When marketing meets finance, the data gets real.
In this episode, George Samaras, Head of Marketing Operations at Ataccama, joins Adam Kaiser to zoom in on what happens when marketing ops reports directly to the CFO.
George explains how being part of the finance org reshaped his view of marketing metrics, moving from campaign performance to pipeline impact and revenue accountability. He also outlines how Ataccama’s RevOps model unites marketing, sales, and customer success around one shared source of truth for better GTM visibility.
You’ll hear how he’s helping bridge the gap between creative strategy and financial outcomes, what he’s learned about efficiency from the finance lens, and why marketers need to start thinking in terms of dollars, not just engagement.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
- How sitting under finance changes the way marketing ops measures success
- Why marketers should frame results around revenue generation or cost savings
- How RevOps alignment improves data visibility and decision-making
- Why financial fluency is becoming a must-have skill for modern marketers
Jump into the conversation:
00:00 Introducing George Samaras
01:03 Why marketing ops now reports to finance at Ataccama
03:57 How financial alignment changes marketing measurement
05:49 Evaluating MQLs, pipeline, and event ROI
07:14 How AI and SEO shifts are impacting acquisition strategy
08:14 Attribution challenges and in-house solutions using Salesforce and 6sense
10:02 Lessons from sitting under the CFO’s org
11:17 How finance influences marketing budgets and ROI analysis
13:30 Why marketing ops needs to think like finance
14:51 Acting as “Switzerland” between marketing and finance
16:35 How shared data builds credibility for marketing
18:17 The most unrealistic request George has ever received
