About the Author

Francesco Federico is a marketing and technology executive with 17+ years of experience in digital entrepreneurship and digital transformation across Fortune 500 brands.

Francesco's interest in artificial intelligence dates back to his academic work in the late 2000s, where he explored its potential in law practice before the field became mainstream. That early interest has evolved into a practical leadership focus on how human and machine intelligence can jointly drive commercial and customer outcomes.

His early career included co-founding ventures such as TripShake and Shreppy during the formative years of the digital economy. He then moved into enterprise leadership, notably at Vodafone, where as Head of Digital he helped reshape digital customer experiences. The My Vodafone app, launched under his leadership across nine European markets, achieved substantial user adoption and introduced principles of AI-driven engagement that would become widespread years later.

At Acer, as Global Digital Marketing Director, he led the deployment of dynamic pricing systems that increased revenue and reduced cost — early examples of AI-aligned commercial strategies at enterprise scale. During his subsequent tenure at JLL, he directed global marketing technology strategy during a period of significant business growth. There, his teams introduced conversational AI, restructured go-to-market operations, and helped unify marketing, product, and technology functions.

Throughout his career, Francesco has been consistently focused on aligning innovation with execution. He brings deep hands-on experience with platforms such as Salesforce, Adobe, and enterprise AI systems, but his emphasis remains on the organisational design and leadership needed to integrate these technologies effectively. He has built and managed cross-functional, multicultural teams and worked across regulated and unregulated environments, in both B2B and B2C contexts.

Outside of his executive role, Francesco contributes to the industry through advisory board positions with research firms including HFS Research and CDR, as well as through engagements with academic journals and non-executive roles in technology and digital transformation. His work is informed by a global perspective, with a focus on the intersection of marketing, AI, and organisational change.

This book reflects a practical perspective on the emergence of agentic AI in marketing. It offers a structured framework for understanding how autonomous systems are reshaping the function — not as abstract future possibility, but as an operational reality. Francesco combines strategic insight with applied experience, aiming to equip marketing leaders with the tools and models necessary to lead through this next phase of transformation.