AI search, agents and discovery · Episode 58 · Season 4 · ·
Full-Stack Marketers Who Embrace AI Are the Future of the CMO Team
Lindsay Boyajian Hagan, VP of Marketing and Co-Head of Revenue at Conductor, on why Answer Engine Optimisation has become the next frontier beyond SEO, why she now hires full-stack marketers who are excited about AI, and why every brand's job is to turn the wisdom inside their organisation into content that gets found.
Lindsay Boyajian Hagan, Vice President Marketing and Co-Head Revenue, Conductor. In conversation with John Horsley.
Full-Stack Marketers Who Embrace AI Are the Future of the CMO Team
0:0036:00Why AEO is the new SEO and why the modern marketing team must embrace AI or fall behind
Lindsay Boyajian Hagan has been at Conductor for almost ten years, moving from early marketing roles through to VP of Marketing and Co-Head of Revenue. Conductor started in SEO, evolved through content marketing, and is now at the frontier of Answer Engine Optimisation, helping brands get found and cited in AI search environments. She markets to marketers, which gives her an unusually direct feedback loop from her own customers.
In this conversation she explains why AI has fundamentally changed the profile of marketer she hires, why full-stack technically comfortable marketers who embrace AI tools are the only kind that will compound value in the current environment, and why the mission that has not changed since Conductor's founding is helping brands turn their internal wisdom into content that performs.
Tell us about Conductor and how it has evolved
“Conductor is an end-to-end AEO platform. We have been around for over 10 years. We started with roots in SEO. As search evolved and content evolved, so has our product. Over the summer we released Conductor AI, our full platform to help brands understand where they show up in AI engines, create the content, and monitor it so they get visible and get the citations they want in this new world of AI.”
The evolution from SEO to AEO tracks the shift in how people find information.
How has AI transformed who you hire?
“A few years ago, before AI, the profile was quite different. Today as a marketing leader I am looking for folks who are really full-stack, who understand technology, are more technical, are using and investing in AI, using AI in their own workflows. I am not looking for folks who are scared of AI, are scared of change, who are not embracing it. AI is an amazing productivity tool.”
The hiring criteria have shifted materially in 18 months.
What has not changed since Conductor was founded?
“Our mission and vision has really been almost unchanged since our founding 10-plus years ago. Helping people is at the core. Every brand has this amazing wisdom inside them, subject matter experts, and we want to help folks turn that wisdom into content that performs for their brand.”
The founding purpose is the through-line across multiple technology transitions.
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“I love it. You get to connect with amazing folks. I also get to pick the brains of some of the best marketers in the world who happen to be our customers. Because we are selling to folks who are experts in what we do, you have to be genuinely better. It keeps the bar honest.”
The unusual feedback loop of selling to experts in your domain.
What does good marketing leadership look like right now?
“As a leader, the big difference over the last year and a half has been how can I help folks upskill, get really comfortable with AI, testing all the different tools, running hackathons on the team. AI can feel scary once you go beyond basic prompts. The leader's job is to make it feel accessible and make the team comfortable with using it daily.”
The CMO as AI upskilling champion within the team.
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Read the full transcript
Lightly edited for readability
John Horsley Tell us about Conductor and your role.
Lindsay Boyajian Hagan Conductor is an end-to-end AEO platform. Started in SEO, now helping brands show up in AI search engines. VP of Marketing and Co-Head of Revenue. Almost ten years here. Marketing to marketers, which means your customers are experts. That keeps the bar very honest.
John Horsley How has AI changed the profile of marketers you hire?
Lindsay Boyajian Hagan Today I am looking for full-stack marketers who are excited about AI, not scared of it. Who are using it in their own workflows. Running hackathons. Getting comfortable with the tools. AI is an amazing productivity tool. I am not looking for folks who are scared of change.
