Tonia Maneta is an award-winning marketing leader and the Chief Marketing Officer at Bizzdesign, where she drives the company’s global brand and growth strategy. Her work empowers organizations worldwide to use architecture intelligence to navigate complexity and accelerate transformation. Recognized among the Best Tech CMOs in Europe 2025 by the World Future Awards and named a CMO to Watch by the CMO Alliance, Tonia is reshaping how marketing can fuel both commercial success and meaningful organizational evolution.
With more than two decades of experience across technology, energy, and financial services, Tonia has led major global brands such as Infosys, BP, Synechron, and VERMEG through ambitious growth and repositioning journeys. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a passionate advocate for the next generation of marketing leaders, she combines analytical precision with creativity and empathy.
Now serving as a Board Member of the World Future Awards, Tonia continues to champion the role of marketing as a bridge between human purpose and technological innovation, helping shape a smarter, more connected future.
World Future Awards: Tonia, congratulations on joining the World Future Awards board. What inspired you to take on this new role, and how do you see your contribution shaping the organization’s vision?
Tonia Maneta: What resonated with me about the World Future Awards is its commitment to honouring progress that has real-world impact—not just innovation for innovation’s sake. I believe meaningful advancement happens when creativity, technology, and human ambition intersect with purpose. My contribution on the board focuses on broadening that conversation globally: identifying transformative work, elevating the voices behind it, and ensuring the narratives around progress are both accessible and compelling. The future is not something we observe—it’s something we shape. And shaping it requires collective intelligence, diversity of thought, and a perspective that sees beyond the horizon.
WFA: You’ve been named among the Best Tech CMOs in Europe 2025, an incredible achievement. What do you believe sets apart the most effective tech marketing leaders today?
TM: The most effective tech marketing leaders are those who combine curiosity with conviction. In a landscape defined by rapid change, it’s not enough to follow trends—you must anticipate them, challenge assumptions, and stay relentlessly focused on delivering real value. What sets true leaders apart is their ability to synthesize data-driven insights with human-centric storytelling. They’re not just marketers, but architects of trust, guiding organizations through complexity with clarity and purpose. Above all, they empower their teams to experiment, learn, and innovate—because progress is built on both vision and vulnerability.
WFA: Your career spans technology, energy, and financial services. How has this cross-industry experience influenced your leadership approach at Bizzdesign?
TM: Working across technology, energy, and financial services has been a masterclass in adaptability. Each sector has its own rhythm, challenges, and opportunities—but the common thread is transformation. It reinforced the importance of alignment—between strategy, capabilities, culture, and narrative. At Bizzdesign, this experience enables me to connect the technical depth of our platform with the real business challenges our clients are navigating. I encourage my teams to look beyond the obvious, to embrace diverse viewpoints, and to see constraints as catalysts for innovation. This holistic perspective helps us deliver solutions that are not only technically robust but also deeply relevant to our clients’ evolving needs. Leadership, for me, is about creating clarity in complexity and enabling teams to execute with conviction.
WFA: Bizzdesign focuses on enterprise transformation. How does marketing play a role in driving that transformation both internally and for your clients?
TM: Marketing shapes the narrative of transformation. Internally, it’s about galvanizing teams around a shared purpose—helping every employee understand not just what we do, but why it matters. For our clients, marketing translates complex architectures into clear, compelling language that enables alignment and mobilization. At Bizzdesign, we use marketing as a strategic amplifier: we illuminate the path forward, clarify decision points, and highlight progress along the journey. Transformation isn’t only a technical shift—it’s fundamentally a human one. By making the story of change both accessible and inspiring, marketing accelerates understanding, builds confidence, and ultimately drives lasting adoption.
WFA: AI and data-driven insights are reshaping marketing strategy. How do you balance analytical precision with creative storytelling in your campaigns?
TM: It’s a balance of rigor and resonance. Analytical precision gives us the map, but creative storytelling brings the journey to life. Data alone doesn’t inspire action. That’s where narrative comes in. At Bizzdesign, we use insights to inform the story we tell, then elevate it through creativity that speaks to real human motivations. I encourage my teams to think like analysts and creators—test, learn, refine, and then craft communication that feels meaningful and memorable. When analytical intelligence and storytelling are aligned, marketing becomes both intelligent and influential.
WFA: You’re known as a passionate advocate for empowerment and innovation. How do you cultivate these values within your teams?
TM: Empowerment begins with trust. I strive to create a space where every voice is heard and every idea is valued. Innovation flourishes when people feel safe to experiment, fail, and try again. I champion continuous learning—whether through mentorship, cross-functional projects, or simply encouraging curiosity. Recognition is key: celebrating not just results, but the courage to challenge the status quo. My goal is to build teams that are bold, resilient, and passionate about making a difference. When people believe in themselves and each other, there are no limits to what we can achieve.
WFA: As a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, you’ve achieved remarkable recognition in your field. What advice would you give aspiring marketers looking to build a purpose-driven career in tech?
TM: Start by getting clear on your purpose—your “why” is what will anchor you in an industry that moves quickly. In tech, curiosity is your superpower: stay open, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to explore new domains as the landscape evolves. Build relationships with authenticity and generosity; your network becomes both your sounding board and your support system. Take on challenges that stretch you, even if they feel uncomfortable at first. The most meaningful careers are shaped at the intersection of passion, discipline, and long-term commitment. Your perspective is your advantage—use it intentionally, and don’t underestimate the impact your ideas can have.
WFA: Looking ahead, what major shifts do you foresee in marketing and technology over the next five years, and how should leaders prepare?
TM: We are entering a phase where marketing becomes less about broadcasting messages and more about orchestrating connected experiences across the entire customer lifecycle. AI will enable more dynamic, adaptive engagement models—where interactions evolve in real time, informed by context and intent. At the same time, the underlying technology landscape will evolve rapidly. Enterprise platforms will move toward more integrated ecosystems, data layers will become more standardized, and agentic AI models will begin to collaborate across functions rather than sit inside individual applications. The organizations that succeed will be those that build unified data foundations and design architectures that can adapt quickly as new capabilities mature.
But the differentiator will not be access to technology alone. Trust, data integrity, and responsible AI will become core brand attributes. Leaders should focus on building unified data foundations, designing operating models that can flex as capabilities mature, and developing teams who can work comfortably at the intersection of systems, strategy, and narrative. The future belongs to organizations that can translate intelligence into outcomes—consistently and responsibly.
Thank you, Tonia, for sharing your insights and inspiring perspective. The World Future Awards is honored to have your vision and leadership on the board as we continue to celebrate innovation and distinction worldwide.
Learn more about Tonia and her inspiring career via her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toniamaneta/
