Meet the People Who Make It All Possible
Steve Olenski
Co-founder and Managing Partner, The CMO Whisperer Advisory
Steve Olenski is Co-founder and Managing Partner of The CMO Whisperer Advisory, where he works with marketing leaders and executive teams navigating growth, change, and the operational realities behind modern leadership.
Over a career spanning more than 25 years, Steve has built trusted relationships with CMOs, CEOs, founders, and brand operators across industries. Before launching CMO Whisperer, he was a longtime contributor to Forbes, publishing more than 1,500 articles and interviewing thousands of business leaders. Those conversations provided a rare inside look at how leadership teams make decisions, manage pressure, and align strategy with execution.
Today, Steve is dedicated to making those insights accessible to entrepreneurs, operators, and business leaders who want the real story behind growth. Through unfiltered conversations with C-suite leaders, founders, and operators, he focuses on sharing what growth actually looks like, not the polished press-release version, but the hard-earned lessons, challenges, and truths that rarely get discussed publicly.
Years Building Trusted Executive Relationships
Published Articles
Executive Conversations
Bruce J. Hershey II
Co-founder and Managing Partner, The CMO Whisperer Advisory
Bruce J. Hershey II is Co-founder of The CMO Whisperer Advisory and a former Global CMO of the Year, recognized for building scalable growth inside complex organizations. His career spans marketing leadership, enterprise operations, and executive partnership, giving him a sharp understanding of how strategy, relationships, and execution align to drive sustained impact. He has advised CEOs, boards, and senior leadership teams, helping organizations translate vision into performance while building trust, aligning stakeholders, and accelerating momentum through disciplined decision-making. He also serves as COO of a cybersecurity firm, bringing an operator’s perspective to every engagement. At The CMO Whisperer Advisory, Bruce helps shape perspective, guide meaningful dialogue, and ensure insights resonate where critical decisions are made and growth is won. His work centers on clarity, alignment, and measurable results.
DeLu Jackson
Managing Partner, The CMO Whisperer Advisory
DeLu Jackson is a seasoned sales, marketing, and growth executive with more than 25 years of experience leading transformation and growth strategies for some of the world’s most recognized brands. He currently serves as Managing Partner of The CMO Whisperer Advisory.
Before joining the founders of CMO Whisperer, DeLu served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at ADT.
His career spans multiple industries, including automotive, consumer packaged goods, quick-service restaurants, finance, and consulting, with leadership roles at companies including Ford, Subaru, Audi, Nissan, Kellogg's, Conagra Brands, McDonald's, Citigroup, and Prophet.
DeLu is also an active contributor to corporate governance, bringing his global experience to both public and private boards, including Latham Group, The Brag House, Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence.
His work centers on helping organizations connect strategy, marketing, and operations to drive measurable business impact across the enterprise.
Why Work With Us
Executive Credibility, In Four Parts
The CMO Whisperer Advisory is built by operators who have led from the front, shaping strategy, driving growth, and carrying real accountability for outcomes. Together, Steve Olenski, Bruce J. Hershey II, and DeLu Jackson bring a rare combination of editorial depth, enterprise leadership, and hands-on commercial execution.
We don’t speak in theory. We translate complexity into clarity and help marketing leaders move with confidence where it matters most.
01
Insight Depth
1,500+ insights and 25+ years of building trusted executive relationships.
02
Executive Credibility
Global CMO of the Year and Fortune 100 advisory experience.
03
Brand Leadership
25+ years across Ford, McDonald's, Citi, Kellogg's, Audi and Oracle.
04
Board Advisory
Advising CEOs and boards on strategy and growth.
