Automotive marketing tech providers COOPABLE and Lotlinx have announced a new partnership aimed at removing one of the biggest administrative hurdles in dealership marketing: accessing manufacturer co-op funds.

The collaboration allows auto dealers using Lotlinx’s inventory marketing platform to apply eligible OEM co-op funds toward their campaigns through COOPABLE’s managed service. The result is a streamlined process designed to help dealerships launch VIN-specific digital marketing programs faster—and ultimately move vehicles off the lot more efficiently.

For dealers accustomed to navigating complex co-op reimbursement programs, the partnership promises a simpler, largely automated experience.

Removing the Administrative Burden of Co-Op Marketing

OEM co-op funds are widely used by auto manufacturers to subsidize dealership marketing campaigns. But accessing those funds often involves detailed compliance rules, extensive documentation, and manual approval processes that can slow down campaign execution.

Under the new partnership, COOPABLE will manage the entire co-op lifecycle on behalf of dealerships, including:

• Co-op eligibility approvals

• Claim submissions to OEM programs

• Compliance documentation and audit requirements

• Reimbursement tracking through manufacturer channels

By handling these tasks behind the scenes, COOPABLE eliminates the manual paperwork and follow-up typically required from dealership marketing teams.

“The co-op process can be time-consuming and nuanced, especially across different OEM programs,” said Mark W. Baruth.

“Our partnership with Lotlinx removes that burden from the dealership. COOPABLE handles the approvals, submissions, and compliance on the dealer’s behalf,” Baruth said.

Combining Co-Op Funding With VIN-Level Targeting

The integration is designed to complement Lotlinx’s core technology, which uses machine learning and automotive data intelligence to help dealerships identify inventory risk and promote specific vehicles.

Instead of running generic promotions, Lotlinx campaigns focus on VIN-specific marketing, targeting vehicles that need to move based on factors such as:

• Time on lot

• regional demand signals

• inventory turnover risk

• pricing competitiveness

By pairing that targeting capability with easier access to co-op funds, dealerships can potentially scale these campaigns without increasing their out-of-pocket marketing budgets.

Dealers will still launch campaigns through Lotlinx as usual, but COOPABLE will manage the documentation and reimbursement process required by OEM programs.

Expanding Access to Co-Op Programs

Lotlinx already participates in turnkey co-op programs with select manufacturers, where campaign approvals and reimbursements are integrated into the platform.

The new partnership expands that capability to additional OEM programs where dealerships typically handle submissions and compliance themselves.

This could be especially useful for dealerships that have struggled to secure co-op approvals for certain marketing vendors under manufacturer guidelines.

As a result of the partnership, Lotlinx dealers can now use COOPABLE to submit VIN-specific digital advertising spend for co-op reimbursement across more brands and programs.

Reducing Friction in Automotive Retail Marketing

Automotive dealerships operate in one of the most complex marketing ecosystems in retail, balancing manufacturer requirements, inventory pressures, and digital consumer expectations.

Simplifying co-op access could help dealers deploy marketing dollars more efficiently—particularly at a time when inventory management and demand forecasting are increasingly data-driven.

“At Lotlinx, we’re focused on helping dealers move inventory efficiently,” said Kerri Wise.

“Making co-op easier to access is a practical way to support our clients and remove friction from their VIN targeting efforts,” Wise said. “Co-op dollars are available, and with this partnership, it makes it faster and easier for our clients than ever.”

The Bigger Picture for Auto Marketing Tech

The partnership also highlights a broader trend in automotive retail technology: platforms are increasingly combining data-driven marketing tools with financial and operational services that help dealerships execute campaigns more easily.

Rather than simply offering advertising technology, vendors are building ecosystems that simplify the full lifecycle of dealership marketing—from campaign planning to funding and compliance.

For dealers, the appeal is straightforward: less paperwork, faster campaign launches, and a clearer path to turning inventory into sales.

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Customer data platform provider Hightouch is expanding its presence in Australia and New Zealand, appointing Aidan Lynch as Country Manager for ANZ as the company doubles down on regional growth.

The move signals increasing investment in the Asia-Pacific region as enterprises modernize marketing technology stacks and seek more efficient ways to activate customer data across their organizations.

For Hightouch, the expansion comes amid rising interest in warehouse-native customer data platforms and agentic marketing technologies, which allow companies to use existing data infrastructure without duplicating information across multiple systems.

Building on Growing Demand in the Region

With Lynch leading regional operations, Hightouch aims to strengthen its on-the-ground presence to support organizations deploying modern data and marketing architectures.

The company says the expansion reflects strong organic growth across APJ markets, where businesses are increasingly prioritizing data-driven marketing, personalization, and real-time customer engagement.

Under Lynch’s leadership, the company plans to deepen regional engagement and provide local support for enterprises seeking to activate customer data across marketing, sales, and customer experience teams.

That includes helping organizations integrate Hightouch with their existing technology ecosystems while maintaining governance over sensitive data.

A Warehouse-Native Approach to Customer Data

Hightouch’s platform is designed around a warehouse-native architecture, meaning companies can activate customer data directly from cloud data warehouses instead of copying it into separate systems.

The approach aligns with the broader modern data stack movement, which emphasizes centralized data storage combined with composable tools layered on top.

Hightouch integrates with major data platforms such as:

• Snowflake

• Google BigQuery

• Databricks

By working directly within these environments, marketing teams can build audiences, orchestrate campaigns, automate workflows, and deploy AI-driven marketing actions without moving data between platforms.

The result is a system that reduces operational complexity while enabling faster experimentation and personalization.

The Rise of Agentic Marketing

A growing part of Hightouch’s strategy centers on agentic marketing, a concept that embeds AI agents directly into marketing workflows.

Rather than simply analyzing data, these AI agents can help automate tasks such as:

• Audience segmentation

• Campaign orchestration

• Customer journey optimization

• Workflow automation

According to Lynch, this evolution is attracting enterprises that want to scale personalization without sacrificing data governance.

“What attracted me to Hightouch was its founder-led culture and sustained pace of innovation,” Lynch said.

“The platform was built on a strong data foundation and has continued to evolve toward agentic marketing, embedding AI directly into governed marketing workflows.”

For organizations managing large customer datasets, the ability to combine automation with strong governance controls is becoming a key requirement.

Recognition in the CDP Market

Hightouch’s expansion in ANZ follows another milestone: its first appearance as a Leader in the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Customer Data Platforms from Gartner.

The recognition highlights the rapid evolution of the CDP market, which is shifting away from monolithic platforms toward composable architectures integrated with cloud data warehouses.

Industry analysts have increasingly pointed to warehouse-native CDPs as a new generation of marketing infrastructure, allowing businesses to leverage existing data investments while enabling more flexible marketing operations.

For Hightouch, the recognition reflects how enterprise marketing teams are evolving.

“Organizations want to activate their complete data, move faster without replication, and use AI to continuously improve performance,” Lynch said.

Local Leadership for a Global Platform

Lynch’s appointment reflects a broader trend among global martech vendors: strengthening local leadership as regional markets adopt advanced data infrastructure.

While marketing technology platforms are often built for global deployment, enterprises typically require localized support when implementing complex data systems and cross-channel customer engagement strategies.

By expanding its ANZ team, Hightouch aims to combine global product innovation with local market expertise—helping companies modernize their marketing and data capabilities while maintaining governance and compliance.

As enterprises across Australia and New Zealand continue investing in modern data platforms and AI-powered marketing tools, the company is betting that warehouse-native architectures will become a foundational layer of the next-generation marketing stack.

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AI-powered content platform Flam is ramping up its communications push in the United States, appointing integrated communications firm Velocitas as its Agency of Record (AOR).

The partnership will see Velocitas lead Flam’s strategic communications, brand amplification, and media outreach across the U.S., as the company seeks to build visibility around its AI-native approach to interactive brand storytelling.

For Flam, which focuses on immersive digital experiences designed to deepen audience engagement, the move signals a broader effort to position itself at the center of emerging conversations around AI-driven advertising and content innovation.

A Communications Strategy for the AI Content Era

Under the agreement, Velocitas will oversee Flam’s national media strategy, executive thought leadership programs, and broader brand communications efforts.

The agency will work closely with Flam’s global marketing team to elevate the company’s messaging around AI-native content creation and next-generation digital experiences for brands.

Founded in 2002, Velocitas has built a reputation for integrated communications strategies spanning public relations, digital strategy, branding, and executive positioning.

“Pioneering AI-native content, Flam is on a mission to redefine the dialogue between brands and their audiences,” said Karthik Raman.

“We needed a communications partner who understands innovation, speed, and scale,” Raman said. “Velocitas brings the strategic insight and execution strength to help tell our story at the right level and at the right time.”

Building Momentum Through Brand Partnerships

Flam has already collaborated with several high-profile brands as it expands its footprint in interactive advertising.

Recent campaigns have included partnerships with companies such as Don Julio, The ReefLine, Google, and Samsung, alongside other global brands and Fortune 500 organizations.

These initiatives showcase Flam’s platform capabilities, which focus on creating immersive, AI-powered brand experiences designed to capture consumer attention in increasingly crowded digital environments.

Interactive campaigns built on the platform often combine storytelling, real-time engagement, and AI-generated elements to create experiences that go beyond traditional digital advertising formats.

Spotlight at SXSW 2026

As part of its expanding thought leadership efforts, Flam executives are scheduled to appear as keynote speakers at SXSW 2026.

The session—titled “AI, Advertising, and the Attention Economy”—will explore how emerging AI technologies are reshaping the relationship between brands, content, and consumer engagement.

Industry discussions around the attention economy have intensified as marketers struggle to capture audience focus across fragmented media channels and algorithm-driven content feeds.

Flam’s technology aims to address that challenge by turning passive content consumption into interactive experiences.

Positioning for the Next Wave of Brand Engagement

Velocitas President Patricia Beitler says the partnership reflects the growing importance of immersive storytelling in modern marketing.

“Flam’s AI-powered storytelling doesn’t just change how audiences consume content—it transforms how they experience it,” Beitler said.

The agency will help scale Flam’s brand visibility while shaping broader industry conversations about the future of AI-driven engagement.

The Bigger Shift Toward Interactive Marketing

The collaboration arrives at a time when marketers are increasingly exploring AI-driven content experiences to stand out in an overcrowded digital landscape.

Traditional ad formats are losing effectiveness as audiences become more selective about where they spend their attention. As a result, brands are investing in interactive formats that blend storytelling, technology, and real-time engagement.

Platforms like Flam aim to sit at the intersection of AI, creativity, and immersive media, helping brands create experiences that feel less like advertising and more like participation.

With Velocitas now guiding its communications strategy in the U.S., Flam is positioning itself to play a larger role in defining how brands engage audiences in the AI-powered attention economy.

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European private equity firm Omnes Capital is upgrading its investment and investor relations infrastructure with the adoption of Intapp DealCloud, the relationship intelligence platform from Intapp.

The move signals the firm’s push to standardize data, streamline fundraising operations, and give investment teams better visibility into deals and investor relationships—an increasingly important capability as private capital firms manage complex portfolios and global LP networks.

With more than €6.7 billion in assets under management, Omnes focuses heavily on investments tied to the energy transition, an area seeing rapid growth as institutional investors seek exposure to climate-focused infrastructure and sustainable technologies.

Building a Unified Data Infrastructure

According to Omnes, one of the primary goals behind the implementation was consolidating fragmented systems used across investment, marketing, and investor relations teams.

Private equity firms often operate with multiple tools for managing deals, tracking investor interactions, and maintaining contact databases. Over time, those systems can create inconsistent data and limited visibility across teams.

DealCloud aims to solve that by providing a centralized environment where firms can manage fundraising activities, investor communications, and deal pipelines within a single platform.

“We were looking for one solution that would help us standardize data and processes across our investment and investor relations teams,” said Wael Ilahi.

“DealCloud gives us a unified platform to manage fundraising and LP interactions as well as marketing and communications needs—helping us consolidate and better use our data,” Ilahi said.

AI-Powered Relationship Intelligence

At the core of DealCloud is Intapp’s governed AI framework, designed specifically for professional services firms operating in highly regulated industries such as private equity, investment banking, and legal services.

The platform aggregates firmwide data—including emails, contact details, documents, and shared files—into a centralized relationship intelligence layer.

This enables professionals to:

• Track and forecast deal pipelines
• Monitor investor relationships and engagement
• Identify new fundraising opportunities
• Access real-time insights into industry trends

By combining these insights with automation tools, the platform aims to help investment professionals spend less time managing administrative tasks and more time executing deals.

Automation Reduces Manual Work

A significant part of the platform’s value comes from its automation capabilities.

DealCloud uses automated data capture and signature-scraping technology to collect and organize contact information from emails and communications. The system continuously updates relationship records by integrating data from external systems and internal collaboration tools.

The result is a dynamic relationship map that provides investment teams with a current view of interactions across their network of limited partners, advisors, and industry contacts.

For firms managing large investor ecosystems, keeping that information up to date manually can be a significant operational challenge.

Supporting Growth in Energy Transition Investing

Omnes Capital’s adoption of DealCloud also reflects the growing complexity of fundraising and investor engagement in sectors like energy transition.

As institutional investors increasingly allocate capital toward sustainability-focused funds, private equity firms must manage more sophisticated LP relationships, reporting expectations, and market intelligence.

Rudy Saad says the platform is designed to support these evolving requirements.

“Our AI-powered DealCloud platform enables firms to manage relationships seamlessly while driving targeted fundraising in specialized sectors such as energy transition,” Saad said.

Technology Becomes Core to Private Capital Operations

Across the private equity industry, firms are investing heavily in digital infrastructure to gain better visibility into deal pipelines, investor relationships, and market opportunities.

Platforms like DealCloud are increasingly becoming a central operating system for private capital firms—combining CRM, relationship intelligence, and analytics into a unified environment.

For Omnes Capital, adopting such infrastructure is part of a broader effort to modernize operations and ensure teams have real-time access to the information needed to evaluate opportunities and engage investors effectively.

As competition for capital intensifies across global private markets, firms with stronger data capabilities may find themselves better positioned to identify opportunities, strengthen LP relationships, and close deals faster.

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The communications industry has spent the past two years racing to keep up with generative AI, shifting audience behaviors, and a broader cultural rethink around leadership and trust. Now, one of the sector’s largest independent agencies wants to turn that disruption into a conversation.

Global communications and integrated marketing firm Ruder Finn has launched a new podcast, What’s Next: The Ruder Finn Podcast, hosted by CEO Dr. Kathy Bloomgarden. The show aims to unpack how artificial intelligence, innovation, and modern leadership are reshaping marketing and communications at a moment when both industries are being rewritten in real time.

The first three episodes are already live across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube, positioning the podcast as a thought-leadership hub for executives navigating rapid technological change.

Rather than focusing on campaign tactics or platform updates—the bread and butter of many marketing podcasts—What’s Next zooms out. Each episode explores how communications leaders help organizations interpret technological disruption, guide cultural change, and build stronger relationships with customers, employees, and stakeholders.

A Podcast About the Future of Leadership in the AI Era

In many ways, the show arrives at a pivotal moment for the communications industry.

AI tools are transforming everything from media monitoring and audience analysis to content generation and strategic decision-making. Agencies and brands alike are grappling with a fundamental question: if machines can generate messaging, what becomes of human creativity and leadership?

Bloomgarden says the answer lies in clearer thinking and more thoughtful leadership.

“As AI and automation accelerate change, communications leaders have a responsibility to help organizations move forward with clarity and optimism,” Bloomgarden said in the announcement. “This podcast is about asking better questions and shaping what comes next together.”

That framing reflects a broader shift across the marketing world. Increasingly, communications teams are expected to play a strategic role—not just amplifying messages but helping companies navigate technological disruption, public expectations, and evolving stakeholder relationships.

Launch Episodes Focus on AI, Healthcare Communication, and Curiosity

The podcast’s debut lineup offers a cross-section of voices from technology, healthcare, and venture innovation.

One episode features AI advisor Zack Kass, who discusses how artificial intelligence is influencing leadership, decision-making, and human creativity. Kass previously served as Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI and has become a frequent commentator on how organizations can adopt AI responsibly while preserving human judgment.

Another episode explores the changing relationship between healthcare organizations and patients. Bloomgarden speaks with Ed Harnaga, former chief communications officer at Pfizer, about how strategic communication can create more personal, trust-driven patient engagement—an issue that gained urgency during the COVID-era health communications surge.

The third launch episode highlights the value of intellectual curiosity in an evolving tech landscape. Emmy Award-winning engineer and venture partner Yvette Kanouff joins the show to discuss innovation, technology investment, and why leaders must remain adaptable in a rapidly changing digital environment.

Taken together, the early episodes reveal the podcast’s core premise: communications leaders are no longer just storytellers—they’re interpreters of change.

Thought Leadership as a Strategic Platform

Agency podcasts are hardly new, but the format is increasingly being used as a long-term thought leadership engine rather than just marketing content.

Consultancies, technology firms, and agencies—from Deloitte to Accenture—have expanded podcast strategies in recent years to reach executives who consume industry insights during commutes, workouts, or remote workdays.

For communications agencies, podcasts offer another advantage: they position the firm at the center of conversations shaping the industry’s future.

In this sense, What’s Next fits into a larger strategy for Ruder Finn, which has been investing heavily in AI-driven communications tools and advisory services. By hosting conversations with AI experts, healthcare leaders, and technologists, the agency can both spotlight emerging trends and reinforce its role as a strategic advisor to global brands.

It’s a move that aligns with a broader shift across marketing services firms. As automation handles more operational tasks—content production, analytics, audience targeting—agencies increasingly differentiate themselves through strategy, insight, and leadership.

Why AI Is Changing the Role of Communications Teams

At the center of the podcast—and much of the industry’s current debate—is the impact of artificial intelligence.

AI-driven tools are already rewriting how communications teams operate. Natural language models can draft press releases, summarize research, and generate campaign copy in seconds. Data platforms can analyze audience sentiment across millions of posts and news stories in real time.

But those capabilities raise new questions about trust, governance, and human oversight.

For communications leaders, the challenge isn’t simply adopting AI—it’s helping organizations explain and contextualize it. That includes addressing employee concerns about automation, ensuring responsible data usage, and maintaining authentic brand voices in an increasingly machine-assisted content landscape.

In other words, the communications department may become the organization’s translator between technology and humanity.

The Expanding Role of the CCO

Another theme running through the podcast’s early episodes is the expanding influence of communications leadership.

Historically, the chief communications officer (CCO) role focused primarily on media relations, reputation management, and corporate messaging. Today, many CCOs are deeply involved in corporate strategy, ESG initiatives, and digital transformation.

That shift has accelerated as companies face a steady stream of public scrutiny—from AI ethics debates to geopolitical tensions and misinformation challenges.

Leaders like Harnaga, who helped guide communications at Pfizer during one of the most scrutinized healthcare moments in modern history, represent a new generation of strategic communicators operating at the intersection of science, technology, and public trust.

A Monthly Look at the Industry’s Next Phase

Ruder Finn plans to release new podcast episodes monthly, each tackling a different aspect of the evolving communications landscape.

Future topics are expected to include:

• How AI is reshaping brand communication strategies

• Innovation-driven growth in marketing and communications

• New approaches to audience engagement in an AI-powered world

• The changing relationship between technology, culture, and corporate leadership

If the debut episodes are any indication, the show will lean heavily into cross-industry perspectives—pulling voices not just from marketing but from venture capital, healthcare, technology, and academia.

That interdisciplinary approach reflects a simple reality: communications doesn’t exist in a vacuum anymore.

As AI systems influence everything from product development to customer service, the communicators responsible for shaping narratives around those technologies must understand the systems themselves.

The Bigger Picture

The launch of What’s Next highlights an important shift in the marketing and communications ecosystem.

In an era defined by generative AI, misinformation, and rapid digital transformation, the value of communications professionals is evolving from message distribution to strategic interpretation.

Organizations need leaders who can explain emerging technologies, translate complex ideas into human terms, and guide stakeholders through uncertainty.

Podcasts like this one are emerging as a natural forum for those conversations.

Whether What’s Next becomes a must-listen for communications leaders remains to be seen. But its central premise—that the future of communications lies in understanding technology as much as storytelling—captures the direction the industry is clearly heading.

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Enterprise AI vendors are entering a new phase—one defined less by experimentation and more by real-world deployments. Messaging platform Quiq is leaning into that shift with a high-profile marketing hire.

The company announced that veteran enterprise software executive Jen Grant will join as Chief Marketing Officer, a move aimed at strengthening Quiq’s position in the rapidly evolving market for AI-powered customer engagement. The appointment reflects a broader industry pivot as enterprises move beyond proof-of-concept AI pilots toward operational AI agents embedded in customer-facing workflows.

Grant’s mandate is clear: help enterprises understand how to evaluate, deploy, and scale AI agents responsibly as the technology becomes a core part of customer experience infrastructure.

From AI Experiments to Production Deployments

For many enterprises, the past two years have been dominated by generative AI experimentation. Teams tested chatbots, knowledge assistants, and automated support agents—often in limited pilots or internal tools.

Now, those experiments are increasingly moving into production.

Quiq says its AI agents are already running at scale for several global brands, including Spirit Airlines, Roku, and Panasonic. These deployments handle high volumes of customer interactions across industries like travel, retail, and consumer electronics.

“Quiq has moved past experimentation and into real, scaled AI agent deployments, and that shift requires a different kind of leadership,” said CEO Mike Myer in the announcement.

The implication is significant: the AI conversation in customer service is shifting from Can it work? to Can it work reliably at scale?

Why the CMO Role Matters in the AI Era

Grant’s appointment reflects a strategic challenge many AI vendors face today: explaining what actually works in production.

While dozens of startups and enterprise vendors offer AI-powered customer engagement tools, the differences between them are often difficult for buyers to evaluate. Many companies showcase impressive demos but lack proven deployments in high-stakes environments.

Grant says the market is entering a new stage of maturity.

“Most companies are no longer asking whether AI agents work,” she said. “They’re asking which platforms they can trust in front of customers.”

That shift places marketing leaders at the center of the conversation. The job is no longer just generating demand—it’s clarifying technical capabilities, risk controls, and operational outcomes for enterprise buyers.

In other words, the modern CMO increasingly acts as a translator between complex AI systems and business decision-makers.

A Veteran Enterprise Software Operator

Grant brings a résumé that spans both marketing leadership and operational roles across major enterprise software companies.

Her past positions include senior leadership roles at Google, Box, Elastic, Dialpad, and Looker. She has also served as CEO, COO, and CMO at multiple technology firms, giving her a rare mix of product, operational, and marketing experience.

That kind of cross-functional leadership is increasingly valuable in the AI era. AI platforms don’t just introduce new software—they change how organizations structure workflows, manage risk, and interact with customers.

Grant’s role at Quiq will focus on guiding the company’s go-to-market strategy during this transition.

The Growing Market for AI Customer Agents

The rise of AI agents is reshaping the customer experience landscape.

Traditional chatbots relied on rule-based systems and scripted workflows. Modern AI agents, powered by large language models and integrated knowledge systems, can interpret complex questions, access enterprise data, and respond conversationally.

Companies see major benefits:

• Reduced support costs

• Faster response times

• Scalable customer service

• Higher satisfaction and loyalty

But those advantages come with risks.

Enterprises worry about hallucinations, inaccurate responses, and brand damage if AI systems deliver incorrect information to customers.

That’s why reliability and governance features are becoming critical differentiators among AI platforms.

Managing AI Risk in Customer Conversations

A key selling point for Quiq’s platform is its emphasis on verification and control mechanisms designed to reduce AI hallucinations and ensure responses are grounded in trusted data.

The platform includes built-in tools for validating outputs, managing knowledge sources, and maintaining brand governance—features particularly important in regulated industries or brand-sensitive environments.

For companies deploying AI agents in customer-facing roles, these safeguards can mean the difference between automation success and reputational risk.

This challenge isn’t unique to Quiq. Across the enterprise AI ecosystem—from CRM vendors to support platforms—companies are racing to build guardrails around generative AI.

The result is a new category emerging at the intersection of conversational AI, automation, and enterprise governance.

Customer Proof Points

Quiq’s customer roster suggests the technology is already being tested in real-world conditions.

At Panasonic, for example, customer service leaders say the platform helps deliver more responsive customer experiences while improving efficiency.

Roku’s product management team reports evaluating more than 30 vendors before selecting Quiq’s solution—highlighting how crowded the AI customer engagement space has become.

That level of vendor competition reflects a broader surge in AI spending. Enterprises across industries are investing heavily in AI tools that promise measurable operational improvements.

Customer service, with its high interaction volume and structured workflows, has become one of the most immediate and practical use cases.

The Next Phase of the AI Platform Market

Grant’s arrival signals that Quiq sees the market entering a new competitive stage.

In the early AI boom, vendors focused on showcasing capabilities—what the technology could theoretically do. Now the conversation is shifting toward operational outcomes: accuracy, compliance, scalability, and customer trust.

For enterprise buyers, those factors matter far more than flashy demos.

The next wave of AI platform winners will likely be determined not just by model performance, but by how well vendors integrate governance, reliability, and enterprise workflow support.

Marketing leaders like Grant will play a key role in shaping that narrative—separating hype from real deployments.

The Bigger Picture

The hiring also highlights a broader trend across enterprise software: as AI categories mature, companies often bring in experienced operators to sharpen messaging and execution.

Grant has seen this pattern before across several technology transitions, from cloud infrastructure to data analytics platforms.

AI agents may now be approaching that same inflection point.

If the industry’s trajectory holds, the next two years will likely see enterprises move from isolated AI pilots toward fully integrated AI-powered customer experience systems.

For vendors like Quiq, the challenge isn’t just building the technology—it’s proving that the technology works reliably when customers are on the line.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

Commercial real estate (CRE) firms have spent years juggling fragmented software stacks—CRMs, marketing platforms, proposal tools, spreadsheets, and transaction systems that rarely talk to each other. The result: duplicated data, manual handoffs, and a lot of operational friction.

Now Buildout Inc. says it has a solution.

The company announced the launch of Buildout CRM, the latest addition to its Buildout Suite platform. The new product aims to unify the entire commercial real estate deal lifecycle in a single system, completing Buildout’s push to create an end-to-end, AI-powered operating platform for brokerages.

The move signals a strategic evolution for the company—from offering individual CRE software tools to positioning itself as a full workflow engine that manages deals from prospecting to commission.

A Unified Platform for the CRE Deal Lifecycle

Commercial real estate workflows are notoriously fragmented.

A typical brokerage may use one system to manage contacts, another to create marketing materials, a separate platform for proposals, and yet another for transaction management. Much of the work connecting those systems happens manually—often by brokers or administrative staff.

That fragmentation creates operational inefficiencies that can slow deals and squeeze brokerage margins.

Buildout’s approach attempts to eliminate those silos.

With the addition of CRM functionality inside Buildout Suite, brokerages can now manage prospecting, marketing, deal execution, and transaction management within a single data layer. Information entered once flows through the entire lifecycle, automatically updating across the platform.

The idea is simple but powerful: instead of stitching together multiple tools, brokerages operate from one shared system.

AI as the Workflow Engine

While many software vendors promote AI-powered features, Buildout is emphasizing something slightly different: automation embedded directly into the workflow.

Rather than layering AI tools on top of disconnected systems, the company says its platform integrates AI into the operational backbone of the brokerage.

That means AI can automatically handle repeatable tasks—data entry, document generation, workflow routing, and status updates—reducing manual work and improving accuracy.

The goal is to allow brokers to spend less time managing software and more time focusing on relationships and deal-making.

Solving the “Tech Stack Glue” Problem

According to CEO Helen Calvin, the company’s customers consistently identified the same pain point: too many overlapping tools.

“For years, brokerages have been stitching together tools and calling it a tech stack,” Calvin said in the announcement.

“What we kept hearing from customers is that the real pain isn’t a lack of software—it’s overlap and disconnect. Brokers and admins are acting as the glue between systems.”

Buildout designed its CRM specifically to eliminate that glue role.

Instead of forcing teams to move data between systems, the platform ensures that everyone—from brokers to marketers to finance teams—works from a single source of truth.

Built for the Property-Centric Nature of CRE

Unlike general-purpose CRMs designed for sales teams, Buildout’s platform is tailored to the unique structure of commercial real estate deals.

CRE transactions typically involve multiple stakeholders, long sales cycles, and complex documentation. Deals are also property-centric rather than purely contact-centric.

Buildout Suite reflects that structure by organizing data around properties, listings, and transactions rather than just leads and contacts.

Each stakeholder in the brokerage—from brokers to marketing teams to financial leadership—can access the information relevant to their role while remaining connected to the broader deal workflow.

The result is intended to reduce operational complexity while improving collaboration across teams.

The Growing Importance of AI in Real Estate

Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a strategic priority across the real estate industry.

Brokerages are exploring AI for tasks like market analysis, marketing automation, lead generation, and transaction management. But many firms face a familiar problem: AI tools layered onto fragmented software stacks can actually increase complexity.

Buildout’s strategy is to address the underlying infrastructure problem first.

By consolidating the entire deal lifecycle into one platform, the company argues that AI can operate more effectively—drawing from a unified data source and automating tasks across the entire workflow.

That architecture could become increasingly important as AI adoption accelerates in the CRE sector.

A Shift Toward Operational Platforms

The launch of Buildout CRM also reflects a broader trend across enterprise software.

Companies are moving away from standalone tools toward integrated platforms that manage entire operational processes.

Instead of assembling multiple specialized products, organizations increasingly prefer unified systems that reduce integration overhead and streamline workflows.

For commercial real estate brokerages—where margins are often tight and deal timelines matter—operational efficiency can translate directly into revenue gains.

What It Means for CRE Tech

The CRE technology market has grown rapidly in recent years, with startups targeting everything from leasing analytics to digital transaction management.

But many brokerages still struggle with fragmented systems and inconsistent data.

Buildout’s unified platform strategy attempts to address that challenge directly.

With CRM now integrated into Buildout Suite, the company says brokerages can manage the entire deal lifecycle—from the first prospecting call to final commission—inside a single platform.

If the approach gains traction, it could signal a broader shift in CRE technology toward unified operating systems rather than loosely connected tech stacks.

For brokers, that could mean fewer spreadsheets, fewer manual handoffs—and faster deals.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.

As small and mid-size businesses increasingly turn to fractional leadership to scale revenue operations, Sales Xceleration is expanding its bench of senior sales executives.

The company announced the addition of six new Outsourced VPs of Sales, collectively bringing more than a century of leadership experience to its fractional sales advisory network. The move strengthens Sales Xceleration’s ability to support SMBs seeking strategic sales leadership without hiring full-time executives.

The new leaders join a growing ecosystem of fractional executives helping organizations build scalable sales processes, refine go-to-market strategies, and improve revenue predictability.

Fractional Sales Leadership Continues to Grow

Over the past decade, fractional leadership has moved from a niche consulting model into a mainstream strategy for smaller companies that need executive expertise but lack the resources for full-time C-suite hires.

Sales Xceleration has been one of the early champions of the approach, focusing specifically on outsourced sales leadership roles. Its model embeds experienced sales executives within SMBs on a part-time or project basis to build sales strategy, coach teams, and establish repeatable revenue processes.

According to Tom Gardner, the company’s Chief Community Officer, the firm remains selective about who joins the network.

“After 13 years of leading the way in fractional leadership, we’re extremely selective about the sales leaders we bring into our organization,” Gardner said in the announcement.

That selectivity reflects the growing demand for experienced operators who can step into complex sales environments and deliver results quickly.

Meet the New Outsourced VPs of Sales

The newly appointed executives bring experience spanning industries including technology, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services.

Brian Dolan – Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With more than 25 years of sales leadership experience, Dolan focuses on helping organizations develop sustainable revenue growth strategies. His work centers on building scalable sales infrastructures, optimizing processes, and coaching high-performing teams to deliver measurable outcomes.

Brian Hadley – Charlotte, North Carolina

Hadley brings over two decades of leadership experience guiding sales teams ranging from small startups to organizations with hundreds of sellers. He emphasizes practical, repeatable sales processes that enable teams to consistently achieve performance goals.

Matthew Lang – Nashville, Tennessee

Lang, who has nearly three decades of experience leading sales organizations, specializes in building metrics-driven sales engines. His hands-on leadership style focuses on transforming sales operations into scalable systems that support predictable and profitable growth.

Dan McCoy – Great Lakes Region, Ohio

McCoy brings more than 20 years of experience in sales transformation across both large enterprises and scaling companies. His expertise centers on aligning people, processes, and performance frameworks to drive sustainable commercial growth.

Mark Miracle – Greater Denver, Colorado

Miracle has spent over 25 years leading revenue growth across multiple industries, including complex technology, SaaS, and professional services organizations. His background includes driving expansion in both startup and enterprise environments.

Alex Sagatov – Edmonton, Alberta

Sagatov brings more than two decades of experience transforming sales organizations in healthcare, industrial, and technology sectors. His expertise includes sales strategy, CRM optimization, team mentoring, and building accountability-driven sales cultures.

Why SMBs Are Turning to Fractional Executives

For many SMBs, sales leadership gaps can slow growth. Companies may have strong products and market demand but lack the strategic structure needed to scale revenue.

That’s where fractional executives come in.

Instead of hiring a full-time VP of Sales—often a six-figure investment—companies can access senior expertise on a flexible basis. These leaders typically focus on:

• Defining go-to-market strategies

• Implementing sales processes and forecasting systems

• Building high-performance sales teams

• Aligning marketing and sales operations

• Driving predictable revenue growth

This model is particularly attractive for companies transitioning from founder-led sales to more structured revenue operations.

A Broader Shift in the Sales Leadership Market

The rise of fractional leadership mirrors broader changes across the executive talent landscape.

Companies are increasingly embracing flexible leadership models that allow them to access specialized expertise without long-term hiring commitments. This trend has accelerated with the growth of remote work, digital collaboration tools, and project-based consulting frameworks.

Sales leadership is one of the most common roles in the fractional executive category, alongside fractional CFOs, CMOs, and CTOs.

For firms like Sales Xceleration, expanding the roster of experienced operators is essential to meeting demand from companies seeking strategic guidance in increasingly competitive markets.

Building Sustainable Sales Engines

Ultimately, the goal of the Outsourced VP of Sales model is to help companies move beyond ad hoc selling toward repeatable revenue systems.

That includes building clear sales processes, implementing CRM-driven forecasting, and creating accountability structures that enable teams to perform consistently.

With the addition of six new leaders, Sales Xceleration aims to extend that approach to more organizations looking to scale.

For SMBs navigating growth challenges, the fractional sales executive may be the bridge between early traction and long-term revenue stability.

Get in touch with our MarTech Experts.