Menaka Thillaiampalam is a data-driven global marketing executive, skilled at shaping corporate narratives, leading teams, and advising executives, Menaka brings extensive experience to her role as Chief Marketing Officer of Hitachi Digital Services. In this function, she will drive the company’s strategic marketing activities, including building a revenue generating function, continuing to guide the positioning of the company, and establishing the brand as a future-tech leader and distinct entity within the Hitachi umbrella.

Prior to joining Hitachi Digital Services, Menaka previously served as CMO for Lionbridge and Banking Circle Group and as the Chief of Staff, Solutions Marketing, Infrastructure Solutions Group for Dell Technologies. Menaka has also held marketing leadership roles at Amazon Web Services, LinkedIn and Accenture. In addition to her prior roles, Menaka brings various accolades to her role as a member of Chief, Pavilion, the Forbes Communications Council and CMO Coffee Talk and is Co-President of the Boston Chapter of the CMO Collaborative. She is the recipient of the 2022 OnCon Icon Marketer of the Year Award. Menaka holds a Master in Global Business Administration degree from Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School.

What pulled you into marketing, and what drew you to Hitachi Digital Services?

Marketing has always felt like the space where business strategy and human connection meet. It’s not just about storytelling or positioning. It’s about making sense of complexity and turning it into something people can act on. At places like AWS, Dell, and LinkedIn, I saw how marketing could actually drive outcomes. It wasn’t just about visibility. It was about creating momentum.

Hitachi Digital appealed to me because the work is meaningful. We’re focused on solving real challenges in critical industries. Whether it’s energy resilience, digital infrastructure, or healthcare systems, we’re not just talking about innovation. We’re delivering it. That’s the kind of environment I want to lead in.

You talk a lot about “Lean Leadership.” What does that look like in practice?

Lean Leadership is how I operate. It’s about clarity and focus, especially in high-pressure, resource-constrained environments. When demands keep growing but teams and budgets don’t, you have to be intentional about every decision.

For me, it comes down to three things. First is agility, which means creating systems that let you move quickly without becoming reactive. Second is budget innovation, where you turn limitations into creative opportunity. And third is human-centric strategy, which keeps people at the center of the work.

I also think about how I grew up with the concept of jugaad, the idea of using what you have to move forward. That mindset has stayed with me. It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things, and doing them well.

Can you share a time when you faced a challenge that changed how you lead?

Earlier in my career, I joined a role where I was excited about the opportunity and confident in the value I could bring. But as I got deeper into the work, I realized that the alignment across leadership wasn’t quite where it needed to be. The way marketing worked wasn’t fully integrated with the broader system.

I stayed because I believed in the mission, and I thought I could still make an impact. But over time, I learned that even when you have strong intent and skill, success also depends on having shared trust and understanding. That experience helped me see how critical cultural fit and collaboration really are. It shaped how I build teams and how I lead inside the business.

You’ve helped build and reposition brands. How do you approach that process?

I always start with listening. Not just to internal stakeholders, but to customers and partners. What are they saying about you, even when you’re not in the room? What do they trust you to deliver?

At Hitachi Digital Services, we didn’t try to manufacture a brand from scratch. We listened, and we built on what was already true. We’re an AI-first company with a deep foundation in execution. We know how to deliver outcomes and build trust . That came through clearly in what our customers were telling us, and it became the foundation for how we repositioned our story.

Intuition plays a role, but it’s grounded in what people are actually experiencing. I think that’s the difference between branding that sticks and branding that doesn’t.

Who has influenced how you lead?

One of the people who has influenced me most is. I’ve learned a lot from watching how he builds and sustains relationships. In our industry, where paths often cross again, he’s shown how staying connected can create long-term opportunities, even when the dynamics are complex.

That approach has shaped how I think about leadership. Earlier in my career, I focused more on immediate alignment. Over time, I’ve come to see the value of maintaining relationships with intention, even when they take extra effort. You don’t need to be close with everyone, but trust and mutual respect can open doors later on. Strong relationships are a long-term investment, and one I continue to prioritize.

What’s your perspective on AI right now, especially in marketing?

AI is already changing how we work. At Hitachi Digital Services, we are integrating it into everything from content generation to real-time customer insight to internal collaboration. It helps us move faster and work smarter.

But tools alone don’t drive transformation. People do. You still need structure, intention, and judgment. I’ve seen the most value when AI is embedded into workflows and aligned with strategy. When it’s treated as a one-off pilot or afterthought, it becomes harder to drive results. Integration makes the difference.

So the focus for me is execution. AI should support how the team delivers every day. That’s where the impact happens.

What advice would you give to other CMOs navigating today’s landscape?

Stay focused on what matters. It’s easy to get distracted by new tools or trends, but clarity is what creates momentum. Know what your team is driving toward. Build a structure that supports fast, smart decisions. And make sure the people around you are set up to succeed.

Marketing can be a demanding space. It touches every part of the business. If you don’t have the right people in the right seats, everything slows down. So invest in your team. Protect your energy. And don’t be afraid to say no to things that don’t serve the mission.

You don’t need to do more to lead better. You just need to do the right things, with intention.

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