Barbara Goose joined Rocket Software in 2021 as Chief Marketing Officer. Barbara brings over 20 years of experience in the digital marketing space, leading innovative and strategic programs that have built brand equity for national and multi-national brands.

Prior to Rocket, Barbara was CMO at John Hancock where she implemented customer experience programs establishing NPS (net promoter score) activation programs putting customer experience at the center of everything. Barbara also established Brand ROI models at John Hancock to measure the business benefit of brand spend. In the past, Barbara held executive level positions including Global Chief Marketing Officer of Altisource and President of DigitasLBi Boston and Detroit.

Barbara is currently on the advisory Board of GlasswingVentures, a private equity AI Fund. A respected industry thought leader, she was named two years in a row as one of Boston Business Journal’s “Power 50” (a list of the most influential business leaders in Boston) and one of the New England Ad Club’s “100 Women We ADmire”.

Barbara holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BA in Economics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Boston’s South End with her husband Jon, 2 boys, Mini Australian Shepard “Bear” and Brittany “Moose.”

As Rocket Software celebrates 35 years, how would you describe the company’s evolution?

Rocket Software’s 35-year journey is a testament to consistent innovation and strategic growth. What began in a Boston garage in 1990 has grown into a global powerhouse with over 3,200 employees and 12,500 customers— and trusted by 43 of the Fortune 50. Core systems like mainframes have always been, and will remain, the backbone of industries from banking to healthcare to manufacturing and more. Modernizing these mission-critical systems has been Rocket’s North Star from the start. Our company’s success lies in delivering value across platforms— including on-prem where organizations may overlook. That quiet reliability has made Rocket indispensable to enterprises worldwide.

We’re particularly proud of how we’ve scaled our impact while staying true to our mission. Through many strategic acquisitions over the years— including our transformative 2024 $2.275B acquisition of OpenText’s Application Modernization and Connectivity business—we remain focused on a clear goal: to help organizations modernize without disruption. That consistency, along with our ongoing innovation in hybrid cloud to power generative AI and strengthen cybersecurity, defines Rocket’s evolution—not just as a trusted core systems technology provider, but as a forward-looking leader in enterprise modernization.

What role has the Boston tech ecosystem played in Rocket Software’s growth and innovation strategy over the years?

Massachusetts—particularly the greater Boston area—has long been a hub for innovation. Its world-class academic institutions, deep engineering talent, and vibrant tech ecosystem have been essential to Rocket Software’s success. Being based in Waltham gives us access to a collaborative, intellectually curious community that values both technological excellence and practical impact. For a company modernizing foundational systems while advancing future-facing innovation, that balance is invaluable.

This region has also helped shape Rocket’s culture of ingenuity and inclusivity. Our proximity to innovation hubs allows us to partner with leading research institutions and develop next-generation talent, while our Massachusetts roots keep us grounded in the community—through initiatives like our annual Community Day and strong connections with local customers and partners.

From a marketing perspective, how do you communicate Rocket’s unique value?

Organizations must know that modernization doesn’t require starting over—it needs to unlock value in what already works and adapt to enable emerging technologies. That’s the core message we emphasize in our marketing: Rocket helps the world’s most mission-critical organizations modernize without disruption and meets them wherever they are on their modernization journey. While the tech world gravitates towards ripping and replacing with the “new,” we champion leveraging a hybrid cloud approach and ensuring the critical data stored in on-premise systems is securely accessible across platforms so that it can be used for the cloud, AI, and automation. Critical systems aren’t going anywhere soon, and ensuring you are building on that key infrastructure is critical for both technological innovation and business success.

We’ve intentionally shifted our brand and messaging to reflect that differentiated value. Whether through our latest Secure Host Access launch, our AI-ready Rocket DataEdge product, or our work with global partners, we are showing—not just telling—how helping customers with mainframe, hybrid cloud and cloud modernization strategies can be equip them to be powerful, connected, and secure in a hybrid, AI-driven world.

if (!window.AdButler){(function(){var s = document.createElement("script"); s.async = true; s.type = "text/javascript"; s.src = 'https://servedbyadbutler.com/app.js'; var n = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; n.parentNode.insertBefore(s, n);}());} var AdButler = AdButler || {}; AdButler.ads = AdButler.ads || []; var abkw = window.abkw || ''; var plc930383 = window.plc930383 || 0; document.write('<'+'div id="placement_930383_'+plc930383+'"></'+'div>'); AdButler.ads.push({handler: function(opt){ AdButler.register(165345, 930383, [728,90], 'placement_930383_'+opt.place, opt); }, opt: { place: plc930383++, keywords: abkw, domain: 'servedbyadbutler.com', click: 'CLICK_MACRO_PLACEHOLDER' }});

How is Rocket positioning itself to stay relevant and competitive in the rapidly changing technology landscape?

We’re future-focused by design. Our recent acquisition of OpenText’s AMC business not only strengthened our capabilities but also significantly expanded our customer base, talent, and product portfolio. That scale allows us to innovate at speed, especially in key areas like hybrid cloud integration, cybersecurity, and AI. Expansions like the launch of our enhanced Hybrid Cloud solutions to include cutting-edge generative AI (GenAI) functionality aren’t just incremental advancements—they’re purpose-built to meet the urgent demands of digital transformation with security, performance, AI usage, and user experience in mind.

AI is a massive opportunity for Rocket and our customers. There’s real potential for AI to enhance code analysis, automate modernization, and bring greater intelligence. But this often needs to be able to run on mainframe data for accurate and efficient outcomes. We’re already exploring use cases that bring AI-powered insights into the mainframe environment in practical, scalable ways. At the same time, we’re investing in internal talent development, including the NextGen Academy—a six-month immersive program that helps early-career professionals build real-world engineering experience—so we have the expertise to lead in this space, not just now, but for the next decade and beyond.

With over 12,500 customers and a growing global presence, how does Rocket maintain a strong sense of community and identity?

Our growth hasn’t diluted our identity—it’s reinforced it. At Rocket, we’re intentional about cultivating a sense of purpose and connection across every region we serve. That starts with our values: Empathy, Humanity, Trust, and Love. These aren’t just corporate slogans; they shape how we lead, communicate, and build relationships—internally with our 3,200+ Rocketeers, and externally with our customers and partners. Whether you’re in Waltham, Pune, Amsterdam, or any of our locations across the globe, those values create a unifying thread across cultures and time zones.

Developing this sense of community involves investing in workforces worldwide with the same goals. Rocket Software introduced the Next Gen Academy, which builds a strong talent pipeline across all regions. This initiative, piloted in Lithuania with university partnerships, focuses on developing future-ready software engineers to meet both current and long-term business needs. 

We may be a global enterprise, but we’ve never lost sight of the people and purpose that got us here—and that will carry us into the future.

The post Q&A with Barbara Goose, Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Software appeared first on citybiz.

This contant was orignally distributed by CityBiz. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is Q&A with Barbara Goose, Chief Marketing Officer at Rocket Software.