Money20/20 Europe: In Conversation with Simeon Lando, CMO of Thredd
Financial Narrative spent June 3-5 in Amsterdam at Money20/20 Europe for a series of panel discussions and a marcomms networking meetup at the world's biggest, most influential gathering of the global money ecosystem.
We also got a chance to connect with some of the changemaking attendees. In this chat, Simeon Lando, CMO of Thredd, shared how he’s tackling ROI pressure, prioritizing brand in new markets, and thoughtfully integrating AI into modern marketing.
What excites you most about Money20/20?
Money20/20 is a fantastic opportunity for us to catch up with clients, meet with partners and other peers in the industry, and make sure we’re plugged into the latest developments in an ever-changing space.
This year, it's also a great opportunity for us to sponsor the MoneyPot, where we hosted a panel session with Worldpay, Railsr, Caxton, and our own CEO, who facilitated the discussion. It's great to learn how we can help set our clients up for future success.
What's the biggest challenge for marcomms leaders in your role today?
The biggest challenge within marketing is being able to demonstrate return on investment. That’s always been true, but it’s more important than ever to show that in concrete figures.
It’s about justifying the discretionary budget you’re given—and, more importantly, proving the business impact you're having. That includes how you're supporting the sales team in driving a healthy pipeline—not just generating marketing-qualified leads, but real sales opportunities.
And it’s making sure those opportunities are accelerating at pace through the sales lifecycle.
As a CMO, how do you balance sales opportunities with the need to build your brand in the industry?
Building brand is absolutely key—especially when you’re going into a new market. If your target audience doesn’t know who you are, you’re not going to get very far.
So, brand building always comes first. But then it’s about building a healthy sales pipeline and setting up an industry-leading team to help deliver on those core objectives.
What aspect of your job are you excited for AI to take over?
I love anything that drives productivity and efficiency—and AI absolutely delivers on that.
That said, there’s a lot of hype. There will always be a fundamental need for talented marketers. The key is figuring out how to use AI to make yourself more efficient and more productive—while still prioritizing that human-to-human relationship.
Ultimately, it’s about how you manage, work with, and optimize AI—that’s the real key moving forward.
What are you most excited about in the world of marketing today?
What excites me most in marketing today is being able to clearly demonstrate the business impact of the work we do.
It’s not just “coloring in.” Marketing is a strategic function—it plays an integral role in setting the business up for success. And I think we’re seeing more and more recognition of that.