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    Marketing Operations (2026)

    Updated October 29, 2026

    Key takeaway

    The engines point to Scott Brinker (all five engines, first in four) and Darrell Alfonso (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Mode) as the top voices, with Sara McNamara third in four lists. Perplexity dissents on Brinker, placing him seventh, and Copilot's list is mostly different names. Gemini and Google AI Mode both cite the Top 25 Marketing Ops Voices of 2026 list from the MOps Report, which explains their near-identical lists. Brinker's lead rests on his work at HubSpot and ChiefMartec.com.

    Mostly agree

    Darrell Alfonso is a top-two marketing ops voice.

    Sara McNamara belongs in the top five.

    Edward Unthank is a leading marketing automation voice.

    Where they differ

    Where Scott Brinker ranks

      Which kind of influencer counts

        Who sits at number one outside Brinker

          Disagreement (1)

          Scott Brinker is the most influential martech voice.

          Verdict

          Scott Brinker leads with backing from all five engines, ranked first by ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Mode, but Perplexity puts him seventh. Darrell Alfonso is the next most backed, named by four engines.

          Top ranked

          Scott Brinker
          90.00%40
          Darrell Alfonso
          80.00%27
          Sara McNamara
          60.00%23
          Mike Rizzo
          50.00%22
          Edward Unthank
          50.00%19
          David Raab
          40.00%20
          Naomi Liu
          40.00%19
          Justin Norris
          30.00%24
          Crissy Saunders
          30.00%15
          Dara Treseder
          20.00%15

          How we rank

          This page is built from 64 answers by 5 AI engines. Tools are ordered by how often and how high the engines name them.

          Where each AI engine placed them

          NameGemini logoCopilot logo
          Scott Brinker11171
          Darrell Alfonso2211-
          Sara McNamara4433-
          Mike Rizzo332--
          Edward Unthank5544-
          David Raab627--
          Naomi Liu-968-
          Justin Norris665--
          Crissy Saunders-899-
          Dara Treseder----2

          Side-by-side comparison

          Feature comparison from stored engine answers
          OptionRoleWhy they stand outBottom line
          Scott Brinker

          Known for his work at HubSpot and Chief Martec

          Called the undisputed top voice for mapping the martech ecosystem

          Copilot logo

          Seen as the leading authority and Godfather of MarTech

          No verified shared conclusion.

          Different readings: Why they stand out

          Darrell Alfonso

          Enterprise marketing ops leader

          Author of The Martech Handbook and a prominent Substack voice

          No verified shared conclusion.

          Sara McNamara

          Revenue and marketing operations leader

          Known for systems architecture and the Wizard of Ops platform

          No verified shared conclusion.

          Upgrade to see full comparison

          Related questions

          What engines actually searched

          The sub-queries each engine actually searched before answering.

          Cited, but not mentioned

          13 sites cite this answer without naming anyone

          Full responses

          5 of 5 engines that answered. Full stored text as captured, with dashes shown as hyphens. Nothing is summarised.

          ChatGPT162 characters · October 27, 2026 · gpt-6
          1. Scott Brinker
          2. Darrell Alfonso
          3. Michael Rizzo
          4. Jon Miller
          5. Sangram Vajre
          6. David Raab
          7. Sara McNamara
          8. Matt Heinz
          9. Andy Crestodina
          10. Tony Byrne
          Gemini logo Gemini970 characters · October 27, 2026

          1. Scott Brinker Top 10 global martech influencers shaping future of marketing in 2025

          2. Darrell Alfonso

          3. Michael Rizzo

          4. Sara McNamara Top 25 Marketing Ops Voices of 2026 - MOps Report

          5. Edward Unthank

          6. Justin Norris

          7. Juan Mendoza Top 25 Marketing Ops Voices of 2026 - MOps Report

          8. Crissy Saunders

          9. Naomi Liu

          10. Phil Gamache

          Google AI Mode673 characters · October 27, 2026

          According to the MOps Report, the top 10 most influential individual voices and leaders shaping marketing operations and martech are ranked below from most to least influential: Top 25 Marketing Ops Voices of 2026 - MOps Report

          1. Darrell Alfonso
          2. Michael Rizzo
          3. Sara McNamara
          4. Edward Unthank
          5. Justin Norris
          6. Jeff Coveney
          7. Scott Brinker
          8. Naomi Liu
          9. Crissy Saunders
          10. Phil Gamache [mopsreport.com]

          Would you like a breakdown of the core expertise or specific contributions of any of these top-ranked martech and marketing operations leaders?

          Perplexity171 characters · October 27, 2026
          1. Darrell Alfonso
          2. Michael Hartmann
          3. Sara McNamara
          4. Edward Unthank
          5. Justin Sharaf
          6. Jeff Ignacio
          7. Scott Brinker
          8. Naomi Liu
          9. Crissy Saunders
          10. Phil Toland
          Copilot logo Copilot4,277 characters · October 27, 2026

          The top 10 most influential voices in Martech and Marketing Operations right now are:

          1. Scott Brinker

          2. Dara Treseder

          3. Neil Patel

          4. Jeff Green

          5. Brian O’Kelley

          6. Paul Gubbins

          7. Megan Clarken

          8. Rajeev Goel

          9. Adam Greco

          10. Anthony Higman

          📊 Ranked List with Context

          RankNameWhy They’re Influential
          1Scott BrinkerCreator of the MarTech Landscape Supergraphic; VP at HubSpot; editor of ChiefMartec.com. Known as the “architect” of Martech strategy.Top 10 global martech influencers shaping future of marketing in 2025
          2Dara TresederCMO at Autodesk; focuses on humanizing tech and blending creativity with data-driven marketing.Top 10 global martech influencers shaping future of marketing in 2025
          3Neil PatelCo-founder of Neil Patel Digital; one of the most recognized SEO and analytics experts globally.Top 10 global martech influencers shaping future of marketing in 2025
          4Jeff GreenCEO of The Trade Desk; leading voice in programmatic advertising and open internet advocacy.Top 10 AdTech & MarTech Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025
          5Brian O’KelleyCo-founder & CEO of Scope3; pioneer in programmatic advertising and sustainability in digital supply chains.Top 10 AdTech & MarTech Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025
          6Paul GubbinsVP Strategic CTV Partnerships at Tubi; respected authority on programmatic video and connected TV.Top 10 AdTech & MarTech Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025
          7Megan ClarkenStrategic Advisor at Criteo, former CEO; driving transformation toward commerce media.Top 10 AdTech & MarTech Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025
          8Rajeev GoelCo-founder & CEO of PubMatic; influential in publisher monetization and omnichannel ad strategies.Top 10 AdTech & MarTech Influencers to Follow on LinkedIn in 2025
          9Adam GrecoProduct Evangelist at Hightouch; expert in digital analytics and composable CDPs.MartechView 2025 Contributors: Shaping the Future of Marketing
          10Anthony HigmanRecognized voice in PPC and Google Ads; won multiple industry awards for insights on Local Service Ads.Marketing O'Clock Honors Digital Marketing Leaders 2025 - martechtrend

          🔎 Key Takeaways

          • Scott Brinker remains the undisputed #1 voice in Martech due to his foundational work mapping the ecosystem.

          • Dara Treseder and Neil Patel bring strong influence from both corporate leadership and digital marketing expertise.

          • Jeff Green and Brian O’Kelley represent the cutting edge of programmatic advertising and sustainability.

          • Adam Greco and Anthony Higman highlight the operational and tactical side of marketing ops, from analytics to paid media.

          This ranking blends ecosystem architects, corporate CMOs, analytics experts, and adtech innovators, giving a full picture of who shapes Martech and marketing operations today.

          Would you like me to also highlight emerging voices (next-gen influencers who may break into the top 10 soon), or keep the focus strictly on established leaders?

          Your question will include this prompt's context: Who are the most influential voices in martech and marketing ops?