Leading with Empathy: A Comms Imperative with Robin Daniels, CBO of Zensai

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What is a Chief Business Officer, anyway?

This week on Under Embargo, Parry and I sat down with Robin Daniels—Chief Business & Product Officer at Zensai—for a conversation that honestly left me thinking about everything from go-to-market strategy to workplace happiness to ethical leadership. (No big deal, right?)

If you don’t know Robin, he’s held exec roles at LinkedIn, WeWork, Salesforce, Box, Matterport—the man’s got receipts. But what stood out most in this convo wasn’t the resume. It was how deeply he cares about people.

✨ On redefining the CBO role
Robin’s not just leading marketing—he’s running a whole ecosystem of product, growth, and post-sales. He’s building categories, not just campaigns. Think: less “traditional CMO,” more “growth-obsessed storyteller-meets-operator.”

✨ On Zensai and the whole “human success” thing
Zensai’s mission is all about helping people thrive at work. It’s not fluffy. It’s grounded in skills, growth, and motivation—and it speaks to that thing we all secretly want: to love how we spend our days. Robin’s all in on that mission, and it shows.

✨ On why culture is the strategy
From his LinkedIn days to now, Robin’s learned that empathy isn't soft—it’s essential. One of my favorite moments? Him sharing how his team opened up through storytelling exercises. Made me want to do the same with mine. (And I just might.)

✨ On ethical leadership (aka: not being a jerk)
We talked about that current in tech where leaders forget that actions = brand. Robin’s take? Lead with integrity, or don’t lead at all. Because the ripple effects—on people, on brand perception, on retention—are real.

✨ On marketing that actually matters
Robin doesn’t have time for soulless campaigns. He breaks down why brand should be rooted in human connection, not product specs. (Preach!) It’s the kind of take that makes you want to rework your entire messaging doc.

Bottom line? This episode is a love letter to building real businesses—with people at the center.