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COUPA HIRES CHANDAR PATTABHIRAM AS CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on August 11, 2017
5 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
Company
Published by Gbaf News
Posted on August 11, 2017
5 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Former Marketo CMO to lead Coupa’s Global Marketing Strategy and Operations
Coupa Software (NASDAQ:COUP), a leader in cloud-based spend management, announced today that storyteller, digital marketing executive, and veteran software industry marketer Chandar Pattabhiram has joined the company as its chief marketing officer (CMO).
Named one of five CMO’s to follow this year by LinkedIn, Pattabhiram has more than 23 years of experience in both fast-paced and large technology companies including Marketo, IBM, Badgeville, Cast Iron Systems, Jamcracker, and Anderson Consulting (now Accenture). Pattabhiram served recently as CMO at Marketo where he was responsible for all aspects of marketing. He led efforts to position Marketo as the digital marketing industry innovation leader and the best solution for high-growth and enterprise businesses.
Pattabhiram and his team transformed the Marketo brand from a marketing automation tool to the leading engagement marketing platform for the enterprise. At Badgeville, Pattabhiram was head of worldwide marketing and during his tenure the company won several industry awards for innovative storytelling including the Best Platform-as-a-Service for 2013.
As vice president at IBM Cast Iron Systems, Pattabhiram was responsible for all product marketing and channel marketing efforts. He helped transform the company from an appliance offering to the number one cloud integration platform. In 2010, IBM acquired Cast Iron as a centerpiece of its Cloud strategy.
Pattabhiram also spent time at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies in the high-tech, retail, and oil and gas industries.
As CMO at Coupa, Pattabhiram will manage all aspects of marketing including, demand gen, corporate, product, and industry marketing as well as lead the company’s global marketing strategy.
“Coupa has the core essentials of being a game changer: a unique competitive advantage in a huge, must-have market category via innovation, proven customer success and a vibrant company culture,” Pattabhiram said. “I am honored to join such a world-class company, and my vision is to create a marketing engine that helps build the best brand, drive revenue and ultimately win the marketing battle in the spend management sector.”
Known for his mantra “marketing is about winning the battle for the mind,” Pattabhiram brings to Coupa proven strategies and tactics on how to build a brand that connects with customers emotionally. “Marketing begins with storytelling,” he said. “It takes the art of storytelling to reach the heart and to build a bond. I believe that if you reach the heart, then you’ve captured the mind.”
“Chandar is a proven, results-driven marketing executive who strongly believes that fostering a culture of empowerment, recognition and fun is the key formula for building and scaling high-performance marketing teams,” said Rob Bernshteyn, CEO at Coupa. “I look forward to him expanding our global marketing footprint to take Coupa even higher. Chandar is a natural fit for Coupa, and we are ready to support him and what he brings to the table.”
Pattabhiram is currently a strategic advisor to Gainsight, and LendingUSA.com.
He will join the Coupa team in late August.
Former Marketo CMO to lead Coupa’s Global Marketing Strategy and Operations
Coupa Software (NASDAQ:COUP), a leader in cloud-based spend management, announced today that storyteller, digital marketing executive, and veteran software industry marketer Chandar Pattabhiram has joined the company as its chief marketing officer (CMO).
Named one of five CMO’s to follow this year by LinkedIn, Pattabhiram has more than 23 years of experience in both fast-paced and large technology companies including Marketo, IBM, Badgeville, Cast Iron Systems, Jamcracker, and Anderson Consulting (now Accenture). Pattabhiram served recently as CMO at Marketo where he was responsible for all aspects of marketing. He led efforts to position Marketo as the digital marketing industry innovation leader and the best solution for high-growth and enterprise businesses.
Pattabhiram and his team transformed the Marketo brand from a marketing automation tool to the leading engagement marketing platform for the enterprise. At Badgeville, Pattabhiram was head of worldwide marketing and during his tenure the company won several industry awards for innovative storytelling including the Best Platform-as-a-Service for 2013.
As vice president at IBM Cast Iron Systems, Pattabhiram was responsible for all product marketing and channel marketing efforts. He helped transform the company from an appliance offering to the number one cloud integration platform. In 2010, IBM acquired Cast Iron as a centerpiece of its Cloud strategy.
Pattabhiram also spent time at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies in the high-tech, retail, and oil and gas industries.
As CMO at Coupa, Pattabhiram will manage all aspects of marketing including, demand gen, corporate, product, and industry marketing as well as lead the company’s global marketing strategy.
“Coupa has the core essentials of being a game changer: a unique competitive advantage in a huge, must-have market category via innovation, proven customer success and a vibrant company culture,” Pattabhiram said. “I am honored to join such a world-class company, and my vision is to create a marketing engine that helps build the best brand, drive revenue and ultimately win the marketing battle in the spend management sector.”
Known for his mantra “marketing is about winning the battle for the mind,” Pattabhiram brings to Coupa proven strategies and tactics on how to build a brand that connects with customers emotionally. “Marketing begins with storytelling,” he said. “It takes the art of storytelling to reach the heart and to build a bond. I believe that if you reach the heart, then you’ve captured the mind.”
“Chandar is a proven, results-driven marketing executive who strongly believes that fostering a culture of empowerment, recognition and fun is the key formula for building and scaling high-performance marketing teams,” said Rob Bernshteyn, CEO at Coupa. “I look forward to him expanding our global marketing footprint to take Coupa even higher. Chandar is a natural fit for Coupa, and we are ready to support him and what he brings to the table.”
Pattabhiram is currently a strategic advisor to Gainsight, and LendingUSA.com.
He will join the Coupa team in late August.
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