Marketo announces CMO change with Pattabhiram taking helm, Dholakia departing
San Mateo, California-based engagement marketing software company Marketo has announced a senior marketing leadership change with Chandar Pattabhiram moving to senior vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO), replacing Sanjay Dholakia, who has decided to leave the company to spend more time with family. Additionally, chief administrative officer (CAO) Fred Ball will also be leaving the company. Pattabhiram will report to CEO Phil Fernandez and sit on Marketo’s executive staff.
“I am excited to welcome Chandar into his role as Marketo’s CMO. Over the past two years, we’ve worked closely together as he has enthusiastically led our company’s strategic product and corporate marketing initiatives, driving impact across the entire business. I am confident in his ability to guide our marketing arm as Marketo continues to grow and scale,” said Phil Fernandez, CEO. "Likewise, it has been a privilege to work with Sanjay over the last five years building our business, our brand, and the Marketing Nation. Both Sanjay and Fred have made invaluable contributions to Marketo’s success, and the company would not be where it is today without their leadership.”
A five year veteran of the company, which was recently acquired by Vista Equity Partners, Dholakia’s move makes sense — as he was commuting between Central Oregon and the San Francisco Bay area. The highly-energetic leader is widely credited with creating and evolving the Marketing Nation, a network of Marketo customers and partners and those generally interested in marketing. It became the company’s signature annual “Summit” for the company. More importantly, Dholakia was a driving force in reshaping the overall brand and, in his eyes, Pattabhiram — who counts stops at Andersen Consulting and as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies in the high-tech, retail, and oil and gas industry — is the right person to move into the role.
“I have been thrilled these past years to watch Chandar’s impact on our business and his growth as a leader. Chandar’s passion, determination, and dedication to Marketo is unmatched, and he will no doubt take this company and organization to the next level of growth and success,” said Dholakia. “My time at Marketo has been the great privilege of my career, working with and marketing to some of the world’s smartest and most innovative marketers. I know that Chandar will feel the same.”
According to a company statement, the transitions of Dholakia and Ball were both, individually, part of a long-standing succession plan with both agreeing to remain with Marketo after the Vista acquisition to ensure a smooth transition for the next phase of the company’s leadership.