Koen Pauwels gives chief executives, CMOs, marketing directors and their teams the evidence to demonstrate the value of marketing, in the short and the long run. He is Distinguished Professor of Marketing at Northeastern University, and former Principal Research Scientist at Amazon Ads who has consulted dozens of companies across 3 continents. Mark Ritson called him the “Best Marketing Academic on the Planet” (Marketing Week, 2023).
Koen has given keynotes for executive audiences in Austin, Barcelona, New York, Milan, Silicon Valley, Stockholm, Cannes, Berlin, Zurich, Brussels, Oslo, Innsbruck, Istanbul and Hong Kong. Audiences leave with two convincing numbers and a practical science-based framework they can take to their CFO.
Signature talks
- Beyond the Click: Full-Funnel Marketing Effectiveness. Why last-click metrics undervalue brand building, and how to measure the full customer journey from awareness to repeat purchase. For CMOs defending budgets to finance.
- AI and Agentic Marketing: Separating Signal from Story. What AI changes in marketing effectiveness, what it does not, and how to test vendor claims. For leadership teams planning AI investments.
- The AI Authenticity Paradox: How Machines Make Us More Human. Why human creativity and trust gain value as AI makes output cheap. For broad executive and company-wide audiences.
Keynote record
| Year | Event | City | Talk |
| 2026 | UPA, the Italian association of advertisers | Milan | AI and Agentic Marketing: Separating Signal from Story |
| 2026 | CxO Circle (opening keynote) | Zurich | Beyond the Click: Building Sustained Growth through Full Funnel Marketing |
| 2026 | Robert D. Klein University Lecture, Northeastern University | Boston | The AI Authenticity Paradox: How Machines Make Us More Human |
| 2024 | Innovation Summit | Mountain View | Creating the Future Shaped by AI |
| 2023 | CDAO and Chief AI Officer Summit | Boston | Research Dean Welcome |
| 2022 | CMO Leadership Forum | Online | Social Media Makeover: Managing the New Customer Journey |
| 2019 | Challenges of Europe Conference (video) | Bol, Croatia | Quantifying Behavioral Impact: App Download and Usage |
| 2018 | Media Alpha Exchange | Austin | Rethinking Marketing Metrics and Actions in the Digital Age |
| 2016 | STIMA (Stimulating Marketing) Congress | Brussels | How to Turn Data into Better Decisions |
| 2016 | PwC Network meeting of Finance Executives of top 100 companies | Copenhagen | Enhancing Decision Making with Big Data |
| 2015 | Axcon | Berlin | How to improve your online and offline return on investment |
| 2015 | GfK International Meeting of Marketing and Data Scientists | Leuven | Marketing’s New Toolbox for the Full Customer Journey |
| 2014 | Sveriges Annonsörer | Stockholm | Integrating Attitudes and Actions on the Road to Purchase |
| 2014 | MSI Immersion Conference | Boston | Return on Online and Offline Marketing Investment |
| 2014 | Norges Markedsanalyse Forening
|
Oslo | How do you decide where to make marketing investments? |
| 2013 | Deutscher DialogMarketing-Kongress | Hamburg | Integrated Customer-Centric Dialog: a Scientific Perspective |
| 2013 | Swarovski Workshop | Innsbruck | How to Measure and Improve Return on Marketing Investment |
| 2012 | Brand Finance Forum | Istanbul | Marketing Accountability: Linking marketing to brand and firm value |
| 2012 | How to prosper in the Retailscape | Barcelona | Reading the 21st Century Customer |
| 2012 | Measurable marketing in a social world | New York | How conversation content drives |
| 2004 | Cannes Golden Lions | Cannes | Accountable Advertising: metrics, questions, and answers |
Booking
Email me directly at kpauwels@northeastern.edu