A huge thank you to Vinne Schifferstein Vidal for leading such a dynamic and thought-provoking CEO Syndicate..
With more than two decades of experience in digital transformation and marketing leadership across global organisations like Pearson and RELX, as well as multiple StartUps and ScaleUps, Vinne brought both strategic insight and practical energy to the discussion.

Together, we unpacked how marketing bridges the gap between strategy and execution, exploring what’s required to sustain growth in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

• Evolving Go-to-Market Strategy:
  Vinne opened with a powerful reminder: no amount of technology replaces clarity.
  Positioning, pricing and prospecting remain the foundations of any scalable marketing engine. AI can enhance execution and speed, but sustainable growth still depends on strategic focus and a clearly defined value proposition.

As she adds, “AI is a tool for precision, not a substitute for purpose”

• AI and Content Creation:
  Building on that, Vinne brought the discussion to life with a playful challenge, asking participants to guess which examples were human-made and which were AI-generated. It set the tone for a lively exploration of how AI is reshaping creative pipelines globally.
  The conversation quickly evolved into governance and ethics: how do teams set clear boundaries around what’s acceptable? Leaders shared how ethical frameworks and data policies now guide decisions on copyright, representation, and authenticity, all while balancing the speed and cost advantages that AI brings.

• Talent and the New Creative Middle Ground:
  A lively debate centred on whether brands will soon hire AI artists directly, bypassing agencies altogether. The consensus: there will always be a human layer of interpretation, but the skills required are evolving fast.
  

• Scaling with Precision:
  For StartUps and ScaleUps, AI offers incredible speed and output volume, yet maintaining creative edge and brand consistency remains the real challenge.
  The takeaway? You can automate the process, but not the vision.
  

• The Future of Search and SEO:
  With multi-word searches increasing exponentially, in fact, 10+ word searches are growing 5 to 10 fold every few weeks, traditional SEO and AdWords models are shifting fast. The conversation pointed to a future where optimising for LLMs and AI-driven discovery will matter as much as, or even more than, ranking on Google.
  

• Looking Ahead:
  To close, Vinne shared a hopeful, human perspective on the future of marketing and AI in education.
  In ten years’ time, the tools will look entirely different, but craft, ethics, and storytelling will remain at the heart of meaningful marketing.
  

This was a conversation within the industry about the realities of growth in EdTech,  how to scale smarter, move faster, and still build work that feels human.

Discover how this exclusive gathering of EdTech leaders shares insights, challenges, and strategies shaping the future of education innovation.

👉 Learn more about the CEO Syndicate here:
https://edugrowth.org.au/programs/clearpath/ceosyndicate/