[Closter, NJ / New York, NY] – [AUG. 19, 2026] – The Actionists, the strategic marketing consultancy that bridges the gap between traditional management consultancies and advertising agencies, and Qru, a network of curated micro-communities that brings industry-leading marketing, brand, media and tech executives together, today announced a partnership to launch Collective Intelligence, a new research series focused on the issues reshaping modern marketing leadership.
The partnership combines the distinct strengths of both organizations. The Actionists brings the perspective of more than 75 senior strategists, marketers and business leaders who have sat on every side of the table—as brand leaders, agency executives and consultants—and built global businesses and designed the strategic frameworks and operating systems that help organizations align and grow. Qru provides a trusted environment for senior marketing leaders to engage in candid, off-the-record conversations about the challenges they are navigating. Collective Intelligence combines those perspectives to identify the issues reshaping modern marketing leadership and what leaders can do about them.
“The best thinking doesn’t happen in isolation—it comes from leaders comparing experiences, challenging assumptions and wrestling with the issues they face every day,” said Lee Roth, Co-Founder of The Actionists. “Qru has built a trusted community where senior leaders can have those candid conversations, making them a natural partner for us. Collective Intelligence will bring those perspectives together, identify what’s changing in marketing leadership and turn candid conversation into insights leaders can put to work.”
The inaugural report, Derailers, reveals that while marketers are being asked to embrace AI, accelerate growth, prove marketing’s value and lead through constant change, some of their biggest obstacles aren’t technological. They’re organizational.
Drawing on candid conversations with senior marketing leaders at Mastercard, American Airlines, Citi, Defender, Discovery, Diageo and Take 5, Derailers examines the organizational barriers making it harder for marketing leaders to deliver against an increasingly complex mandate. Four repeatedly surfaced:
- The Measurement Paradox
- The AI Readiness Gap
- The Leadership Burden
- The Alignment Tax
Together, they point to a broader challenge: CMOs are being asked to drive growth and transformation while proving marketing’s value, navigating the rapid emergence of AI and leading through constant organizational change.
“What’s powerful is what happens when you look across these conversations and see the patterns that emerge,” said David Teicher, Co-Founder of Qru. “The four derailers aren’t one-off frustrations – they’re shared challenges shaping how marketing leaders operate today. Collective Intelligence allows us to turn what they’re experiencing into a resource for the industry.”
Future Collective Intelligence reports will continue to explore the issues shaping modern marketing leadership and what leaders can do about them, with the next issue scheduled for release this fall.
