Thread regarding Fiserv Inc. layoffs

This Shannon thing is now a risk issue. Financial and reputational.

HR has not stepped up. Maybe risk will.

It’s becoming pretty clear that SW and her team are in over their heads when it comes to leading a brand as big and complex as Fiserv. Instead of driving fresh, innovative ideas, things have turned insular—her biggest accomplishment so far seems to be creating leadership roles for her friends. Inexperienced friends, at that.
The work coming out of the team feels like junior-level marketing, relying on the same safe, predictable plays: agencies, influencers, and surface-level themes. The “locker room” narrative says it all—this is the level of strategic thinking coming from someone who claims to have built big, successful brands.
And then there’s the money being poured into celebrity partnerships that have no real connection to what Fiserv stands for. Brand empowerment leader? TB is the big idea for Clover? All it does is reinforce the number one thing we hear from merchants: We don’t feel understood.
Sure, influencers make noise. But the wrong influencers? They won’t build lasting impact. They won’t create real brand equity.
What Fiserv needs right now is bold, clear, creative leadership—a CMO with vision and the experience to actually elevate the brand. What’s happening today isn’t it.

And let’s forget, her idea for clover marketing was:

“We are the Batman to your Robin.” Yeah, like that’s gonna sell.

Why would Shannon be booking all these stage and hype opportunities for herself rather than the actual business leaders in the company? Did she even ask the rest of the MC what they thought of the SXSW sponsorship before securing herself and her Chief Empowerment Officer (who we are also paying) instead of someone who actually knows the business? Did she consult with her peers or even the Clover team before contracting Tabitha Brown for terms no one knows. And, you know she’s going to bring 20 people with her to SXSW like they did with the Super Bowl - to ‘create content’ - which no one asked for and is irrelevant to the bottom line or servicing our SMB merchants while using that “important” (not essential) travel as an excuse to not be available for real work while they are busy playing VIPs instead of working - all on our dime. That group is allowed to go outside every protocol in place wether hiring, vendors, expectation of deliverables and we can see the real damage being done. When does enough become enough? They are a cost center at this point. Revenue and work happens in other orgs with people who really do a real job tied to real KPIs and revenue numbers. Brand’s new minions are over here chirping about a superbowl ad while they don’t even know our products, services, regions, and revenue numbers. They also don’t know we’ve never had special parking for SLT but Shannon has one in Alpha I heard. Great example.

They sure are hyping her upcoming session at SXSW.

Buh bye Shannon. Once data and audits are in, you are done.

A masterful marketer doesn't need industry experience. They can learn the industry through research and interaction with SMEs within the organization.

What a masterful market does need, however, is strong research and analytical skills, a deep understanding of data analytics, psychology, psychographics, pop and subcultures, demographics, the art of selling, a good eye for imagery, creativity, exposure to a wide variety of creative products, intellectual property laws, etc.

Based on the poorly selected image of that guy on the FUEL homepage during Black History Month and selection of that lady with the spice line, I'm a bit concerned.

Let's see how things go this year with the creative.

Why is it Shannon can hire her ‘friends’ and the rest of us have been awaiting open reqs for YEARS

She must have one he-l of a contract to be allowed to create unnecessary SVP positions and fill them with unqualified people, while overlooking the people there, who unfortunately end up covering the a$$es of the SVPs who are clueless. I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what her peers think of her, because there is no way they aren't wondering and asking the same questions.

In FIG, we had to move to New Jersey to colocate with our partners.

I agree that marketing needs to move to New Jersey. They can’t get a pass on everything!

Is our chief empowerment officer going to our next investor day?

@ah+1jn8r8yfs

Called nepotism and/or favoritism. We're seeing this being normalized within our own government ffs. The cronyism only leads to disaster because positions are not given to the most qualified for the job.

Cronyism is ki-ling this country.

I’ve heard he is spending Clover’s and various businesses budget without collaborating with any of them.

What’s the agenda?

I think this whole Shannon experience should be behind us soon. Question is how soon.

After that, I’m going to use it in a case study in a B school leadership class I teach. “How NOT to manage a rogue group”.

As we as a firm are driving the colocation concept, shouldn’t marketing, brand and comms be moved to Berkely Heights, NJ so they are colocated with their primary clients- the businesses?

Very good point. I don’t think anyone on Shannon’s team is from fintech, banking or finance.

Shannon needs to explain and defend her actions, particularly when it comes to her crazy spending. She needs to show and defend with real data how every penny she has spent is for Fiserv’s benefit. We need to have an outside group audit the group. There is nothing wrong with an all encompassing, deep, healthy audit.

In our group, we need to have a slate of candidates and a committee interview folks for every hire. Does marketing do that? Does HR give them a pass?

Why would you hire a man as an SVP, head of marketing for Clover, when his last job was at a company promoting classic hip hop? Maybe find somene experienced in the Fintec space???