Think Again

The AI Operating Model: What Marketing Leadership Looks Like in 2026

A candid conversation with CMOs and agency leaders on leading marketing in 2026

AI is no longer a side project. It’s reshaping how marketing teams operate, how decisions get made, and what leadership looks like.

As AI moves from standalone tools to agentic systems embedded across the marketing function, CMOs and agency leaders face a new challenge: redesigning teams, workflows, governance and capability for an AI-first world.

With 88% of marketers already using AI daily, the advantage no longer comes from access to tools - it comes from building an operating model that turns AI into real commercial impact.

Here’s what our panel will discuss:

The CMO as architect - Leadership in the agentic era isn't about managing AI adoption. It's about redesigning the operating model. What does that actually look like in practice?
Roles, redefined - Which marketing capabilities become more valuable, which get automated, and how do you build a team that can work with AI rather than just next to it?
Governance and brand integrity - How do you maintain brand integrity, creative judgment, and strategic oversight when AI is embedded across every function?
Building a coherent operating model - Why most marketing functions are stuck in tool sprawl, and what it actually takes to redesign around AI-enabled workflows

The Think Again Series is held at The Northern Club in Auckland and is proudly sponsored by Federation.

*Panellists to be announced soon.