Jack Myers, Tony Ponturo, and Ray Warren trade decades of lessons -- and fresh provocations - on The Wisdom Circle. Cue up the full episode and let the conversation spark your next big idea.
Few shows gather three professionals who have personally reshaped the media and sports-marketing landscape. The latest installment of The Wisdom Circle does exactly that, pairing media ecologist and futurist Jack Myers with co-hosts Tony Ponturo -- who steered Anheuser-Busch’s legendary sponsorship juggernaut for 26 years -- and Ray Warren, the former NBC Sports and Telemundo Deportes president who made Spanish-language World Cup coverage a ratings powerhouse. Their wide-ranging dialogue, available now on YouTube, delivers equal parts history, candor, and foresight -- so press play when you can and absorb the nuance for yourself. (youtube.com)
The CMO Reimagined
Early in the episode, Myers argues that chief marketing officers have graduated from custodians of brand image to architects of enterprise strategy who invest minimal time and energy in media decision-making. Ponturo agrees, noting that Budweiser’s meteoric rise from a 24 percent to 50 percent U.S. market share during his tenure happened only because marketing “sat at the business table, not the coloring table.” Warren adds a 2020s twist: today’s CMO must also translate across cultures and languages, a lesson he refined while monetizing both English- and Spanish-language sports at NBCU. You’ll hear the three debate where the role goes next, an exchange that’s even sharper in the video.
Media’s Perpetual Pivot
From cable’s golden age to today’s fractured streaming universe, the trio recounts tectonic shifts they rode and sometimes triggered. Myers frames the pattern: disruption erodes incumbent advantages but simultaneously expands creative possibility. Ponturo recalls stitching Bud Light into emerging sports like UFC long before mainstream advertisers followed, proving that first-mover bravery still pays. Warren, meanwhile, warns that rights fees and fragmentation demand new ROI models - insights that come alive when you watch him compare World Cup economics to domestic league deals.
Metrics Meet Magic
All three leaders insist that data and creativity are not rivals but dance partners. Myers observes that algorithms alone can’t birth resonance; Ponturo answers with anecdotes about Super Bowl storytelling that built emotional “brand dividends” impossible to chart yet obvious in sales spikes. Warren demonstrates how Telemundo blended real-time digital analytics with culturally specific content to engage bilingual audiences. Each example lands with more punch on screen; don’t deprive yourself of their real-world details.
Human-First Leadership
Leadership, Ponturo says, “starts with knowing the people who make the numbers move.” His sports deals were inked over trust as much as spreadsheets. Warren nods, describing how empathy kept remote production crews motivated across three World Cups. Myers threads these stories back to his book The Tao of Leadership, emphasizing that AI and automation only elevate the value of emotional intelligence. Their shared conviction: the soft stuff is the hard edge.
Storytelling as Strategy
The hosts coax Myers into reminiscing about his leadership in guiding General Motors integration of media planning and buying from seventeen agencies-of-record to a single stand-alone unit. Ponturo counters with behind-the-scenes insights on the funding decision that was a catalyst for the launch of ESPN and FOX-TV. Warren recounts negotiating late-night soccer windows that turned into prime-time cultural moments. These narratives aren’t just entertaining; they’re blueprints for navigating uncertainty. Hearing the laughter and tension in their voices when you watch the video is worth every minute.
Lessons from Legends
Asked which mentors shaped them, Ponturo cites Anheuser-Busch chairman August Busch III’s insistence on “thinking generationally, not quarterly.” Warren highlights then NBC Sports chief Mark Lazarus’s demand for “curiosity above credentials,” while Myers salutes Marshall McLuhan for teaching him to see media as an ecosystem. Together they outline traits - fearlessness, curiosity, resilience - that any aspiring leader can cultivate today.
A Playbook for Tomorrow’s CMOs
The conversation ends with a rapid-fire prescription: claim the revenue mandate; marry metrics with meaning; practice radical inclusivity; experiment early and often; and keep learning, starting with viewing this very episode. Myers calls it “day-one energy;” Ponturo labels it “earning the next cold beer;” Warren frames it as “playing extra time when everyone else stops at 90 minutes.” The banter is infectious and even more motivating in full HD.
Ready for the unfiltered version? Hit the link, grab a notepad, and let three masters of the craft guide your thinking: . By the time the closing credits roll, you’ll have at least one actionable idea and maybe a few new role models to propel your own leadership journey.