatives that never move beyond the testing phase.

Drawing on his experience leading digital strategy and transformation programs for global brands, Kenneth shares the common mistakes organizations make when measuring pilot success, why repeatability matters more than one-time wins and how businesses can build the capabilities needed to scale digital and AI initiatives across teams, markets and functions.

The conversation also explores the role of leadership in successful transformation. Kenneth explains why empathy, curiosity, trust and a willingness to challenge assumptions are essential for leaders navigating rapid technological change. 

Whether you're launching a new digital platform, testing an AI-powered solution or leading enterprise transformation, this episode offers practical insights for turning experimentation into sustainable growth.

Leader Generation is hosted by Tessa Burg and brought to you by Mod Op.

About Kenneth Phua:
Kenneth Phua is a global digital transformation, ecommerce, and AI leader with more than 15 years of experience helping organizations turn digital investments into measurable business growth. Most recently, he served as Global Head of Digital Strategy & Innovation at The Coca-Cola Company, where he led enterprise-scale transformation initiatives across 115 markets and delivered approximately USD $900 million in system value. His work has spanned digital strategy, ecommerce, consumer platforms, first-party data, AI and operating model design.

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 Tessa.Burg@ModOp.com.