Ever wondered what a career in marketing actually looks like beyond the creative brief? This week I sits down with Rushenka Perera, VP of Marketing at SAP, to find out what B2B marketing really involves — and it's a lot more than you'd expect.

Rushenka shares her honest path into marketing emerging from university straight into a recession and grabbing the first opportunity with both hands. From that starting point she's built a career spanning global teams, major events, and some of the biggest enterprise brands in the world.

In this episode Rushenka breaks down what field marketing actually is, why pipeline is the number one goal, and how AI is already reshaping the way her team works from predicting which customers are ready to buy, to replacing hours of manual data analysis.

But underneath all of it? Her belief that marketing is fundamentally about human connection. And that's the one thing AI can't replicate.

What we cover:

• How Rushenka found her way into marketing and why she stayed
• What field marketing actually is and what it looks like day to day
• Why pipeline, brand and customer advocacy are the three goals that drive everything
• Running 250+ events a year across Australia and New Zealand
• How AI is being used right now inside one of the world's biggest tech companies
• The real cost of working in a fast-paced global tech role
• Why human connection is still the most powerful tool in a marketer's arsenal
• Her advice on networking, being bold and never having regrets

Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.