CMO Moves – Week of February 23, 2026
Highlights John Baum named Chief Marketing Officer at Voyager Technologies Voyager Technologies is a defense and space technology company focused on mission-critical solutions. The company says the promotion supports accelerated growth across space, defense, and national security markets. It also elevates marketing and strategic communications as core drivers of growth as the company scales. Agency lens: The stated focus on brand, strategic communications, and stake… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
County of Alleghany, Virginia Seeks Tourism Marketing AOR With Travel-Trade Outreach Scope
At a Glance Buyer: County of Alleghany, Virginia Industry: Public sector (tourism/destination marketing) Location/markets: Alleghany County, VA and the Alleghany Highlands (travel destination marketing) Primary scope: Tourism and marketing services to promote the County and region as a travel destination Key deliverables/channels: Direct online marketing; market planning; printed/digital collateral; travel-trade promotion (sales missions/calls, seminars, trade shows); direct… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
La Plata County Public Health Needs Strategic Communications Partner for Countywide Outreach
At a Glance Buyer: La Plata County Public Health (La Plata County Board of Health) Industry: Public health (local government) Location/markets: La Plata County, Colorado (southwest Colorado; rural/frontier communities) Primary scope: Strategic brand communications and public health outreach consulting Key deliverables/channels: 2026 Strategic Communications Plan; develop 2027 plan; editorial calendars + campaigns; digital (social/email/website), print, events/partners, earne… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Oklahoma State University Builds Paid Media Vendor Bench for Enrollment and Brand Campaigns
At a Glance Buyer: Oklahoma State University Industry: Higher education Location/markets: Local (Oklahoma), regional, and national (project-dependent) Primary scope: Digital advertising and/or media buying & consulting (vendor pool; project-by-project) Key deliverables/channels: Strategy, direct placement, optimization, reporting, and training; digital (Meta/Google/TikTok, programmatic, CTV/OTT, geofencing, retargeting) plus offline media buying (TV/cable, radio, outdoor… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services Hiring Fresh From Florida Media Buying Across Ten DMAs
At a Glance Buyer: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (Division of Marketing and Development) Industry: Public Sector / Agriculture and Seafood Promotion Location/markets: Florida (all ten DMAs) + Southeastern U.S. with key retailers; additional markets may be added Primary scope: Marketing, media planning, and media buying for the “Fresh From Florida” brand Key deliverables/channels: Marketing plan; media planning/buying (TV, cable, radio, digital, prin… Get Unlimited NextBigWin Access Subscribe to become a NextBigWin Pro member and get access to all our exclusive content. Turn access and intelligence into your next big client win. Already a member? Login Subscribe to NextBigWin Pro
Wisconsin State Fair Park Seeks Marketing + Advertising AOR for $1.3M Annual Spend
At a Glance Buyer: Wisconsin State Fair Park (WSFP) via State of Wisconsin DOA-CAPS Industry: Live events/public venue (state fair + motorsports + year-round events) Location/markets: West Allis, WI; Milwaukee/Madison/Green Bay; Rockford + Chicago, IL; nationwide motorsports fanbase Primary scope: Brand strategy, marketing, and advertising services (single awarded contractor) Key deliverables/channels: Brand strategy + research; media planning/buying (Linear + Connected TV, radio, print, OOH, digital, paid search, social); content + social support; email + SMS; influencer; video/photo production; reporting/analytics (incl. ROAS) Budget: Approx. $1.3M marketing/advertising base budget (FY24–25); budget not established for contract period (costing uses an estimated ~$750K–$1.2M annual range) Contract type/term: Services contract; initial 3-year term with up to three 1-year renewals (mutual agreement) Key dates: Q&A Round 2 due Mar 6, 2026, 3:00 PM CT (responses Mar 13, tentative); proposal deadline Apr 2, 2026, 1:00 PM CT; presentations May 4–8, 2026 (tentative) Eligibility/must-haves: Execute paid social/media buys; collaborate with WSFP in-house team for approvals; provide campaign analytics/reporting (incl. ROAS) and Q4 comprehensive evaluation; dedicated account manager; weekly meetings/calls + quarterly in-person meetings in West Allis; attend Wisconsin State Fair at least 2 days; support e-newsletters, content creation, and artist messaging for entertainment Why This Could Be Interesting Wisconsin State Fair Park (WSFP) in West Allis is the home of the Wisconsin State Fair and other signature events, including Milwaukee Mile racing. The organization is focused on keeping the Fair a must-attend summer destination while growing engagement and revenue year-round. WSFP is hiring a single partner for brand strategy, marketing, and advertising services—spanning research and positioning, media planning and buying, and performance-driven digital support. The scope blends paid social and PPC with email and SMS, influencer programs, content support, and video/photography production, with an emphasis on driving people to WSFP sites and ticket offers. What makes this one worth a look: it’s a multi-year relationship (three-year initial term with renewal options), and the stated marketing/advertising base budget was about $1.3M in recent fiscal years. WSFP also expects a full-funnel media mix—Linear + Connected TV, OOH, radio, print, paid search, and social—with clear measurement (including ROAS) and platform-by-platform reporting. Because WSFP’s in-house team leads core creative, the winning agency functions as a strategy + media + execution partner, and should be comfortable with hands-on collaboration, quarterly in-person meetings in West Allis, and on-site support during the Fair. Best suited for integrated agencies with strong media buying, paid social, reporting/analytics, and event marketing chops. Proposal deadline: April 2, 2026, at 1:00 PM CT Download the full RFP here.
How Tim Asimos Learned Patience Before Progress
Executive: Tim Asimos, Chief Marketing Officer Company: Timmons Group Industry: Civil engineering, environmental services, and geospatial technology Company Snapshot: An ENR 125 engineering and geospatial technology firm with over 20 offices across the U.S. Format: CMO Journeys Interview In This Article Why It Matters Their Path, in Short Big Themes From the Conversation How They Choose the Right Agency Partners What Stood Out The Inside Scoop Why It Matters Tim Asimos has been on both sides of the agency relationship. He started in advertising, helped build a digital practice at an agency serving AEC clients, and later ran growth at a customer-experience software company built for the AEC world. Now he’s Chief Marketing Officer at Timmons Group in a brand new role. For agencies, he’s clear about what earns credibility and what gets tuned out. His Path, in Short Tim’s path begins with advertising. He studied it, interned at an agency, then went to work in media. From there, his path took him into marketing management at Timmons Group, where he says he “cut [his] teeth” in the AEC industry. In professional services, you’re often selling something intangible—expertise, trust, and the confidence that a team can deliver. Digital marketing pulled him back to the agency side. The agency already had a few AEC clients, and Tim and the team leaned into that: they “put [their] heads together,” built a digital marketing practice, and developed deeper niche expertise in the AEC industry. After more than a decade at the agency, he shifted into technology as head of growth for a SaaS platform focused on customer experience management software for AEC firms. And then he returned to Timmons Group again, stepping into a newly created CMO role that asks him to transform marketing and business development into a modern, sophisticated, high-performing, strategically aligned growth engine. Big Themes From the Conversation Tim talks openly about patience. He admits he has “ideas and thoughts,” but he also emphasizes the need to “get your bearings” before making big moves. He also rejects the idea that professional services marketing is exempt from fundamentals. He’s heard the argument that AEC, legal, and similar industries are “really different.” His response is simple: “Marketing is marketing.” Brand still matters. Customer experience still matters. The work just has to be applied thoughtfully to what you’re selling. Another theme is “practice what you preach.” He points out that some agencies do strong marketing work for clients but neglect their own presence. If you advise clients to invest in content marketing and demand generation, he believes you should hold yourself to the same standard. He also describes a leadership lesson he learned early from a manager who invested in him—someone who saw potential and gave him advice and input, even without being asked. He connects that to a core belief: good leaders invest in people. When talented people move on, it can hurt, but you still have to be happy for them. Watch CMO Journeys Interview How They Choose the Right Agency Partners When I asked Tim how he finds agency partners, he started with the honest answer: Google. If there’s a need and he doesn’t already have the right firm in mind, he searches. He also trusts market-earned respect. He notes that the agencies he respected most as competitors—sometimes even an “arch nemesis”—can become strong partners once you’re no longer competing. Tim pays attention to what rises in his network, too. He follows a mix of sources and notices what gets reshared by peers. He also mentions being involved with SMPS, which he describes as an American Marketing Association–style community for the AEC industry. Thought leadership only works on him when it’s useful. He says thought leadership and content marketing “should absolutely be a tool”—not only for awareness, but also for ongoing client engagement. He’s skeptical of empty claims of expertise. Awards can help, with a caveat. Tim says awards matter most when they reflect wins for clients. He prefers when “the client is the hero.” If the client won, he says, “We won,” too. Then there’s outreach. He gets approached through email and LinkedIn, like everyone does. He notes that “snail mail” can stand out more than the inbox. But he’s quick to call out lazy automation. He describes being pitched by a “niche-focused” manufacturing agency—and his response is blunt: “We are not a manufacturing firm.” For him, that mismatch signals the sender didn’t do the work. So what should agencies do? His advice: “lead with adding value.” He doesn’t respond well to generic, unsolicited “here’s what we do” pitches. What stands out is help—something of value that shows you understand the business before you ask for time. And he closes with a reminder that should change how agencies think about focus: most agencies aren’t trying to win a thousand clients. You can afford to be targeted, narrow, and relevant. What Stood Out The most revealing detail is how often Tim returns to patience. He has ambition, but he’s intentional about slowing down long enough to understand what’s real first. The other standout is his consistency. Whether he’s talking about leadership, content, awards, or outreach, his filter stays the same—make the client the hero, and bring value before you bring a pitch. Inside Scoop This article focuses on the journey, the leadership philosophy, and how this CMO works with agency partners. To access the exclusive analysis, including priorities, initiatives, and opportunities, become a Next Big Win Pro member
The Mindset Shifts That Transformed David Zucker Into a Modern CMO
Executive: David Zucker, Chief Marketing Officer Company: King Ranch, Inc. Industry: Agribusiness, ranching, retail, and licensing Company Snapshot: King Ranch spans 825,000 acres and operates ranching, farming, retail, equipment, and licensed brand businesses. Format: CMO Journeys Interview In This Article Why It Matters Their Path, in Short Big Themes From the Conversation How They Choose the Right Agency Partners What Stood Out The Inside Scoop Why It Matters David Zucker’s path into marketing wasn’t a straight line. He began in environmental economics and followed a data-driven curiosity that led him across travel, media, retail, food, and now one of America’s most storied heritage brands: King Ranch. His journey matters because he brings a rare mix of analytical depth, cross-industry adaptability, and humility about what it means to steward a legacy brand. And for agencies, his point of view is refreshingly practical: understand the business, tell the truth, and anchor every great idea in real economic value. Their Path, in Short Zucker didn’t set out to work in marketing. When he finished his PhD program, life shifted—he had twins, needed income, and moved into the business world where analytics and economic theory quickly become came his edge. He discovered how numbers could explain consumer behavior and how that behavior could be turned into real revenue. From there, he moved fluidly across industries: airline travel at Priceline, magazines at Martha Stewart, luxury discount retail at Gilt, direct-to-consumer food at Omaha Steaks, and a modernization effort at Perdue. Each stop exposed him to different consumer problems, different business models, and different creative constraints. None of those industries were the same, yet he found a common thread: demand, consumer behavior, and the math underneath it all. That collection of experiences—travel, luxury retail, academics, food, and large-scale e-commerce—gave him a mental toolbox that now helps him build the first true enterprise marketing discipline at King Ranch. It’s not a story of one defining pivot; it’s a story of accumulated learning shaping how he leads today. Big Themes From the Conversation One theme that runs through Zucker’s journey is curiosity. He treats every industry as a new puzzle, looking past the surface differences and into the deeper mechanics of what drives a purchase, a habit, or a shift in loyalty. To him, consumer behavior is a demand model, and decoding it brings clarity to even the most unfamiliar category. Another theme is adaptability. Zucker has stepped into businesses that sell airline tickets, steaks, vitamins, and luxury apparel—and now a brand rooted in ranching, agriculture, and Western culture. He adapts not by reinventing himself each time, but by carrying forward a mindset built on problem-solving and economic reasoning. Leadership, for him, is tied to humility. In family-owned companies like Perdue and King Ranch, he sees how emotional history shapes business decisions. He doesn’t push theory for theory’s sake; he balances what “makes sense” analytically with what the family is willing to embrace. That blend of respect and practicality becomes part of his leadership style. There’s also a deep appreciation for authenticity—not as a buzzword, but as something that must translate into consumer value. Zucker is cautious about over-commercializing a heritage brand. He wants scarce, high-quality expressions of the brand’s identity, the kind that make people proud to keep something for decades. And woven through everything is his love of building. Whether it’s standing up CRM for the first time, shaping brand architecture, or teaching non-marketers what a brand truly is, he approaches it like a long game—methodical, intentional, and grounded in the belief that disciplined thinking leads to better decisions. Watch CMO Journeys Interview How They Choose the Right Agency Partners When I asked him how he evaluates agencies, Zucker didn’t hesitate: integrity first. He has inherited past agency work at King Ranch, and what frustrated him most wasn’t the output—it was the lack of honesty about what the company actually needed. If he asks the wrong question, he wants a partner who will say so. If the timing is off, he wants someone who will push back. Agencies, he said, often worry about the next project instead of whether they are truly serving the business. He believes in long-term partnerships built on candor. He’d rather hear, “You’re not ready for us yet; here’s what you should do first,” than get a polished deck that answers the wrong brief. That kind of transparency signals credibility to him more than awards or trend-driven creativity ever could. Discovery isn’t a problem—he finds agencies everywhere: trade press, LinkedIn, awards, referrals, and the general flood of content in the industry. What matters is whether a partner understands his specific world or can bring something genuinely disruptive from another industry. He looks for two extremes: deep category nuance on one side and bold creative thinking on the other. If an agency can do one of those exceptionally well—or ideally both—they have his attention. And then comes the economic test. Zucker talks like a business leader, not a traditional marketer. Ideas must tie to financial return, and he wants agencies to lead with that thinking. He begins his own presentations with the ROI headline, and he expects partners to do the same. It’s not about ignoring creativity; it’s about grounding it in value. When he evaluates agencies, the ones who start with impact—not aesthetics—stand out. He also notices how agencies frame their thinking. A generic claim about being strategic or innovative doesn’t impress him. A clear articulation of how an idea becomes revenue does. Agencies who understand this have a real advantage. What Stood Out One of the most striking moments came when Zucker talked about authenticity. He openly dislikes how overused the word has become but believes King Ranch embodies the real thing. His challenge—and opportunity—is turning that truth into something consumers genuinely value. Hearing him describe the ranch, the family, and the emotion connected to the land, it’s clear he sees brand building as stewardship, not spin. Another revealing moment was his advice to “always hire people better than