Michael Lee is the VP of Demand Generation at Intercom, where he leads a global team responsible for shaping how the market discovers and adopts Intercom’s AI-powered customer service agent, Fin, and its help desk platform. With a background spanning computer science, performance marketing, and GTM leadership, Michael has built a career at the intersection of data, creativity, and systems thinking — with prior roles at Optus, eBay, Fanatics, and Atlassian. Known for scaling high-impact teams and operationalizing growth with precision, he brings a builder’s mindset rooted in experimentation, insight, and long-term strategic rigor.
Named to our Marketers to Watch list in partnership with The Wall Street Journal, Michael shared his perspectives on AI-native marketing, the future of discovery, and the leadership skills required to thrive in an agent-driven economy.
What book or podcast do you recommend to marketing leaders?
My go-to podcast is BG2 Pod, featuring Brad Gerstner and formerly Bill Gurley. I find it uniquely compelling because it blends forward-thinking perspectives on AI and technology with sharp, real-time analysis of the news that unfolds daily and weekly. The podcast’s ability to contextualize fast-moving developments while keeping an eye on long-term implications is invaluable for any leader navigating the AI era.
For books, I often return to Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss. The short, non-sequential interviews and stories make it easy to pick up at any moment, and I consistently find lessons that translate directly to both my work and personal life. It’s a rare book that delivers relevance and inspiration in whatever time you have available.
How are you and your team currently using AI?
AI is woven through nearly every part of Demand Generation, though the way it’s used varies meaningfully by team. Across the board, everyone is encouraged to rethink how work gets done with AI and each person has access to an AI assistant to support faster, higher-quality execution. Beyond that foundation, individual teams apply AI to very specific use cases: Performance Marketing leverages it for AEO, SEO, and market research; Integrated Marketing uses it for content creation; and our Events and Field teams use it for outreach and follow ups.
We also evaluate every new tool through an AI-first lens, just like we expect our customers to evaluate our products Fin and Helpdesk, because we believe AI can materially improve the efficiency, productivity, and long-term leverage of any platform we invest in.
What’s a prediction you have for marketing over the next few years?
I predict advertising on AI assistants is just around the corner. Today, most LLMs monetize through tokens, licensing and subscriptions, but once they introduce advertising, which is inevitable, every digital advertiser will have to rapidly adapt. This shift will coincide with a broader transformation: AI agents will become the primary interface between customers and the internet. The browser, the search bar, and even the traditional funnel will give way to AI systems that interpret intent, evaluate options, and drive decisions on behalf of users.
In that world, clicks and conversions could become far less relevant, while model influence, agent-driven discovery, and AI-optimized experiences become the new battlegrounds. Marketers will need to shape how AI systems understand their brand, products, and value not just how humans do.
Marketing won’t disappear but how we measure and the shape of the customer funnel will change dramatically.
What’s the most innovative or exciting project you’ve worked on recently?
There are many but I’d say some of the most exciting initiatives so far this year were the launch of Intercom’s 2025 Customer Service Transformation report as well The Blueprint for Scaling AI Support. It combined premium content, global companion events, webinars, and dedicated digital experiences to generate meaningful pipeline and shape industry perception. Similarly, our Pioneer Summit allowed us a platform to share exciting product announcements like Fin Voice, Fin 3 and the vision for Customer Agent. I was proud of the way our teams executed with strong sales alignment showcasing the best of integrated marketing: storytelling, data activation, and cross-functional partnership.
What’s the most pressing business challenge you’ve faced in the last year and what have you done to solve it?
The biggest challenge this year has been driving a predictable, high-quality pipeline in an intensely competitive and rapidly evolving AI landscape. Buyer behavior shifted quickly, expectations rose, and competitors moved fast. To respond, we tightened our full-funnel operating model, strengthened alignment with Sales and Product, and focused on programs directly tied to revenue and trial growth. We scaled high-impact events, accelerated performance marketing, improved funnel velocity, and sharpened our ICP targeting. By pairing disciplined execution with experimentation, we transformed complexity into momentum and delivered meaningful, attributable business impact.
What leadership muscle is most important for marketers to exercise?
The most critical leadership muscle for marketers today is the ability to create clarity and momentum amid constant ambiguity and rapid change. AI is reshaping every aspect of how teams operate, making speed, adaptability, and sound judgment non-negotiable. Modern marketing leaders must set a high bar, champion experimentation, and remove friction so teams can move fast without compromising impact. It’s a balance of creativity and analytical rigor, paired with the discipline to test, learn, and iterate continuously. The leaders who thrive will be those who provide focus, empower action, and guide their teams confidently through uncertainty.
What’s the most game-changing piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the most game-changing pieces of advice I’ve ever received from a trusted mentor and friend was to only hire people on your team you could imagine working for one day. It transformed how I think about building teams. Instead of hiring to fill gaps, it pushed me to hire “up”, people who are stronger than me in key areas and raise the bar for the whole organization.
It also taught me to prioritize potential, curiosity, drive, and ownership over narrow experience. Passionate intrapreneurs with low ego and high initiative will outperform perfectly credentialed candidates every time. And ensuring cultural alignment by involving peers and assessing how someone actually works creates teams that move fast, collaborate deeply, and thrive under pressure.
Ultimately, this advice taught me that great leaders aren’t defined by being the most qualified person in the room, but by who they choose to bring into the room with them.
What gives you energy and inspiration outside of work?
I get energy from a mix of family, fitness, and travel-related activities. Time with family and friends keeps me grounded, while fitness clears my mind and helps me operate with focus and resilience. Outside of that, I naturally gravitate toward learning about new technology and emerging tools, especially in both real-world AI and software. I look forward to the day I can have my own personal Optimus robot.
Marketers to Watch is a recognition series to spotlight highly innovative and forward-thinking marketing leaders in the community. If you have someone you’d like to nominate for the series, apply here.
