Assemble’s Lara Vandenberg on Rethinking Marketing Teams for a Faster, Fragmented World
From BRAVE COMMERCE by Adweek
April 7, 2026 · 22 min
About this episode
Lara Vandenberg discusses the evolution of marketing teams and the importance of flexible capabilities in a fragmented world.
In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter speak with Lara Vandenberg, CEO and Founder of Assemble, which connects brands with senior freelance marketing talent on demand. Lara shares why traditional marketing organizational structures are breaking down, and how leading CMOs are rethinking how work actually gets done. They explore the shift from fixed roles to flexible capabilities, the impact of overhiring and budget pressure, and why the biggest issue facing marketing teams today isn’t talent, it’s systems. Lara also unpacks the rise of new roles like marketing COOs and process improvement analysts, and what it takes to connect fragmented workflows, teams, and technologies to drive performance. Key takeaways Flexible talent models are replacing traditional hiring and agency structures. Systems—not talent—are the biggest constraint on marketing performance. Winning teams align how work gets done with how consumers actually discover and shop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Rachel Tipograph, Sarah Hofstetter
Guest: Lara Vandenberg
Topics covered
- marketing teams
- flexible talent models
- organizational structures
- performance improvement
- fragmented workflows
Keywords
- marketing
- freelance talent
- CMOs
- organizational change
- performance systems
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Assemble, Acast
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