Marketing Operations (2026)

If you want to learn Marketing Operations (MOps), I’d follow a mix of practitioners who share how the work actually gets done, experts who explain the systems and strategy, and communities where MOps professionals exchange ideas.

Marketing Operations sits at the intersection of marketing strategy, technology, data, process, and revenue. The best people to follow depend on whether you're trying to break into the field, become a stronger practitioner, or grow into leadership.

Who to follow to learn Marketing Operations

1. Darrell Alfonso

Start here

Best for understanding the big picture of Marketing Ops: team structure, marketing technology, process design, measurement, and strategy. He has led marketing operations at AWS and writes about the discipline in an accessible way. MarTech's marketing operations experts to followMarketing Experts Worth Following in 2027

Follow: LinkedIn · Read The Martech Handbook

2. Sara McNamara

Best for systems thinking and marketing technology architecture. Learn how to design scalable processes, connect tools, and make marketing operations more strategic. MarTech's marketing operations experts to followTop 25 MOps Thought Leaders of 2026, Ranked

Follow on LinkedIn · Look for her Wizard of Ops content

3. Justin Norris

Best for the technical side of MOps: Marketo, lead management, attribution, automation architecture, and campaign operations. Especially useful if you want hands-on skills. Top 25 MOps Thought Leaders of 2026, RankedResources

Follow: LinkedIn · Listen to RevOps FM

4. Scott Brinker

Best for martech strategy and the marketing technology ecosystem. His writing helps you understand how platforms fit together, how the martech landscape is changing, and how to make better technology decisions. Top 25 MOps Thought Leaders of 2026, RankedBest Resources for Marketing Ops Professionals in 2026

Follow: Chiefmartec

5. Mike Rizzo

Best for learning from the MOps community. His work through MarketingOps.com and the Ops Cast podcast can help you discover real-world challenges, meet practitioners, and learn from peers. About UsElevate your Marketing Ops career

Explore: MarketingOps.com

6. Ali Schwanke

Best for practical HubSpot and CRM workflows, including automation, integrations, and getting more out of your marketing platform. Particularly useful if you're in a HubSpot-based environment. MarTech's marketing operations experts to followHow to Build an Ironclad Marketing Operations Team

Watch: HubSpot Hacks on YouTube

Three resources worth following, too

MarketingOps.com / MO Pros

A dedicated professional community with educational resources, events, discussions, and networking. Arguably the best place to start building your MOps network. About UsElevate your Marketing Ops career

MarTech

Articles on marketing technology, data, operations, automation, and the strategic side of the profession. MarTech's marketing operations experts to followHow to Build an Ironclad Marketing Operations Team

HubSpot Academy

Free training to build foundational knowledge of CRM, automation, reporting, and inbound marketing. A good way to pair thought leadership with practical skills. Best Resources for Marketing Ops Professionals in 2026How to Build an Ironclad Marketing Operations Team

What I'd recommend following first

If you only have time for three, start with:

1. Darrell Alfonso - understand how Marketing Ops creates business value.
2. Justin Norris - build practical technical expertise.
3. MarketingOps.com - learn from the broader community.

Then use Scott Brinker to broaden your understanding of the martech landscape.

One tip: don't just follow people who discuss tools. Look for people who explain why they design a process a certain way, how they measure success, and how they connect marketing activity to pipeline and revenue.

Let me tailor the list to you

What are you hoping to get out of learning Marketing Operations?

To master Marketing Operations (MOps), you want to follow practitioners who bridge the gap between creative marketing strategy and technical execution - focusing on data hygiene, CRM architecture, attribution models, marketing automation platforms (MAP), and revenue operations (RevOps).

Here is a curated list of top-tier Marketing Operations leaders, consultants, and communities to follow on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and newsletters:

1. Industry Thought Leaders & Practitioners

• Darren Cooke

• Focus: RevOps, marketing technology strategy, and operational leadership. Known for deep insights into scaling B2B marketing tech stacks.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn

• Debbie Qaqish

• Focus: A pioneer in Marketing Operations and author of The Marketing Automation Revolution. She is a principal at The Pedowitz Group and focuses heavily on modern revenue marketing.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn / Industry keynote events

• Massimo Tosato

• Focus: B2B marketing operations, marketing automation architectures, and data-driven marketing processes.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn

• Justin Gray

• Focus: CEO of LeadMD, specializing in aligning sales and marketing operations to drive predictable revenue growth.

• Where to follow: LinkedIn / LeadMD blog

2. Specialized Communities & Hubs

Following individuals is great, but MOps is a fast-evolving discipline best learned through peer discussion and practical troubleshooting.

• MOps-A-Palooza / MarketingOps.com (formerly MOPs Pros)

• What it is: The premier global community dedicated entirely to Marketing Operations professionals. Founded by Naomi West and other industry veterans, it offers Slack communities, local chapters, webinars, and annual conferences.

• Why follow: It is the single best place to ask tactical questions about tools like HubSpot, Marketo, Salesforce, and workspace data structures.

• RevOps Co-op

• What it is: A massive community for Revenue Operations professionals spanning sales, marketing, and customer success ops.

• Why follow: Marketing Ops doesn't happen in a vacuum; understanding how marketing data flows into sales pipelines is crucial.

3. Essential Newsletters & Blogs

• Chief MarTec (BrinkerScott / Scott Brinker)

• Focus: The intersection of marketing and technology. While broader than just operations , his annual Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic and analyses are essential reading for anyone managing a MarTech stack.

• Exit Five (Dave Gerhardt)

• Focus: While focused on B2B marketing broadly, they frequently feature operations, demand generation data, and tech stack efficiency discussions.

• The MarketingOps Community Newsletter

• Focus: Curated tactical advice, job postings, tool updates, and best practices directly from active MOps practitioners.

💡 Quick Tip for Learning MOps:

If you are just starting out, don't just consume theory - get certified in the core platforms. Mastering Marketo (Adobe Marketo Engage) , HubSpot , or Salesforce Pardot (Marketing Cloud Account Engagement) , alongside foundational data tools like Segment or SQL , will give you the practical skills that top MOps leaders look for.

Are you looking to learn MOps from a specific angle (e.g., B2B enterprise tech stacks, demand generation analytics, or specific tools like HubSpot/Marketo)? Let me know and I can tailor more specific resources!

To master Marketing Operations (MOps), you want to follow practitioners who focus heavily on tech stacks, data governance, process efficiency, and alignment between marketing and sales rather than just high-level brand theory.

Industry benchmarks like the MOps Report Voices Rankings highlight several key thought leaders and practitioners specializing specifically in Marketing Operations and MarTech:

• • ** Darrell Alfonso** – Director of Marketing Strategy & Operations at Indeed and author of Mastering Marketing Operations. He frequently shares enterprise-level frameworks, career advice, and deep dives on his Darrell Alfonso Substack and Personal Website.

• ** Scott Brinker** – The VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot and editor of Chief MarTec. He is the definitive authority on the macro-landscape of marketing technology and how operations fit into the broader software ecosystem.

• ** Naomi Liu** – Recognized as a top voice in enterprise operations and process management, known for sharing tactical blueprints on infrastructure scaling and data hygiene.

• Michael Rizzo – Founder of MarketingOps.com, an extensive community and resource hub specifically built for professionals navigating the day-to-day realities of marketing operations.

If you want to narrow this down, let me know:

• Are you focused on a specific platform (like Marketo, HubSpot, or Salesforce)?
• Are you looking for beginner fundamentals or advanced enterprise strategy?

I can tailor specific reading lists or community recommendations for you.

Start with Darrell Alfonso for practical marketing operations and martech insights; he leads marketing strategy and operations at Indeed and writes The Marketing Operations Leader. For community learning, follow Marketing Ops Pros (@TheMOPros), which hosts the Ops Cast podcast.(martech.org)(mopsreport.com)(x.com)

If you want to learn Marketing Operations, follow leaders who specialize in MarTech, RevOps, and campaign execution - names like Darrell Alfonso, Sara McNamara, and Sean Percival are especially influential.

🌟 Key Marketing Operations Leaders to Follow

📌 Why These Voices Matter

• Darrell Alfonso & Sara McNamara → Deep expertise in building and optimizing martech stacks, ideal if you want to understand the technical backbone of MOps.

• Eddie Reynolds → Bridges marketing and revenue operations, offering practical frameworks for aligning sales, service, and marketing.

• Sean Percival & Giulia Gagliardi → Bring a startup and growth lens, showing how MOps scales in fast-moving environments.

• Evan Dunn → Focuses on automation and RevOps, critical for modern MOps leaders who need to integrate data across platforms.

⚠️ Risks & Challenges in Following MOps Thought Leaders

• Overemphasis on tools: Many MOps experts are martech-heavy; balance this with strategy-focused voices to avoid “shiny object syndrome.”

• Rapidly changing landscape: Martech evolves quickly - what works today may be outdated in a year. Always cross-check advice with current industry practices.

• Bias toward enterprise scale: Some leaders (e.g., Alfonso, McNamara) operate in large organizations; if you’re in a startup, Percival or Dunn may be more relatable.

✅ Actionable Next Steps

1. _Start with Darrell Alfonso’s book (_The Martech Handbook)** for a structured foundation.

2. Subscribe to Eddie Reynolds’ _RevOps Weekly_ to stay updated on cross-functional operations.

3. Follow Sara McNamara on LinkedIn for practical martech stack tips.

4. Watch Sean Percival’s YouTube channel for startup-oriented MOps insights.

5. Engage with RevGenius community (via Evan Dunn) to network with practitioners.

Would you like me to create a tiered learning path (beginner → advanced) using these experts’ content so you know exactly who to follow first and how to progress?